Showing posts with label harmonies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label harmonies. Show all posts

Wednesday 10 January 2018

CELTIC CONNECTIONS 2018!!

I am looking forward now to the 25th Celtic Connections 2018 Glasgow!

Each January Celtic Connections brightens up the lull and short days after Christmas  -
with a festival brim full of musical cheer, talent and boasting top quality musicianship, perfect singers, unique collaborations and artists worldwide –who will all descend on Glasgow s many fine venues –
from the Hub at Glasgow Concert hall, Ceilidh nights at the Old Fruitmarket, to intimate smaller venues such as the Old Mackintosh church, St Andrews in the Square, Oran Mor Westend, fun evenings O2 ABC. 

Rab Noakes & Kathleen McInnes

Altan
GRIT orchestra

Enjoy day sessions or late night sessions or open mic, of stomping fiddle tunes, Gaelic songs, soul-filled blues, energetic banjo,

This years festival celebrations include the impressive line up of  the late composer and piper Martyn Bennet’s Bothy Culture at the Hydro, led by Greg Lawson. Also tribute nights to Scottish legends Michael Marra, concert, Arrest This moment and also for Dick GaughanThere will be New Voices and well loved folk Traditions; perfect harmonies, gifted guitar playing, atmospheric pipes, moving flutes, tight basslines. One of the highlights of Glasgow's calendar.  

Photography by Pauline Keightley. Last year I was delighted to exhibit my 10 years of Celtic Connections photo at the Old Fruitmarket venue! 

Blazin Fidles

Cara Dillon
The 18 days of the festival will brighten up the winter nights of January with one-off musical collaborations, talks, workshops, film screenings, ceilidhs, art exhibitions, free events and late night sessions. Celtic Connections festival now has over 300 events across 26 stages and an attendance figure of over 100,000.
Highlights of the 25th Festival
Following its stand out opening concert at the Celtic Connections 2015, the GRIT Orchestra of folk, jazz and classical musicians, will world premier Martyn Bennett’s Bothy Culture at the Hydro, arranged by Greg Lawson. They will be joined by stunt cyclist Danny MacAskill (55m views YouTube). The GRIT Orchestra is a unique ensemble of Scotland’s diverse contemporary music scene, a scene that Bennett himself helped pave the way for.

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS - Shetland’s Fiddler’s Bid, Finnish seven-piece Frigg, award-winning Kate Rusby, punk folk band the Levellers, Sharon Shannon, Skerryvore, The Mavericks, Shelby Lynne and Allison Moorer, Julie Fowlis, Dougie MacLean.  

PLUS Highlanders Blazin’ Fiddles, have their 20th anniversary show, with Jenna Reid, Rua MacMillan, Kristan Harvey, Anna Massie and Angus Lyon – PLUS Duncan Chisholm, Aidan O’Rourke, Catriona Macdonald, Iain MacFarlane, Allan Henderson, Marc Clement and Andy Thorburn. 

Celtic Connections is one of the worlds major folk, world, and roots music winter festivals.  This year the festival twins with Ireland.  My highlights for this year are the Opening concert, Shawn Colvin, Session A9, Bothy Culture and Beyond, Beth Orton, Transatlantic Sessions and many more! 
TICKETS now on sale - https://www.celticconnections.com/




Saturday 23 April 2011

The Low Anthem Oran Mor 7th April 2011


I first saw the Low Anthem perform at the Old Fruitmarket during Celtic Connection Festival Glasgow 2010 - where they played their many instruments, performed their melodic songs, and sang their finely-tuned harmonies with a contemporary American country feel. Their sound ranged from subtle soft lows to a big crashing wall of sound, and lead singer Ben Miller took his voice from sweet to harsh. So tonight I expected another great concert and I was not disappointed.

The concert was held in the Oran Mor Church auditorium with it's coloured stain glass and high ceiling gallery. American band 'Head an Heart' were the support and they had fun as they performed their strong harmonies and quality songs. 

The Low Anthem set their stage for intimacy and arranged their instruments in a circle with an open area in the middle.  I noticed that they had set a vase with 2 daffodils and a glass of Rose wine on top of a small wooden organ which gave relaxed ambience to the stage.  The band began their set in a close circle around an old radio-style microphone, and with only their soothing voices and guitar they brought a hush to the crowded hall.