MUSIC, Ignorance and Faith 2017

Adam Holmes performed at Celtic Connections with Rura

The Arts lift us out of the ordinary, offer us permanence, shift time, give us beauty, hope and dreams..“When the arts are neglected and obscured, people suffer from dullness or ignorance.” Alan Raich

I now have my old record collection on display – and there appears a shift back to the quality of the physical purchase. In our world of fast moving shifting sands people are now searching out some classic permanence. 

Significantly my son said, ‘I want to own my music.’

At Milngavie folk club I enjoyed quality performances from Dougie Maclean, Cara Dillon , Blue Rose Code. Thanks Jason for running such a top folk club!

I enjoyed a great concert with the legend Celtic soul man Van Morrison.

At Celtic 2017 – I exhibited some of my Celtic photos of my ten years covering this major event, at the Old Fruitmarket venue and I thought of the many fun gigs I’ve enjoyed there. This year Rab Noakes played a quality concert with a mostly female band. Also concerts by many top Women musicians. Men continue to dominate music, but there are some highly talented and wonderful women musicians – both young and old – to be discovered. Julie Fowlis, Siobhan Wilson, Eddi Reader, Joni Mitchell, Cara Dillon, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Alice Marra, Laura Marling and many many more... 

The Scottish pipes were altered a while back, so that they can now be played along side an orchestra or band and this has made a big difference to ceilidh music.

Laura Marling backed by the RSNO

Beautiful Gaelic singer Julie Fowlis

the indomitable Eddi Reader

Iona Fyfe

Other artists I rate highly – Lorde, Father John Misty, Christine and the Queens, Radiohead,

Mary Chapin Carpenter and friends

**CUTs to the ARTS – Both Brexit and the deregulations by the UK government of Lottery Funds threaten the future success of the Arts.

The arts are of vital importance for our well being, how we view the world and ourselves and place in the world. The Arts give shape and understanding.

Van Morrison

Preservation

It’s important we preserve our significant heritage and in so doing ensure a flourishing, creative and rich artistic future. I’ve been reading of Burn’s travels over Caledonia – from the highlands to the Borders, when he kept his finely tuned ear alert for some of the world’s most memorable oral ballads, and to preserve them for all time. He added verses and altered tunes. What a legacy!

SCOTTISH WRITERS – Apart from Burns, I have been reading of the many other great Scottish writers – William Dunbar, Edwin Morgan, Iain Crichton Smith, Edwina Muir, James Hogg, Elizabeth Melville, Hugh MacDiarmid, 

As we entered into the Looking glass of Neverland in 2017…

I am sad for the lost forgetting, the hollow dreams, the ignorant minds…

Are we at crossroads, certainly not new beginnings. We are in a downward spiral, without balance and must now hope for options on the next turn. This is not about standing on the shoulders of the greats – its about being lost in some dark tunnels.

Blue Rose Code

For 2018 I hope we may find new balances, real informed debate in physical spaces, free press and build bridges across old, entrenched divides. 

Then I found a piece I’d written on inspiring people.

And I have to wonder - why can’t different cultures co-exits In harmony, side by side – are we not stronger for our very diversities?

There were many terrorist attacks UK – we need to build bridges and reach out. ….and we in Scotia long for self-determination…

‘One World’

All the arts depend on collaborating – the more diverse and broader the better. Bono of U2 wrote his ‘One World’ when the Berlin wall came down. Sadly today walls are going back up…..

 

Rab Noakes and his band

Rura

A New Scottish National Photography Gallery

 470 clergymen who founded the Free Church of Scotland

The Scottish National galleries are showing an exhibition of the work of Scottish photography pioneers,

Robert Adamson and David Hill – ‘Scottish Photography pioneers, A Perfect Chemistry. Fisherfolk of Newhaven,’

27^th May to 1^st October 2017, TE SCOTTISH PORTRAIT GALLERIES, Queen St, Edinburgh.

It has taken others overseas to recognise the work of these Scottish pioneers in photography. These two world renowned pioneers are mostly unknown in Scotland and are yet more reminders of the neglect of Scotland’s heritage.  

The Museum of Modern Art New York put on an exhibition Photography1930 – at the beginning of the show Hill and Adamson had pride of place as Photography pioneers. In 1989 The Huntarian Glasgow staged another exhibition of Hill and Adamson’s work, which came over from Saskatoon Canada, where it had been acclaimed.

The Scottish galleries hold the biggest collection of their work in the world, yet only exhibit their work every 15 years. In the 1840s Hill and Adamson were partners in the new science of Photography. Adamson portraits of clergymen documented the disruption in the Kirk with the Free church of Scotland. They worked in Rock house, Calton hill, producing portraits and also images of the Forth estuary and coast.

In the 1990s the Royal High school was considered for a new Scottish National Photography gallery –  to include Annans, Gillanders, Calum Colvin and others.

**Scottish Artist David Hill 1802 – 1870)^, landscape painter

He formed Hill & Adamson studio with the photographer Robert Adamson

(1843 - 1847) pioneer photographer. He learned lithography at the school of Design Edinburgh. His landscape paintings exhibited Institution for the Promotion of the Fine Arts in Scotland and he established Scottish Academy1829 with Henry Cockburn.

Pioneer Photographer Robert Adamson (1821–1848) pioneer photographer at Hill & Adamson. Best known for his work with artist David Hill at his photographic studio Rock House Calton hill. Hill and Adamson were commissioned in 1843 to make a group portrait of the 470 clergymen who founded the Free Church of Scotland. Hill had desired to make photographic portraits of the founders as reference material.

Adamson’s collaboration with Hill, who provided skill in composition and lighting, and Adamson’s dexterity with the camera, proved extremely successful. They used the calotype process, and produced a wide range of portraits depicting well-known Scots.

They photographed Fife landscapes, urban scenes, the Scott Monument under construction; 

the fishermen of Newhaven and the fishwives who carried the fish in creels the 3 miles (5 km) uphill to the city of Edinburgh to sell them round the doors, with their cry of “Caller Herrin”

They produced groundbreaking "action" photographs of soldiers and two priests walking side by side.

They produced some 3000 calotypes of mostly portraits within 5 years, 1843 – 1847.

Adamson died unmarried on 14 January 1848, at the age of 26.

In 1851, the works of Hill & Adamson's appeared at The Great Exhibition.

It wasn't until 1872 that their work was rediscovered. In 1905, 1912, and 1914, some of their works appeared in Camera Work. There were also several New York City exhibits at Alfred Stiegiltz’s 291 art gallery and at the National arts club.

Calotype or talbotype is an early Photographic process introduced in 1841 by William Henry Fox Talbot using paper

coated with silver iodide. The term calotype comes from the Greek καλός (kalos), "beautiful", and τύπος (tupos), "impression".

Photography and Music December 2016

enjoying late sun on the south bank

MUSIC 2016

It’s been an honour to get to know some of the great Scottish folk musicians and writers of today – Dick Gaughan, Rab Noakes, Karine Polwart, Kris Drever.

Rab Noakes plays a home gig

This year I attended a house party gig for the incomparable Rab Noakes and it was good to chat and hear him perform in a more informal relaxed setting. This year at Celtic Connections 2016, I enjoyed the concerts of The Chieftains, Lucinda Williams, Rachel Sermanni, Siobhan Wilson and especially the fun ceilidh bands of Rura and Blazin Fiddles. As usual the highlight was the classy accomplished musicianship of the Transatlantic band with the wonderful singers Rhiannon Giddens and Cara Dillon this year.

At Edinburgh festival in 2016 it was a thrill to hear Alan Cumming perform his inimitable interpretations of songs. I enjoyed my talks at the EIBF and some of the top authors and musicians this year included -  Melvun Bragg Paul Mason, Erica Jong, Roddie Woomble, Alan Taylor, Tom Devine, Billy Bragg, Wilko Johnstone.

Emeli Sande returns

Exciting New Music 2016 - 

Christine and the Queens. The biggest new artist on the scene, made an impression on the Jools Holland show. She mixes movement, rhythm, music and mood to great effect. Impressive.

Blue Rose Code – Folk blues singer songwriter from Edinburgh. I saw him this year at Milngavie folk club and was mightily impressed and I have enjoyed his album very much – classic songs and energetic blues rhythm guitar and voice.

Emeli Sande returned with a wonderful second album Long Live the Angels. I was so honoured to take photos at her Albert hall concert in 2012. I saw her return to the Oran Mor Glasgow – I first heard her here in 2007. Loving her new track Breathing Underwater.

Some top albums this year too from Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool: Coldplay, Mumford, Muse, Adele, Ellie Goulding, Chvrches, Mark Ronson, Disclosure.

Sadly there has been in 2016, the deaths of many iconic musicians – Leonard Cohen, Prince, George Michael and David Bowie. Sadly the most successful architect ever Zaha Hadid and one of the most successful record producers ever, George Martin. In 1962 he started working with and unknown band, the Beatles, with innovative music productions.

Chieftians

Karine Polwart

At Celtic 2017, they will focus on the half of the population often ignored – the women’s voices with the singers and musicians. The women care about home, children and mother earth. There is a story of a south American tribe where the women tell the men to STOP.

Blazin Fiddles

WHY MUSIC?

With music I feel at home. It was the one safe happy place when I was a child. When I played piano, the rest of the world seemed to disappear and make sense. When I played piano and sang I felt connected to those positive things in life - the sunshine days, the happy memories. I felt good about myself in a world that was often dark and full of despair it seemed.  When my fingers learned to play Bach and Mozart a whole other dimension opened up, as if I was on some small way connected to those genius artists and transported to far away shores...  I travelled with folk artists and learned the shared joy of harmony singing and fiddlers rhythms.  And I have never looked back....  

Paul Simon said that he was inspired by African skies and African rhythms, but the anti-apartied forces shunned his musical collaborations for his amazing Graceland album 91986)

Simon was reaching out through his music.  

Yet now all these many years later we see that the unison of Simon's American voice along with African voices helped to offer a unifying hope that anything was possible. That the voices of fear and hatred might be overcome by the melodies and rhythms that we all understand and that unite us.

Some of us suffer great insecurities, and more than anything we need those voices of hope. Simon's journey was about music not politics. My belief was once a bright shiny thing... We all have our ingrained insecurities and they may lead to great art or they may lead to terrible despairs and fears.

Blue Rose Code

**The big Issues that Really Matter -  Scottish Land Reform, Greener energy, (only at 32% just now!), Child poverty, Social Care.  To hide the Tories failings on the economy and more – they use Brexit as smokescreens, instead of focusing on what really matters. 

AND THOSE false REFERENDUMS? HOW DEMOCRATIC ARE THEY REALLY?

They are about money and the Unionist press raining down on us.

According to Gordon McIntyre CEO business Scotland, perhaps only 10% of the population research, read and are knowledgeable about politics – the rest look for comfort and that’s why these maverick appeal, such as Farage or Donald Trump. The trouble is these opportunists don’t know how to fix anything.

**HAPPY NEW YEAR**!  to all who read my 'Scottish Arts and Music blogs' and posts here! 

2016 has been a rather scary, tumultuous year! Here's to ALL the independent, honest voices in 2017..Lennon, Dylan, Tony Benn, Mhairi Black,...And listening to ALL sides and not those echo chambers!. Yes I do read the Sunday Times and watch Question Time... even though it hurts at times!  

It's been a year of tremendous times personally and also of sad difficulties - that's life as they say!

My favourite Christmas song is by John Lennon, So This is Christmas - To all those masters of war, including those in the arms trade, Dylan wrote of - give peace a chance.. There is more to living than treasure chests. . In Karachi the wells are dry, in the Antarctic polar bears are dying … if we don’t’ care about our planet – then what do we care about. Mr Trump , please listen? 

HOPE

Back in 2014 many of us dared to dream there could be a better, more productive, fairer, greener SCOTLAND. With all these voices of fear we need more than ever voices of our shared humanity of shared hopes.  Yes, we need angels, voices fo freedom, informed thought, more than ever.

At Celtic Connections in January 2017 we will hear many women musicians’ voices...I look forward to it!

enjoying late sun on the south bank

**My Photography 2016**

I am continually inspired by B & W images and by my favourite portrait photographers. Sometimes colour works better though and some images just don’t translate into B & W.  But for me the B & W photography has more impact if you can capture enough subtle tones and contrast.

  

Photos November

I've had some meaningful photo experiences this year. Shooting at EIBF(Edinburgh International Book festival)) was so interesting of course. I went to several challenging talks - most notably by the pre-eminent Scottish historian Tom Devine - on the Scottish Enlightenment and secondly on the Darien Project. I attended talks also on the Scottish referendum questions and the press and media. EIBF BLOGS September 2014 here.

-Scottish Referendum. I view Scottish Independence as a journey. Many of the top Scottish intellectuals and writers (such as Tom Devine and others) have come out on the side of Scottish independence believing it to be the best way forward for Scotland, after careful  consideration.  As yet I've not found any good reasons for the UK union- apart from past sentiment or the world wars. This pulling and sharing of resources quoted by the Better Together team seems to mean London pulling in the UK resources. The referendum energised Scottish politics and since then the SNP have had such a surge in new members that no one could have predicted, and they are now the third largest UK party. 

-Recently I had the exciting and fun experiences of shooting at the wonderful Your Disco Needs You - The Musical at Glasgow's Mitchell theatre - written by Anita Neilson, musical score by David Allan and choreography by Tim Noble.  

 -Photography.

 I didn't set out thinking I would be a music photographer - I became one by accident after capturing interesting images at a music gig.  It seemed to matter to me to capture something special about unique gigs. 

I know my best images are mostly captured when there is unlimited access to a concert and I can find a nice position to the side of the stage and not interfere too greatly with the audiences enjoyment. I want to be a bystander, an observer, not a participant - although the whole point for me is  to be lost and absorbed by the music. That's why I am there - at the Queens hall Edinburgh or the Oran Mor Glasgow. 

I attend gigs I hope to enjoy. Of course for the bigger artists there is the photographers pit, sometimes OK, but other times a rammy to get those good shots in the restricted three song grab, which means most music photos end up all looking the same kind of limited mug shots at the safe start of the gig and creativity is lost. While with a few other serious gigs there can be an exciting adrenalin rush, all great fun!  I'm very grateful for all the interesting musicians, artists, and writers I have met. 

Renowned jazz photographer David Redfern died 2014.  In his obituary to Redfern by his close friend Tom Seymour - 
http://www.bjp-online.com/2014/10/david-redfern-photographer-obituary/

 "Like other photographers of his generation, schooled as he was in the chemistry and craft of picture-making, he has lived through the digital revolution. Gone now is the widespread recognition of the photographer as a respected artist providing a valuable contribution to the development of the industry. In its place is a new paradigm of control and restrictions: access restricted to the first three songs or the back of the hall, draconian contracts, impatient minders. As he wrote in 2005: “Nowadays one has to cut through so much hype and crap before one can even consider whether to photograph an event or concert.” It is indeed sobering to consider how many images we might not be able to enjoy if today’s restrictions had applied when David Redfern was building his archive."  Well exactly!

I began to wonder is music photography about the art and craft or simply the mug shot?

I continue to work on editing techniques, mostly using Lightroom (occasionally Photoshop for trickier editing) and what works and what doesn't. Its a very subtle thing.

-Writing Work. My other focus of my writing work progresses with my first book nearly finished (?) especially as I have three other new books in progress now!  The organising, sorting and finishing work takes far longer than the first writing drafts by miles. As is the case with photography also - the shooting is only about 5% of the work. 

-My Musicfootnotes BLOG

Continues to do well and I continue being inspired and I enjoy doing the blog.  Top blogs this year include - Sandy Bells Bar, Female singer songwriters, John Hammond, George Harrison, Rolling Stones, Eva Cassidy, Bring it All Home, Gerry Rafferty, Black and white photography. 

-Music 2014

Some new albums tI have enjoyed his year -  Head and Heart,  Sarah McLachlan, Mary Chapman Carpenter, White Denim,

Kris Drever and Eammon Coyne Milngavie Folk Club

When Irish and Scots folk blend something fun and very unique happens. Both Kris and Eammon are very personable and with their easy manner put their packed audience at ease when they began their set with some energising tunes.  

Eammon is an accomplished banjo player from Dublin who has played with many well known Irish folk players and now lives in Edinburgh. I noticed Eammon first with Salsa Celtica and I noticed how much he enjoyed himself on stage.

Kris Drever

 Eammon Coyne

Kris is from Orkney and he is one of the most popular contemporary Scots folk singers. Drever originally played with the ceilidh band Session A9.  He was persuaded by John McCusker to record his own solo material and he released his debut album ‘Black Water’ to good reviews in 2006. He has worked with some of the top Scottish folk musicians and toured with Kate Rusby’s band.

They played a excellent selection of tunes and folk ballads. I particularly enjoyed Drever’s own composition Steel and Stone and we sang along to the Tannahill Weaver’s fine song Farewell to Fuinery Drever also sang the Burn’s song Parcel of Rogues to the Nation to good effect

Their tunes and reels were very well played and full of character. Kris has a fine voice and he performs quality songs. The music is an interesting mix of their own compositions and traditional folk and country influences. In 2007 Coyne released a cd with Kris Drever called ‘Honk Toot Suite’ and is worth checking out. 

SET  ( I read this set list upside down so I hope it is correct!)

Call and Answer/ Isle of France/ La Bestai/ Wild Hurricane/ Harvest/ Poor Mans Son

II Mthe/ Mazurka/ Crown of London/ Parcel of Rogues/ Twenty Quid/ Black Water/ Shady Grove/ Steel and Stone/ Farewell to Fuinery Honk Toot Suite.
 

I’ve seen Kris a few times before at Celtic Connections festival and at the folk club and I thought this gig was a step on with both Kris’s performance and Coyne providing colourful playing. I would perhaps have enjoyed hearing more chat about the songs. I also preferred his new look longer hair! 

When he moved from Orkney Drever started out playing at Sandy Bells Edinburgh, a place I have very fond memories of. Drever also plays with the band Lau with Martin Green and Aidan O'Rourke, and they performed on Jools Holland last year.  They prove to be one of the most promising new folk music collaborations.
Kris Drever PHOTOS - http://pkimage.co.uk/krisdrever

Photography Inspirations

I first got inspired by photography through the amazing images in Life magazine, Vogue and later in Vanity Fair. I can’t remember exactly when, but I don’t remember a time that I wasn’t drawing either fashion, ballet or portraits - http://musicfootnote.blogspot.co.uk/2012/photographyinspirations

Black and White Music Photography

Broken Records

Head and Heart

I try to mix the old with the new and capture moods such as quiet moments of inner reflection. One of my interests is images of new artists and several of those I've photographed are now signed to major labels -  Emeli Sande, Hurts, Mumford, Metronomy, Broken Records,The Low Anthem, King Creoste... My favourite photographers are Mario Testino, Eve Arnold, David Bailey.  http://pkimage.co.uk/

Black and White Music Photography

The Head and Heart Oran Mor

Dick Gaughan Milngavie folk club

Broken Records Queens Hall

Emeli Sande Royal Albert Hall

Edinburgh Festival, Scottish Ballet, Celtic Connections, Manchester Jazz Festival (MJF) - many concerts including Elton John, Fleetwood Mac and Snow Patrol. I try to mix the old with the new and capture moods such as quiet moments of inner reflection. 
One of my interests is images of new artists and several of those I've photographed are now signed to major labels -  Emeli Sande, Hurts, Mumford, Metronomy, Broken Records, King Creoste...  My favourite photographers are Mario Testino, Eve Arnold, David Bailey.  http://pkimage.co.uk/ 

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