BURNS Night 25th

Burns, Scotland’s national bard, was known as Robin. ‘Robin was a rovin boy, Rantin Rovin Robin..’

Each January the life, poems and songs of Robert Burns are celebrated across the world on Burns night 25^th January to celebrate his birthday.  He is the only poet that has a day to celebrate his writings.    

 ‘Address to a Haggis’

`The Immortal Memory’

‘Toast to the Lassie’

Burns wrote some of the best loved songs and poems Ye Banks and Braes, Ae Fond Kiss, Red Red Rose, Auld Lang Syne, A Mans a Man, and more) and he was a leading Romantic Poet.

Oddly Burns was hardly mentioned in the Romantic Poets book I bought at the National Portrait galleries or on Wikipedia. He was not a Heaven Taught Ploughman poet and he was not simply the son of a poor tenant farmer – but – in fact he knew four languages - Scots, English, Latin and French and he was a great reader. His father was highly articulate and taught his sons and daughters a great deal. His mother and aunt taught them about local songs and stories. They also had a young teacher for several years who encouraged reading, writing, French, Latin.Mathematics, Geography and more. 

Burn’s father’s family had fallen on hard times in Aberdeenshire west of Stonehaven, after the Earl of Marischal lost his estates after the Jacobites 45. These were also difficult times for many in Scotland during the American revolutionary wars.

BURNS wrote some of the best loved poems and songs of our kinship with nature, love and on radical politics.

THE BURNS SUPPER

The nervous first entertainer follows immediately after the meal. Often it will be a singer or musician performing Burns songs such as:-

                        My Luve is Like a Red Red Rose;

                        Rantin', Rovin' Robin;

                        John Anderson, my jo; or

                        Ae Fond Kiss, and Then We Sever.

Alternatively it could be a moving recital of a Burns poem, with perennial preference for:-

                        Tam o' Shanter;

                        Holy Willie's Prayer;

                        To a Louse;

                        Address to the Unco Guid; or

                        For a' that and a' that.

                                    The immortal memory
The keynote speaker takes the stage to deliver a spell-binding oratoration on the life of Robert Burns: his literary genius, his politics, his highs and lows, his human frailty and - most importantly - his nationalism. The speech must bridge the dangerous chasm between serious intent and sparkling wit, painting a colourful picture of Scotland's beloved Bard.
The speaker concludes with a heart-felt toast: “To the Immortal Memory of Robert Burns!”

  

Music Photography 2015

Idlewild

Van Morrison

I have attended some top gigs in 2015. Most memorably the legend voice that is 'Van Morrison' who takes both Irish and R & B soul to new levels. Just awesome!  Then Scottish indie rockers 'Idlewild' played their debut return gig at the O2 ABC Glasgow and played such an energized and fun gig. Top quality. Another memorable concert was the 'Punch Brothers' at the concert hall during Celtic Connections 2015 - their harmony singing and electrifying banjo playing was highly enjoyable. I also enjoyed wonderful singing at the Scottish A Cappella Championships St Andrews. Other quality concerts included the Alan Kelly band, the Dirty Beggars, and not forgetting the quality musicianship and singing at the  Transatlantic Sessions. I've been very fortunate and a big thanks to all these wonderful artists who entertain us so well!   

 Gallery - http://pkimage.co.uk/p156850829

Alan Kelly band

**MUSIC 2015

Hozier took my attention for his depth and subtle toned voice. I heard him sing a Van Morrison song - Domino - on the Jools Holland new year show.  His song Take Me to Church is truly a classic, no doubt of it for those who say its all been heard before and nothing decent in music is done these days. 

Hozier - Hozier -  http://hozier.com/

Here are a few other classics that were released in 2015/ 2014

Julia Hotler - Have You in My Wilderness -   http://www.juliashammasholter.com/

Father John Misty - I Have You Honey Bear  -  http://www.fatherjohnmisty.com/

The Shires -  Brave -  http://www.theshiresmusic.com/

John Grant - Grey Tickles, Black Pressure -  http://johngrantmusic.com/

Lucinda Williams - The Ghosts of Highway 20 -   http://lucindawilliams.com/

War on Drugs - Lost in the Dream -  http://www.thewarondrugs.net/

Scottish

Kathryn Joseph -   bones you have thrown me and blood i've spilled

 (SAy award) I met her briefly going into play at the Edinburgh book festival where her vintage piano was carefully being lifted over the stone steps via the backstage entrance into the Charlotte square gardens. -  http://www.kathrynjoseph.co.uk/

Idlewild - Everything Ever Written -   http://idlewild.co.uk/  

Rab Noakes - I'm Walkin Here -  http://rabnoakes.bandcamp.com/album/im-walkin-here

C Duncan - Architect -  http://c-duncan.co.uk/

Belle & Sebastian - Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance -  http://www.belleandsebastian.com/

Chvrches - Every Open Eye -   http://www.chvrch.es/

 Alan Kelly Band – The Last Bell -  http://alankellygang.com/band/

Those Borderlands.....Change and innovation does not occur in the large mainstream, but in the hinterlands edges and in smaller places. You need to explore the vast array of the different forms and find out where they meet. In the borderlands. 

PS I was sad to hear of the death of David Bowie - his greatest strength was being first and lastly an artist in the true sense of discovery, innovation and edge. He wished to create alternative worlds. Sadly missed. 

Scottish A Cappella 

Forgotten Scottish Voices

Many Scots artists, writers, scientists and explorers and more have been airbrushed out of history (as have many women!). 

I  James Clerk Maxwell;  I recommend BBC Scotland's TV program on one of the world's greatest physicists - James Clerk Maxwell

One of Edinburgh’s many great intellectual sons: James Clerk Maxwell (1831-79), the titanic Victorian scientist whose work was described by Albert Einstein as the “most profound and the most fruitful that physics has experienced since the time of Newton.” His genius touched pure mathematics, electromagnetics, optics (color theory), kinetic theory and thermodynamics, astronomy (the rings of Saturn), and many other disciplines. He was also a poet

He was the shoulders on which Einstein stood and he kept a photo of him on his wall. When the Berlin Wall came down engineers from East Germany came over to Ayrshire to visit Maxwell's grave. Yes in Germany scientific inventors and engineers are highly regarded! 

Yet in his home country of Scotland Maxwell is virtually unknown...... Scotland and the north of England were once the great centres of scientific, engineering excellence and manufacturing. In 2008 and statue to Maxwell was unveiled in George street, Edinburgh.  

James Clerk Maxwell

II  The Scottish suffragettes.  In the recent movie Suffragette, the role played by the Scottish suffragettes are totally ignored.

Flora Drummond, “The General”, who rode a white horse at the head of marches and Marion Wallace Dunlop (a descendant of William Wallace) who pioneered the hunger strike as a political protest. Dunlop was eulogised by George Bernard Shaw, who called for a statue of her to be placed in Trafalgar Sq. In Scotland the cause spread far and wide. King, the curator of the People’s Palace in Glasgow from 1974 to 1991, who was a driving force behind its acclaimed collection of women’s suffrage artefacts, says the movement was more radical in Scotland. Councils and churches put their shoulders to the wheel too. “What didn’t happen in England, but did in Scotland, was you would get a lot of the  authorities making statements in favour of women’s suffrage and support from a lot of the ministers.  The Church of Scotland was pro-suffrage and ministers spoke for votes for women.”  

Flora Drummond

There was also a Mary Barbour

- there has been a recent campaign in Glasgow for a statue in her honour. (1875 - 1958) was a Scottish political activist, councilor and magistrate. She was closely associated with the Red Clydeside movement in the early 20th century and especially for her role as the main organiser of the women of  Govan who took part in the rent strikes of 1915. 

Remembering the Scots at the heart of the suffragette movement by political editor Alison Rowat  - http://www.heraldscotland.com/arts_ents/film/13838704.Remembering_the_Scots_at_the_heart_of_the_suffragette_movement/?ref=rss

Also Labour party founder Kier Hardie had a close relationship with Emmeline Pankhurst.  Scottish ministers even preached for the votes for women. In fact it appears that Scottish voices led the way in this crucial movement...

James Connolly

III  Scotland and The Easter Rising:        

Scot James Connolly, as were many other Scots, was a major player in Ireland's struggle for Ireland's independence. Next April will mark the 100 year anniversary of Ireland's Easter Rising. Connolly was a founder of both the Irish Socialist Part and of the Scottish Labour party, long before Keir Hardie. The present Labour Glasgow city council believe any mention of Irish independence is too controversial a topic though to mark the anniversary in any way!  Old prejudices die hard it seems. Connolly was also the brother of well respected Scottish journalist Ian Bell's grandfather (who sadly died recently).

IV   Broadcasting

Even our Scots language is not recognised as an official language. Linguists accept the status of Scots as a language. Recently Osborne announced the BBC will not support the Gaelic language channel BBC Alba.  Of the £335 m raised in tv licence fees in Scotland - only £35m is spent on Scottish tv production. 

 V   Secularism versus

For me questions of how we are governed are nothing to do with religion, which should be a private rather than state matter.  This war of ideology with Muslims is really over whether religion should be part of government?? Religion needs to be taken out of schools and other institutions. 

and Independence

The term 'Independence' seems too strong a word for many in England - who apparently feel they are being very nice by helping us folks in Scotland out!  This is quite simply about de-centralising and growing up here in Scotland and running our own affairs - while still maintaining very close ties with the rest of these islands. .. Well perhaps we need to be more radical and have our own currency that is not tied into the world banking system...??  

Statue of James Clerk Maxwell in Edinburgh, 2008

We urgently need informed debates on these topics for Scotland - AND not by political parties - but by business people, scientists, economists etc.      

Does all this matter? Should or does history represent as truthful a view of the past as possible? We might argue history is always limited or represents one viewpoint.

Well yes it does, especially in today's world of mass communication. There is no reason to hide the truths.

Celtic Connections 2016!

This year Celtic will welcome again any international artists from – Inner Mongolia to Armagh, Senegal to Italy, and Brittany to the Outer Hebrides to Southern Manitoba will perform at the festival in 2016 Celtic Connections remains a hotbed of musical talent from cultures and countries from across the globe. 

One of the main focuses of Celtic Connections festival is bringing different voices together form across continents and oceans as well as exploring our roots and identity  Celtic also brings together the different generations through music - with older and contemporary sounds and how today's most innovative and experimental bands draw on traditional roots.  .

This year's opening concerts celebrates the TSMA's 50th anniversary which encourages Scottish traditional song with musical director Siobhan Miller - and with a star line up that includes - Arthur Johnstone, Sheena Wellington, Jimmy Hutchison, Barbara Dickson, Shepheard, Spiers & Watson, Kris Drever, Adam McNaughton, Mischa Macpherson and Malinky.   

TSMA mission was to support authenticity in Scotland's song smiths, musianship and tradition  - in opposition to the twee commercialism of a simplistic tartan shortbread music hall sound. To celebrate the ancient muckle songs to the 21st century originals.

The Chieftains, along with other Irish musicians will celebrate the100 year anniversary of Irelands Easter Rising which included (as in Scotland) a cultural re-wakening by poets, writers composers and artists - an artistic renaissance in song, literature, theatre and journalism. 15th Jan Concert hall.  

Dick Gaughan and Karine Polwart

Topics of Migration - is a concert of Joni Mitchell songs - the Pilgrimer - which will re-imagines Joni's classic 1976 album Hegira with singers Dick Gaughan, Karine Polwart, Julie Fowlis and more. The album tells of migration while Joni drove solo from Miami to LA - expressing both the freedom and loneliness of the road.  Pilgrimer by author James Robertson adapts the album to a Scottish setting.  16th Jan Concert hall.

Ballads of Child Migration concert with Barbara Dickson, Eddi Reader, Kris Drever, Boo Hewerdine. Between 1850 and 1970 more than 1000,000 children were shipped under government schemes to colonies and were exploited. 19th Jan Concert hall

Highlights this year include - the Chieftians, Lau, John Grant, Lucinda Williams, Robert Plant, Karine Polwart, Rickie Lee Jones, Boys of the Lough. 

I have been taking photos at Celtic Connections since 2008. When I look at my Celtic Connections photos - one thing stands out – the fun and joy of music and the collaborations of those taking part during the 18 day festival.

Opening concert for Martyn Bennett

The main venue is the Glasgow Concert hall - other venues include, the Old Fruitmarket, 02 ABC, Oran Mor, Tron, City Hall, St Andrews, Piping centre,

  

From Thursday 14 to Sunday 31 January, 2,500 musicians from around the world will gather in Glasgow for 18 days of concerts, ceilidhs, talks, art exhibitions, workshops, free events, late night sessions and a host of special one-off musical collaborations. 

Stars of world, folk and roots music, who will perform on 26 stages at venues across the city,

 http://www.celticconnections.com/Pages/default.aspx