Scottish female singer songwriters

Julie Fowlis

Karen Matheson

Karine Polwart

Emeli Sande

Eddi Reader

Here are my favourite Scottish female singer songwriters - Eddi Reader, Emeli Sande, Karine Polwart, Karen Matheson, Julie Fowlis - all very different and very special in their own unique ways. I have been to several concerts by all of them. They are also successful in different areas of music.  I have also seen some young new female singer songwriters here - Kate Tough, Genesee, Rachel Sermanni, Katie Sutherland. 

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Sandy Bells Bar

Sandy Bells, Forrest Road Edinburgh is a place that attracts traditional Scottish musicians.  I used to frequent the bar many moons ago when I dated a folk guitarist. It opened my experience to the live music scene and to unaccompanied singing and harmony singing. I remember evenings there with energetic fiddles, guitars and banjoes playing those foot stomping reels and jigs. Wonderful memories. The Scottish poet Hamish Henderson and traditional folk guitarist Dick Gaughan used to go there. I took these shots one evening during a more recent trip to Edinburgh.

Your Disco Needs You - The Musical rehearsals

Great fun at "Your Disco Needs You - The Musical" rehearsals! Looking forward to the show at the Mitchell theatre Glasgow 24th, 25th, 26th October 2014. I have followed the show from idea to the stage which has been very interesting - so much goes into a great musical!!  The story has been written by Anita Neilson and the music has been beautifully scored scored around Kylie Minogue songs by music director Derek Allan.

This show has a quality cast with many talented stars; expressive and colourful costumes; an emotive story with those highs and lows expressed through songs and dance.  Well worth seeing!

Celtic Connections 2015 Launched!

Donald Shaw, Celtic Connections Artistic director, announced the 2015 program 14th October via a video link -  https://www.youtube.com/donaldshaw

Celtic is the world biggest folk music festival - with over 300 shows, over 18days and 20 venues.

Celtic will celebrate both the composers and the skills of the makers of hand made instruments. What I love is the more subtle warm tones of quality wooden instruments.

This year the strands and themes of the festival are those amazing stories of handmade instruments. Donald was inspired this year by the book 'Fiddle Tree' by Otis Thomas - who made his first fiddle from a sugar maple tree beside his house.

Shaw quoted Thomas - "Maybe art is not a quest to conquer the secrets of perfection, but is rather a revelation of that which is personal and unique and defies the very concept of perfection. "

In other words the best music or art is not about aiming to achieve perfection, but rather what makes us individual, with our weaknesses, flaws and imperfections, but also our very strengths.   

Highlights will include, Fairport Convention, Eddi Reader, King Creosote, Craig Armstrong and American band Lambchop.

The Opening concert will feature the music of Scottish composer Martin Bennett's Grit album, with the full orchestra.

A Tribute concert to celebrated songwriter and folk legend Ewan MacColl (1915 - 1989) hosted by his sons Calum and Neill. 

A show of the award winning Hollywood composer Craig Armstrong  his new album it's Nearly Tomorrow (with singers Paul Buchanan, and Brett Anderson) and his cinema work including Moulin Rouge, Great Gatsby and Romeo and Juliet.

-The Fiddletree, based on the book by Otis Thomas, will included music played by fiddles, clarsach, mandolin and cello.

-Rory Gallagher – Band of Friends perform music of Irish blues rock multi-instrumentalist and songwriter. 

-        -King Creoste, award winning indie folk musician, with his award winning new album -  From Scotland With Love along with Scottish screen Archive material.   

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Celtic will welcome many American cousins, such as Patti Griffin at Transatlantic Session and Jeff Tweedy, one of the US top songwriters. 

World Music with Angelique Kidjo and the RSNO.

Other concerts include - Skerryvore, Roaming Roots Revue, Manran, and more

Plus of course one of Celtic's ever popular showcase concerts - the Transatlantic Sessions - hosted by musical directors Aly Bain and Jerry Douglas, blending together both the Scottish and American traditional music. 

Celtic Connections 2015 is - 'music that is personal and unique'. Music that holds hundreds of stories like the big old tree.  http://www.celticconnections.com/