Transatlantic Sessions 2021 concert

Celebrates the rich and ever present exchange between the old world and the new. 

“Playing music together always feel natural with the old time States and the Scots Irish music”, artistic director Donald Shaw. And the power of quality live music to bring us all together. 

 

The TS band opened on the Scottish stage Concert hall Glasgow with upbeat tunes – 

Led by Shetland fiddler Aly Bain, Phil Cunningham, John McCusker, Michael McGoldrick, James Mackintosh and Donald Shaw along with guests Euan Burton, Julie Fowlis & Kris Drever. They wereoined by master dubro player Jerry Douglas remotely from America.

Gaelic singer Julie Fowlis charmed with her pure dulcet tones. Plus popular Orkney singer songwriter, Kris Drever performed his own compositions. 

 

On the American stage Nashville Tennessee : A welcome return of Tim O’Brien’s bluegrass songs. Plus Molly Tuttle, Allison Brown, Stuart Duncan and fun Irish guitarist John Doyle, sang to their friends across the ocean.

 

 I’ve been reading up recently on the Scots Americans. Americans often reference the Scotch-Irish and view this as a close connection. From the 1700s Scots Americans came in 3 Main Groups - The Highlander Scots, Lowlander Scots and the Scotch Irish. 

I lived ten years over in Ohio and Chicago Illinois. In Cincinnati at a German restaurant with singing waiters, they said they’d sing an Irish song 'Danny Boy' for my parents who were visiting from Scotland! I thought this odd at the time, but after reading this it makes sense. The connections between Ireland and Scotland are very strong ones! 

Bonny and braw Transatlantic Sessions concert, with the excellent, warm energy of Celtic and bluegrass tunes, and poignant moments too with an Irish piper lament, Gaelic song,  

 

Transatlantic Sessions 2019

My last live concert was at the Transatlantic Sessions 2020. As I left into the cold winter evening not knowing it would be my last for such a long time….. So a massive thanks to Celtic Connections and Glasgow Life for bringing all the musicians together to enrich our lives with these online concerts! 

 I’ve taken photos at the festival since 2008 and have a large archive of images on my website  - https://pkimage.co.uk/celticconnections

 

Transatlantic Sessions 2020

More than ever live music needs support. As a charity Celtic connections relies on support. 

Support Celtic Connections - https://www.celticconnections.com/support-us/

Celtic Connections opening concert 2021

Celtic Connections 2021 Big Band

The opening of Celtic Connections 2021, had sets from some of the very best musicians on both the Scottish and international music scenes, with 12 performances: including fiddler Duncan Chisholm with Scottish Ensemble, Ímar, Fiona Hunter, Kinnaris Quintet, Le Vent du Nord.

Perfect tunes and accomplished musicians. 

Celtic Connections 2021 Big Band, with a quality line up - Donald Shaw, Michael McGoldrick, Greg Lawson, Ross Ainslie and more. They performed new tunes by New Voices series. 

The concert began with pipers led by Finlay MacDonald. Followed by excellent tunes by the Celtic Big band. This was contrasted by perfect harmony singing with Karine Polwart’s ‘Come Away in’ - a welcome song for refugees at the impressive City Chambers – Aaron Jones, Eddi Reader, Siobhan Miller, Rab Noakes, Findlay Napier, Dave Mulligan. 

Followed by festival favourites Le Vent Du Nord from Quebec. 

Fiddler Duncan Chisholm played the tune ‘The Precious Place’ with sweet poignant tones along with Innes Watson, Hamish Napier, Jarlath Henderson & the Scottish Ensemble 

Duncan Chisholm

The concert celebrated cultures from around the world with the energetic singing of Xabier Diaz from Galicia and Adufeiras De Salitre. Also Sona Jobarteh multi-instrumentalist and composer from the Gambia.

The Kinnaris Quartet did an energetic set at the Old Fruitmarket venue with their tune, This Too Shall Pass. Fiona Hunter sang the Burns song ‘Aye Walkin O’. We were also treated to a Gaelic song from Karen Matheson: and fun tunes by young bands Imar and Elephant Sessions. 

Celtic Connections big band   Fiddle: Patsy Reid, Graham Mackenzie, Laura Wilkie, Hannah Fisher. Whistles and Saxophone: Fraser Field. 
Flute and Whistles: Michael McGoldrick
. Pipes and Whistles: Ross Ainslie.  Guitar: Anna Massie, Sorren Maclean
. Percussion: James Mackintosh, Alyn Cosker
. Piano and accordion: Donald Shaw.
 Double bass: Duncan Lyall
. Trumpet: Neil Yates. 
Saxophone: Paul Towndrow. .Trombone: Chris Greive
. Violin: Greg Lawson, Alistair Savage, Fiona Stephen, Kobus Frick Viola: Georgia Boyd, Liam Lynch
.  Cello: Sonia Cromarty, Jessica Kerr
. 

Celtic Connections celebrates Scottish music  and traditions and also places it alongside other global traditions, cultures and music. The festival is about improving our well being by the process of coming together in Glasgow’s most historic buildings. The festival does workshops and talks.  

On the BBC Radio Scotland artistic director Donald Shaw thanked Glasgow Life for organising venues, such as Kelvingrove with amazing grand pianos that were waiting to be played. Siobhan Miller spoke of how emotional and joyous and over-whelming it was to come together in these spaces. 

Imar

Celtic Connections first online festival 2021!

Transatlantic Sessions 2020

At this cold and dark time of year the accomplished and melodic fires of music light up our hearts and the evening skies

 

Celtic Connections, the world's biggest winter folk festival, first online festival will celebrate the musical connections, accomplished musicians, perfect melodies, musical traditions and much more. Its hard to explain what its like to miss the buzz that surrounds folk festivals and the importance to our lives of live music. So I'm looking forward to seeing some top class Celtic concerts online and on the BBC

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR MUSICIANS IN THESE DARK TIMES 

Celtic Connections has now listed their first online digital festival. 

Some photos for the Danny Kyle stage.

The festival will run from Friday 15^th January to Tuesday 2^nd February 2021. Follow the conversation at @ccfest

TICKETS AND PROGRAM - : www.celticconnections.com

SOME HIGHLIGHTS

Monday 25th January

*BBC Scotland channel: BURNS NIGHT with the BBC SSO, EDDI READER and KAREN MATHESON 7pm - 8pm.  

 

*Some of CELTIC CONNECTIONS festival will be on BBC Alba

Friday 15th January - Celtic Connections 2021 Online Celebration Concert (Various Artists) 7.30pm - 9pm £10.  On BBC ALBA: EP1 Cuirm@Celtic Connections: Duncan Chisholm 9pm 

Monday 18th January - Come Away In with Karine Polwart, Eddi Reader, Rab Noakes, Siobhan Miller & Finlay Napier 7.30pm - 9pm £7

 

Wednesday 20th January   Blue Rose Code - Karen Matheson - LYRE - Rory Butler 7.30pm - 9pm £7

 

Friday 22nd January - Blazin Fiddles - Xabier Diaz - Gnoss - Deirdre Graham 7.30pm - 9pm £7. On BBC ALBA: EP2 Cuirm@Celtic Connections: The Staves 9pm

Sunday 24th January - The Secret Sisters - Kinnaris Quintet - An Tobar Presents 7.30pm - 9pm £7

Friday 29th January -  Transatlantic Sessions with Special Guests 7.30pm - 8.30pm £10

Saturday 30^th January - Rhiannon Giddens with Francesco Turrisi - Kris Drever - Dean Owens with Joey Burns (Calexico) 8pm - 9.30pm £7

Musical Director Donald Shaw - “The resounding feeling that has come out of the recording days is a space for musicians to come back, to play again, to feel part of the community that they helped to create. The last time a lot of the contributing artists performed was at Celtic Connections 2020 and now they are back playing as part of the festival one year on after what has undoubtedly been the hardest year of their careers. We feel incredibly proud that as a festival, along with our funding partners, we have allowed for this safe space for them to play again, embrace their creativity and ultimately give them hope that there is a future for them within this industry.”

Aly Bain

 The Celtic Connections online festival will begin one week today. Across 19 days, the festival will present over 30 online performances between Friday 15^th January and Tuesday 2^nd February 2021.

World class concerts will be available to view online with some of the biggest names on the Scottish music scene and beyond appearing on screens across the world as part of the winter festival. Celtic Connections has created unique digital content from specially commissioned projects and performances filmed across many of Glasgow’s much-loved venues. International artists have also contributed to the eclectic line-up by recording performances remotely.

Traditionally, the festival welcomes over 100,000 attendees to Glasgow, a UNESCO City of Music, and on announcing the digital-first festival organisers hoped it would appeal to the wide international audience they usually see attending the festival. The 19-day event undoubtedly has caught the attention of music fans across the world with festival passes purchased in 35 countries already. With the festival’s global audiences in mind, they have allowed for all shows to be available for a week after they are first streamed to alleviate any restrictions for different time zones enjoying the range of content.  

Donald Shaw, Creative Producer for Celtic Connections, said: “The announcement of the full festival programme today marks a huge moment for me and the wider team. The concept for a digital-first Celtic Connections was borne out of a desire to promote wellbeing and optimism amongst fellow musicians as much as it was about still being able to offer entertainment to our loyal Celtic Connections audiences during the dark nights of January. 

John Paul White

Rab Noakes

Eddi Reader and the RSNO

Year of Turbulence 2020

 

Walks kept us going

 

We’ve Lost and Gained

We have passed through the porthole of the pandemic into a new existence and we don’t yet know where the pieces will land. The world as we know it has fragmented. Much has changed, much remains the same. 

 

The vaccines are coming, but we are only at base camp for recovery. Its been a year of limbo, with a blank calendar, working at home, empty shops, queues,… 2020 saw many major and life threatening errors – failure to act quickly, out-of-date PPE, failure to listen to the science, 

 

We started using Zoom and Skype much more – for interviews, business and family get togethers. Some of this was good and will continue and many found working at home went okay. We went our daily walks which mattered a lot.

City centres were deserted though, and all the small cafes and shops that support city working will surely close. Cities will need to adapt and change as people bought more locally. 

 

Empty Princes street during lockdown

Edward Carson statue thrown into river Bristol Black lives matter

Will calm waters lie ahead in 2021 – perhaps? 

How can we explain the isolation and disquiet of this Covid pandemic to future generations? After seven long months, with our lives often on hold, its been a strange, strange time. It has given us pause for thought though and to consider what is most important in our lives. By far the hardest part has been missing family, 

 

I’ve kept myself busy with major tidying projects in the house and with my vast archives online. After 12 years now pursuing photography, I have a large website archive of photos from Celtic Connections music festival and from Edinburgh book festival – www.pkimage.co.uk.

And also reviews and other essays on my blog www.musicfootnotes.co.uk

 

Over the years I’ve taken photos of many famous people: musicians, novelists, artists, politicians, poets and more. Recently I’ve renewed my interest in history, particularly Scots history, which I had little knowledge of before – from George Buchannan, Edinburgh enlightenment, Thomas Muir, Robert Burns, Eliabeth Stewart, Covenanters, Brognar of Ness Orkney, more. 

In particular I’ve been reading of our Scots Bard RB and I recommend these books –

The Bard by Robert Crawford; robetr bursnan dthe Hellish Legion, John Burnett.

 

President Elect Biden

HIGHER NOTES : President Elect Biden

We may be ending the year on higher notes and its hard to express my desire to see the back of that dark and ignorant bully in the white house, Donald Trump. As the long slow march of Democrat votes were tallied up in November, it was akin to voices of light and sanity speaking up. 

What a relief! I listened to Joe Biden’s first speech as President Elect with hope, as he spoke of healing divisions in America and hopefully worldwide too. This was such a crucial election. I want to tell Biden, education is the key, even if he cant’ pursue all he’d like to! Then I hear that his wife is a teacher. Good news.  

The relief is enormous to return to some kind of sanity and see the back of an opportunist populist and hopefully we might see the back of other opportunists and disrupters closer to home.

People painted windows, stones and decorated with bright lights

I may support an Indy Scotland – but my main motivation is democracy (prefer to be part of a Scottish Democratic party) rather than any sort of nationalism (as Boris likes to focus on) and that’s for Scots to have a voice.

 

Meanwhile the excellent Irish Times writer Fintan O’Toole theorises that the Right has realised their route to electoral success is extreme populism – with opportunistic, fake electoral lies to hoodwink the public to vote for them.

The Tories used to be the party of decency, morality, family values, but not anymore: now Its all taking the party line. Now they represent reckless greed, capitalism and selfish individualism begun under Thatcher, who famously said, “There is no such thing as society.”

And during the First lockdown March the spring air was the most perfect and clear we'd ever seen. I took photos of the blossom with my new Sony  camera.

 

It’s hard to look ahead with any certainties anymore – who can really say. Better to expect the unexpected. There are Big Anniversaries in 2021 – The Declaration of Arbroath, 100 years of Northern Ireland in April, May – Scottish parliament elections. 

If this hard year has taught us nothing, its that the real heroes are the ordinary people who kept our country going and not the people at Westminster. 

 

 

 

 

Fare Well - Hogmanay Celebrations

Fare Well - Part 129 December - 

Filmed in the stunning Scottish Highlands, tonight we host the premiere of the first instalment of our 2020 online celebrations. 

Fare Well, a visually captivating and emotive experience, will see 150 individual drones take to the skies to deliver the UK's largest swarm drone show.

Set to the words of award-winning poet and Scots Makar, Jackie Kay. Fare Well Part One takes inspiration from what we've been able to do and not do during 2020. Jackie writes about the way that the air carries airs, music, the virus, chants and hymns.  Despite the trauma of the months gone by, we can and must still hope.  Hope for the future, hope for a new year and hope for each other.  Part One of Fare Well looks at the year gone by – the funerals and weddings cancelled, the griefs and despairs which have been collective, with a feeling that the world has become a village.

"This air has heather and malt on its breath

as it sighs, puffed oot after a year of death,

under the blue mask of its flag. The Saltire’s

been a warning cross. Dinny come too near. "

 Drone show pioneers, Celestial have used sophisticated AI software to choreograph their movements, the drones reached an altitude of 150m and top speeds of up to 25mph to form images created by Scottish illustrator, Gary Wilson.  Reflecting both the words from Jackie’s poem and the surrounding nature of the Highlands, the drones depict a series of images including a stunning Stag galloping across the scenery and the Saltire Cross.  Lending their voices to part one are renowned actors David Tennant, Siobhan Redmond and Lorne MacFadyen; with 25-year-old native Gaelic speaker Winnie from the Isle of Skye completing the line-up, all to a musical score from Skye-based Celtic fusion band, Niteworks.

"Let us remember and never forget

That we won’t let our hopes fizzle out"

 

 

https://www.edinburghshogmanay.com/whats-on/fare-well-part-1

SONGs of 2020

 

There were a few songs that helped through the tough times we all unexpectedly suffered through in 2020. 

 

Songs of pulling together. 

There were many heroes of 2020 – those who selflessly worked in care. 

Each Thursday we clapped on our doorsteps for the health workers – perhaps the clapping might get rid of the virus!

 

*SONGS

Times Like This by Foo Fighters

A star-studded cover version of the Foo Fighters' Times Like These has topped the UK singles chart after a close battle for the number one slot.The charity single, which features Dua Lipa, Chris Martin, Jess Glynne and Biffy Clyro, beat The Weeknd's Blinding Lights by just 3,000 copies.

 

Stand by Me 2020

 

True Colours by the local school choir

 

Hit song Blinding Lights by the Weeknd spent 8 weeks at No One 

 

Ceilidh nights – with renowned fiddler Duncan Chisholm’s from the western isles. Perfect pick up.

 

*MUSIC

Live concerts and festivals were cancelled – but many albums were released.

Taylor Swift re-recorded her albums as Spotfiy take so much of the money on the streaming services. 

Lewis Capaldi – most streamed 

One World concert Lady Gaga

Tv shows and concerts with Zoom audiences. 

 

**TV meanwhile TV series kept us afloat too. 

Queens Gambit

Normal People

The Crown

Succession

 

*Cinema

Bond movie delayed for one year. Cost 250m with 5m in media.

We saw Tenet by in a near empty cinema in September

 

 

 - VOICES FOR SCOTLAND

*The Big Indy night in - https://voicesforscotland.scot

 

The Losses of Brexit

“That us one reason why Brexit seems such a sadness for Scotland both in a economic and cultural sense, because it loosens our ties with one of the most ancient relationships to the European continent. “ Professor Tom Devine Scotlands top historian

MANY Scots will be filled with a great sadness, sense of loss, regret and will be grieving our enforced departure form the EU.. I grew up in Edinburgh and it always seemed a great centre of international culture, connections and travel. After five years I still have no idea what the benefits of all this Brexit chaos really are – except for the tax-avoiding off shore trust funds and saving the Tory party.

It’s a day I hoped would never arrive, but here it sadly is. Scotland voted to stay in Europe and our ancient history and ties to Europe run very deep: we have long been an outward looking nation on the edge and entrance to Europe. In fact our ties to Europe are much deeper and longer than Scotland’s attachment to Britain. I recently travelled to Scotland’s islands  - Orkney, Lewis, Harris, Barra, Uist, Mull, Iona - and I more clearly understood our links to the seas and travels and our strategic importance.

I have no trust or confidence in Boris’s Tory team or how well they are prepared for extra red tape, customs checks, hold ups and other issues. Their goal is for de-regulated freeports of reckless, exploitative capitalism. This is not the future I imagine for Scotland. For Scotland I hope for a very different future with improved social protection, greener policies, land reform, close private schools, equal and democratic opportunities for all its citizens (not subjects)

Back in the 70s when we first voted  to be in the EU, there may have been some questions over the EU. But over this time more and more it became evident all the obvious advantages both for Britain and Scotland gained from EU membership. 

We gained from regional investment, immigration, cultural exchange, freedoms of movement and more importantly peace in Europe. We have enjoyed the benefits of EU membership for 47 years – increased prosperity, immigration, regional development, environmental protections. Now we loose passports, Erasmus, no customs paperwork, free movement, just in time trade, and more… for what exactly?

This English Brexit – for that is assuredly what it is, is an insular, backward-looking, regressive and harmful thing. I’ve struggled to understand. And I wondered why the bigot and opportunist Farage was so often on BBCs Question Time, plying his false, extreme lies. I highly recommend Irish times writer Fintan OToole, Heroic Failure, an excellent interpretation of this English existential crisis and act of self harm.

 

AS I watch Boris gloat as he waves his 2,000 page Brexit deal, I feel sick with foreboding. What other country would vote to leave a successful trading block and how much is it all costing? Of course Cameron’s remain fear strategy would never work on the English – they were, ‘how dare anyone tell us we can’t.’ Wheras with the Scots, fear has worked over the centuries and the fear no campaign of 2014 meant many Scots were, ‘oh perhaps we really can’t. 

It’s the End of an Auld Sang

We left the EU 1^st January – parcels to Europe will require customs checks; loss of fast movement of good across borders; slowdown at ports; increase paperwork; health certificates required; raw materials and Rules of Origins; EU safety requirements; barriers to professions working in Europe; Financial services more difficult and complex, still to be negotiated; tourism, data flows also affected. 

The big issues in 2021 will be Scottish independence with the May Scottish Parliament elections. I now see the future as Scotland’s place in Europe – much as other nimble, small nations are flourishing in this successful trading block which has been brought us peace and prosperity in Europe.

Ian Blackford, the SNP leader in the house of Commons – “ Now we have an isolated UK amid a global pandemic – its economic vandalism, bad for fishing….. Worst of all worlds for Scotland.”

John le Carre, one of England’s greatest writers and the master of the spy thriller, who died recently in a cottage near lands end so he could be miles away from London, and all that had gone wrong with a once great capital city.” His books about espionage were “compelling and a metaphor for the decline of Britain, Le Carre was fascinated by the end of empire, by the emotional debris it left behind and by the folly of the misplaced superiority complex that still festers in the minds of many today. He despised Brexit and loathed the people who had been the architects of its deceitful promise.”

 

“Brexit is the great catastrophe and the greatest idiocy that Britain has perpetuated… I’m not just a remainers. I’m a European, through and through, and the rats have taken over the ship. My England would be one that recognises it place in the EU. The jingoistic England that is trying to march us out of the EU. That is an England I do not want to know.”

 

Tom Devine writes Sunday National 27^th Dec 2020, “Due largely to extensive migrations at every level of society – clerics, farmers, mercenaries, “ The bonds between Scotland and Europe between the 12 and the 17 century were much stronger than they were between England and Europe. Essentially I see Scotland as a global nation fashioned by generations of emigration and external connections. Tom Devine examines Scotland’s global identity and experience in his book – ‘To the Ends of the Earth : Scotland’s Global diaspora 1750 – 2010.’ Scots migration routes were not only to empire but to all corners of the world.  

MULL Photos

Before our trip to Iona we spent some time on Mull near Tobermory. One morning on our drive south on the east coast there was perfect light. Yes photos ARE all about the right light: when the light is flat it impossible. The weather October was one that shed many rainbows and ever changing skies can be perfect too for that drama. On the boat over there was misty dream over Duart castle the home of clan McLean.

Duart castle

Tobermory