Blue Rose Code Milngavie folk club

It was a thrill to hear this exciting Scottish talent

Ross charmed and beguiled us with his soul-filled voice and songs from his 2017 album, Water of Leith along with some of his best loved songs as fans filled the intimate MFC setting

He performed along with his quality band that included Andy Lucas on keys who also played the opening support, and is a strong singer songwriter in his own right, and with accomplished guitarist Wild Lyle Watt. Its encouraging to see such outstanding younger talent when so many on the folk circuit are not so young anymore and are well into their sixties.

SET

His set ranged from blues ballads Nashville Blues to the upbeat rhythms of One Day at a Time, and Ebb and Flow. He sang his older favourites – Rebecca O, One Day at a Time, In the morning, My Heart The Sun, Where the Westlin Winds do Carry Me, Silent Drums,

I was particularly impressed with his new songs, such as Passing Places, Sandaig, 

He sang his very moving interpretation of Davie Stewart’s Scotland Yet.

We were treated to top vocals on Edina, followed by an impassioned Child and a jazzy I am Grateful. And for his encore he sang a welcome version of John Martyn’s, ‘I don’t know about Evil I only want to know about love’. (Martyn’s renowned double bass player Danny Thompson played on BRC’s album the Ballads of Peckham Rye.)

He sang of the cries of freedom all along the west coast.

His sound mixes Celtic soul with smooth rhythms – clearly informed by the blues of Van Morrison and other guitar legends such as Paul Simon or John Martyn – and as he says left alone with some Motown records! No wonder I’m a fan then! (While I might also choose to hear a little of bob Dylan in there too.)

I first heard Ross on his previous sold out visit to the club last December and was heartily impressed with both his strong performance and music and also with the enthusiasm of the fans.  

I met him before the gig when we spoke of the legend Dick Gaughan, who has been unwell.

I thought of his chat between songs. He told stories of the songs he sung – of the injustices he wanted to shine lights on.  His "What You Do With What You'e Got, The Yew Tree and of course his Westlin Winds. 

Celtic Connections 2018 are holding a concert for Dick Gaughan.

https://bluerosecode.com

On his new album Water of Leith BRC is joined by Julie Fowli and Kathleen McInnes.

Ross’s voice enriched our souls and I’m grateful too for his gift of music! Ross sings of how to love, the soul of Scotia, how to reach new horizons. 

Irelands Road to Freedom

Act of Union between Ireland and England 1801.

Easter Rising 1916, Irish Free State.

Thirty Years of Troubles Northern Ireland with a great deal of violence  - 1960s – 1990s.

Northern Irish Peace Agreement - (1998) - The Good Friday Agreement Belfast April 1998. (Comhaontú Aoine an Chéasta) –  Northern Ireland system of devolved government is based on the agreement - created a number of institutions between Northern Ireland and Ireland - and between the Ireland and the UK.  
It was clear to me, having Irish parents, that during the Brexit debates that no attention was paid to the Irish dilemma over the EU customs and trading union. Just like Scotland, Ireland was a mere after thought. No one in Ireland wants a return to a hard border – there are always nutters on either side just looking for an excuse. Why should Ireland give up its peace and prosperity? Ireland is crucially split on ancient religious grounds

Scotland too has opposite needs to England – our farming is mostly hill rather than arable; our fishing rather than cars is a major concern; we want to welcome young immigrant workers to grow our economy and support an older population; Scotland wants to pursue progressive socialist policies to work for a more socially inclusive nation – where England wants to be a low regulated, low wage economy like a new Singapore. (which is unacceptable for the EU).

AND on a personal note. My parents were from Co Down and Belfast and I visited there every summer from Scotland. I understand the deep divisions and problems there (unlike many London politicians). These divisions will not be easily healed. And I feel extremely angry at the thought that some feel a hard border is an answer there – just because of this crazy Brexit. Brexit is about looking backward.  While my husband's father came form Kilkenny in southern Ireland.

A hundred years ago Ireland embraced its rich heritage and culture – and developed its own identity again. Many had to die so Ireland could achieve self government. I hope Scotland can achieve this dream too – peacefully and through informed debate for a healthier partnership with its larger partner England. Scotland is often an after thought. 

England has pursued a policy of over-centralised government for more than a century, particularly during the wars and then complains of too many immigrants! By contrast European parliament encourages healthy regionalization and encouraging regional language. Why is wanting more local government against the national interest? In fact the UK is the most lop-sided geographically unbalanced major country in the world!

The great poet WB Yeats, was persuaded to write on the old Irish  songs, heritage and ballads, at the same time he lived in London and was before this part of the Anglo-Irish group who dominated Irish politics.

After the hangings of the Irish rebels in the Easter rising Yeats wrote -

his poem 'Easter 1916' 

I write it out in a verse -

MacDonagh and MacBride

And Connolly and Pearse

Now and in time to be,

Wherever green is worn,

Are changed, changed utterly: (YB Yeats)

The Northern Ireland peace process is often considered to cover the events leading up to the 1994 Provisional Irish Republican Army ( IRA) ceasefire and the end of the violence Troubles, and the Good Friday Agreement 1998.

Issues relating to Sovereignty, civil and cultural rights, decommissioning of weapons, justice and policing. The agreement was approved by voters across the island of Ireland in two referendums held on 22 May 1998. The British-Irish Agreement came into force on 2 December 1999.  The DUP (Democratic Unionist Party) was the only major political group in Northern Ireland to oppose the Good Friday Agreement.

Ultimately between Scotland and England - a good partnership for trade, security, environment. and defence.. rather than control from Westminster

The European countries are committed firstly to Peace and Prosperity – any other consideration is secondary. Ireland exemplifies and tells us the real UK conflict. Also that harmful over centralization in the south east.

Why should Peace and Prosperity be sacrificed by Scotland, the EU or Ireland just to suit some backward looking Tory politicians we have not voted for?

Van Morrison Concert hall 2017

The packed concert hall thrilled to be on his Glory train -

as he took us all on a slow and so rhythmic  jazz train over high ridge mountains, peaceful valleys, and fun soul highways….

He began with one of his signature tunes

'It’s a wonderful day for a ‘Moondance …..'

He sang his songs of optimism, and of blues notes with his power soul voice

Morrison at 71, is as busy as ever and he performed tracks from his two new 2017 albums ‘Roll with the Punches’ and 'Versatile'. Today Morrison sang songs of his favourite artists on his Versatile album - such as Cole Porter, Chet Baker, Frank Sinatra, Righteous Brothers, and Nat King Cole - as well as his own compositions and several of his favourite hit songs.

Concert *SONGS – ‘I Can Tell’, ‘Here Comes the Night’, ‘Higher Ground’, ‘Days Like This’, ‘Magic Time’, ‘Sometimes We Cry’, ‘Ease My Troubles That’s What you do’, ‘Carrying the Torch’, ‘Don’t Know What it is’, ‘Wild Night is Calling’, ‘Real Love to You’,

He sang ‘One More for the Road’ - with piano cascades, and his smooth voice and lurching on loves highways and along with the golden notes of trumpet and sax. He travelled on to a softer gospel voice and to more contemporary tunes and back again, with upbeat riffs and beats and rhythms and with spiritual hopes.

Relieved from flip flop flying, zoom, flip flop fly, Don’t get behind,

In the midnight hour, and with our musical Holy Guardian angel,

Mood music, with you my love, when he surprised us all, after walking off the stage, with a rendition of his biggest ever hit, ‘Brown Eyed Girl’ for a very welcome encore!

Morrison is the pivotal star with his occasional hand signals to the band.

He sings of distant vibes, and of hurried tones. Fill my heart.

Morrison is one of our top songwriters.

*Van was relaxed and in good voice and form!

Shimmy dancing from the King of Celtic soul.  

Top marks also to his quality band!  

“Recording songs like these - especially the standards - gave me the chance to stretch out vocally and get back to the music that originally inspired me to sing - jazz!”  Van Morrison on Versatile

On his 2017 album Roll With the Punches, he has recorded R & B classics that informed his music (his father had a large collection of these records when he grew up in Belfast city) – Bo Diddley, Mose Allison, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Lightnin Hopkins, which he performs with his highly individual, raw and personal interpretations.

 “From a very early age, I connected with the blues. The thing about the blues is you don't dissect it – you just do it. I've never over-analysed what I do; I just do it. Music has to be about just doing it and that's the way the blues works – it's an attitude. I was lucky to have met people who were the real thing – people like John Lee Hooker, Jimmy Witherspoon, Bo Diddley, Little Walter & Mose Allison. I got to hang out with them and absorb what they did. They were people with no ego whatsoever and they helped me learn a lot.”  Van Morrison, Roll With The Punches

Van continues: “The songs on Roll With The Punches - whether I’ve written them or not - they’re performance oriented. Each song is like a story and I’m performing that story. That’s been forgotten over years because people over-analyse things. I was a performer before I started writing songs and I’ve always felt like that’s what I do.

Roll With The Punches was produced by Van Morrison and recorded with an incredible team of studio collaborators including Chris Farlowe, Georgie Fame, Jeff Beck, Paul Jones and Jason Rebello.

His Astral Weeks album  is one of the classic albums of all time, all tracks written by Van Morrison – Beside you/ Sweet Thing/ Cyprus Avenue/ The Way Young lovers do / Madame George/ Ballerina / Slim Slow Slider /