2017, Year of the Looking Glass

Many in Scotland are angry and frustrated with the incompetence of a Tory elite who believe in out-dated privilege, In today’s modern world, why do we meekly have to accept an enforcement of major changes such as an ill-advise Brexit? 

….and we in Scotia long for self-determination…

The Press and Media has become manipulated and controlled by algorithms.

“Thirty years of liberal twiddling with the lies of communication have made it almost impossible to broadcast anything but received propaganda.”  American critic Guy Davenport.

The purpose of journalism is to inform and disseminate, and if it isn’t, it isn’t doing its job.

Brexit is being run by incompetents with no idea of their end goal.

We had the horror of the Grenfell tower fire tragedy – Channel Four news and award winning journalist Jon Snow, exposed that the tower was run by a large incompetent and criminally out-of-touch management company. It is clear that there needs to be urgent changes made so that people can have a say in how their homes are managed.

In 2017 women roared and spoke out against the bullish bully Harvey Weinstein. A similar bully, Trump, sits on the seat of power in the American Whitehouse. This misuse of power towards women, with women as second class citizens defined the year. 

The major serious issue is that women are the main care givers of the old and of children, and nothing in our world is more important than the care of children.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! and that wiser heads may rule in 2018!

Historian Tom Devine

“Scots suffer from “virtual universal historical illiteracy’ , says Tom Devine, “ perhaps that’s why they’ve struggled to engage with Referendum campaign.

Historian Tom Devine, Scotland's foremost academic and intellectual, once favoured a "devo-max" but he changed his mind for Scottish independence.
He believes that the purpose of the union on both sides have now crumbled. Scotland is now uniquely placed with top resources, top research and a more diverse economy.

He believes Scotland is competent and strong in a business and cultural sense with a more diverse business model.  Importantly Scotland has reserves of power. Scotland has four universities in the world’s top 200. In the 50s we were second rate but since then Scotland’s R & D has flourished.

Devine spoke of the ‘victimhood’ of Scots put forward in the best selling novels by Canadian John Prebble in the 1950s. Devine calls them works of 'faction’, making Scots feel downtrodden victims.

Do we have a shared myth and history with England?
There has been a gradual disintegration of confidence of Scotland in union. He believes the union once served a purpose, but has been in decline for many years now. That it is only through that a harmonious relationship between Scotland and England can be achieved.
"When you put all of these together, there's very little left in the union except sentiment, history and family."

**BOOKs by Tom Devine - Scottish Trilogy – a comprehensive study of Scottish modern history, which we didn’t have before 1780.  Also The Scottish Nation 1700 to 200. As well as some 36 other books.

The Value of the Arts

‘Those who enrich our lives with the newfound art they forged.’

Virgil

In his book Why Dylan Matters, Professor Richard F Thomas, writes of the poignant moment when Bob Dylan looked at his Nobel prize medal for literature. He was there April 1st 2017, for two performances at Stockholm’s Waterfront at the start of a 28 concert tour. 

The medal has the words by the poet Virgil inscribed round it - 

“And they who bettered life on earth by their newly found mastery.”

 

‘Music and poetry that would prove to be enduring, memorable and meaningful to ages beyond their own. Dylan and the ancients explore the essential question of what it means to be human.’

You hurt the ones that I love best

And cover up the truth with lies.

One day you’ll be in the ditch,

Flies buzzin around your eyes,

Blood on your saddle.’

Idiot Wind, Bob Dylan

“When the arts are neglected and obscured, people suffer from dullness of ignorance.” Alan Raich

In their book The Arts and the Nation, Alan Raich, Alexander Moffat and John Purser examine the importance of all the arts to the health of our national life.  Many see the rise of imperial nationalism, of say Nazi Germany, as a imposition of unwanted values and a narrow prejudice. The antidote to unitary, conformist, bigoted nationalism is “state regionalism”  which is there in the arts of the Celts.  

“Which is why Scotland’s independence should explicitly and vigorously favour the constituent identities of the island archipelagos all the points of the compass, the diversities of language and culture, overlaps and contrast, all the territories of the nation.” Only possible through the arts. It is words, poetry, art and music that is left long after all the fluff and nonsense disappears....

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