Rab Noakes at Celtic 2017

Rab always enjoys looking back and treated us to special songs of the past and along with Kathleen he sang an emotional full stop song for his encore with the 1947 song ‘Tennessee Waltz’, which had the Fruitmarket audience on its feet and it was clear his emotion.

Noakes sings with an American twang he picked up listening to radio back in the days. At the time there were American ships in Glasgow and America was the dream place with music fans here in the thrall of the American blues and rock. Times they are a changing recently…

Noakes is unassuming, genuine, and a keen observer of life. It was clear he had put a great deal of consideration into the song choices for his concert. A memorable night.

CELTIC CONNECTIONS 2018!!

I am looking forward now to the 25^th Celtic Connections 2018 Glasgow!

Each January Celtic Connections brightens up the lull and short days after Christmas  -

with a festival brim full of musical cheer, talent and boasting top quality musicianship, perfect singers, unique collaborations and artists worldwide –who will all descend on Glasgow s many fine venues –

from the Hub at Glasgow Concert hall, Ceilidh nights at the Old Fruitmarket, to intimate smaller venues such as the Old Mackintosh church, St Andrews in the Square, Oran Mor Westend, fun evenings O2 ABC. 

Rab Noakes & Kathleen McInnes

Altan

GRIT orchestra

Enjoy day sessions or late night sessions or open mic, of stomping fiddle tunes, Gaelic songs, soul-filled blues, energetic banjo,

This years festival celebrations include the impressive line up of  the late composer and piper Martyn Bennet’s Bothy Culture at the Hydro, led by Greg Lawson. Also tribute nights to Scottish legends Michael Marra, concert, Arrest This moment and also for Dick Gaughan. There will be New Voices and well loved folk Traditions; perfect harmonies, gifted guitar playing, atmospheric pipes, moving flutes, tight basslines. One of the highlights of Glasgow's calendar.  

Photography by Pauline Keightley. Last year I was delighted to exhibit my 10 years of Celtic Connections photo at the Old Fruitmarket venue! 

Blazin Fidles

Cara Dillon

The 18 days of the festival will brighten up the winter nights of January with one-off musical collaborations, talks, workshops, film screenings, ceilidhs, art exhibitions, free events and late night sessions. Celtic Connections festival now has over 300 events across 26 stages and an attendance figure of over 100,000.

Highlights of the 25^th Festival

Following its stand out opening concert at the Celtic Connections 2015, the GRIT Orchestra of folk, jazz and classical musicians, will world premier Martyn Bennett’s Bothy Culture at the Hydro, arranged by Greg Lawson. They will be joined by stunt cyclist Danny MacAskill (55m views YouTube). The GRIT Orchestra is a unique ensemble of Scotland’s diverse contemporary music scene, a scene that Bennett himself helped pave the way for.

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS - Shetland’s Fiddler’s Bid, Finnish seven-piece Frigg, award-winning Kate Rusby, punk folk band the Levellers, Sharon Shannon, Skerryvore, The Mavericks, Shelby Lynne and Allison Moorer, Julie Fowlis, Dougie MacLean.  

PLUS Highlanders Blazin’ Fiddles, have their 20^th anniversary show, with Jenna Reid, Rua MacMillan, Kristan Harvey, Anna Massie and Angus Lyon – PLUS Duncan Chisholm, Aidan O’Rourke, Catriona Macdonald, Iain MacFarlane, Allan Henderson, Marc Clement and Andy Thorburn. 

Celtic Connections is one of the worlds major folk, world, and roots music winter festivals.  This year the festival twins with Ireland.  My highlights for this year are the Opening concert, Shawn Colvin, Session A9, Bothy Culture and Beyond, Beth Orton, Transatlantic Sessions and many more! 

TICKETS now on sale - https://www.celticconnections.com/

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.