COLDPLAY - NEW ALBUM "Everyday Life'

COLDPLAY - NEW ALBUM "Everyday Life'

Coldplay have decided not to tour the album, because of the climate crisis. Instead the top world band played a one day concert at the Amman Citadel at sunset and sunrise - 

I first heard Coldplay live in 2009, just love their positive energy. This new album is a bit different too, a new direction. 

You can hear here - https://www.coldplay.com/watch-the-sunrise-sunset-performances-on-demand/

Concert for Scotland's Indy

Music is one of the most powerful arts. Why not a Concert for Scotland’s indy? 

My suggestions – Proclaimers, 1000 Miles, Letter to America and a new song for indy: 

Deacon Blue – Dignity; 

Dougie MacLean – Caledonia, Green Grow the Rashes O;

Karen Matheson – Red Red Rose, and a Gaelic song; 

Blue Rose Code – Scotland Yet; 

Rab Noakes – Gently Does it, Eden’s flow; 

Braebach – Rattlin Roarin Willie and tune; 

Aly Bain and Phil Cunningham; tunes.  

Karine Polwart – Westlin Winds;  Julie Fowlis – Gaelic song;  Chvrches – Miracle; Eddi Reader – Auld lang Syne. 

The Songs of Carolina Oliphant, Lady Nairne

*The Flower of Strathearn*

Carolina loved to sing and dance, and studied music from the great fiddler Niel Gow – she composed and improved on Scots folk ballads. She expressed the feelings of people of highlands about Charles Edward Stuart.

Carolina Oliphant’s BEST KNOWN SONGS -
Will ye no come back again

We a hundred pipers an ‘a, an ‘a, 

Charlie is my Darling

The hand O the Leal

Carolina Oliphant is second only to Robert Burns in importance in our Scots culture. Born in 1766, in an ancient Jacobite noble family. Their lands were confiscated after the 45, they stayed at the royal court france for 19 years and later returned to Cask house.

At 39 she married and moved to Edina, where she wrote 87 songs for the Scots Minstrel Collection by RA Smith – she signed herself BB. No one knew of her writing. She moved ot Kingston Ireland and then travelled with her son on the continent. She died in 1845 and after her sister published her songs – in the book Lay of Strathearn .

  

The White Rose of Cask: the Life and Songs of Carolina Oliphant by Freeland Barbour. Barbour is a key figure in Scots Trad music – musician, radio and record producer and composer. 
https://www.amazon.com/White-Rose-Gask-Carolina-Oliphant/

Carolina wrote more on a romantic past –

Wheras Burns was more forward looking, with optimism for a better future. 

 PS

Our Bard Robert Burns. Did Burns die of exhaustion? (as Hamish Macpherson and others claim). 

Certainly reading his biography I wonder at his exertions – particularly with supporting his young family at Ellisland and Dumfries, by travelling long distance on horseback for the Excise work, the farm work, and his passion of collecting reworking and composing Scots song.

Independent shops Unchained! Daunt books

– "we need a huge cultural shift"– James Daunt

‘I want to become an anti-chain chain. To make each store like an independent bookshop. ‘

Former banker James Daunt has made a great success of his independent bookshops Daunt Books. London’s Marylebone 1990. He took over Waterstones in 2011 and has turned it around and sales Waterston’s Piccadilly doubled from 8m to 16m ! Now he’s taking on the American bookshops Barnes and Noble. 

His plan is to curate selection of books right for each town or city: and to stop the centralisation by head office.

 “I will give the best bookseller in each store change – the structure, equipment, money and tools to live up to these principles in a way right for their location. “

"Each shop picks its own book of the month. To donate traditional publishing model – all has been tightly controlled fro head office. " 

"A great bookshop is where section after section is authoritative, and all the right books are next to each other, sparks interest that you did not know you had. I almost never walk out of a bookshop with the book I thought I was going to buy. 

That makes me feel lucky."

If you look like a bookseller they’ll know you are one!

The most successful High street I’ve visited in Scotland, is Castle Douglas, which has fought to keep its high street chain free with small independent shops – cafes, art, bookshops, bakery, and much more.