Blue Rose Code at Celtic Connections

Blue Rose Code aka Ross Wilson, improves with each album!  His new album is certainly a step up.  With his folk and soul mix, and raspy vocals along with his brass and guitar band, he brings to mind Gerry Rafferty or Van Morrison. 

He’s composed a heartfelt and soulful song to counterbalance these challenging times – Peace in your Heart. 

 

Wilson performed songs from his new album With Headings of the Deepest Kind at a wonderful concert as part of the Celtic Connections music festival 2021.

- Stardust, Love a Little, Wild Atlantic Way,

And a moving rendition of Amazing Grace in his own inimitable style. 

 

https://bluerosecode.com

This quality concert also included Lyre, Karen Matheson and Rory Butler.

Highly recommend. 

Citizens Assembly Scotland: What kind of Scotland do we want to build?

Citizens Assembly of Scotland have reported

First ever Scottish Citizens Assembly with 100 members of the general public covered a whole range of polices, produced over sixty policy suggestions: with Assembly convener Kate Wimpress.

 

Their recommendations included - 

The living Wage, rent caps, NHS pay rise, more devolution for Holyrood over such issues as immigration, trade and tax.

 

The assembly had a Range of demographics,, age , educational attainment, voting intention and background. 

 

The different viewpoints of the assembly enabled understanding of 'otherness' and a general consensus was built to find common ground as important

The aims of the Assembly was to create an Open space for deliberation -  to walk in each other shoes a bit. They were driven by shared values and many were very supportive of the policies they decided on.. 

The assembly has shown how people can reach consensus and how tough choices do need to be taken. Many recommendations were left of centre policies to build a fairer society. 

 

And they looked at issues through a constitutional lens.  https://www.citizensassembly.scot

Visas for Musicians after Brexit

This hard Brexit is proving a disaster for the Creative Industries.  A young band will require a cost of an extra £3,000 for visa expense and a major band about £10,000. Plus a pile of paperwork – Bank statements, proof of taxes, and more. Europe was the place for cultural exchange. These costs are impossible and will mean younger artists unable to tour in Europe. 

 But stopping freedom of movement is all the Brexiteers care about.  

After Brexit touring musicians require visas for everyone on their tour, hugely increasing costs with a £500 charge on each country. A petition is calling for visa free travel across the EU – a free cultural work permit for bands , musicians, artists, film makers and sports stars.

PETITION - https://petition.parliament.uk.Europe-wideVisa-freepermitTouringprofessionals Artists

“The DCMS has told musicians to deal with each country individual. I’m not getting clear answers.” musician The Anchoress. “Culture is absolute a class issue.” Look at where the arts council emergency finding went.”  There are however exceptions within the trade agreement – for miners, tour guides, spin doctors!

 

The UK music industry is worth £5.8 billions and one of our most popular international exports.  The creative industries as a whole is worth £111 billion. The EU rejected an agreement on temporary movement of business travellers.

 

Composer and broadcaster Howard Goodall, “There is clearly something not functioning in the current government DNA, that we have in this instance a successful and important industry for our country’s exports, which has been warning for five years now of the negative impacts of the withdrawal from freedom of movement. 

 

“It has been obvious to me from the start of the negotiations that because of the point blank rejection of freedom of movement, the creative industries were going to be at car-park basement level on the list of priorities. 

At a stroke the rights of pop singers, bands, orchestras, chamber groups, tour managers, stage managers and more to seamlessly travel within the 27 EU member states  come to an end. “

 The creative  industries are worth – theatre 112 Billion, (football 8 billion). After this hard Brexit so many hurdles for young actors, artist and musicians. 

 The Arts are fundamental to our well being.

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/