FOLK AND TRAD AT THE HEART OF THE FESTIVAL
At the heart of the Celtic Connections festival is the vibrant folk and traditional music scene, with some of the UK and Ireland’s finest musicians set to raise the roof this January. Artists include Blazin’ Fiddles, Shooglenifty, Salsa Celtica, Breabach, The Simon Bradley Trio, The Wrigley Sisters, Babelfish, Skipinnish, Paul McKenna, Ailie Robertson’s Traditional Spirits, Niteworks, Rua MacMillan and The Bevvy Sisters, whilst the 13-piece musical powerhouse Treacherous Orchestra celebrate the launch of their highly anticipated debut album.
The superb Scottish supergroup Session A9 will headline a fiddle triple-bill in the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall (also featuring Toronto’s Sultans of String and the Quebe Sisters from Texas). Lau join forces with the Northern Sinfonia for the first Scottish performance of their epic orchestral work, Strange Attractors, written by the trio and Northern Irish composer Brian Irvine.
Stalwarts of the Scottish folk scene, including Sheena Wellington, Elspeth Cowie, Aileen Carr, Gordeanna McCulloch and Barbara Dymnock, will take to the stage at the festival.
Specially curated for the festival, the Celtic Connections Box and Fiddle Night celebrates more than 60 years of the dance band with a cast of dance music luminaries recreating classic tracks.
Ian McCalman will create an evening of music built around the album Far Far From Ypres (songs, poems and music of World War I), whilst Corrina Hewat’s six-harp suite The Oak and the Ivy encapsulates the diverse energies of the contemporary Scottish harp revival.
Once again the festival spotlight shines on Gaelic talent. Julie Fowlis’ Heisgeir is a documentary film which splices footage exploring the history and heritage of the now-unpopulated Monach Isles with live Gaelic song and music from her band.
Inspired by the unique Gaelic song tradition of the Outer Hebrides, Cuairt nan Eilean will bring together Jenna Cumming (Harris), Linda MacLeod (North Uist) and Darren Maclean (Skye) for an exploration of the rich song traditions of their native islands.
Other Gaelic artists appearing at the festival include Mànran, whose phenomenal energy and footstompin’ Gaelic tunes have taken the music scene by storm this past year, as well as Maggie MacInnes, Anne Martin, The Campbells, Alyth McCormack and Kathleen MacInnes. Ceolas – a celebration of the Uist festival of Gaelic arts – will feature Rona Lightfoot, Angus MacKenzie and a host of other renowned singers, pipers and dancers.
St Mary’s Cathedral will play host to a Gaelic Mass, composed by Blair Douglas featuring the Inverness Gaelic Choir with soloists Paul McCallum and Maggie MacDonald.
Ceol ‘s Craic, will once again host a series of films, lectures and workshop throughout the festival celebrating Gaelic arts, including a Gaelic hub encouraging people to drop in and experience film, workshops and get information on Gaelic culture in the city.
Celtic Connections will also pay tribute to the late and dearly lamented Ray Fisher (1940-2011) with a line-up including Archie Fisher, Cilla Fisher, Martin Carthy, Sheila Stewart, Emily Smith, Siobhan Miller and Fiona Hunter, performing an array of the key songs she shared with them.
Other high profile folk artists performing at the festival include Northumberland’s Kathryn Tickell, Steve Tilston, The Unthanks performing the Scottish premiere of their acclaimed show, The Music of Robert Wyatt and Anthony & the Johnsons, Mercury-nominated North East band Tarras, and KAN featuring Aidan O’Rourke, Brian Finnegan, Jim Goodwin and Ian Stephenson.
THE IRISH CONNECTION
The festival brings together the cream of Irish songwriting talent for A Song for Ireland at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. Celebrating their musical heritage, Irish artists Cara Dillon, Seamus Begley, Julie Feeney, Solas, Finbar Furey, Luka Bloom, Eleanor McEvoy and Dick Gaughan will assemble for this special show.
The Godfather of Irish folk, Dónal Lunny returns to Celtic Connections to perform with a special group comprising fellow Planxty members Liam O’Flynn and Andy Irvine alongside legendary fiddler Paddy Glackin.
Perennial festival favourites Cherish the Ladies make a welcome return, bringing their Country Crossroads show to Glasgow. The Irish-American group will be joined by special guests including contemporary banjo pioneer Alison Brown, dobro demon and Blue Highway co-founder Rob Ickes and expat Irish singer Maura O’Connell.
Also returning to the festival is the traditional Irish group Four Men and a Dog, with their big band outfit.
Other Irish artists include Dublin-based ex-boxer and street-gang survivor turned singer-songwriter Damien Dempsey, flautist Nuala Kennedy, At First Light, Matt Molloy, Andy White, Cathy Jordan, Guidewires and a night featuring some of the finest acts from the 2011 Sligo Live festival. The Alan Kelly Gang will see Ireland’s leading accordion player perform alongside special guests including Scottish songbird Eddi Reader.
THE ART OF SONG-WRITING
Veteran troubadours and legendary lyricists will take to the Celtic Connections stage this January. Artists include Will Oldham, aka Bonnie Prince Billy, Bridget St John (who was one of the first acts signed to John Peel’s Dandelion Records), legendary Australian singer-songwriter Paul Kelly, California’s master storyteller Tom Russell, UK folk triumvirate Martin Simpson, Dick Gaughan and June Tabor and Glasgow’s own Rab Noakes.
The Cecil Sharp Project brought together a who’s who of the British folk scene to create new works based around the life and legacy of Cecil Sharp – the founding father of England’s first folk revival and the country’s most prolific collector of folk music and dance. The highly acclaimed collection will be performed live by Show of Hands’ Steve Knightley, English sibling singers Jim Moray and Jackie Oates, accordionist Andy Cutting, ex-Breabach fiddler/vocalist Patsy Reid, Southern US roots specialist Caroline Herring and Canadian clawhammer banjo ace Leonard Podolak, of The Duhks.
A brand new show called Floating Palace will premiere at Celtic Connections before touring the UK, featuring KT Tunstall, Abigail Washburn, Robin Hitchcock, Howe Gelb and Eliza Carthy.
AMERICANA, COUNTRY AND BLUEGRASS
Some of the world’s most exciting Americana, country and bluegrass talent will visit Glasgow this January. Acts on the bill include New Country Rehab, Madison Violet, US singer-songwriter Josh Rouse and the formidably virtuosic, genre-busting quintet Punch Brothers, formed by ex-Nickel Creek mandolinist and singer Chris Thile. Old time string band Carolina Chocolate Drops and The Turtle Dhuks also make an appearance at Celtic Connections this January.
TOP PIPING TALENT
One of the world’s leading pipers, Fred Morrison performs his unique bluegrass influenced album Outlands with a dream team line-up of his Trio, Ron Block (of Alison Krauss and Union Station fame) and Tim O’Brien.
The annual piping concert will welcome the phenomenal Spirit of Scotland Pipe Band to the Concert Hall stage. The Grade 1 band features world champion pipers from across the globe, with The Lothian & Borders Police Pipe Band opening the show.
Ross Ainslie and Jarlath Henderson are fast earning a reputation as two of the greatest pipers of their generation. They premiere their new trios at the Piping Centre, a venue which will also play host to a series of gigs entitled Deadly Duos, featuring the Fraser Fifield Duo, John McSherry and Dónal O’Connar, Wingin’ It and Angus Lyon and Ruaridh Campbell, Anna Massie and Mairearad Green (in a double-bill with Finlay Wells and Sorren MacLean), as well as a special Gordon Duncan Memorial Piping Recital.
THE NEW FACES OF FOLK
Fostering new talent and facilitating musical creativity is a core tenet of Celtic Connections. The Danny Kyle Open Stage, sponsored by the Evening Times, and BBC Radio Scotland’s Young Traditional Musician of the Year Final will continue to introduce and celebrate fresh talent in 2012.
This year’s New Voices commissioning strand, sponsored by the Sunday Herald, will see Duncan Lyall, Laura Beth Salter and Fiona Rutherford premiere new works.
Saturday afternoons in the Strathclyde Suite will showcase some of the finest young talent in the Scottish folk scene, with concerts including Fèis Rois and Comhaltas, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and Folkestra and the TMSA Young Trad Tour 2011 and a special University of Highlands and Islands showcase.
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Celtic Connections 2012 runs from Thursday 19th January – Sunday 5th February and comprises 300 concerts, ceilidhs, talks, workshops, free events and late night sessions taking place over 18 days in 20 venues across Glasgow.
The focal point of Celtic Connections is the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, where every available space is utilised during the festival, from workshops in the foyers to performances by world-class artists in the Main Auditorium. Elsewhere in Glasgow, venues such as O2 ABC, The Tron, Òran Mór, The Arches, The Mitchell Theatre, City Halls and festival fans’ favourite the Old Fruitmarket will all play host to Celtic Connections events, whilst the legendary Celtic Connections Festival Club will move to a new home of Apollo 23 (formerly Jongleurs Comedy Club) on Renfrew Street.
Celtic Connections 2012 tickets go on sale at 10am on Tuesday 25th October.
Tickets can be booked:
Online www.celticconnections.com
By phone 0141 353 8000
In person Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
2 Sauchiehall Street
Glasgow, G2 3NY
City Halls and Old Fruitmarket
Candleriggs
Glasgow, G1 1NQ
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