Celtic Connections 2010
Some alterations to the programme 19th July, 2010
Celtic Connections Reviews 2010
Celtic Connections Festival Club
Thursday 14th - Sunday 31st January
CELTIC CONNECTIONS 2010 PROGRAMME ANNOUNCED
Europe's premiere winter music festival, Celtic Connections enters into its 17th year in 2010, with over 1,500 artists from the worlds of folk, roots, world, traditional, indie, bluegrass, jazz and classical music performing in approximately 300 events taking place over 18 days across 14 venues in Glasgow.
Artistic Director Donald Shaw today (20th October, 2009)announced the programme for Celtic Connections 2010, unveiling a line-up of high profile folk, roots, traditional, world, classical, jazz and indie artists.
Highlights
Highlights for Celtic Connections 2010 will include performances by high profile acts such as The Chieftains with very special guest Ry Cooder, Bobby McFerrin, former 10,000 Maniacs singer Natalie Merchant, Horse, Buffy Sainte-Marie and New York's award-winning gospel, rhythm and blues, jazz and soul septet Naturally 7.
The 2010 programme celebrates the influence of Celtic music on cultures around the world, with artists from as far afield as Japan, Brazil, Mexico, Cuba, Colombia, India, Africa, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Norway, Corsica, Serbia, Romania, Canada and the USA performing in Glasgow this January.
World Music
World music has a strong presence in 2010 with acts such as Justin Adams and Juldeh Camara, The Legendary Gypsy Queens and Kings, Angelique Kidjo, Del Castillo - who perform their first ever gig in Europe at the festival - and Salsa Celtica's 15th Anniversary Show with special guests of Buena Vista Social Club fame.
Festival Favourites
The return of festival favourites including Carlos Nunez, Tom Paxton, Dick Gaughan, Cherish the Ladies, Peatbog Faeries, Kris Drever, Session A9 and Dervish.
One-off collaborative shows
Showsthat embrace the spirit of camaraderie for which the festival is renowned, including Fiddle Summit, The Imagined Village and a performance by two of India's most distinguished musicians - percussion virtuoso Trilok Gurtu and singer and composer Shankar Mahadevan alongside Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek.
Tributes to folk music icons
Tributes to folk music icons - an all-star cast assemble to pay tribute to Nick Drake in Way to Blue - The Songs of Nick Drake, and a host of Celtic and Americana talent honour John Martyn one year on from his death.
Americana, country, rockabilly and bluegrass - Beth Nielsen Chapman, Imelda May, the Dan Tyminski Band, Holly Williams (grand-daughter of Hank Williams), Madison Violet, Raul Malo (former lead singer of The Mavericks) and The Wiyos pay a visit to Glasgow, and the festival stages Long Gone Lonesome - the National Theatre of Scotland's fascinating musical celebration of the life of Shetland fisherman turned posthumous country music sensation Thomas Fraser.
The Celtic Connections Education Programme This will enter its 12th year in 2010. Up to 16,000 children will enjoy 8 free schools concerts in January, with a further 2,000 children benefiting from free in-school workshops.
HIGH PROFILE FOLK, ROOTS AND TRADITIONAL ACTS
Celtic Connections attracts major folk, roots and traditional artists to Glasgow every year, and 2010 is no exception. The legendary Irish group The Chieftains will join forces with Mexican band Los Cenzontles and very special guest Ry Cooder - one of the greatest guitarists of all time - for a one-off show in the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall.
The 10-time Grammy Award-winner Bobby McFerrin also pays a visit to the Concert Hall. Perhaps best-known as the creator of Don't Worry Be Happy, McFerrin is one of the world's greatest vocal innovators and improvisers, as well as a world-renowned classical conductor and a passionate spokesman for music education. With over 20 million album sales, he has combined jazz, folk and a multitude of world music influences with his own ingredients. In true Celtic Connections style, this one-off show will see McFerrin collaborate with special guest singers.
Festival favourites Cherish the Ladies give the UK premiere of An Irish Homecoming, a spectacular all-star gathering of musicians, singers and dancers which has already won a host of plaudits across the USA. Also returning in 2010 are popular acts Tom Paxton, Peatbog Faeries, Kris Drever, Session A9 and The Poozies.
Other acts appearing include Scottish singer-songwriter Horse, former 10,000 Maniacs singer Natalie Merchant, The Treacherous Orchestra, Michael McGoldrick and Declan O'Rourke, Dervish, Allan Taylor and Rab Noakes and Music from the Penguin Cafe - an ensemble of young musicians brought together by Arthur Jeffes to play the music of the legendary Penguin Cafe Orchestra, which was founded by his father, Simon Jeffes, before his sudden death in 1997 brought the band to an abrupt end. Dervish will celebrate their 21st anniversary, and will be joined by special guests Kate Rusby and Moya Brennan.
Indie Acts - Chemical Unerground
This year, the festival celebrates the 15th anniversary of iconic Glasgow record label Chemikal Underground. Other hotly anticipated indie acts appearing include US alt-folkster Laura Veirs and Rhode Island's critically acclaimed The Low Anthem, who are currently in the running for Uncut's Album of the Year 2009 award. The Swell Season - otherwise known as Glen Hansard of The Frames and Marketa Irglova and who appeared in John Carney's 2007 indie film Once - will perform, as will Scott Matthews, Foy Vance, Sandi Thom and Boo Hewerdine.
TRIBUTES TO FOLK MUSIC ICONS
Celtic Connections 2010 will pay tribute to two of the most influential singer-songwriters of the last 50 years - Nick Drake and John Martyn.
Way to Blue - the Songs of Nick Drake has been curated by Drake's producer Joe Boyd and features original orchestrations arranged by the late Robert Kirby. An all star-cast will unite to celebrate Drake's music through modern reinterpretations of his timeless songs, including Vashti Bunyan, Green Gartside and Danny Thompson - the legendary bassist who played on many of Drake's recordings.
Danny Thompson will also pay tribute to the late John Martyn one year on from the singer-songwriter's death. He will be joined by Eddi Reader, Darrell Scott, Luka Bloom, Tim O'Brien and Martin Simpson.
A WORLD OF MUSIC
Bringing the world to Glasgow, the festival celebrates the influence of Celtic music on cultures around the globe, with acts from as far afield as Japan, Brazil, Mexico, Cuba, Colombia, India, Africa, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Norway, Serbia, Romania, Canada and the USA.
Festival favourite Carlos Nunez returns to Glasgow in 2010. The Galician gaita player's latest album Alborada Do Brasil explores Galicia's influence on Brazilian music, and for this concert he will be joined by an array of special guests, including Brazilian musicians Fernanda Cabral and Alan Souza, Scottish samba band Rhythm Wave and the National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland.
The Legendary Gypsy Queens and Kings take to the stage in the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall for a spectacular celebration of Romany gypsy music and dance with 20 of Europe's greatest gypsy musicians.
Mexican multi-award winning bandDel Castillo arrive in Glasgow for what will be their first ever gig in Europe, and Salsa Celtica will celebrate their 15th anniversary in the company of some very special guests of Buena Vista Social Club fame.
The atmospheric Old Fruitmarket plays host to top world music acts Angelique Kidjo (the Grammy Award-winning African singer) and the BBC Radio 3 World Music Award-winning duo Justin Adams and Juldeh Camara. Adams, who has produced all three of Tinariwen's albums and currently plays in Robert Plant's Strange Sensations band, has released two albums with Gambian ritti-player Juldeh Camara to exceptional critical acclaim.
Visiting the festival from Japan, Nikaido Kazumi and Shugo Tokumaru will perform a gig in the Classic Grand.
GAELIC GEMS
The festival continues to expand on its celebration of the Gaelic language. In addition to the aforementioned Jewels of the Ocean featuring Capercaillie, Arthur Cormack, Na Seoid, Ishbel MacAskill, Seumas Begley and Altan's Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh, top Gaelic singer Karen Matheson will appear with The Scottish Ensemble and Aly Bain. Other Gaelic acts performing in Glasgow this January include Alyth, The Poozies, Kathleen MacInnes, Katie Mackenzie, Rona Lightfoot, Kenna Campbell, Mary Ann and Wilma Kennedy, James Graham Trio, The Shee, Maggie MacInnes, Iain Morrison, Rachel Walker, Griogair Labhruidh and a Skipinnish 10th Anniversary show. The CCA will host a celebration of Gaelic arts over three days in association with Ceol 's Craic.
COLLABORATION AND CAMARADERIE
The spirit of collaboration and camaraderie for which Celtic Connections is renowned is embraced by artists from around the world in a string of one-off, ensemble shows.
Indian percussion virtuoso Trilok Gurtu is joined by Scottish trio Lau, the acclaimed Norwegian jazz saxophonist Jan Garbarek and Shankar Mahadevan - the legendary Indian singer and composer, and one-third of the acclaimed Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy trio (whose music can be heard in major Bollywood productions as well as in Slumdog Millionaire) - for a spectacular show in the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall.
The Concert Hall will also host Fiddle Summit featuring an international cast; US star Darol Anger will appear in his longtime duo with multi-instrumentalist Mike Marshall, with Alasdair Fraser, Chris Stout, Natalie Haas and groundbreaking harpist Catriona McKay, Swedish trio Vaesen, Martin Hayes accompanied by guitarist Dennis Cahill, and Liz Carroll and John Doyle.
Uniting English tradition with 21st century multiculturalism, The Imagined Village in the Old Fruitmarket features a stellar, cross-genre cast of diverse musical talent, at once celebrating their shared heritage and pointing towards its future. The hugely acclaimed brainchild of Grammy Award-winning musician/producer Simon Emmerson, the project will launch its second album in January 2010, appearing at Celtic Connections with the dream-team vocal frontline of Martin Carthy, Eliza Carthy and Chris Wood.
Embracing specific local music scenes, the festival will host a Cork Singers Night with Mick Flannery and John Spillane,
a Benbecula night,
a Skye night
and An Tobar Sessions with Colin McIntyre, the Dave Milligan Trio and Aidan O'Rourke.
Festival Finale
An all-star line-up of top Celtic and Americana talent will assemble for Transatlantic Sessions.
Phil Cunningham, Tim and Mollie O'Brien, Sara Watkins (of Nickel Creek fame), Darrell Scott, Karen Matheson, Eddi Reader, Dan Tyminski (also known as the singing voice of George Clooney in the Coen brothers' classic O Brother, Where Art Thou?), Bruce Molsky, John Doyle, Russ Barenberg, Cara Dillon, Donald Shaw, Michael McGoldrick, Danny Thompson and James Mackintosh will join Musical Directors Jerry Douglas and Aly Bain to bring the festival to a stirring finale.
Celtic Connections Club at Glasgow School of Art
The spirit of collaboration is showcased at its best at the Celtic Connections Festival Club - home of legendary musical collaborations and spontaneous sessions - which this year takes up residence in the Glasgow School of Art's student union. In addition to this, the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall's Exhibition Hall will host Late Night Sessions each night of the festival.
A CELEBRATION OF SONG
Twenty ten (2010) is BBC Scotland's Year of Song - from Gaelic to Scots, traditional to contemporary, jazz to rock, opera to pop, BBC Scotland will promote and feature songs and songwriters across BBC Radio Scotland, television and online. Celtic Connections will stage two major events as part of BBC Scotland's Year of Song - A Scottish Songbook and The Jewels of the Ocean.
Revisiting favourites and neglected gems composed since 1910, A Scottish Songbook is a cross-genre celebration of Scottish song compered by Phil Cunningham. With Session A9 as house band, musical directors Karine Polwart and Brian McAlpine have drawn up a set-list ranging from folk standards to pop classics and leftfield cult anthems to Gaelic ballads.
The numerous performers include McIntosh Ross (Lorraine McIntosh and Ricky Ross of Deacon Blue), Kris Drever, Andy M. Stewart, B.A. Robertson, Siobhan Miller and Maeve Mackinnon, plus more special guests to be announced.
The Jewels of the Ocean brings together a top line-up of Gaelic talent for a celebration of Gaelic song. Capercaillie, Arthur Cormack, Na Seoid, Ishbel MacAskill, Seumas Begley and Altan's Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh will take to the stage of the atmospheric Old Fruitmarket.
AMERICANA, COUNTRY, ROCKABILLY AND BLUEGRASS
Glasgow's long-standing love of all things Americana is indulged with a line-up of top country, rockabilly and bluegrass talent including Beth Nielsen Chapman, Holly Williams (the grand-daughter of country music pioneer Hank Williams), The Dan Tyminski Band, Raul Malo (former lead singer of The Mavericks) The Wiyos, Imelda May and Texas Song-writers in the Round featuring Tom Russell, Sam Baker, Slaid Cleaves and Kimmie Rhodes.
The festival will stage Long Gone Lonesome - the National Theatre of Scotland's fascinating production based on the life of reclusive Shetland fisherman turned country music sensation Thomas Fraser, who recorded thousands of country and blues songs at home in his small croft house using a reel-to-reel recorder. The tapes lay undiscovered and unheard for 25 years after his death, until his grandson found them and, inspired by what he heard, compiled a 25-track CD which was released in 2002, bringing his grandfather's work to a world-wide audience.
THE TRUE NORTH ORCHESTRA TO OPEN THE FESTIVAL
Celtic Connections 2010 will launch in spectacular style on 14th January with a performance by the True North Orchestra.
The orchestra was created from a pool of Scotland's finest musicians to perform at The Gathering 2009. Put together by award-winning composer Jim Sutherland, with the aid of BBC SSO violinist Greg Lawson - who is fluent in classical, folk and rock formats and who leads and directs the 36-strong ensemble - the orchestra brings together classical musicians who have an interest in the Scottish traditional idiom and the cream of Scottish folk talent. Members of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Scottish National Jazz Orchestra and the Orchestra of Scottish Ballet will appear alongside the likes of Aidan O'Rourke, Chris Stout, Lauren McCall, James Mackintosh and Ross Ainslie.
SUPPORTING FRESH TALENT
Celtic Connections is committed to fostering new talent and facilitating musical creativity. 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 showcase fresh talent in 2010.
This year's New Voices commissioning strand, sponsored by the Sunday Herald, will see Lori Watson, Iain Morrison and Mike Vass showcase new works.
SHOWCASE SCOTLAND
Over the final weekend of the festival, over 200 music industry delegates from around the world will visit Glasgow to experience some of Scotland's finest musical talent. Showcase Scotland at Celtic Connections - the largest gathering of the international music community in Scotland - provides a selection of Scottish acts with the valuable opportunity of performing in front of promoters, record labels and agents from around the world.
SPOTLIGHT NORWAY
Showcase Scotland works with an international partner each year and is delighted to share the stage with Norway in 2010. Some of the country's finest artists have been selected by Celtic Connections' Artistic Director Donald Shaw to appear at the festival in January. Majorstuen, Synnove S. Bjorset, Gjermund Larsen Trio, Unni Boksasp Ensemble, Skaidi and Valkyrien Allstars will perform over the Showcase Scotland weekend as the festival celebrates the connections between Norwegian and Celtic musical traditions.
FREE CONCERTS & WORKSHOPS FOR 18,000 SCHOOL CHILDREN
The Celtic Connections Education Programme enters into its 12th year in 2010. Over 16,000 children will enjoy 8 free schools concerts in the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall in January. For many of the children in attendance, this will be their first experience of live music.
A further 2,000 children will benefit from free in-school workshops led by professional Celtic musicians. Children can have a go at playing traditional Celtic instruments such as the bodhran, fiddle and the whistle, and join in with Scots song and Scottish step dance.
For the first time ever, the Celtic Connections Education Programme is working in partnership with Culture and Sport Glasgow to take the festival out of the city centre and into local areas with the Celtic Connections Community Concerts. These concerts will feature BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award winners Bodega, and will take place in Langside, Pennilee, Drumchapel, Possilpark and Shettleston.
In addition to this, Celtic Connections' principal sponsor ScottishPower has created a unique competition to complement the festival's Education Programme, which reflects the company's belief in the importance of enabling culture to be accessible for all. Pupils across Scotland are being encouraged to celebrate their musical heritage by competing to take part in the ScottishPower Powerful Performance, which will see one lucky secondary school group perform at a Celtic Connections 2010 Education Concert, as well as the prestigious Danny Kyle Open Stage.
Speaking about the programme of the 2010 festival, Celtic Connections Artistic Director Donald Shaw said:
"This year we're looking closely at the influence of Celtic music on cultures around the world, and celebrating the connections between Celtic and world music on a major scale by bringing in acts from South America, North America, Asia, Africa and Europe.
"It's astonishing how the world on a musical scale continues to embrace all roots music in such exciting and diverse ways. For example, this year, we have seen indie-Americana star Natalie Merchant teaming up with the Irish traditional band Lunasa, acclaimed Indian percussionist Trilok Gurtu joining hands with Scots folk trio Lau and Norwegian jazzer Jan Garbarek, and Scotland's own young singer-songwriters like Karine Polwart joining up with the likes of the legendary B.A. Robertson to show the breadth of Scottish song in the last 100 years."
Ann Loughrey, Head of CSR for ScottishPower, Celtic Connections' Principal Sponsor, said:
"ScottishPower is proud to have supported the growth of this fantastic festival over the past four years. Our firm commitment to making culture accessible for all is embodied in Celtic Connections' diverse programming and valuable education work. We are excited to develop this work and invest even further in the future of traditional music with the launch of the ScottishPower Powerful Performance schools competition, and look forward to hearing more from the talented youngsters who have entered the competition, both now, and in the future."
Tickets
Celtic Connections 2010 tickets go on sale at 10am on Tuesday 20th October. Tickets can be booked:
Onlinewww.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