Well, here we are in February. Celtic Connections has come to an end having kept us warm in the second half of January as the snows arrived in Scotland. Over 100,000 keen souls ventured over the door for the eighth year in a row and as we crawl out of recession and troubled times – gross ticket sales have topped £ 1.1 million.
It has been 18 days well spent in the city of culture for over 2000 of the best known artists in the disciplines of traditional and roots music, and of world, indie, jazz, folk, soul and Americana, for a fantastic carnival of world-class music.
My highlights of Celtic Connections 2015 included an outstanding, sold-out opening concert with the live world premiere of Martyn Bennett’s final masterpiece, Grit. The fantastic performance, of an almost entirely studio-created album, was lovingly reconstructed by violinist and composer Greg Lawson for a custom-designed orchestra of folk, jazz and classical players. He has worked on this for several years since Donald Shaw asked him to deliver a tribute to their late friend.
It was an opening night to remember with five star reviews and people, who attended or watched the BBC Scotland recording of it a week later, raving about it on social media with fans describing it as ‘beyond beautiful’ and ‘stunning, joyful, emotional, amazing’; and saying they had ‘cried tears of sheer joy’ at the orchestration of the fearless album. And I was among them – moved to tears after just three tracks. Wow!
Others favourites of mine were the epic Skerryvore gig at the Fruitmarket, Mike Vass and Iain MacFarlane’s tributes to the glorious landscapes of the Highlands and Islands, In the wake of Neil Gunn and Moladh Beinn Dòbhrain [In Praise of Ben Dorain] respectively – and not forgetting The Bruce 700 with full orchestra and pipe band, enthralling us all.
Celtic Connections attracts the big names, Van Morrison, Fairport Convention, Eddi Reader, Treacherous Orchestra,The Daimh Mor Band, Craig Armstrong with the Orchestra of Scottish Opera, Shooglenifty, Carlos Núñez, King Creosote [performing From Scotland With Love], Dick Gaughan [having a go at the BBC], Le Vent Du Nord, [all the way from Canada], Blazin’ Fiddles, Finlay Napier, Tommy Emmanuel, to name just a few but the Scottish audience comes out for the less well known and unknown too.
The smaller gigs and the support acts create new faces for future years and the Danny Kyle stage has produced another 6 for next year’s newbies.
Donald Shaw, Celtic Connections Artistic Director, tells us: ‘Celtic Connections 2015 has been fantastic with attendances once again clearing 100,000 for the eighth year in a row.
‘Each January we endeavour to bring exciting new sounds to Glasgow and we’ve seen some world class performances over the past 18 days from countries as far afield as Mali, Brazil, Senegal, India and New Zealand.
‘As well as featuring an array of international acts, we’ve celebrated the vibrancy of the Scottish folk scene, which still remains the driving force behind the festival.’
Councillor Archie Graham, Chair of Glasgow Life, said: ‘Over the past eighteen days Celtic Connections 2015 has brought an array of the world’s finest musicians and people from across the globe to Glasgow to attend this internationally renowned event.
‘Celtic Connections continues to have a hugely positive cultural and economic impact on Glasgow and the rest of the country. Long may it continue.’
I could not have put it better myself Mr Graham, Sir.
Here’s to 2016. Slainte’ Mha.
Campbell Cameron, by now [just after midnight, 2nd February] probably negotiating winter roads back to Benderloch – but the memories….
Note: This photograph [© Campell Cameron] is so magnetic, we had to show it again at a larger size to try to do justice to the irresistibly tactile snow on that bicycle.
