It was a festival that few people gave a chance of success.
Back in 1994, the organisers of Celtic Connections’ idea of presenting a series of high-profile concerts featuring mainly Scottish and Irish folk music in January was considered risky by many music industry observers.
Visionary idea
It turned out to be visionary and on Thursday January 19 the 30th instalment of Glasgow’s now internationally revered winter music festival begins, running in venues across the city until Sunday February 5.
Just as many music fans from the Courier’s heartlands have made Celtic Connections an essential part of the post-New Year period, so musicians from the area have become regular participants in this success story.
Opening concert
The extensive cast of Thursday’s opening concert includes fiddler Patsy Reid from Perth, piper Ross Ainslie from Grandtully, near Aberfeldy, and Cupar-based multi-instrumentalist Fraser Fifield.
Patsy Reid returns to the festival later, with cellist Alice Allen, to play the music of strathspey king, James Scott Skinner, and Ross Ainslie has concerts with fellow Perthshire piper Ali Hutton in their trio and in the groups Tryst and Treacherous Orchestra.
Perth-born singer-songwriter Beth Malcolm, who opens the festival’s New Voices series of commissioned works on Sunday 22nd, returns with her parents, singer-guitarist Jim and singer Susie to celebrate Burns Night on the 25th with Logierait-based fiddler Pete Clark.
Dundee-born harpist Catriona McKay and her musical partner, Shetland fiddler Chris Stout, collaborate with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra on the 27th.
Tayport’s Coaltown Daisies have their own concert on the 26th. And Pipe Major Ian Duncan’s contribution to piping through his leadership of Pitlochry’s innovative Vale of Atholl Pipe Band is celebrated in the annual Pipe Band Concert on February 4.
Evolving focus
The festival’s programme quickly adapted in its early years to place the accent on Connections as much as on its Celtic origins.
These days it is an emphatically international gathering, with African stars including Malians Rokia Koné, Vieux Farka Touré and Amadou & Mariam appearing.
Legendary folksinger Judy Collins leads a sizable American contingent, which also features the former teenage Bluegrass wonders Nickel Creek making a return to Glasgow as fortysomethings, having wowed the city on previous visits in their much younger days.
Scandinavian musicians habitually make strong representations and this year the sensationally creative trio of virtuosi, Dreamers Circus and the Finnish Nordic-Bluegrass troupe Frigg are among the hot tickets.
Irish connections
The festival’s strong Irish connections continue, with four of Ireland’s leading voices – Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh (in a concert with the Irish Chamber Orchestra), Karan Casey, Cara Dillon and Cathy Jordan (with her band Dervish) – all featuring.
And links with Brittany, Cornwall, Wales, the Isle of Man and Galicia are celebrated in Celtic Odyssée, led by Breton piper Ronan Le Bars on the 26th.
Scotland’s thriving traditional music scene is, of course, well represented, with young bands including the hi-energy Talisk and Gaelic singing trio Sian featuring in a programme that also celebrates more established musicians.
The brilliantly matched Shetland fiddle and piano duo, Jenna Reid and Harris Playfair launch their new album, as does the marvellously expressive fiddler Duncan Chisholm, and accordionist Phil Cunningham presents his Beyond the Farther Shore project.
