Celtic Connections marks one week to go with programme announcement
The Celtic Connections online festival will begin one week today. Across 19 days, the festival will present over 30 online performances between 15th January and 2nd February!
Article Source: Celtic Connections
Last Updated: 8 January 2021 10:00
World class concerts will be available to view online with some of the biggest names on the Scottish music scene and beyond appearing on screens across the world as part of the winter festival.
Celtic Connections has created unique digital content from specially commissioned projects and performances filmed across many of Glasgow’s much-loved venues. International artists have also contributed to the eclectic line-up by recording performances remotely.
Traditionally, the festival welcomes over 100,000 attendees to Glasgow, a UNESCO City of Music, and on announcing the digital-first festival organisers hoped it would appeal to the wide international audience they usually see attending the festival. The 19-day event undoubtedly has caught the attention of music fans across the world with festival passes purchased in 35 countries already. With the festival’s global audiences in mind, they have allowed for all shows to be available for a week after they are first streamed to alleviate any restrictions for different time zones enjoying the range of content.
Donald Shaw, Creative Producer for Celtic Connections, said: “The announcement of the full festival programme today marks a huge moment for me and the wider team. The concept for a digital-first Celtic Connections was borne out of a desire to promote wellbeing and optimism amongst fellow musicians as much as it was about still being able to offer entertainment to our loyal Celtic Connections audiences during the dark nights of January.
“The resounding feeling that has come out of the recording days is a space for musicians to come back, to play again, to feel part of the community that they helped to create. The last time a lot of the contributing artists performed was at Celtic Connections 2020 and now they are back playing as part of the festival one year on after what has undoubtedly been the hardest year of their careers. We feel incredibly proud that as a festival, along with our funding partners, we have allowed for this safe space for them to play again, embrace their creativity and ultimately give them hope that there is a future for them within this industry.”
Opening in unparalleled style, the first online concert from the festival will include sets from some of the very best musicians on both the Scottish and international music scenes. With over 12 performances packed into the 90-minute show, the footage has been recorded across many of Glasgow’s venues as well as captured remotely across the world, bringing a true feeling of optimism and connections as it welcomes back so many musicians who have graced the festival stages across the years.
Each night’s online concert will show an ambitious line-up of various performers.
Saturday 16th January 2021 will offer two concerts, with the first in the shape of BEMIS presents ‘The New Scots in Concert’ with music from Jamaican musician Brina, whose sound is steeped in the rhythm of her native culture and inspired by World Roots Reggae music. The Ando Glasho Collective, a group that showcases the cultural heritage of the Roma people living here in Scotland, will also perform as part of this early evening show.
Later that evening Celtic Connections will welcome to its stage the heady line-up of acid croft pioneers Shooglenifty, fiddle playing royalty RANT and scots singer Fiona Hunter (of Malinky fame). One of Scotland’s finest young singer-songwriters Paul McKenna will also perform as well as Sudanese singer-songwriter Amira Kheir.
The afternoon of Sunday 17th January will have viewers settling into Josie Duncan’s New Voices commission while the evening will once again welcome a smorgasbord of talent in the shape of long-term collaborators and cross-genre pioneers Chris Stout and Catriona McKay and the Gambian artist and first female Kora virtuoso from a west African Griot family Sona Jobarteh. Jazz will also take centre stage on the Sunday night with award-winning jazz artists, including Jazz FM vocalist of the year nominee 2020 Georgia Cecile and jazz pianist Fergus McCreadie whose second album, Cairn, is out on 29th January.
A special show entitled Come Away In will air on Monday 18th January. Inspired by Karine Polwart’s song of the same name that celebrates Scottish hospitality and is partly inspired by The Wren’s Nest by Robert Burns, this song circle show will include performances from some of the best vocalist on the Scottish music scene - Karine Polwart, Eddi Reader, Rab Noakes, Siobhan Miller & Finlay Napier.
Scottish folk group Breabach will perform as part of the show being aired on Tuesday 19th January. Part of Aidan O’Rourke’s 365 show will also be aired where he will once again be joined by Kit Downes. Singer and harpist Rachel Newton (winner of the BBC Radio 2 Folk Musician of the Year in 2017) will also perform songs from her new album To the Awe. One of the true masters of the ngoni, an ancient traditional lute found throughout West Africa, Bassekou Kouyate will perform with his quartet of fellow instrumentalists Ngoni Ba, recorded remotely in his home village of Garana in Mali. Brummie folk musician Katherine Priddy will also perform as part of tonight’s entertainment.
Wednesday 20th January will showcase Blue Rose Code, the musical embodiment of Edinburgh-born musician Ross Wilson. Karen Matheson of Capercaillie fame will also perform a mixture of new material from her new solo album Still Time, out next month. Strings trio LYRE are a new group comprising of Patsy Reid, Alice Allen and Marit Fält and they, alongside Scottish acoustic troubadour Rory Butler, complete the line-up for this mid-week show.
Scottish trad will take to the stage on Thursday 21st January with multi-instrumentalist Ross Ainslie and his band alongside renowned folk-trad groups Talisk and Mànran. Scottish singer-songwriters Siobhan Miller and Beth Malcolm will also perform.
Friday 22nd January will be headlined by the exuberant fiddle playing of contemporary folk group Blazin’ Fiddles. Galicia’s Xabier Diaz records his set from his native Santiago de Compostela and the folk four-piece Gnoss and Gaelic singer Deirdre Graham perform sets from Glasgow’s stages.
The first concert of Saturday 23rd January will welcome Nordic folk outfit Dreamers’ Circus who have recorded from at home Denmark. Vocalist and exponent of the Gaelic tradition Kathleen MacInnes and folk five-piece Ímar will join the Nordic trio on tonight’s bill.
A special performance which has been captured for the festival in Rajasthan will also be part of this middle weekend show. The Womanly Voices of Jodhpur Riff was recorded at 4am with eight local female Rajasthan musicians playing as the moon went down and the sun came up. The line-up includes mother Sundar Rao and her daughter Ganga Rao on vocals, alongside Mohini Devi also on vocals and her daughter Susheela - the very first Rajasthani woman folk artist to play the khartal instrument on an international platform (with her first performance at Jodhpur RIFF - Rajasthan International Folk Festival in 2019 and now as part of Celtic Connections 2021.)
The later Saturday night show, starting at 9pm, will be Scottish indie group Admiral Fallow who will perform a one-hour concert for the festival.
Sunday 24th January will be a day packed full of entertainment with three online concerts. The first of the day will be the festival’s second New Voices commission, this time from 2017’s BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year Charlie Stewart.
The evening’s show will welcome the Americana duo The Secret Sisters. A high energy and driving performance will also come from Kinnaris Quintet. An Tobar is a creative hub on the beautiful Isle of Mull and for the first time they have commissioned a special set for this year’s festival that will be performed by Mairearad Green, Sorren MacLean & Hannah Fisher and Roddy Woomble of Idlewild fame.
The late-night show on Sunday 24th January will come from the legendary Argentine-Swedish singer-songwriter José González. After an unusually long break from live shows and recording of a new album for release later this year, José González will join in with an exclusive solo performance from a special venue in Gothenburg, Sweden.
James Grant & the Hallelujah String Quartet will perform a 50-minute set on Monday 25th January, supported by multi-instrumentalist, composer and singer Siobhan Wilson and nu-folk singer-songwriter Zoë Bestel.
On Tuesday 26th January the fiddle-led group Fara will take to the stage. They will be joined by an eclectic mix of Scottish talent in the form of singer-songwriter Rachel Walker, folk trio Assynt, fiddler Chloë Bryce and singer Amy Papiransky.
Wednesday 27th January will showcase two Celtic Connections shows, with the first being ‘Home on the Sea’ (sponsored by CalMac).
Celtic Connections favourites Cherish the Ladies will return for the online edition of the festival also on Wednesday 27th January. Their performance will be well and truly warmed up by sets from Nae Plans with Hamish Napier & Adam Sutherland and folk quartet Westward the Light.
Thursday 28th January will welcome a night of piping with The Conundrum 2021 - a line-up of pipers that includes Finlay MacDonald, Ross Ainslie, Malin Lewis, Ailis Sutherland, Conal McDonagh, Bradley Parker and a band of Steven Blake, Steve Byrnes and David Foley. Also joining this bill are Tryst, the 10-member band of pipers. The neo-trad trio Project Smok will open the night of entertainment with a number of tunes built around the distinctive piping of BBC Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2020 Ali Levack.
Friday 29th January will showcase a Celtic Connections flagship event, Transatlantic Sessions, which will welcome the regular all-star line-up from here in Scotland and across the pond. The festival will also air a concert that celebrates the music of Quebec with QuebecFest, featuring Le Vent du Nord, De Temps Antan & Isle Gross.
The final weekend offers another jam-packed entertainment offering with the first of the Saturday shows coming from Inverness where indie-folk band Elephant Sessions perform a 75-minute gig from The Ironworks venue.
Starting at 9pm on Saturday 30th January will be Roaming Roots Revue with this year’s theme aptly being Songs for Survival. The renowned festival favourite will welcome an all-star line-up of Simon Neil of Biffy Clyro fame, indie/art rockers Field Music, Ricky Ross and Lorraine McIntosh (Deacon Blue), folk trio The Staves, experimental triad LAU, singer-songwriters Heir of the Cursed and Rachel Sermanni, all beautifully accompanied by the inimitable house band of Roddy Hart & The Lonesome Fire.
The afternoon of Sunday 31st January will showcase the festival’s third and final New Voices Commission from Steven Blake of Rura fame.
A special show celebrating Edwin Morgan at 100 will be aired on the Sunday night which will showcase a selection of performances of songs that have been written to Edwin Morgan's poems by artists such as Roddy Woomble and Karine Polwart. The festival has also commissioned a new piece of work from Gavin Bryars who has written a choral work based on poems by Morgan called the Sonnets from Scotland (this show is in collaboration with Edinburgh international book festival).
The later show on Sunday 31st January comes from Rhiannon Giddens and Francesco Turrisi. They will be supported by Orkney singer-songwriter Kris Drever (Lau), Americana singer Dean Owens who will perform alongside Calexico’s Joey Burns, Cahalen Morrison will complete tonight’s bill.
On Monday 1st February, Uist’s Taigh Chearsabhagh Museum & Arts Centre have commissioned a special show that celebrates the talent that has come out of or been inspired by the island.
The ‘All Access’ ticket is priced at £40 and this will give access to all of the concerts taking place across the 19 days. It is also possible to purchase tickets for individual shows.
The Celtic Connections Rover Membership Programme is back for 2021 with a Celtic Rover Digital package that includes access to a host of exclusive Celtic Rover extras as well as the Celtic Connections Festival pass which gives the individual access to all of the festival content over the 19 days. The Celtic Rover Digital package is £45.
For full listing information and to purchase tickets visit www.celticconnections.com
All concerts are recorded whilst fully adhering to social distancing guidelines and all current government guidance are observed and followed.
Celtic Connections ask that even in watching and enjoying this digital-first festival, all audiences adhere to the government guidance relevant to them at their time of watching.
Celtic Connections is delivered by the charity Glasgow Life and is funded by Glasgow City Council, Creative Scotland and The Scottish Government Festivals EXPO Fund.
Sponsored Links
Latest Edinburgh News
UNIQLO will officially open the doors to its Princes Street store tomorrow
Edinburgh – Global apparel retailer UNIQLO, will welcome its first Scottish customers through the doors of its Edinburgh store on Thursday, 25th April.
READ MORE
CHICAGO Announced for the Edinburgh Playhouse
David Ian for Crossroads Live in association with Barry and Fran Weissler are delighted to announce further dates for the 2024/2025 UK and Ireland tour with dates at Edinburgh Playhouse in 2025.
READ MORE
Paisley Food and Drink Festival returns for a delicious double helping
Paisley Food and Drink Festival returns to the town this weekend for a two-day feastival with plenty for everyone to sample and enjoy.
READ MORE
Racegoers go corgi crazy at Musselburgh Racecourse
A NEW four-legged champion has been crowned for the Corgi Derby at The Sky Bet Sunday Series Raceday, Musselburgh Racecourse.
READ MORE
Nationwide campaign encourages adults in Scotland to take the plunge
With a staggering 14 million adults in the UK unable to swim, the team behind The Learn to Swim National Framework has launched a new campaign to encourage adults in Scotland to learn the life skill.
READ MORE
Gilded Balloon and Edinburgh Street Food announce new, dog friendly comedy night
Edinburgh’s top street food hang-out and leading comedy producers Gilded Balloon have today announced a brand new partnership, bringing the city’s funniest night out to Edinburgh Street Food.
READ MORE
The one that started it all: Edinburgh Science Festival announces its new Director
Edinburgh Science Festival drew its 35th anniversary edition to a close last weekend and now announces its new Director, Hassun El-Zafar, and dates for the 2025 Festival.
READ MORE
Pomegranates Festival kicks off next week
There’s just one week to go before the Pomegranates Festival of International Traditional Dance (25-30 April) kicks off at the Scottish Storytelling Centre and various venues across Edinburgh.
READ MORE
Top tips for visiting the Scottish Homebuilding & Renovating Show
Now in its 30th year, the show is the go-to exhibition for any self-builders or renovators looking for practical tips, expert advice, or the chance to view 1000s of products.
READ MORE
Edinburgh Seafood Festival returns to St James Quarter
The popular Edinburgh Seafood Festival returns to St James Quarter, with even more opportunities to get a taste of the finest Scottish fare!
READ MORE
Cineword celebrates Danny Boyle
Cineworld Edinburgh celebrates the acclaimed British director Danny Boyle from May 7th to May 28th with a limited time big screen re-release of four of his classic titles at only £5 per ticket!
READ MORE
Johnnie Walker Princes Street Introduces Sunrise Yoga Experience
Johnnie Walker Princes Street is inviting guests to find their flow and embark on a journey of tranquility and connectivity with its latest offering, Sunrise Yoga on 3rd May!
READ MORE
Red Carnation Unveils 100 Princes Street, a historically rich new hotel in Edinburgh
Red Carnation Hotels, the family-owned hotel collection, proudly announces the opening of its latest masterpiece and first property in Scotland, 100 Princes Street.
READ MORE
Edinburgh Zoo named best zoo in Scotland
The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s (RZSS) Edinburgh Zoo has been named the best zoo to visit in Scotland by TripAdvisor, the world’s biggest travel guidance platform.
READ MORE
Ambassador Theatre Group becomes ATG Entertainment
Ambassador Theatre Group (“ATG”), a leading live entertainment organisation, and owner of the Edinburgh Playhouse, today announced that it is rebranding as ATG Entertainment.
READ MORE
New Finds at Culloden Battlefield shed more light on intensity of battle
Latest investigations by National Trust for Scotland archaeologists at Culloden Battlefield have recovered a wide range of artefacts.
READ MORE
First Look and opening date confirmed for The Spanish Butcher in Edinburgh
RUSK & RUSK, the independent Scottish restaurant group, today shares first look impressions of The Spanish Butcher, Edinburgh, and confirms it will officially open on Friday 10th May.
READ MORE
New Edinburgh Dog Friendly Brunch Spot Opens Today
Sip & Bark is opening its doors today on Raeburn Place in Stockbridge, with a delicious brunch offering, a selection of cocktails and fine wines, plus it’s dog friendly!
READ MORE
Port Edgar Open Weekend is back with a splash as it celebrates 10th Anniversary
The annual Open Weekend returns to Port Edgar, the largest watersports and activity centre in Scotland, for a special 10th-anniversary event on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 May!
READ MORE
Kinky Boots struts into Edinburgh
Broadway and West End phenomenon Kinky Boots The Musical, is strutting into Edinburgh in a brand-new production starring Strictly's Johannes Radebe and rising star Dan Partridge!
READ MORE
Laser Station Teams Up with Cash For Kids for Fundraising Event
Laser Station will be hosting an exciting fundraising event from April 22nd to April 28th, aimed at raising funds to support Cash For Kids initiatives.
READ MORE
Lloyds Early Careers event coming to Edinburgh
Lloyds Banking Group is hosting a free event on Saturday 13th April in Edinburgh for young people wanting to explore the wide range of careers options available in the banking industry.
READ MORE
Owen Thompson MP visits Newtongrange inspiring community garden to mark Community Garden Week
Volunteers at the Newtongrange Community Garden were delighted to welcome a special visitor on Tuesday 2nd April - Owen Thompson MP.
READ MORE
Scottish Game Fair returns for its 35th year
The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) Scottish Game Fair (SGF) is back for 2024, celebrating its 35-year anniversary at Scone Palace.
READ MORE
New UNIQLO store to open on Princes Street on 25th April 2024
Global apparel retailer UNIQLO will open its doors to Edinburgh’s highly anticipated store on 25 April 2024, with the arrival marks the regeneration of the shopping scene in Scotland’s capital.
READ MORE
Dobbies Garden Centres unveils Afternoon Tea and Planting Experience
Dobbies, the UK's leading garden centre, is inviting plant enthusiasts and foodies alike to a brand new Afternoon Tea and Planting Experience at its stores nationwide.
READ MORE
POSTPONED: Springfest at Loch Lomond Shores
This year's Springfest, set to take place this weekend, has been postponed due to forecasted high winds.
READ MORE
Duck & Waffle Edinburgh is Back with Breakfast 7 days a week and Kids Eat Free the Easter Break
Duck & Waffle Edinburgh is thrilled to announce the return of breakfast service seven days a week and to celebrate KIDS EAT FREE for the Easter break!
READ MORE
Cracking line up of cinematic classics and big screen blockbusters at Vue this April
A fantastic range of brand-new blockbusters, haunting horrors, theatre productions and all-time action classics lead the roster of releases heading to Vue this April.
READ MORE
Edinburgh Folk Club looks to future with wealth of musical talent and annual Songwriting Competition
Edinburgh Folk Club’s weekly folk, roots and acoustic nights are set to continue into the spring and summer, along with the return of their annual Songwriting Competition.
READ MORESponsored Links
Sponsored Links