Universal / Old Fruitmarket, Glasgow, 29 January 2009

Fiddlers' Bid with Catriona McKay (photo - Heidi Pearson)

THE TOTAL Celtic Connections experience should not only be about the big venues, with the well known names, showcasing the Young and Beautiful – or even the not so Young or Beautiful….. And so 24 hours in Glasgow for Celtic 2009 started with the last in the series of Songs of Scotland concerts at the Universal, tucked way off Sauchiehall Street.

These concerts have grown in popularity since their inception and are designed to profile the rich heritage and variety of the vocal tradition in Scotland -Scots and Gaelic. The series covers ten themes including those of ‘Bawdy Songs’, ‘Protest songs’ and tonight’s topic, ‘Glasgow Song Writers’.

The Universal is a venue which is well suited to this type of gig, where the audience are positively encouraged to participate, and the audience on this particular night managed to offer no small degree of involvement, creating just the right type of cèilidh-house atmosphere.

Hosted by House-of-Song Queen Bee, Doris Rougvie, the evening was an eclectic mix of weel kent Scots songs from veteran singer songwriters Iain Ingram and Ian Davidson and Gaelic classics from Gaelic Grande-dame (duilich a ‘Mhagaidh….) Maggie Macdonald, ex of Gaelic super-group Cliar. The ‘Glasgow Song writers’ theme was at times perhaps a little tenuous but no less entertaining, including the song by ‘Lachie na Mogain’ who owned a wool shop on Argyll St.

Maggie possesses a voice rarely encountered in any folk tradition, a voice of quality, tone and control but one which can also convey the passion and power of the writers pen. Her songs, including the seemingly cheerful ‘yet more behind the scenes’ ‘Illean Bithibh Sunndach’ (Boys Be Happy) and the Mairi Mhòr nan Oran classic ‘Soraidh leis An Ait’ (written by Mairi in her exile from Skye, in Glasgow, where she lived nearby to what is now Stowe College, painted pictures of pain and longing, joy and hope, in a world not so far distant from today.

Maggie’s ‘Eilean Sgiathanach nam Buadh’ even had one solitary, interested pigeon listening intently from an air conditioning unit just outside the window….

Apart from the Gaelic contributions, the audience enjoyed a programme of songs such as the lovely ‘Highland Mary’, ‘Slave to the Land’ and comic songs which had the whole audience joining in, perhaps in shared childhood memories. Ian Davidson was accompanied sympathetically on the keyboard by talented young singer and keyboard player Carissa Bovil, who also gave gentle, warm renditions of the lovely ‘Farewell to Lochaber’ and Ian Davidson’s own song ‘Wrap me in yer airms the night’.

It is gratifying that small venues such as the Universal can be sell-outs with a home-grown audience, local singers and most importantly, local material, just as much as the larger venues with the bigger names, extravagant light shows and more exotic set lists.

From the Universal, it was very quick cab dash down to the Old Fruitmarket to catch up on the Showcase Scotland sampler programme of very diverse and home grown talent, designed to illustrate to festival and gig organisers from all over the world, exactly what Scotland has to offer in the way of contemporary and traditional folk and roots music.

Dynamic young group Bodega had just left the stage before I arrived, but the audience certainly seemed to have enjoyed the sets. Corrina Hewat showcased stunning tracks from her innovative and virtuosic solo album, Harp I Do, accompanied brilliantly by Anna Massie.

Next to take to the stage was Glaswegian singer songwriter Brendan Campbell whose style is described as ‘Celtic lyricism with moody urban edge’. Any ‘Celtic’ element was on the whole under whelming in its subtlety, and the ‘moodiness’ made it extremely difficult to understand anything said or sung – perhaps the audience in front of the stage would have found it easier. Song titles and lyrics were missed and I’m sure, not only by myself, but by many potential ‘buyers’ in the room.

Seven-piece Shetland line-up Fiddlers Bid were next to take to the stage, and instantly transformed the atmosphere in the venue to that which I was truthfully expecting in such a high profile gig. Subtle waltzes interwoven with that instantly recognisable stamp of the bands’ personality, fiery reels and beautifully satin-smooth textured pieces are what we have come to expect of the sets, and the audience was not disappointed.

An interesting discussion the next day with a fellow audience member echoed my own thoughts that Fiddlers Bid were what they had expected of, and had waited for, a gig intended to showcase the brilliantly varied, inspirational and diverse face of Scottish music today.

No Festival Club for this writer that night as I had been offered the opportunity of helping out a music industry business at the Showcase Scotland ‘day’ in the Exhibition Hall. More than one business was heard to say that the number of stands had fallen, predictably, this year, but there were still plenty of visiting International Festival organisers, agents and other potential buyers in evidence.

Plenty of interest in all sectors of the Industry – from dance bands, to cèilidh bands, to solo Celtic and Gaelic artists and young singer songwriters. Encouraging. Often seen as not only a showcase of what is available, this day is also very important as a networking event and a chance to catch up with folk who are normally too busy to stand around and chat for twenty minutes.

Sharp clear up and get out at 2pm then an interview with Celtic Music Radio who do a fantastic job daily during the festival, broadcasting the latest news from the events, chats with artists and tracks from forthcoming gigs, large and small.

So a short 24 hours in Glasgow towards the end of Celtic Connections and venues certainly did not seem to be any quieter this year, despite economic constrictions. Few tickets were to be had for any venue. This can only be optimistic for the future of the Festival – perhaps folk need something to look forward to, something to detract from the depressing economic and weather climate. Lang may yer lum reek….

Fiona MacKenzie is the Mhàiri Mhòr Gaelic Song Fellow for Highland Council

© Fiona MacKenzie, 2009

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