Celtic Connections, Mitchell Theatre, Glasgow, 3 February 2013

SORREN Maclean spent much of his childhood in and around An Tobar, Tobermory’s renowned arts centre where his father Gordon is Artistic Director.

LISTENING to a comprehensively wide range of musicians, the younger Maclean has forged his own musical path, informed by traditional Scots music but also incorporating dollops of Americana, jazz and pop. He is also a founder member of indie-pop outfit Kitty The Lion.

Sorren MacLean

That he’s comfortable with a wide-ranging musical palette is evident from the first chord, where he sings conversationally, accompanied by his own guitar, Luciano Rossi’s piano and later Danny Grant’s restrained percussion. It’s country-ish and jazz-y all at the same time, and very beguiling. Other songs also show an alt-country influence, like the fine ‘Way Back Home’, which fits into the territory of infectiously catchy songs also occupied by the Delgadoes and Biffy Clyro, with nicely shaped lyrics “Glimmering, shimmering in the Northern Lights”.

Fiddle players Hannah Fisher and Seonaid Aitken and cellist Su-a Lee (well known to fans of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Mr McFall’s Chamber) are thanked for their help arranging the strings, which have some interesting dissonances and unpredictability. Lee switches to the musical saw, Aitken to the piano and Rossi picks up lead guitar for the next song, the impressive ‘Rows and Rows of Boxes’.

Written over Christmas and Hogmanay on Mull, his collection of songs for this Celtic Connections commission is entitled Winter Stay Autumn. The title track is particularly lovely, with smooth warm vocal harmonies and lots of space, restrained percussion offsetting passionate cello and building to an ecstatic resolution before jumping sideways into a fast driving rock-style finish. Maclean demonstrates in his addition to the new:voices strand that he completely understands the craft of song-writing.

Last year’s winner of the BBC’s Young Traditional Musician of the Year competition, Oban’s Rona Wilkie, debuted her new:voices commission Ceangailte (Connected) the previous week. Starting with a setting of the Carmina Gaedelica sung by clarsach player Rachel Newton accompanied by Patsy Reid (fiddle), Marit Fält (octave mandolin), Hayden Powell (trumpet), Colin Nicolson (accordion) and Allan MacDonald Jr (pipes/percussion/vocals) and Wilkie herself, it was a delightful musical exploration of the history of the Highlands.

Competitors in this year’s Young Trad final included very impressive showings by Inverness fiddler Graham Mackenzie and Argyll pianist Andrew Dunlop, while Lewis singer/songwriter Miss Irenie Rose’ debuted at Hazy Recollections; for those who haven’t had the pleasure of hearing her, imagine the fusion of Nick Drake, Amy Winehouse and Joni Mitchell with flashes of gospelsinger fervour.

Meanwhile entrants on the Danny Kyle stage included Charlie Grey, currently a student at Plockton and tipped as one to watch by a noted radio producer…. On the strength of these and many other performances, including the traditional music students at the Royal Conservatoire in their annual show, shared this year with students from Stockholm, the future of traditional music is looking very bright indeed.

© Jennie Macfie, 2013

Links

• Celtic Connections
• Sorren Maclean on Facebook