Celtic Connections 2004!!!

Subject: RE: Celtic Connections 2004!!!
From: John-S
Date: 28 Jan 04 - 08:20 AM

Here's a treat for you. It's not from this year.

Susana Seivane at the Beeb

Subject: RE: Celtic Connections 2004!!!
From: GUEST,Blackford John
Date: 29 Jan 04 - 07:13 AM

Saw Kate Rusby last night in the main auditorium. Great singing and arrangements. She ended up with more of a choir and orchestra than a band.

Whilst the guests were all great, the highpoint was her finale of Kate singing "My Young Man" with the five brass players from Grimethorpe Colliery Band.

Subject: RE: Celtic Connections 2004!!!
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 29 Jan 04 - 07:44 PM

John S
I was right next to the guy who started the "Swing Low" and I was singing a sort of harmony. I eventually got to play one of those lovely Moon guitars (only £1600) after the party had finished. I envy you, getting to see Susana: I first saw her in Sidmouth (?2000), closely followed by Both sides the Tweed 1, and she never fails to blow me away. I have both CDs, but still listened to the BBC Celtic Connections link.
Enjoyed "Baltic Tae Byzantium" tonight: second half was better as I sat much further back where I coud see both video screens at once!
Tattie B

Subject: RE: Celtic Connections 2004!!!
From: 8_Pints
Date: 03 Feb 04 - 07:05 PM

Returned again this week-end with John Routledge and our respective wives as we had announced earlier.

Whilst Carlos Nunez was superb last week-end I was blown away by Kepa Junkera in the 'Barrowlands' venue. The playing of 'Totem' xylophone was a wonder to behold! Each 'bar' was about the size of a railway sleeper resting on a cradle and played by a pair of percussionists creating fantastic cross rythms - almost African!

Also astounded by Graham MacMillan, a very young Shetland fiddler accompanied by his mother, Alison on electric piano. He was one of the 7 finalists in the Open Mike competition.

Bob vG

Subject: RE: Celtic Connections 2004!!!
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 03 Feb 04 - 08:00 PM

I was also at Carlos Nunez and Kepa Junkera and had previously seen Kepa in the Concert Hall a couple of years or so ago. As I said then, the percussion instrument (the txalaparta to give it its correct name) gives a whole new meaning to Black and Decker Workmates! As my husband has just ceased paid employment, I shall set him to building me one in the garage. I shall be out there with the tuning fork making sure it's sawn off to perfect pitch!
The downside of the concert was the long trek home: multiple missed connections by public transport taking 3 hours to do what would have been 1 hour in the car, and twice the price. Next year I shall book accommodation in Glasgow!
Harriet, I saw you and your Mum at Kepa, and tried to come over and say hello, but you were too engrossed in conversation with a couple of people so I didn't like to but in!
Anyway here's to next year, bigger'n'better'n ever!
Tattie B

Subject: RE: Celtic Connections 2004!!!
From: GUEST,Blackford John
Date: 04 Feb 04 - 03:13 AM

Does anyone know who won the Open Stage?

Subject: RE: Celtic Connections 2004!!!
From: Fiona
Date: 06 Feb 04 - 11:17 AM

I'd never been to Celtic Connections before, I hadn't realised what I was missing. We went up for the Afrocelts concert, which was fabulous. The atmosphere was wonderful, just wish I had been up for longer. The support band Cantera, were very good too, great woman piper. I'd have liked to have caught more of the Open Stage and we couldn't get tickets too the festival club at all, we'll be better organised next time.

Did anyone see Micheal McGoldrick? I love to hear how that went, or Dick Gaughans concerto?

Fiona

Subject: RE: Celtic Connections 2004!!!
From: cloudstreet
Date: 09 Feb 04 - 07:53 PM

You probably know by now, but...

The winners were:

Graham MacKenzie
Graham is only 12 years old and is by far the youngest ever Danny winner. A fiddler from Inverness he has been playing for half his life. His mother claims that Phil Cunningham had proposed to trade Aly in for Graham. Graham is also a regular with the Kiltearn Fiddlers in Ross-shire. Graham has already played Celtic Connections at this year's opening concert - Harvest.

Sal
Sal are a duo from Aberdeen who have been playing together for two years and met at a session in a pub. Magnus Robertson originally from Shetland sings and Paul Tasker originally from Selkirk plays the acoustic guitar. By day Magnus is a support worker and Paul is a Medical Researcher.

Tacan
Tacan are five traditional musicians. Their roots are in Ireland but now four live in Glasgow and one in Manchester. Louise Hunter is a fiddle player and her brother Martin Hunter plays box. Peter Mullaney is the guitarist with the band, Emma Sweeney plays the fiddle and whistle and Julia Reid adds vocals and plays flute, bodhran and bouzouki.

Eilidh Grant
Eilidh is a 21 year old singer from Bridge of Weir. For her winning performance tonight she was accompanied by Stevie Lawrence (percussion), Angus Lyon (accordian/keyboard) and Ruairidh Campbell (fiddle). Eilidh was highly reccomended for her open stage performance last year and in her own words "came back for more".

Jen Butterworth and Sarah Naylor
Jen is a guitarist and Sarah is a fiddler. Sarah from Skye was one of the BBC Young Traditional Musician of the Year finalists this year. Jen originally from Dumfreis and Galloway also performed in the Young Tradition Scots song in The Piping Centre concert at this year's festival.

Tassle Bandits
Tassle Bandits are a group of guys all from the highlands who have been friends for many years. They recently formed Tassle Bandits and got their name because three out of the four players have tassles on their instruments. Alex Urquart Taylor plays small pipes and whistles, Ewan Henderson plays fiddle, pipes and small pipes. Colin Gordon plays guitar and bouzouki, Mathew Watson plays fiddle, whistle, guitar, mandolin, banjo and smallpipes (although he's only 13).

Megan McKerrill
Megan is a young Cape Breton taught fiddler. She currently lives in Ontario. More information to follow ...

Subject: RE: Celtic Connections 2004!!!
From: GUEST,noddy
Date: 10 Feb 04 - 03:53 AM

pity about Tarneybackle not getting their slot in the Danny s. We were stuck in that jam as well.It was horrendous! Hope Tarnetbackle get a slot for next year if not I will just have to see them somewhere else.

Subject: RE: Celtic Connections 2004!!!
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 16 Feb 04 - 07:53 PM

See ya in Glenfarg, cloudstreet!
TB

Subject: RE: Celtic Connections 2004!!!
From: GUEST,noddy
Date: 17 Feb 04 - 04:30 AM

Are you going to enter the World Puff-A-Box Championships at Glenfarg?

Subject: RE: Celtic Connections 2004!!!
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 18 Feb 04 - 11:49 AM

Doubt it: it's a sad fact of life that females' peak expiratory flow rates are well below those of males, so we're at a disadvantage for bluebell puffing!- unless they have separate male and female competitions! Songwriting, maybe, if I get time to think something up.

Subject: RE: Celtic Connections 2004!!!
From: GUEST,noddy
Date: 19 Feb 04 - 03:48 AM

There are male and female sections. Last year the Grand Champion was a female. So that blows your excuse out!

Subject: RE: Celtic Connections 2004!!!
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Nov 04 - 06:35 AM

Subject: RE: Celtic Connections 2004!!!
From: John Routledge
Date: 08 Nov 04 - 07:14 AM

2005 programme is to be shortly posted on website

Runs from Wed 12Jan to Sun 30Jan.

Subject: RE: Celtic Connections 2004!!!
From: BanjoRay
Date: 08 Nov 04 - 07:32 AM

It looks as if I'll be making my first visit to Celtic Connections in January - helping Tom, Brad and Alice, (Sauber, Leftwich & Gerrard)with Debby McClatchy on their Appalachian Gathering tour. These guys are as good as it gets in Old Time music, and as discoverers and preservers of old American ways of playing and singing the great tunes, they shouldn't be missed, as those who saw their tour last February will know. Debby's been a regular annual in the UK for around 30 years, and it looks like this tour will be her last for a few years.
They'll be touring through most of January and into February.
More when I get the full details.
Ray

Subject: RE: Celtic Connections 2004!!!
From: GUEST,Roger Hayes
Date: 08 Nov 04 - 12:49 PM

To BanjoRay - You will love Celtic Connections but here's a bit of advice. Stay teetotal over Christmas and the New Year. Don't drink a drop of alcohol before you get to Glasgow because you'll more than make up for it when you do get there. Celtic Connections is one helluva party, nineteen days and nights of absolute mayhem with brilliant music and great craic.