Celtic Connections (BBC)

Subject: Celtic Connections (BBC)
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Mar 06 - 08:18 AM

So, what did you all think? R.T. was great!

Subject: RE: Celtic Connections (BBC)
From: BB
Date: 13 Mar 06 - 02:37 PM

If you like that sort of thing... But why wasn't he playing to an audience?

'Celtic Connections' seems to be more and more a misnomer, or perhaps I've misunderstood the name.

It was good to hear anything vaguely folk on TV, but my problem was that that is exactly what it all was - vaguely folk. And where was the audience participation? Even when Old Blind Dogs were encouraging the audience to join in with what has to be a well-known chorus, they failed to do so.

OK, so I'm probably being a grumpy old woman, but to me this is not what the music should be about.

Subject: RE: Celtic Connections (BBC)
From: Linda Kelly
Date: 13 Mar 06 - 02:51 PM

I enjoyed it especially old blind dogs- but of all the songs he could have sung why did RT choose those?

Subject: RE: Celtic Connections (BBC)
From: Tootler
Date: 13 Mar 06 - 04:28 PM

I enjoyed the programme, but was not that impressed with RT. I enjoyed Buille (have I spelt it right). Good demo of what you can do with an Anglo Concertina to compare with my fumbling efforts . Also after the disaster of Women of Albion, good to see Eliza Carthy on good form with her band.

On the downside, breaking up numbers with interviews was irritating and also too many views of singers' tonsils. Why don't they show more of the musicians rather than just the singer's face all the time. I was dying for a good look at the button accordion in Les Yeux Noirs but they kept flicking past it.

Subject: RE: Celtic Connections (BBC)
From: shepherdlass
Date: 14 Mar 06 - 01:12 PM

Yes, to some of the negatives (breaking up numbers with interviews, etc) but what a refreshingly straightforward presentation after the previous 2 folk concerts on BBC4.

As for focusing on singers, it's always amusing to work out whether the cameraperson has any musical sense - isn't it great when you're watching something with a killer trombone or accordion or sax solo and the close-up goes on to the fingers of some guitarist in the front line who's strumming E?