Martyn Bennett Day at Celtic Connections

Glasgow, Scotland – The highlight for tomorrow’s concerts is with two performances celebrating Martyn Bennett’s musical legacy. This follows a
sold out performance this evening by Irish supergroup
Lúnasa supported by
Quebecois band
Le
Vent du Nord.

Saturday 14 January 2005

Martyn Bennett Day – A day of events in which Celtic Connections
celebrates the work of Martyn Bennett. Martyn Bennett died in 2005 (read his

obituary). Martyn Bennett Day aims to explore, celebrate and build upon
Martyn’s rich musical legacy. Two concerts have been programmed from his body of
work, representing the full spectrum of his talents with new, specially
commissioned arrangements of recorded material, along with other pieces which
have never previously been performed, all taking place in a spirit of
boundary-busting collaboration which was very much Martyn’s own.Martyn inhabited various musical worlds without any apparent effort – classical
music, dance music, traditional music. He made and played all of these at once;
some people joined in, others shuddered, but everyone got the point. Through his
work, these different worlds began to talk to each other, and today’s program
is all about the encounters which he set in motion.

“No one person could represent Martyn’s music,” says his close friend
Martin Swan and coordinator of the project, “It would take a crowd of
thousands. This is a collective attempt to recognise Martyn as the extraordinary
composer, musician, producer and character that he was, by putting on the kind
of gigs that he would have loved to have been at.”

01.00pm Martyn Bennett Day Afternoon Concert
The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall: Main Auditorium
2 Sauchiehall St, G2
£12.50, £10 – tickets available from the Box Office

This afternoon concert will feature works by Martyn arranged and performed by a
number of Martyn’s friends and admirers. Arrangements by Robert McFall and Greg
Lawson will be performed by Mr. McFall’s Chamber—with Fraser Fifield, Tom
Bancroft, and James Mackintosh—Graham McNaught, Finlay Mcdonald, Fred Morrison
and the Orchestra of Scottish Opera with Catriona MacKay, Dave McGuinness, and
Michael Marra.

02.00pm The Young Tradition
The
National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland
The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall: Strathclyde Suite
2 Sauchiehall St, G2
£7.50 – tickets available from the Box Office

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02.00pm Celtic Connections Showcase
The Piping Centre
30-34 McPhater St, G4
£7.50 – tickets available from the Box Office

Elspeth Cowie introduces three hot tips for the future from Ireland:

Buille,

Cushtie and
Téada.

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05.00pm Danny Kyle’s Open Stage
The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall: Exhibition Hall
2 Sauchiehall St, G2
Free – just turn up

Hosted by Danny Kyle’s good friends Gibb Todd and Liz Clark, the Open Stage is a
chance to see new musical talent as they try to win a coveted support slot at
next year’s festival – and all absolutely free

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07.30pm Musical Ark
The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall: Main Auditorium
2 Sauchiehall St, G1
£14.50, £12.50 – tickets available

08.00pm Musical Ark with host Brian McNeill and special guests
The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall: Strathclyde Suite
2 Sauchiehall Street, G2
£12.50 – tickets available from the Box Office

08.00pm Musical Ark with host Findlay Napier and special guests
The Piping Centre
30-34 McPhater Street, G4
£12.50 – tickets available from the Box Office

08.00pm Musical Ark with host Karen Tweed and special guests
Tron Theatre
63 Trongate, G1
£12.50 – tickets available from the Box Office

It’s become an annual Celtic Connections ritual: sending umpteen pairs of
musicians– some established duos, others newly coupled – scurrying frantically
about between stages and venues, while the audience at each settles back to be
regaled by the antics (musical and otherwise) that ensue. The exact line-up, as
ever, remains a closely guarded secret but always represents lavishly rich
pickings from across the entire festival program with the expert hands of
Aly
Bain,
Phil
Cunningham, Ale Möller, Brian McNeill, Findlay Napier and Karen Tweed
collectively on the tiller.