Celtic Connections 2007 Features Breton Night Fest, New Galician Folk and Fiddle Legend Frankie Gavin on January 21

Glasgow, Scotland – The New Voices series commences at Celtic Connections on Sunday, January 21st, in a line-up that features Mercury Music Prize nominees and the reproduction of a traditional French night festival in Glasgow.

Every year Celtic Connections commissions three young musicians to present a specially written piece of work in its New Voices series. New Voices allows the festival to continue to support new music and help young talent to make their mark on the traditional music scene. This year, three New Voices concerts will take place in The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall – one on each Sunday of the festival.On Sunday afternoon, flute player and singer Nuala Kennedy collaborates with some of her all-time favorite musicians who have influenced her musical career, playing her new commission Astar: Journey. Guests include Kentucky singer Will Oldham, fiddler Oliver Schroer and trumpet player/vocalist Daniel Lapp from Canada, Scottish pianist Brian MacAlpine, Donald Hay (drums and percussion), Mario Lima Caribé (bass), Jenn Butterworth (guitar/vocals) and Eilidh Mackenzie (vocals).

Celtic Connections takes place in 12 venues all over Glasgow. The focal point of the festival is The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, where performances take place in every available space, from workshops in the foyers to performances by world-class artists in the Main Auditorium. The City Halls and Old Fruitmarket, ABC, The Tron, The Piping Centre and Glasgow’s newest live venue The Classic Grand will all play host to Celtic Connections events this year over a period of nineteen days in January and February.

Program:

New Voices: Nuala Kennedy
Sun 21 January, 1:00pm
£7.50
The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Strathclyde Suite
Sponsored by the Sunday Herald

Taste of the Fest hosted by Ishbel MacAskill
Sun 21 January, 2:00pm
£10
The National Piping Centre

Danny Kyle’s Open Stage hosted by Gibb Todd
Sun 21 January, 5:00pm
Free
The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Exhibition Hall
Supported by The Evening Times

Wendy Weatherby “A Scots Quair”
Sun 21 January, 7:15pm
£15
City Halls Grand Hall

Cellist and composer Wendy Weatherby’s musical interpretation of Lewis Grassic Gibbon’s A Scots Quair was initially commissioned by Celtic Connections in 2004. All three installments – Sunset Song, Cloud Howe and Grey Granite – have been performed individually at previous Celtic Connections festivals, with the commission culminating tonight with the first performance of the complete trilogy. Featuring lyrics by the Pearlfishers’ Davie Scott, Weatherby’s music seeks to evoke both the rural and urban, ancient and modern aspects of the novels.

Beth Nielsen Chapman with Teddy Thompson
Sun 21 January, 7:30pm
£18, £16
The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Main Auditorium

Bob Fox with Siobhan Miller
Sun 21 January, 8:00pm
£10
The National Piping Centre

Fest Noz with Skolvan
Sun 21 January, 8:00pm
£10
St Andrew’s in the Square

A Fest Noz is a night festival, which involves traditional music, dancing and drinking. The traditional dances which feature in a Fest Noz date back to the Middle Ages, however the tradition of Fest Noz is more recent, being invented in the 1950s.

Isobel Campbell with Mark Lanegan and Kathryn Williams
Sun 21 January, 8:00pm
£15
ABC

Kris Drever & Éamonn Coyne with John Williams & Dean MaGraw
Sun 21 January, 8:00pm
£12.50
The Tron Theatre

Mystery Juice and Friends with Hazel Morrison
Sun 21 January, 8:00pm
£12.50
The Classic Grand

Songs & Music of Scotland:
Glasgow, Hosted by Doris Rougvie
Arthur Johnstone & the Stars Band
Sun 21 January, 8:00pm
£8.50
Universal

Tiree Night
Sun 21 January, 8:00pm
£12.50
The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Strathclyde Suite

The Tiree Association, one of Glasgow’s Island Associations, brings a stirring night of Tiree songs and music in another one of our concerts to celebrate regional music scenes.

Frankie Gavin and Hibernian Rhapsody with Berrogüetto
Sun 21 January, 9:30pm
£15
Old Fruitmarket

Celtic Connections Festival Club hosted by Gibb Todd
Sun 21 January, 10:30pm
£5
Holiday Inn – City West

Workshops

All workshops take place in The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall

Women’s Samba Workshop
Sun 21 January, 11:00am
£6
Exhibition Hall

Opening Your Voice 2
Sun 21 January, 11:00am
£6
Buchanan Suite

come&try
Clarsach Workshop
Sun 21 January, 11:00am & 1:30pm
£6
Lomond Foyer

come&try
Bodhran Workshop
Sun 21 January, 11:00am
£6
Clyde Foyer

come&try
Mandolin Workshop
Sun 21 January, 1:30pm
£6
Exhibition Hall

come&try
Harmony Singing Workshop
Sun 21 January, 1:30pm
£6
Clyde Foyer

Festival information: www.celticconnections.com