It seems barely any time at all since Celtic Connections was celebrating its 25th anniversary, and yet here we are back in Glasgow kicking off the 2023 Festival with a concert to celebrate the 30th year. The evening was part rejoicing in the longevity and continued success of the Festival, part merrymaking for a full return after two years of pandemic constrictions, and part, as MC for the evening Anna Massie put it, recognition that the festival is as much about the connections, in particular international connections, as about the Celtic – more often than not in collaborative form. Festival Creative Director Donald Shaw thanked the audience at the start for their consistent support, acknowledging that without them, there would be no Festival. Anna later pointed out that Donald and drummer James Mackintosh were the only musicians on stage who had played at every single Celtic Connections Festival.
An astonishing breadth of talent performed over the course of the next three hours – far more than can be described here, extending to fluid combinations of Gaelic singing – from Kathleen MacInnes, Jenna Cumming, Kim Carnie and Liam Ó Maonlaí – to the remarkable talents of Karine Polwart, Sierra Hull, Basco, Peat & Diesel, TRIP, Fergus McCreadie & Matt Carmichael, Maeve Gilchrist, Rachel Sermanni, Duncan Chisholm, Trio Da Kali, Ian Carr, the National Youth Pipe band and the Scottish Dance Theatre. The abundant, lengthy evening also served as a taster for the feast of musical riches to come over the following two and half weeks.
The Celtic Connections Big Band, originally conceived for the 2021 digital opening night and brought together in full live glory for the evening, kicked things off with Mackerel and Tatties, an upbeat, bustling set of tunes, slightly amended from the original on Michael McGoldrick’s Aurora album, two of Michael’s, the tune that gives the set its title written by piper Allan MacDonald – Allan is performing later in the Festival – which had a spirited change up as Ross Ainslie switched from whistle to pipes, and Roddy McDonald’s, a reel, which sounded particularly funky in this context. The Big Band was on stage almost throughout in various blends and featured Donald Shaw, Duncan Lyall, Sorren Maclean, Fraser Fifield, Patsy Reid, Graham Mackenzie, Laura Wilkie, Michael McGoldrick, Hannah Fisher, Ross Ainslie, Anna Massie, Greg Lawson, Alice Allen, Alyn Cosker, James Mackintosh, strings and brass sections.
Duncan Chisholm, ahead of the launch of his new album Black Cuillin (reviewed here) inspired by poet Sorley MacLean later in the Festival, reprised excerpts from Beyond the Swelkie, a celebration from last year of the poet George Mackay Brown. It was an inspiring combination of calm, evocative fiddle and some of Mackay Brown’s poems recited by Jim Mackintosh, with very able support from Su-a Lee (cello), Hamish Napier (piano) and Ross Ainslie (whistle). From my line of sight, Su-A was juxtaposed right behind Duncan, giving a splendid image of the two of them bowing in unison. For the Scottish Dance Theatre’s fabulously energetic, sensual, at times Latin-like piece, TRIP joined the Big Band on stage, the collective musicians playing a driving, snappy piece – called I think Towards The Storm.
Trio Da Kali was sadly reduced to a duo by courtesy of the Government’s ludicrous post-Brexit immigration rules, which deprived balafon player Fodé Lassana Diabaté of a visa to get to Scotland. The remaining duo of bass ngoni player Mamadou Kouyaté and singer Hawa ‘Kassé Mady’ Diabate were, however, determined to make the most of their slot on stage and were captivating, with sparse but nicely enmeshed accompaniment from James Mackintosh and Alyn Cosker on drums/percussion, Innes White on guitar and Michael McGoldrick, whose stunning low whistle interplay with Hawa’s vocal provided one of those unforgettable moments of international musical connection.
The 2021 online Festival’s theme song, Rachael Sermani’s beautiful Lay My Heart, was joyously re-visited. Despite the presence of many musicians on stage, they exemplified a less is more approach, furnishing a hushed accompaniment that allowed Rachael’s clear voice to reach every corner of the hall, the tender song, I’m sure bringing tears to more than just my eye.
Greg Lawson composed an arrangement of Martyn Bennett’s tune Karabach (which Martyn recorded with sax player Tommy Smith for the Ceol Tacsi TV series and album) for the Big Band, strings and brass. The alluring performance was a fitting way to include a recognition of Martyn’s impact. The Big Band also performed a set of guitarist Ian Carr’s typically quirky tunes – impressively keeping up with Ian’s left field chord and rhythm changes – and a second set of Michael McGoldrick tunes – the redolent Trip to Nova Scotia and Famous Last Words, a slip jig brilliantly enhanced a notably brisk string arrangement.
Karine Polwart, in the first half, sang Whaur Do You Lie?, a moving song based on the experience of three Muslim women Karine met who were looking for answers about the 1995 Srebrenica massacre. She returned for the first part of the encore to sing Here’s A Health To The Company, an Irish song in origin that Karine learnt from the traveller Sheila Stewart. With Kathleen MacInnes, Kim Carnie, Rachael Sermani and Liam Ó Maonlaí on supporting vocals, it was a rousing final song with plenty of participation from the full house audience. Things concluded with more tunes, including from Sierra Hull, Basco and, in the end, everyone back on stage, looking for all the world as if they would have continued all night if they’d been allowed to.
