CELTIC CONNECTIONS CELEBRATES ITS MOST SUCCESSFUL YEAR
Written by Archie Fergusson on 04/02/2014
fresh acclaim in 2012 with her first solo album The Shadow Side, and has since continued to spread her creative wings making music for theatre and film. Reflecting her fascination with traditional music’s supernatural dimensions, her vocal and instrumental suite Changeling explores the myriad manifestations of its eponymous fairy legend in Scottish and European folklore. Incorporating both original and traditional material, the piece also features Corrina Hewat (vocals/harp), Adam Holmes (vocals), Su-a Lee (cello/musical saw), Lauren MacColl (fiddle) and Mattie Foulds (percussion).
Over 18 days in January and February, 2000 artists from around the globe descended on Glasgow. Highlights of Celtic Connections 2014 included two of the festival’s gigs taking place at Scotland’s new landmark arena, the SSE Hydro.
Del Amitri took to the stage of the Hydro on Friday 24th January and blew away the biggest crowd Celtic Connections has seen to date.The night after festival fans were treated to an International Burns Night again at the Hydro with a stellar line-up including The Mahotella Queens, Karine Polwart, Dougie MacLean, Rachel Sermanni and Salsa Celtica. The Royal Scottish National Orchestra were in residence for the night. There was also a very special tribute to Seamus Heaney by John Spillane and Bongani Tembe paid a moving tribute to Nelson Mandela.
Other festival highlights included: Imelda May, Capercaillie, Bobby Womack, Amadou & Mariam, Lúnasa, AR Rahman & Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Mogwai, Peatbog Faeries, Julie Fowlis, Elephant Revival, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Manu Dibango, Treacherous Orchestra, Shawn Colvin, Nicola Benedetti, Stockton’s Wing, The Gloaming, Lau, Suzanne Vega, Seth Lakeman, RANT, Boban Markovi? Orchestra, Alkinoos Ioannidis, The Olllam, Bill Callahan, De Temps Antan, RM Hubbert, Lloyd Cole & the Leopards, Kathleen MacInnes, Tim Finn, Dick Gaughan and The Stray Birds.
Music fans attended approximately 300 concerts, ceilidhs, talks, free events, late night sessions and workshops, which took place in nearly 20 venues across Glasgow over 18 days in January.
The festival is renowned for its ambitious programme of one-off shows, world exclusive performances and unique collaborative events. The 2014 line-up explored the connections between Celtic music and cultures across the globe, bringing musicians from all over the world to Glasgow, with acts from as far afield as Australia, India, South Africa, Mali, Malawi, Cuba and Jamaica as well as across Europe, the USA and Canada.
Sold-out shows included Celtic Connections Opening Concert with Nicola Benedetti, Capercaillie 30th Anniversary Concert, Julie Fowlis, Cherish the Ladies, We Banjo 3 with Chessboxer, Rab Noakes, Mogwai, Tim O’Brien & Darrell Scott, Imelda May, De Temps Antan, Karan Casey, Suzanne Vega, Flook with Mairearad and Anna, Lewis Psalm Singers, Ceolas and Rachel Sermanni and of course the hugely popular Transatlantic Sessions, which is now touring, bringing a dazzling international cast of Celtic and Americana musicians to concert halls across the UK following its sell-out success over two nights in Glasgow.
The reach and engagement of the festival’s social media was outstanding this year. The Celtic Connections Facebook page topped 20,000 likes and Twitter followers now stand at over 12,000. Artists also interacted with the festival through their own social media networks – with AR Rahman posting that he was at Celtic Connections to his 16.5 million supporters on Facebook.
