Glasgow Gallivanting: January 2017

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Celtic Connections

Celtic Connections logoIf you live in Glasgow, you have about two weeks to get over the hedonism of Christmas and New Year when – ooft! – it’s Celtic Connections! This bills itself as “the largest annual winter music festival of its kind and the UK’s premier celebration of Celtic music” and we throw ourselves into it with enthusiasm, usually attending half a dozen or so gigs over the 19 days.

This year, in six concerts we heard musicians from Scotland, England, Ireland and America (and that’s quite a conservative selection) in five different venues ranging from the formal concert hall, via the Old Fruitmarket, to the iconic Barrowland Ballroom. Highlights? So hard to choose but, if pushed, I’d go for Phil Cunningham’s Highlands and Islands Suite. Phil, his accordion, and a front-row of other professional musicians were supported by students from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland – its Traditional Musicians, Chorale and Symphony Orchestra. There must have been 150 people on the stage and the music soared. When I said to John at the interval that I had been moved almost to tears I half expected a scornful look, but he agreed. It wasn’t only the evocatively Scottish music, there was also something so heart-warming about a stage full of young people working hard to perfect their art – having chosen to do so in our city.

Barrowland Ballroom
Blazin’ Fiddles at the Barrowland
Royal Concert Hall
Old Fruitmarket
King Creosote at the Fruitmarket
Old Fruitmarket
Sharon Shannon at the Fruitmarket
Tron Theatre set for Karine Polwart
John Paul White at the Mackintosh Church
Mackintosh Church

Gluttony

Celtic Connections is pretty hard on the waistline – all those pre-theatre meals – and it’s not helpful that Burns Night falls slap bang in the middle. This year, we ate our haggis, neeps and tatties with friends in the Curlers, a local pub-restaurant. We have also been tempted by two large boxes of Chinese rose pastries, a new year gift from one of John’s Chinese colleagues. Definitely yummy – ooh, I need to walk all this off, but…

Queen Elizabeth Forest Park

…oh dear, we haven’t had much in the way of country walks: only one that I can remember, in Queen Elizabeth Forest Park. This time last year, we spotted red squirrels from the wildlife hide. This time they were not to be seen, though there were plenty of birds about.

View of Aberfoyle
Waterfall
Robin redbreats
Bird-feeder
Bird-feeder

Exhibitions

We managed a couple of exhibitions in January. One Glasgow museum, the Burrell Collection, has recently closed for refurbishment and in the meantime some of its paintings are on show at another, Kelvingrove. The current exhibition is of work by Joseph Crawhall (1861-1913), one of a group of radical painters known as The Glasgow Boys. Girl on a bicycle has long been one of my favourites – just look at the little dachshund excitedly running alongside – but there was plenty more to see, and will be until 1st July if you are in the area.

Crawhall at Kelvingrove
Joseph Crawhall collage

We also saw an exhibition in the Lighthouse called A Life in Letterpress. Typographic artist Alan Kitching began his working life apprenticed to a printer, before becoming a technician at Watford College, then a teacher, designer and artist. In an age of computer design, he continues to create using wood and metal letterforms. The results are stunning! On till 5th March.

Alan Kitching exhibition
Alan Kitching exhibition
Alan Kitching exhibition
Alan Kitching exhibition
Alan Kitching exhibition
Alan Kitching exhibition

The last bit

New Year, new blogging resolution – to have a round-up post like this at the end of every month. How long will it continue? My last new series (People Make Glasgow) lasted for approximately (ahem, exactly) one post, and I’m already almost a week late with this one, so we’ll see.

I also wondered what would happen if I had nothing to round up, either because I’d written about it already or (and it does happen) I had done nothing worth blogging about. Step forward The last bit of random stuff and padding. This month – Scotland reacts to Trump, from the sublime to the ridiculous. Scotland is not impressed.

  • The sublime – Karine Polwart at Celtic Connections with I burn but I am not consumed, a poetic mixture of spoken word and song considering Donald’s Scottish roots. Favourite line: You who see nothing but your own face in the sheen of the Hudson River. (Sorry, I couldn’t get this BBC video to embed).
  • The ridiculous – Just 19 Incredibly Scottish Signs Telling Donald Trump He’s A Bawbag (Buzzfeed). Not for the easily offended. Translations available on request. (As a start, baw = ball. I’m sure you can work out the rest.)

So that was January in Glasgow. Normal service will be resumed shortly.

Scotland, UK , , , , , , , ,

55 Comments »

  1. What an interesting and enjoyable post – I loved reading it. Not sure what City you’re talking about, but it seems like an interesting, fun place. I should like to visit one day…

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  2. I am VERY late getting to this, but I’m glad I did! I laughed out loud at your comment: “New Year, new blogging resolution – to have a round-up post like this at the end of every month. How long will it continue? My last new series (People Make Glasgow) lasted for approximately (ahem, exactly) one post, and I’m already almost a week late with this one, so we’ll see.” I’ll have to play catch-up to see if you actually did it. I laughed because I’m always making resolutions like these, and rarely keeping them. I’m so bowled over by people like Jo — who does her Monday walk religiously and right on time. 🙂

    I liked seeing the things you did in January; that Celtic Connections sounds very intense. I don’t think I would have had the energy for something like that. The art exhibits looked enjoyable and fascinating. I also loved your post about the anti-Trump Scottish signs. Very funny!

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    • Spoiler alert: still going as far as August! I had to read the post again to see what art exhibitions we’d been to in January. Scotland is still not impressed by Trump by the way.

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      • Good for you!! Can’t wait to read them all. I enjoy these monthly recaps. I try to do that same thing in my monthly cocktail hours. But I’m very inconsistent about it!

        I’m glad to hear Trump isn’t winning over Scotland. Maybe I shouldn’t be wishing this, but I want him to be a total failure, and I want him to be hauled away for obstruction of justice for his Russia collusion. 🙂

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    • Neeps = turnip (the big orange ones. In Scotland, they are turnips and the small white ones are swedes. In England it’s the other way round so not sure what it is for you!) Tatties = potatoes. Both mashed, or in Scots, bashed neeps and champit tatties. It’s the traditional meal for Burns Night. Bet you didn’t think the answer was this complicated!

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  8. The Girl on a Bicycle painting is excellent – it’s actually similar to the three (not original) paintings I have in my work office – just imagine something similar with a girl who looks like she should be in Paris riding the bicycle, and you will have the idea, just with three similar paintings instead of one.

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  10. Never been to CC but I’ve liked all the free compilation CD’s of the gigs you used to get in the papers as it was a real mixture. I think we are lucky in a way that DT is so transparent as someone with a far better political brain and much more credibility and charisma could use his same technique to get into power and then be far more subtle and devious in their agenda. That style of politics is bound to come in here as well with the same sort of alternative ‘News channels’ promoting a certain opinion and outlook springing up as America always leads the way in future trends.. The really scary thing is 46% of Americans, according to polls, still think he’s doing a fantastic job. and a smaller but worrying percentage think a full scale nuclear war is not only desirable to show certain upstart nations who is boss but that it’s perfectly survivable. I’ll have to stop reading Yahoo news comments after articles:o) Way too depressing for the future of the human race as a thinking species!

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    • Yes, I think that’s how we got into CC in the first place via the free CDs. I find the world very scary at the moment and I wish I could avoid reading below the line, but however often I resolve not to my eye is invariably drawn down to the car crash.

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  12. I really like Alan Kitching’s stuff, particularly his London pieces. I used to live near Borough, in Elephant and Castle, just off Old Kent Road, so I know the area well (Long Lane is aptly named). I’d never heard of him before, but now I’m going to investigate his prints further. And the anti-Trump signs gave me a much-needed laugh!

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  13. Hi Annabel – what a wonderful collection of images and thoughts from the various happenings in Glasgow – I definitely like this idea … and hope you and John get your skates on and have lots of entertainment outings to regale us with in a few weeks?! Being in the city does make a difference …

    I love the idea of the typography exhibition … I must check out the one that’s in Sussex … cheers Hilary

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  14. Celtic Connections sounds amazing, filled with wonderful music (and food–rose pastries look delicious!). And I love seeing your adorable robin, so different from the American robin. Looks like a good typography exhibit, too!

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  15. I hadn’t heard of Celtic Connections before, but think it’s a rather wonderful idea to have a festival in the middle of January (which is my least favorite month). And I don’t blame you for being moved to tears..there is something wonderful about a stage full of musicians, all playing together with a passion and love for the music. It touches the soul!

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  19. You have been very busy in January! In a city like Glasgow, I don’t think you have to be worried about not being able to come up with a round-up post every month. You always find a lot to do, Anabel! The art scene looks so varied and interesting. Mark and I are looking forward to our next longer term sit in an artistic community and to being out and about a bit more on a cultural level!

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  20. The Celtic Connections festival sounds amazing. I would love to be in Glasgow for that one day. And I like the idea of a round up. There’s always something interesting going on. As for politics, I’d say it’s not just Scotland that’s unimpressed…the whole world seems to be disappointed.

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  21. I, too, love this post, Anabel. Wish I live closer so I can attend all these events. I am a little embarrassed that I have never heard of Chinese rose pastries. Next time I am in Taiwan (pretty soon), I’m definitely going to ask, since I do like rose tea.
    Have a wonderful day.

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  22. Love this round-up. I’m envious of Celtic Connections, though I’m not much of a live-music person. Thanks for reminding me again what a cool city Glasgow is (and thanks for the Trump links)!

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