2009 Info
The 16th festival, sponsored by ScottishPower, features approximately 1500 artists performing in over 300 events taking place over 18 days across 14 venues in Glasgow.
Celtic Connections launches the Homecoming Scotland 2009 celebrations with a salute to Robert Burns on the 250th anniversary of his birth.
The theme of homecoming has inspired the programming of events that trace the evolution of cultures and musical traditions back to their roots, including Throw Down Your Heart featuring Béla Fleck.
The programme contains a distinct African flavour as Celtic Connections explores the links between Celtic and world music. Luminary of the world music scene Youssou N’Dour will perform at the festival – a major coup for Celtic Connections.
Celebrated folk, roots, traditional, indie, jazz and classical music artists performing at the festival include Richard Thompson, Sly and Robbie, Kate Rusby, Judy Collins, Mariza, Michael Nyman, Dr. John and Allen Toussaint, Nanci Griffith, Eddi Reader, Dervish, Edwyn Collins, Cerys Matthews, Michael Marra, Branford Marsalis and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, James Grant, Jerry Douglas, The Sharon Shannon Big Band, Catriona McKay, Julie Fowlis, Kathy Mattea, La Bottine Souriante, Little Feat and Salsa Celtica.
A twelve hour Burns song marathon, a Jamaican Burns Night, a suite of brand new commissions, a high profile concert celebrating the spirit of Burns and an all star ceilidh in the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall – Celtic Connections throws the ultimate party in honour of the 250th anniversary of Robert Burns’ birth.
Concerts with a Gaelic poetry theme include Hallaig – A Celebration of Sorley MacLean and Dhachaigh – A Celebration of Murdo Macfarlane.
This year’s Classic Albums strand will see three great records – Richard Thompson’s 1000 Years of Popular Music, Battlefield Band’s Home is Where the Van Is and Catriona McKay’s Starfish – performed in their entirety.
Celtic Connections celebrates increasing its economic impact by £1 million in 2008 and winning Best Multi-Venue Festival at the Scottish Event Awards.
The Celtic Connections Education Programme enters into its 11th year in 2009. Over 15,000 children will enjoy 8 free schools concerts in January, with a further 2000 children benefiting from free in-school workshops.
History/Background
Celtic Connections was born in 1994 and held in The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall - The inaugural festival received a Scottish Thistle Award in the Low Season Development Category. 1995 saw the festival expand with workshops in the Strathclyde Suite. The Grand Ballroom of The Hospitality Inn was the very first external venue to host Celtic Connections events including Wolfstone (unplugged) and an All Day Cajun Festival. Late night Ceilidhs were organised in the Exhibition Hall of The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall for those who wanted to dance the night away.
1996 saw the festival extend to include performances at the Tramway (a New Orleans Cajun weekend), the Barony, Adelaides Church on Bath Street and the first year of the now infamous festival club at The Central Hotel.
By 1998 the festival tried diversifying into other arts forms.There was a season of nine celtic inspired films in the recently redeveloped Glasgow Film Theatre including “Stella Does Tricks” and “Views of the Western Isles”.
A new branch of Waterstones had also just opened in Sauchiehall Street and during the festival in 1998 the bookshop brought together the finest of Scotland and Ireland’s writers, poets and storytellers.
by in 2000 the venues doubled and the twelve venues were:
The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall | The Old Fruitmarket | The Arches | The Tron Theatre | Glasgow Cathedral | The Quality Central Hotel (Festival Club) | The Piping Centre | St Mary’s Episcopal Church | The Barrowlands | Lansdowne Church | St Aloysius Church | Waterstone’s Bookshop
By 2002 the festival had moved on from being a festival that kept Glasgow’s spirits up in winter to one of the UK’s most important events – a celebration of Scottish traditional music and world-wide Celtic culture.
By 2004 Celtic Connections were settled into the second decade of the festival. The commitment to keep Celtic culture thriving was just as strong. One new project for this year was a special theatre production, Red Clydeside, which chronicled the immense social upheaval that rocked Glasgow during World War I.
Celtic Connectionscontinuesto go from strength to strength and is firmly established - the focal point of Celtic Connections remains as the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, where every available space is utilised during the festival, from workshops in the foyers to performances by world-class artists in the Main Auditorium. Elsewhere in Glasgow, venues such as ABC, The Tron, Òran Mór, The Piping Centre, City Halls and festival fans favourite the Old Fruitmarket all p
lay host to Celtic Connections events, whilst the legendary Celtic Connections Festival Club makes a return to its original home, the Quality Hotel.
Click on a tab for more info
