News
Thank you to all who tuned in to my Concert Window broadcast last night! Big cheerses also to Robyn and Laura who hosted the gig in their flat, and Blair McMillan at CW for inviting me to play.
Next solo outing is at the Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony Celebration on Glasgow Green! More info here...
I had an absolutely wonderful week on Fair Isle and Shetland with Inge Thomson's 'Da Fishing Hands' project; lots of special moments and memories. Plans are afoot to perform Inge's new music again sometime within the year, so keep your eyes peeled for updates. Here's a lovely review from the Hillswick concert.
Coming up next is Admiral Fallow's Duke Street Expo gig for the East End Social on 31st May. Our show at the Everlasting Arms Church is now sold out, but there are a number of fringe performances happening that afternoon. I'll be playing some solo songs at Florrester's flower shop at 2pm! For the full fringe line-up, go here...
And if you're at a loose end the evening of 4th June, tune in to my half hour solo broadcast for Concert Window. It's going to be a house concert, so there's a good chance you'll see my pals' faces too: always a treat.
Signing off for now - this afternoon, singing workshops for New Rhythms for Glasgow's Belt it Oot programme await!
On Wednesday 4th June, I'll be playing a half-hour solo gig for Concert Window. It can be viewed here from anywhere at all!
I've just been sent this video from filmmaker Tom Harrison, who Admiral Fallow collaborated with for our Glasgow Film Festival event at the beginning of March. It's lovely to see it, and to have a reminder of the night. Tom's work is fantastic; here's what he says about this particular piece:
Originally the first part of a 2013 monthly project, this version was included in Admiral Fallow's recent 'We Are Ten' event at the Old Fruitmarket on 1st March 2014, as part of the 10th Glasgow Film Festival. Beautifully scored by Sarah Hayes, this is the live recording from the event.
*Hunter passed away following a battle with cancer, early Friday morning, 12th April, 2013. This, and other recordings, are a lasting memory of him. (He kicked the arse out of cancer for longer than anyone predicted, a gent.)
12anomalies - an attempt to enforce creativity, in spite of the daily grind. 12 months. 12 films.
January #1: An abstract response to family. Spliced film, inked, textured, scratched, manipulated, analogue and digital, in response to audio capture.
facebook.com/12anomalies @theopenfire
[vimeo 91469012 w=500 h=281]
Big White Hunter & The Kimono Girl (with piano accompaniment from Sarah Hayes.) from Tom Harrison on Vimeo.
I'm really looking forward to beginning work on a brand new project spearheaded by Inge Thomson, also featuring Fraser Fifield, Steven Polwart and Graeme Smillie. It's a new body of work with music by Inge and lyrics from Lise Sinclair.
Da Fishing Hands is a collection of songs and instrumental pieces commissioned by Fair Isle Marine Environment and Tourism Initiative (FIMETI). The project highlights the influence of marine heritage on Fair Isle and raises awareness of the significance of the sea in the survival of this island community. You can read more about the project in Inge's interview with Folk Radio here.
23rd May - Fair Isle Community Hall
24th May - Hillswick Hall with special guest Martin Simpson: tickets
25th May - Mareel: tickets
These last couple of months have shot past. I had a great time supporting Anais Mitchell in Gateshead's Little Theatre; For Folk's Sake said some very nice words about the evening here. Then work continued in earnest for Admiral Fallow's self-curated night at the Glasgow Film Festival; we wrote new music for ten short films of a few minutes each, and performed it at the Old Fruitmarket underneath the big screen. It was an enjoyable challenge for us all! Special thanks must go to Tom Harrison for all his hard work throughout the project. I've been doing some tutoring for New Rhythms for Glasgow, a fantastic organisation who provide a whole range of music and arts opportunities in the community. It's well worth checking out their programme of events.
Next up, Wildings will be back in the studio at Gran's House, to complete the tracking of our debut album. The three of us have been busy with separate commitments over the past few months, but it's always a lot of fun when we get together. I'm looking forward to playing some more tunes with Fiona and Jen this weekend!
Watch this space for more news soon, including a trip to Shetland and a gig in cyberspace...
VERY excited to be supporting Anais Mitchell on 21st February at Gateshead's Little Theatre! Details and tickets here.
I've just about recovered from this weekend's performance of 'Woven', my New Voices commission, at Celtic Connections! A huge thank you to the festival for the opportunity, everyone at the Mitchell Theatre for helping it run smoothly on the day, and of course the band - Fiona, Mairearad, Ali, James and Phil - for all their hard work. I've really enjoyed the whole process, right through from the beginning of October up to the gig, and am thrilled with this Scotsman review today. Really looking forward to getting out and about to enjoy the rest of Celtic Connections, and also to hearing Lorne MacDougall and Rachel Newton's New Voices concerts, on 26th Jan and 2nd Feb respectively. The New Voices strand to the festival is a really inspiring and worthwhile one; if you haven't already got tickets for these, check out the CC website for details.
Thanks to Sue Wilson for this preview piece in the Sunday Herald, ahead of my New Voices commission performance a week today! I've a great band on board - Fiona MacAskill, Mairearad Green, Ali Hutton, James Lindsay and Phil Hague - who are bringing it all to life beautifully.
Here's a link to my latest newsletter, with a very brief retrospective on 2013! You can subscribe to the mailing list on the right hand side of this very page.
