I always cast an eye over the local entertainment guides and a couple of events appealed to me. A Syrian-born classical guitarist at the Carnegie Hall Studio and a choir performing a selection of Robert Burns songs in Dunfermline Library. A third concert was added to the list when Nicole announced she'd scored free tickets for a Celtic Connections session at her alma mater Glasgow Caledonian University. All three shows were set to take place within a time frame of four days. First up, a solo trip on a Sunday evening to see Ayman Jarjour.
The concert was part of a season organised by Dunfermline Music Club and tickets were £11. The Carnegie Hall Studio has a bank of 52 seats but a couple of extra rows of chairs were laid out, taking the capacity above 70. The venue was well filled and the stage set consisted of precisely one seat and footrest for Ayman. No amplification or lighting effects. Production cost zero. The club chairman introduced the proceedings, pointing out he normally tells visiting musicians they've finally made it by appearing at the hallowed Carnegie Hall - but the argument wouldn't wash with Ayman as he'd already played a rather obscure venue in New York with the same name. I hadn't watched a classical guitarist before but thoroughly enjoyed every minute. It was certainly not po-faced and there was plenty of humour from Ayman during the introductions. After performing his own arrangement of a traditional Syrian tune, he launched into a more familiar Bach piece, saying "this next one is by a better composer". All the material was played from memory with no sheet music in sight. Now based in Scotland where he is also involved with the Refugee Council, Ayman studied in New York and Madrid and has taught in several countries. He delivered a wide range of contemporary and classic material with various global influences. There was a bit of string twanging and soundbox slapping going on, proving that even the purest forms of art have a showbiz element in a live setting. The night consisted of two 45-minute sets with tea and coffee on sale during the interval. Ayman received a rapturous round of applause at the end, coming back to perform a quick encore, informing us he'd played the Glasgow Celtic Connections festival the previous evening. He reeled off a traditional Scottish arrangement followed by Asturias - the one classical guitar piece that every man and his dog knows. A great evening's entertainment and a new experience for me. I haven't listened to many classical guitar players over the years although I've long been a fan of Julian Bream.
The next show was an evening of Robert Burns songs at Dunfermline Library, performed by a local women's choir called the Queen Anne Singers. Also present was veteran Edinburgh baritone Ivor Klayman who has been active on the Scottish opera scene since the 1960s. My mum accompanied me to the concert as she is a lifelong admirer of the work of our national bard. Although he certainly had a few character flaws, Burns's output is astonishing when you consider he was only on this earth for 37 years and always had a day job. He wrote 400 songs during his lifetime - several of which are known internationally. His poetry and lyrics are celebrated all over the world on or around the 25th of January - the day of his birth. Haggis, neeps and tatties are de rigueur in our household on Burns Night. The event took place in the beautiful Canmore Room and the choir was in fine voice - aided superbly by Klayman who was clearly a singer of professional standard. The songs were interspersed by readings about the great man's life. Good to support a function in the local library.
The following evening I headed to Glasgow straight after work for the Celtic Connections on Campus show at Caledonian University. Nicole had travelled through earlier and I drove to Forth Valley Hospital and jumped on a bus. There are no parking restrictions at the hospital after 4pm and the flat rate for leaving your car in Glasgow doesn't apply until 6pm. The bus proved the most sensible choice and gave me a chance to unwind with a newspaper. We went for a bite to eat at Walkabout, an Australian themed chain pub. The grub was good value with a bacon cheeseburger and coke costing £6. We shared a large plate of chicken wings and the bill was just over £20 - not bad for dining in the middle of the city.
It was a short walk up to the university campus, which is directly opposite the bus station. Nicole virtually had a door to door transport service from our home in Cairneyhill. The concert venue was the main bar in the student union building. We found a couple of seats at the end of the third row and the compere announced the proceedings were being streamed live on YouTube via Trad TV and broadcast on Celtic Music Radio. Three acts were scheduled to play and first up was Lewis McLaughlin & Friends. Playing a quirky but eloquent modern style, Edinburgh-born Lewis reminded me strongly of Paolo Nutini in the voice department. A multi-instrumentalist, Lewis has a lot of charisma and a slightly goofy yet magnetic stage presence. I thoroughly enjoyed his set and must check him out on Spotify. One to watch as he looks to be just in his early 20s.
The next performer was 51-year-old Shelagh McKay Jones who plucked her guitar in true singer songwriter style. Possessing an ethereal voice, Shelagh's repertoire evoked bucolic themes and social fairness. All tonight's musicians were students and Shelagh took great delight in telling us she'd qualified due to being enrolled with the Open University. The audience were encouraged to sing along with the last couple of numbers and Shelagh left the stage to thundering applause.
An instrumental trio stepped up for the final slot. Jocelyn Pettit (Canada, fiddle) and Ellen Gira (USA, cello) were joined by in-demand Scottish folk guitarist Ali Hutton (I think it had been a while since he was a student!). The musicianship was top-notch and they delivered a rousing traditional set. Jocelyn danced all over the stage (and occasionally off it) as she played while Gira was kept busy with the bass work. The cello isn't a common instrument on the folk scene, although certainly not unknown. Ali stuck mainly to rhythm duties but also began a couple of numbers with some haunting picking. An incredibly talented bunch. A wonderful night out and we should make more effort to attend traditional music events. We set off for home, having a close call on the A985 just before Cairneyhill when a car overtook us on a bend, narrowly avoiding a collision with a stream of vehicles coming in the opposite direction. An idiotic manoeuvre and a close shave for all concerned.
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