SGOIL Chiùil na Gàidhealtachd, the National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music in Plockton, has released two CDs showcasing its students’ vocal and instrumental talents. Boxed In is the centre’s fifteenth annual recording, a double CD which captures the young musicians at the residential school performing traditional material alongside some of their own in-the-tradition compositions and songs by writers including Steve Knightley, of Show of Hands, Steve Byrne, of Malinky, and Karine Polwart. Its companion release, The Snow is Melting into Music, was conceived by Mike Daniels of the John Muir Trust and features music associated with some of the areas in Scotland managed by the trust, which is named after the Scots-born founder of the modern conservation movement.
musicplockton.org
HARPER and composer William Jackson, pictured, has released a collection comprising all of his major, traditional music-inspired large scale compositions, beginning with his ground-breaking Wellpark Suite. The suite was commissioned by brewers Tennents to mark the centenary of its Glasgow brewery in 1985 and originally performed at the Burrell Collection, and it has been followed by four further pieces inspired by the history and landscape of Scotland and featuring many of Scotland’s best known traditional musicians in collaboration with orchestral players. Titled Composition, the four-disc set is released by the founding member of 1970s folk group Ossian’s own label, Mill Records, and is available now.
wjharp.com
Renfrewshire roots music agency Brookfield-Knights is celebrating the news that two of the acts it represents have been nominated in the Best Song of 2015 category of the Folk Alliance International Awards to be announced on February 17 at the Westin Crown Center in Kansas City. The Stray Birds and Pharis & Jason Romero will vie with three other acts in the awards, which draw nominations from all over the world. Both acts have toured the UK and previously appeared at Celtic Connections, where this year the Kilbarchan-based agency provided six of the festival’s successes, including Jenny Ritter, the Mike & Ruthy Band and Cam Penner & Jon Wood.
brookfield-knights.com
Rumours of Fleetwood Mac, the tribute band whose performances of Fleetwood Mac hits have the seal of approval from Mac drummer Mick Fleetwood, will have a former member of the famous band guesting with them when they tour Scotland this month. Guitarist Rick Vito, who toured and recorded with Fleetwood Mac from 1987 to 1991, contributing four songs to the Behind the Mask album, joins the band at Glasgow Pavilion on February 23, Aberdeen Music Hall (24), Eden Court, Inverness (26), Dundee Caird Hall (27), and Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh (28).
rumoursfm.com
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