Rhymes & Reels, Celtic Connections, Glasgow review: 'a heady evening of verbal and musical eloquence'
Bringing together some of Scotland’s foremost literary and musical talents, Rhymes & Reels had everything from laments to gleeful satire, writes Jim Gilchrist
Rhymes & Reels, Mackintosh Church, Glasgow ★★★★
It was a heady evening of verbal and musical eloquence, this collaboration between Celtic Connections and Edinburgh International Book Festival. Brighde Chaimbeul’s smallpipes opened sweetly from a darkened stage, lights coming up as her father, Angus Peter Campbell, appeared, suitably bunneted and evidently possessed by the persona of the philosophical crofter from his novella, Donald and His Seven Cows.
He declaimed in Gaelic and English from “Donald’s cosmology” as hornpipes bubbled briskly then shifted to lament as he read from his poem about the legend of Diarmuid and Grainne and some shorter works from a forthcoming collection, signing off with a benediction invoking “the guardianship of saints / and red-painted boats and thatch and August weather … and the warmth of making scones…”
Accompanied by warmly empathetic playing from fiddler Duncan Chisholm, cellist Su-a Lee and pianist Megan Henderson, former Scots Makar Liz Lochhead read with characteristic mettle tempered by humanity, alluding to everyone from Michael Marra and Norman MacCaig to traditional Scots balladry in poems such as A Cambric Shirt and her midwinter incantation: “The light always comes back.” And in Grace, she reminded us, stirringly, of “this our one small country / our one, wondrous, spinning, dear green place.”
Though entitled The Small, the programme by another former Makar, Jackie Kay, with harpist-singer Esther Swift proved expansive, enlisting a double-bassist and a Greek chorus of three further singers. Swift gave full voice to her settings of Kay’s poetry, such as Last Night I Dreamed of Peggy Seeger, the haunting aubade of Darling and the gleefully excoriating Planet Farage.
Kay’s own recitations included her sly observation on being black and Scottish, In My Country, and the poignant My Mum Is a Robin, with its heartfelt “Is that you Mum? I miss thee, I miss thee.”
The Scotsman’s arts newsletter is now sent twice a week - subscribe today
Want the latest Scottish headlines sent directly to your phone? Sign up to our new WhatsApp channel here.
Comments
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.