I Singing Sessions Castle Bar Cafe, 6 Johnston Terrace, 225 7432. 11pm. Free. Folk session for singers hosted by Gill Bowman and Karine Polwart, alias MacAlias. Part of Shoots and Roots. See Thu 18.

Bellshill

I Dick Gaughan Bellshill Cultural Centre, John Street, 01698 267515. 8pm. £6 (£4). Emotionally charged lyrics from this seasoned songwriter with nearly 30 years of social and political comment under his belt.

SATURDAY 20

Glasgow

I Ceilidh Kinning Park Complex, Cornwall Street, 419 0329. 7.30pm. £3 (£1.50). Tickets available on the door. A night of Scottish music, dance and song. Part 0 Lighting The Lit Festival.

I Cei idh Dance With Black Rose Ceilidh Band Riverside Club, Fox Street, 248 3144. 7.30pm. £6. See Fri 19.

Edinburgh

I The Big Ballad For Beginners Riddles Court, 322 1-awnmarket.'1‘o register for the workshop call 337 5442. 10am—1pm. Master-balladeers Gordcanna McCulloch and Ann Neilson use the song The Bonnie Bun/cs of A [nine to give helpful hints on tackling the muckle sangs. Part of Shoots (C; Roots. See Thu 18.

I Open Session Castle Bar Cafe, 6 Johnston Terrace. 225 7432. 12.30pm. Free. A folk session hosted by the cheerful all-women Baguettes, whose line-up includes fiddles, Concertina, guitar, cello and flute. Part ofS/ioots & Roots. Sec Thu 18.

I Improvisation For Folk Musicians Riddles Court. 322 Lawnmarket. For further details call 557 1050. 2—5pm. £7 (£3). Drum and sax jazz brothers Tom and Phil Bancroft lead this workshop exploring the basics of improvisation and its application to tunes and accompaniment. Part of Shoots & Roots. See Thu 18.

I Open Session The Tass, High Street, 556 6338. 3pm. Free. Session hosted by fiddler Mairi Campbell and cellist Wendy Weatherby. Part of Shoots & Roots. See Thu 18.

I Roy And Nick Harper Pleasance Theatre. The Pleasance. 7.30pm. £10 (£8) in advance or £12 (£10) on the door. Tickets from Virgin, 220 3234. Early 705 singer/acoustic guitar maestro, who’s partnered musicians from Jimmy Page to Kate Bush, is back sharing a concert with his separately-celebrated songwriting

I Ojczyzna Portobcllo Town Hall, High Street, 669 1819. 7.30pm. £6 (£5) at the door. Edinburgh’s Polish song and dance ensemble, in a costumed performance.

I Hamish Henderson 80th Birthday Celebration The Hub, Castlehill, Royal Mile, 473 2000. 8pm. £6—£11. A tribute to one of Scotland’s outstanding cultural figures, a poet. songwriter, soldier,

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academic and folklorist of Scots and Gaelic. Singers and musicians include the cream of Scots and Gaelic singers in Sheila Stewart, Flora MacNeil, Alison MacMorland, Jock Duncan, Ann Neilson, Gordcanna McCulloch, Margaret Bennett, Adam McNaughton, Geordie Maclntyrc, Arthur Johnstone, Dick Gaughan and Rod Paterson with cellist Ron Shaw. Chapman magazine’s Joy Hendry contributes and Gordon McCulloch comperes. Part ofShoots & Roots. See Thu 18. See Music preview. I Ceilidh Dance Southsidc Community Centre, Old Church, Nicolson Street, 667 2212. 8pm. £6 (£4). Charity ceilidh featuring the sounds of the Forth Bridges Ceilidh Band, organised by Lothians Conservation Volunteers in support of Scottish Wildlife Trust.

I Charity Ceilidh Dance Teviot Row Union, Bristo Square, 453 6134. 8pm. £6 (£4). Reformed childcare systems in Eastern Europe is the aim of the European Children’s Trust. Music by the lslander Ceilidh Band.

I mCm Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace, 225 4825. 8pm. £7 (£5). Feisty fiddlers Clare McLaughlin and Marianne Campbell from Deaf Shepherd in an intimate setting. l’art ofShoots <3: Roots. See Thu 18.

I Open Session Castle Bar Cafe, 6 Johnston Terrace, 225 7432. 9pm. Free. A session hosted by Anam fiddler Anna Wendy Stevenson and Irish flute player Nuala Kennedy. Part of Shoots (Q Roots. See Thu 18.

I Singing Sessions Castle Bar Cafe, 6 Johnston Terrace, 225 7432. 11pm. Session of traditional song hosted by Aileen Carr. Part of Shoots and Roots. See Thu 18.

Motherwell

I Glasgow Caledonian Fiddle Orchestra Motherwell Concert Hall, Civic Centre, Windmillliill Street, 01698 267515. 7.30pm. £5. Annual concert of ever-popular massed fiddles.

SUNDAY 21

Glasgow

I Juan De Marcos' Afro-Cuban All Stars City Hall, Candleriggs, 287 5511. 7.30pm. £18.50. Colossal concert by one

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Fermanagh box player Leo McCann keeps his cool at one of the Shoots and Boots series of free gigs in Edinburgh's Castle Arms and Tass bars.

Havana Party: Afro Cuban All

stars at Glasgow’s City Halls, Sun 21 Nov

of the greatest names in Cuban music. The man behind the music oflegendary Sierra Maestra, and rave-of—the-moment Buena Vista Social Club, brings his all- conquering 17-piece big band to Scotland as part of a European tour. New album Distinti', di'ferente is on the World Circuit label. Singers, percussionists and instrumentalists of the highest order, from the older virtuosos to the rising stars. Glasgow becomes Havana. lnformation 445 5079.

Edinburgh

I None Of The Above Bongo Club, New Street, 558 7604. 8.30pm. £6 (£4). The monthly eclecticism continues with alternative roots in the Corrina Hewat/Mary MacMaster/Aylith MacCormack collaboration HarpVoices at 9pm, skewed classics from the inimitably talented McFalls Chamber, and a return visit and CD launch from Andy Thorburn‘s ear-bending dozen- strong choral ensemble, culled from leading Scottish singers, performing excerpts from 'l'iiath Gu Deas with text by Gaelic cultural warrior Aonghas MacNeacail.

I Mixing It Riddles Court, 322 Lawnmarket, 2pm. Reservations on 337 5442. Ages 12—18. Workshop with Fraser McNaughton of the Tartan Amoebas on combining influences from rock and dance with traditional music. Part of Shoots & Roots. See Thu 18.

I Hamish Come-aIl-ye The Hub, Castlehill, Royal Mile, 473 2000. 2.30pm. £7 (£5). Continue celebrating Hamish Henderson’s 80th birthday at this literary ceilidh featuring, among others, poets Edwin Morgan, Kathleen Jamie, Aonghas MacNeacail, George Bruce and George Guiin, alongside musicians and writers in an afternoon hosted by Sheena Wellington and Joy Hendry. Part of Shoots & Roots. See Thu 18.

I Open Session Castle Bar Cafe, 6 Johnston Terrace, 225 7432. 3pm. A folk session hosted by the West End Session Corps. Part of Shoots & Roots. See Thu 18. I Ishbel MacAskill Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace, 225 4825. 8pm. £7 (£2—£5). The Gaelic song diva is joined by the young musicians from Feis Dhun Eideann, the Edinburgh Gaelic music teaching festival. Part ofShoots &

folk & world MUSIC

Roots. See Thu 18.

I Open Session Castle Bar Cafe, 6 Johnston Terrace, 225 7432. 9pm. Free. A folk session hosted by Tannahill Weaver fiddler John Martin and mandolin and banjo player Kevin MacLeod of the Occasionals. Part of Shoots & Roots. See Thu 18.

I Open Session The Tass, High Street, 556 6338. 9pm. Free. Hosted by fiddler Tim O’Leary and guitarist Paul Newman. Part of Shoots & Roots. See Thu 18.

I The Tartan Amoebas The Hub. Castlehill, Royal Mile, 473 2000. 9pm. £10 (£7). Merging pipes and fiddle with contemporary world beats. this collective create cheerful folk/pop dance grooves. Support from powerhouse piping duo Rory Campbell and Malcolm Stitt, who also handle whistle and guitar. Part of Shoots & Roots. See Thu 18.

Livingston

I Dick Gaughan Howden Park Centre, 01506 433634. 7.30pm. £6 (£4). See Fri 19.

Glasgow

I Kinky Friedman Riverside Club. Fox Street, 248 3144. 8pm. £10. Tickets from Virgin, Real Music, Missing, Salvation Sounds. Glasgow gets a visit from the legendary, multi-talented, mind-blowing seminal spirit of satirical, alternative backporch music. The ’Frank Zappa of Country’ is even a successful novelist.

Stirling

I Deaf Shepherd Stirling Folk Club, Terraces Hotel, 4 Melville Terrace, 01259 218521. 8—11pm. £5. Favourite young Scottish band in an all-acoustic line-up featuring twin fiddles and pipes with Scots song.

TUESDAY 23

Edinburgh

I Edinburgh Songwriters Showcase The Tron, 9 Hunter Square, High Street, 226 0931. 9pm—midnight. £1. An acoustic showcase for up-and-coming singer-songwriters. To book an open-mic spot arrive 8.30pm.

WEDNESDAY 24 .

Edinburgh

I The Cast Edinburgh Folk Club, Pleasance Cabaret Bar, 60 The Pleasance, 01383 738922. 8pm. £5 (£4). Songs, traditional and self-penned, and fiddle tunes with guitar from Dave Francis and Mairi Campbell.

THURSDAY 25

Glasgow

I Luka Bloom Renfrew Ferry, Clyde Place, 287 5511. 7.30pm. £10. Contemporary lrish troubador, stylistically a long way from the traditional singing of his brother Christy

Moore.

FIDDLE 99 P

also Blazing Fiddles *- Clore McLaughlin

a weekend with over 60 events concerts 0 dances 0 cabaret workshops 0 talks 0 recitals

November 26 0 27 0 28

Assembly Rooms, George Street, Edinburgh

GRAND CONCERT

Saturday 28 November 7.30pm

Alasdair Fraser & Tony McManus Aonghas Grant Eilidh Show Donald Grant

«0 Marianne Campbell and many more !!!

tor- Intonnatton 0131 348 0977 0 tickets 0131 220 4349

food 0 bars 0 sessions

FIDDLE 99 O FIDDLE 99

18 Nov—2 Dec 1999 THE "ST 55