I Danny Kyle's Open Stage li\liihition Hall. Roin ('oneert Hall. Sauehiehall Street. 387 55l I. 5---7piii. Free. See Thti ll. I Tom Paxton Rtl};ll (‘oneert lliill. Sauehiehall Street. 387 551l.7.3()piii.£l3 tillli. Veteran eas} -Ull-lllL‘-L‘ttl'\ American \lllgL‘l‘-\tillg\\ met.

I Ivan Drever Band Strathclyle Suite. Royal (‘oiieert llall. Sauehiehall Street. 287 551 I. 8pm. L'lt) (£8). ()rkllC} singer/ guitarist Drever is joined by piper and \\lll.\llC pla)er Rot')’ (‘aiiiphell and hou/otiki player .\laleolm Still.

I Robin Laing The Piping Centre. Mel’hater Street. 287 55l l. 8pm. £7 (£5). Songwriting guitarist l.aing is supported h} Saiigster's Seott Gardener.

I Festival Club The Qualin Central Hotel. Gordon Street. 22l 9680. 10.30pm. £l—£3.5(). See Thu ll.

I Danny Kyle's Open Stage Exhibition Hall. Royal (‘oneert l-lall. Sauehieliall Street. 2S7 55] l. 5—7pm. Free. See Thu 1 l.

I Mary Black Ro)al Concert Hall. Sauehiehall Street. 287 55l 1. 7.30pm. {ll—£18.50. l‘ormerl} \xith De Daiiaan. Irish singer .\lar_\' Black moves from the traditional song ol‘ her l)e Damian tla} s to her more CtitllClllptil‘ttt‘} eountr}/populai' repertoire. (ireat \oiee though.

I Duncan Chisholm and Ivan Drever The Piping Centre. Mel’hater Street. 1 7 55] l. 8pm. £7 (£5 l. \Vollstone's acoustic

litltlle. guitar and meal heart. Support from liileen Penman.

I Banjo Concert Stratliehtle Suite. Royil Concert Hall. Sauehieliall Street. 287‘ 5511. 8pm. £10 tL‘h‘i. Resist the temptation to mock. and applaud the genius ol~ pla_\ei‘s like l'S neugi‘ass master Alison Brim ii. (‘athal ll;i_\tleii. (ieri') ()' (‘oiiiior and others. Music from Ireland to the :\pp;tlttc‘llltill\.

I Festival Club The Qtialit} ('entral llotel. Gordon Street. 331 9680. lll.3()pm_ £l—£3.5(l. See Thu ll.

I Danny Kyle's Open Stage lixhihitioii llall. Roin Concert Hall. Sauehiehall Street. 287 55l l. 5-7pm. Free. See Thu l l. I Cherish The Ladies Ro}al Concert Hall.

Saueliiehall Street. IS" 5511. "..‘~tlpiii, {lZSl‘J iill).51li. Back for the tiiiipteeiitli time. these .\'eu York tlolls combine strong ll‘l\ll-:\lllc‘l’lc‘;tll lllthlc‘ttl \hlll\. meals and humorous stageei'alt. The} also feature their o\\ ii set and step tlaiieei's.

I Sara Grey, Ann Nielsen, lack Beck illltl Bob Blair The l’ipiiig ('eiitre. .\lel’liater Street. 28" 55l l, 5pm. 9;" «£5 I. .-\ mi\etl bag of" singers Sara‘s from the States present an eieiiiiig of l mainl} Seotsi song. I Karen Tweed Strathclyde Suite. Roin Concert Hall. Sauehieliall Street. 337' 55| l, 8pm. L'lll i£.\‘i. l’oo/ie's aeeortlionist Karen Tueetl I\ joined b} l’hil ('uiiiiiiighaiii among other ll'lL‘lltl\ for this concert. to be broadcast li\ e on BBC Radio I.

I Festival Club The Qualit} Central Hotel. Gordon Street. Ill (MN). I lpm.

{l {3.50. See Thu ll.

Canada Kate and Anna McGarrigle

Music has been a family affair in the lives of the Canadian singer-songwriter duo, Kate and Anna McGarrigle. The sisters began singing in the family home in Quebec, encouraged by parents who fostered their interest in music, although they stopped short of pushing the girls into a career in the business, since, as Kate says, singing for a living 'wasn’t the kind of thing well raised girls did!’ Fortunately for the rest of us, parental counsel did not ultimately prevail and the sisters took their trademark vocal harmonies onto the international stage. Even then, they were not exactly pushed hard for stardom, contenting themselves with the occasional instant classic album and all-too-rare live appearances while they concentrated on bringing up their children. if the McGarrigles were only singers, they would still command considerable respect, but the combination of their deliciously compatible voices and unquestionable talents as songwriters is a formidable one.

I Main Auditorium, Sun 14 Jan, 7.30pm. 34 THE “ST S Jan—l8 Jan 2001

Cape Breton Buddy MacMaster Band

There are those who think that Scottish fiddle mUSlC has surVived in even purer form in the Canadian maritime enclave of Cape Breton than it was able to do back home. The ins and Outs of that argument remain a matter of controverSy, but what is certain is that the fiddlers of Cape Breton have made their mark on the international music scene in no uncertain fashion in the last decade, With young bloods like Natalie lvlaclvlaster and Ashley Maclsaac leading the way. Buddy lvlacMaster (Natalie’s uncle) belongs to a preVious generation, and is one of the master fiddlers who nurtured the music on the island He first Visited Scotland as a player back in the 70s, and brings his own band here as part of a mini Cape invasion, which also includes appearances by Natalie lvlaclvlaster and Beoulach, led by fiddler Wendy Maclsaac (Ashley’s cousm mUSlC is a family affair on the Cape).

I Strathclyde Suite, Sat 13 Jan, 8pm.

USA East Liz Carroll

Liz Carroll is a wonderful fiddler from Chicago who has established herself as a top name on the Irish-American scene (including an early stint with those big Celtic Connections favourites, Cherish The Ladies, who are also back this year), despite frequently taking herself off that scene to bring up her family. As a consequence, Carroll hasn’t made records very often, but when she does, they tend to be stunning. Last year’s glorious Lost In The Loop was her best yet and one of the best roots albums of the year. The festival has wisely decided to make the most of her visit by featuring her in a couple of different settings. She will take part in the String Sisters concert again this year (Fri 12 Jan), and will also be heard with her own trio in a double bill which she will share with the expatriate uilleann piper Paddy Keenan, who is resident in Boston these days.

I Old Fruitmarket, Sun 14 Jan, 9pm.