After the Glasgow Skye Association’s annual gathering, followed by Skipinnish in the Barrowlands, got December under way in style for cèilidh lovers in Glasgow last weekend, attention now turns to the highly anticipated Hoolie in the Hydro.
As if last year’s inaugural event wasn’t enough of a success, this year’s already looks set to be bigger and better. Incredibly, more than 9,000 tickets have been sold for the event which features Mànran, Wolfstone, Trail West and Nati Dreddd along with special guests Julie Fowlis, Karen Matheson, Donald Shaw, Alec Dalglish, Cammy Barnes, Èamonn Doorley, Duncan Chisolm and more.
The evening will have a Runrig theme to mark 50 years since the beginning of the band.
Runrig members Iain Bayne and Brian Hurren will be making an appearance in what is sure to be a special night for fans of Runrig and traditional music in general.
The party starts at 6.30pm and there are no age restrictions. By the time The Oban Times and Lochaber Times is on the shelves, the show times for the evening will have been revealed online.
At present, though, I am typing this in the back of the Tide Lines van and, as I thought last week, we’re driving through the Netherlands and down through France after a few shows in Germany and Holland. Shortly, we will cross the channel for four English shows which take us up to Kendal on Saturday night – meaning we will arrive back in Glasgow in the small hours of Sunday morning with the city no doubt still echoing to the sounds of thousands of highlanders partying in the Hydro.
The Hoolie may be the biggest, but it is not the only cèilidh taking place this weekend.
Clydebank And District Highland Association will be hosting its December cèilidh this Friday at 7.30pm in Clydebank Waterfront Parish Church Hall on Abbotsford Road, G81 1PA.
Gaelic singers are Kirsteen Dick and Rory MacDiarmid, with Mary MacDonald giving Scots songs. Robert Wood is the piper for the evening and Kirsteen Grant the accompanist. Fear-an-taighe for the evening, Charlie Kirkpatrick, will also give a few tunes on the box. Tickets can be bought on the door at a cost of £11 which includes tea/coffee and home baking. Accompanied school children can attend for free.
The following evening, along the road in Edinburgh, Comunn Tìr nam Beann Dun Eideann is holding its December cèilidh featuring songs from Ruairidh Gray, Jennifer Spears and Bria Mason as well as piping from Andrew MacIntyre. The venue is Augustine United Church, on George IV Bridge, and doors open at 7pm for a 7.30pm start. Admission, for which there is no need to book, is £10 for non-members and £6 for members. Membership of the association costs £5.
Fifty four people attended the Comunn’s November cèilidh and the association invite singers and musicians who wish to perform next year to get in touch.