Glasgow Letter
Who would have thought when I left Glasgow a month ago to head off on tour, I would be returning four weeks later to a footballing powerhouse of a nation?!
Scotland’s incredible result against Spain last week was told to me by a punter in Nottingham while I was onstage.
Our show that evening had started at half time in the game, so we had agonisingly torn ourselves away from my laptop with the match poised at 1-0 to Scotland. There is a song half way through our set where the boys leave the stage and Ali and I play acoustically. I remarked to the audience that the lads were away to check if Scotland were still one up. My comment was answered from the crowd by a strong English accent: “You’re two up!” The same voice later shouted it was full time.
Needless to say, he was obviously engrossed in the football rather than the show! We were very grateful for his updates nevertheless.
It is good to be back in Glasgow now and there are a number of events coming up in the city over the next few weeks. This weekend, I am privileged to have been asked to sing as the guest of the National Youth Choir of Scotland at their National Boys Choir concert in the City Halls in Candleriggs on Saturday afternoon at 3pm.
I sung in the choir as a young boy throughout my school years, so it’s very exciting to have been asked to perform with them by esteemed conductor, Christopher Bell.
There are still tickets available from the NYCoS website for what is always a very high quality concert – if you don’t mind hearing a few songs from yours truly!
That evening, as I wrote last week, is the Glasgow Islay Association Annual Gathering in the National Piping Centre, featuring Liam Gray, Mairi Callan, Cameron Duff, and Rena Gertz, followed by a dance to the music of the Loch Dubh Ceilidh Band.
Chairing the concert is Mr Ryan Johnston which I think is a great honour for one so young. Tickets, I believe, are now very limited and can be purchased from committee members or through the Facebook page.
Later in the month, the cèilidhs start again at the Tall Ship Glenlee, down by the Transport Museum, to the sound of Deoch ’n’ Dorus. I have never made it along to one of these dances but it is a cracking venue, a great band, and, from what I gather, always well attended.