Celtic Connections announce all star line up for 2008 Festival in Glasgow.

Once a year, the Scottish folk scene moves westward to inhabit the many venues taking part in Glasgow's Celtic Connections festival. Some of the leading names in folk and world music will perform in Glasgow this January at the 15th festival of it's kind. Taking place over 19 days in January and February in 14 venues across Glasgow, Celtic Connections is the UK’s premier Celtic music festival, with over 300 concerts, ceilidhs, talks, free events, late night sessions and workshops.

Celtic Connections 2008 will launch with Common Ground - a concert to celebrate the festival’s 15th birthday. Fiddler John McCusker will assume the role of Common Ground’s Musical Director, and will be joined on-stage by the likes of Kate Rusby, Karine Polwart, Kris Drever, Sharon Shannon, Luka Bloom, Damien Dempsey, Michael McGoldrick, Mike Scott, Julie Fowlis, James MacIntosh, Ewen Vernal and Chris Thile. Common Ground is a distillation of the spirit of collaboration and camaraderie that Celtic Connections is renowned for, with McCusker describing it as “a huge big glorious session”.

Acts appearing elsewhere at the festival include Bert Jansch, Steve Earle, Lau, Flook, The Duhks, Paul Brady and Andy Irvine (performing their eponymous classic album), Shooglenifty, Capercaillie, Moving Hearts, Catherine Feeny, Cara Dillon, and legendary Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman and his band, the Rhythm Kings. Following the festival’s successful expansion into world music territory in 2007, Celtic Connections’ Artistic Director and founding member of the Celtic band Capercaillie, Donald Shaw, has further explored the links between Celtic and world music in the diverse programme for the 2008 festival through booking acts such as Trilok Gurtu and the Arke String Quartet, Fanfare Ciocarlia and La Banda Europa.

Celtic Connections remains committed to fostering new talent and facilitating musical creativity. The Danny Kyle Open Stage and BBC Radio Scotland’s Young Traditional Musician of the Year Final will continue to showcase fresh talent in 2008. Gavin Marwick, Catriona McKay and Patsy Reid will showcase new commissions as part of this year’s New Voices strand.

visit: celticconnections.com

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