Universal Hall: Music

SESSION A9 Fri 12th Feb, 8pm With players from Capercaillie, Peatbog Faeries, Fiddlers Bid and Blazin Fiddles, Session A9 is a very special band indeed - one of the most experienced and talented fiddle bands on the circuit began to appear live. Straight after their performance at Celtic Connections, the band will head out on the road, with the Universal Hall a key venue on their UK tour. Not a night to be missed. "Take the cream of traditional musicians, thrilling arrangements and lashings of verve and sparkle and you'll get something of the flavour of Session A9." Catriona Ross £12/£10 ESSENTIAL SCOTTISH OPERA Sat 13th Feb, 7.30pm Scottish Opera hits the road once more, and bring to the Universal Hall a selection of opera highlights from around the world. Four fantastic young singers and a pianist perform excerpts from a variety of opera favourites along with some interesting surprises from lesser-known works. “Scottish Opera has an absolute winner on its hands. The show exudes confidence, style and panache. Not to be missed” The Herald £10/£5 under 26’s KEN CAMPBELL’S IDEAL BAND Fri 12th Mar, 8pm The re-formed Ideal Band delivers a unique blend of contemporary and traditional songs from Scotland, and brings together three of Scotland's most respected and experienced musicians: Ken Campbell - Vocals/Guitar/Spanish Lute; Seylan Baxter - Cello/Electric Cello/Vocals and Gavin Paterson -Piano/Guitar/Vocals. "The songs are absolutely gorgeous ....I can't praise this CD highly enough, and if you get a chance to see them live, make time to enjoy an evening of great songs and great music" CD REVIEW ON AMAZON £9/£7 MAGGIE MACINNES Fri 19th Mar, 8pm Singer and clàrsach player, Maggie MacInnes, was voted Best Gaelic Singer of the Year in the BBC Scots Trad Music Awards, 2004, Maggie will be performing Gaelic songs from her family tradition and some of her favourite Scots songs and will be accompanied by the wonderful Brian McAlpine (of Session A9) on Keyboards and Accordian "Maggie … brings to her performance an uncontrived naturalness and at times raw heartfeltness that is nothing short of captivating.” P. Urpeth, Hi-Arts. £9/£7 ELIZABETH ROGERS Fri 16th April, 7.30pm Liz Rogers returns to her old home fresh out of the recording studio to launch her latest CD, “Breathe and Begin”. After playing to enthusiastic audiences across the western-US and Japan last year, Liz comes back to the Hall to share her original folk music plus tales from the road, accompanying herself on guitar and with guest musicians backing. Having been compared to Joan Baez more times than she can count, Liz’s pure voice and intimate songwriting style are a treat not to be missed. £10/£8 DEVA PREMAL AND MITEN Fri 7th May, 8pm With CD sales of nearly one million, Deva & Miten are living proof that the power of mantra is as relevant today as it was thousands of years ago. Deva and Miten’s music is an expression of spiritual devotion, through song and chant. Deva, best known for her top-selling chant CDs, is a classically trained musician and gifted singer. Miten, was a singer-songwriter in the 70s, opening for such groups as Fleetwood Mac, Lou Reed and Ry Cooder. “Beautiful music, beautiful..." H.H. The Dalai Lama £12/£10 THE AN TOBAR SESSIONS: AIDAN O’ROURKE’S AN TOBAR BAND AND THE DAVE MILLIGAN TRIO Fri 14th May Two of Scotland’s most exciting and acclaimed composers, present a stunning concert centred around a brace of contemporary musical pieces, which were originally commissioned by the An Tobar Arts Centre (Tobermory) in celebration of their tenth anniversary. The concert will also feature a specially written, new work by Dave Milligan and Aidan O’Rourke (Lau) which unites both of their respected ensembles for the first time. "Intense, beautiful…." (The Independent) **** £10/£8 CHLOË GOODCHILD Sat 22nd May, 8pm Northern Lights Conference Concert A rare opportunity to bathe in the amazing sound world of the extraordinary Chloë Goodchild! Passionate about voice and sound as a vehicle for spirit, Chloe founded the Naked Voice practice in 1990. She has recorded a range of highly successful musical CDs and audio books, as well as singing for film, TV, radio and theatre world-wide. Her Sura CD received a Grammy nomination, and her most recent audio-teaching book, Awakening through Sound, won the USA Earphones Award 2008. “…a spectacular genius … at the core of a fascinating phenomenon that is allowing individuals to find their freedom and creativity.” Coleman Barks £10/£8 DUNCAN CHISHOLM AND IVAN DREVER Wed 26th May, 7.30pm Two of Scotland's most esteemed traditional players, Duncan Chisholm and Ivan Drever make a welcome return to the Universal Hall. With their eclectic mix of fiddle, guitar and song, an evening with Duncan and Ivan is a truly special experience, combining Duncan's fiddle mastery and Ivan's self-penned jewels. Both men work with esteemed Scottish band Wolfstone and together they wrote ‘Heart and Soul’ used in the Oscar winning motion picture 'Good Will Hunting.' £9/£7 KAREN MATHESON Fri 4th June, 8pm Widely recognized as the haunting vocals of Celtic supergroup Capercaillie, Karen Matheson will tonight appear with her band, who include Donald Shaw, Ewen Vernal and James Grant. Performing as part of her current UK tour, Karen has been involved with various projects including the award winning BBC series Transatlantic sessions as well as touring the world and recording with various artists incuding Emmylou Harris and Paul Brady amongst others. A truly special performer, we’re delighted to have her back to the Universal Hall for the first time in many years. £14/£12 DAIMH AND BUILLE Wed 16th June, 8pm Dàimh, (pronounced Dive) and Buille come together in a Tune Up tour.The charging pipe and fiddle led assault that has seen Daimh rocking far and wide is now joined by the amazing vocals of (mod gold medalist ) Calum Alex MacMillan from Lewis, Buille perform music based on traditional Irish forms but freely borrowing stylistic elements from jazz, blues, Eastern European music and contemporary classical music. Driven by Concertina , Uillean pipes and fiddle. " as fresh a breath that's blown through traditional (and roots) circles in a long, long time." The Irish Times £9/£7