The Piping Live! Friday night concert in the Old Fruitmarket has got to be the most exciting programme of pipe-driven trad band performances to take the stage in the 18 years of the festival – or indeed, at any festival ever!
The Gaelic piping living legend, Allan MacDonald, and his band will open the show with a reprise of their Tuesday evening concert, We’re A Case, The Bunch Of Us. Allan will be joined on stage by traditional music luminaries – Finlay MacDonald, Iain MacFarlane and Ali Hutton – as they perform Allan’s compositions from his seminal piping collections.
Next up is Ross Ainslie and Brìghde Chaimbeul who are at the cutting edge of fresh, traditional-sounding piping on their twin key of C smallpipes. Their new album, Las, which explores the partnership of their twin C smallpipes, will be released on September 2 but may well be available at the gig.
Headlining and closing the concert is RURA, who have established themselves as one of Scotland’s BIG, crowd-pulling trad bands who have won awards and made a name for themselves at festivals all over the world. Their sound is driven by the Highland pipes of Steven Blake and the fiddle of Jack Smedley accompanied by the bodhran and flute of David Foley and Adam Brown on guitar. Their music is sure to invoke moments of high energy and wild abandon from the crowd, interspersed with moments of serene and sublime musical bliss.
On Friday afternoon the Piping Live! Street Cafe offers a folky piping alternative to the Grade 1 Medley and MSR at Glasgow Green. If you will be spending your full Saturday on Glasgow Green, why not relax on Friday at the Piping Live! Street Cafe with a pint of Drygate’s craft beer, hang out with friends and take in the top quality piping and trad music on offer from mid-day to late afternoon.
11.00am and 3.00pm
Museum Tours: Monday – Friday
Discover the treasures, music and history of the Great Highland Bagpipe with world renowned historian Hugh Cheape. Tickets £2 on the door and allocated on a first come first served basis. Please arrive 30 minutes prior to the tour to ensure you secure a place!
https://pipinglive.co.uk/events/museum-tours-monday-friday
venue: The NPC – McPhater St, CITY CENTRE VENUE
12.00noon
Gig in the Gallery: Ireland
Join the Armagh Pipers Club for an hour of great tunes from the Irish Piping and Folk music traditions to round off the week of music at Kelvingrove.
https://pipinglive.co.uk/events/gig-in-the-gallery-ireland
venue: Kelvingrove Museum, Argyle St
12.00pm
International Act – Leonard Barry
https://pipinglive.co.uk/events/street-cafe-friday
venue: The NPC STREET CAFE – McPhater St, CITY CENTRE VENUE
1.00pm
Emerging Talent – Falasgair
This event is kindly sponsored by the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
https://pipinglive.co.uk/events/street-cafe-friday
https://pipinglive.co.uk/events/emerging-talent-falasgair
venue: The NPC STREET CAFE – McPhater St, CITY CENTRE VENUE
2.00pm
The Big Street Cafe Session
Bring your instruments as festival Artistic Director Finlay MacDonald leads a session to close the street café for 2022!
https://pipinglive.co.uk/events/street-cafe-friday
https://pipinglive.co.uk/events/the-big-street-cafe-session
venue: The NPC STREET CAFE – McPhater St, CITY CENTRE VENUE
8.30pm
RURA + Ross Ainslie and Brighde Chaimbeul + The Allan MacDonald Band
The Allan MacDonald Band will be opening this headlining concert with We’re A Case, The Bunch of Us.
Brìghde and Ross started working on music around a few years ago focusing on double C Smallpipes and play a lot of material from all around the world and music that is not conventionally heard or played on the Scottish Smallpipes.
RURA, a multi award- winning act and one of Scotland’s most sought-after folk bands, will then take to the stage. With three heralded albums, RURA affirm their position as one of Scotland’s leading instrumental groups. Their exquisitely rugged yet refined blend of fiddle, Highland pipes, flute, bodhran and guitar has won a devoted following in many corners of the globe, amongst audiences and critics alike.
Tickets for this event can be purchased from TIcketweb and through Glasgow Royal Concert Halls Box Office.
https://pipinglive.co.uk/events/rura-ross-ainslie-and-brighde-chaimbeul
venue: The Old Fruitmarket, Glasgow
