Blue Rose Code | Karen Matheson | LYRE | Rory Butler

7:30pm GMT*

Blue Rose Code is Edinburgh-born songwriter Ross Wilson. At the edge of contemporary alt-folk, Wilson's music evokes a meeting of Van Morrison and a young John Martyn, both shipwrecked with a bunch of Motown records. Ross spent his creative formative years in East London, then moved to South England “to be by the sea’s energy” but it is in his homecoming that he has found where his heart is.

Karen Matheson’s life in the limelight began with her performing as a child in her local village hall in Argyll on the West coast of Scotland, where she was brought up immersed in the deep well of traditional songs that have been her inspiration for over 35 years of recording and performing worldwide. Widely recognised as the compelling vocals of Scots band Capercaillie with whom she has graced the pop charts and featured in blockbuster movies, her solo career highlights have included sharing the stage with Pete Seeger in New York and performing at the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Her long awaited new album ‘Still Time’ will be released in February 2021 on Vertical Records worldwide.

In the bush of Australia lives the elusive lyrebird, often considered the most gifted songbird on our planet. An apt name then for this recently formed trio, consisting of three of Scotland’s most exciting folk musicians. Cello, Nordic Mandola, Fiddle, Viola and even the occasional Xylophone come together in Lyre to create a unique, groovy, and irresistibly playful sound. Alice Allen, Marit Fält and Patsy Reid are all sought after musicians in their own fields. Lyre takes their individual styles to create a fusion of Scottish trad, Scandi and classical music.

Scottish acoustic troubadour Rory Butler has a long association with Celtic Connections, from winning a Danny Kyle Open Stage Award in 2012, through to joining 2019’s sold-out John Martyn tribute, Grace & Danger, sharing the stage with Paul Weller, Lucy Rose, Eric Bibb and Ross Wilson (Blue Rose Code). The prodigiously talented young singer/songwriter has been likened to Nick Drake, Jeff Buckley, and Martyn himself, and has opened for the likes of John Paul White (The Civil Wars) and folk legend. Richard Thompson. Summer 2020 saw the release of his long-awaited debut album: It’s no surprise that 'Window Shopping', a mostly live recording featuring Matt Ingram, Nick Pini and Tom Mason, was met with universal acclaim. 

*This performance will be available to watch for one week after the live date to accommodate different time zones.

This performance is included in the Celtic Connections 2021 festival pass, so you will not need to purchase this event if you have already purchased a pass.