Thirty years and counting
There is a Celtic notion of belonging to a place. Your community, your culture, your music; all find their roots in a particular physical location. The Irish word tuatha is succinct enough. My ancestors came from two political entities; Ireland and the Hebrides. Close enough in a world context to be twinned.
Musically, the two are hard to separate. Too much cross-germination in the field, if you will. This afternoon, I spent a wonderful hour and a half in Stirling, Scotland – virtually, of course. And with the wonder of modern technologies, I even managed to cross the span of time, because the concert on my screen actually took place on August 23, 2003. Some delays were necessary before I could participate.
The group Runrig have been together for more than 36 years. This concert celebrates a milestone: 30 years and counting. Some member changes had to occur, and the addition of Bruce Guthro was good for their collective DNA. Again, we come back to the idea of place, given that Bruce hails from Alba Nua…
No musical surprises for those that have listened to Runrig. I first “saw” the band thanks to PBS, who presented their City of Lights compilation on a couple of occasions. This concert, entitled Day of Days, differs in being a true show capture, rather than a series of short stories. Both are worth their weight.
One set of songs by the band has always awed me: Cnoc na Feille/Siol Ghoraidh, presented here in video format.
My only regret was the very brief moment of recognition given to Donnie Munro at the very end of the program. Somehow, he should merit better than five seconds to bask in the glow of a birthday party.
