Crafts & Things - News and Events
For over thirty years we have promoted life traditional music at the Coffee Shop, Crafts & Things, but with the business on the market and many artists booking concerts over a year in advance it became necessary to find a new home for these events.
Fortunately, the Duror and Kentallan Community Centre, just 7 miles south of Ballachulish fits the bill perfectly, and since 2022 we have been putting concerts on in this delightful venue.
We will continue to do this in 2024. As from the start, apart from a small cut to cover the hall 's running costs the musicians get all the proceeeds of ticket sales.
Almost all tickets are sold via my emailing list, and if you wish to be on this please email me, David, at david@glencoe.plus.com
There is a great line up of artists for the Spring concerts at the Kentallan and Duror hall starting off with something very special on Friday February 23d, when the acclaimed Edinburgh born singer songwriter Adam Holmes will be appearing. Described in the music press as one of the brightest stars on the uk roots music scene, he combines masterful songwriting and a mellifluous, enchanting voice, mixing traditional and contemporary folk with his own brand of soul and Americana.
Adam’s 5 albums, including Heirs and Graces, Brighter Still, Midnight Milk, Dreamweaver have cast an impressive shadow across the UK Folk Scene and gained him Scottish Album of the Year Nominations (in 2014, 2017 and 2018) and BBC Radio 2 Folk Award Nominations. His sixth album The Voice of Scotland is released this month. His songs have featured widely on BBC Radio 2 and Radio 3, BBC Scotland, Edith Bowman’s BBC Scotland Quay Sessions show and Virgin Radio, amongst many others.
The second youngest of 8 children raised by his mother in a small flat in Portobello,
Adam crafts lyrics that resonate like old folk songs, set to melodies rooted in the haunting slow airs and church hymns that echoed throughout his childhood.
Only in the world of folk music could you imagine the staff at one of the liveliest, smokiest and most famous Folk music pubs in Britain, Edinburgh’s Sandy Bells, making a space at the end of the bar so that an eight year old child could get the best view of the singers and musicians. But that was the very place that Adam first picked up the skill of learning music by ear.
Age 15, after the death of a close friend and a cascade into drugs and alcohol he found his way out through the focus of rapping and producing hip hop. Simultaneously he began to play guitar and write songs and after leaving school and moving into his first flat aged 16 he worked on building sites, trying to pick up an apprenticeship as a joiner.
On the very same day that he was finally offered an apprenticeship aged 19 he received a phone-call offering him a place in the semi finals of the BBC Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2009. He chose his place in music and hasn't looked back since.
His masterful songwriting and enchanting voice has, over the years, seen him work and share stages with;
Martin Simpson, Karine Polwart, John Prine, John McCusker, Graham Coxon (Blur), Ladysmith Black Mamboxa, Martin Green (Lau), Adrian Utley (Portishead), Becky Unthank (The Unthanks), Dominic Aitchison (Mogwai), Anais Mitchell, Aidan Moffat, Karine Polwart, John Wood (Nick Drake and John Martyn Producer), Simon Heyworth (mastering engineer and co-producer of Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells, Eddi Reader,
He has shared bills with Laura Marling, Van Morrison, Karine Polwart, Lau, Richard Thompson, Jason Isbell, The Avett Brother, Sturgill Simpson, Chvrches
Backing him on stage is Orcadian Jennifer Austin, a renowned and respected pianist and emerging visual artist. With unrivalled mastery, she casts the black and white of piano keys into the full spectrum of light, illuminating the human experience and dazzling, enchanting and visibly elevating her audience.
Her sound has formed the keystone of many a musical arch – the piece that locks together the whole – ensuring any project she engages in amounts to vastly more than the sum of its parts.
As well as supporting Adam Holmes she performs with others including Heidi Talbot, FARA, Rachel Sermanni and Blazin’ Fiddles as well as to up and coming talent at annual BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician Awards.
Meanwhile, her original compositions have been commissioned by BBC Radio 6, clothing brand Finisterre, whisky distillery Highland Park, and celebrated film makers Walid Salhab and David Gray amongst others.
She has toured Norway, Canada, Barbados, the Unites States, her native Scotland and the British Isles and, in 2015, held Live Music Now’s music residency in Mumbai, India.
Tickets are on sale now, £17.50, schoolchildren accompanied by a paying adult go free. Friday Feb 23d Doors open at 7.15 p.m for a prompt 8 p.m start
You can reserve yours now by simply replying to this email, and they are also available for collection and payment from Crafts & Things.
Another wonderful evening of live music at its best is guaranteed!
If you would like to be the first to hear of forthcoming events at Crafts & Things, just drop me an email.
The owner of the business David Cooper has written a book, called "A Gap Life"
Capturing the spirit of the 60s, this is the story of one man’s physical and spiritual journey through those extraordinary years.
Starting in Aberdeen, finishing in Glencoe, David Cooper travels across Europe, North America, and Asia. From a commune in California to the rooftops of Istanbul, traversing the deserts of Iran and Afghanistan, crossing the Karakoram on foot, staying in Tibetan monasteries and remote Sumatran tribal villages, travelling alone, he encounters many iconic 60’s figures.
From R.D. Laing, John Lennon, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and Allen Ginsberg, the acknowledged founder of the Beat Generation, David’s travels and meetings give us a unique insight into a fascinating era, one that changed the world.
Its available at the shop.
He has also written a local guide book for Mountain (e) bike routes in the area. Its has proved very popular and is in its third reprint. Copies are avalable in the shop and also at the Highland Bookshop in Fort William.
We'll make regular updates to our latest news stories and the forthcoming events we have planned. Please visit regularly to keep up-to-date.
If you would like to have notification by email when the tickets for this and other concerts become available please email david@glencoe.plus.com asking to be put onto the email list.
