On Sunday night I was proud and honoured to be part of the performance of Stand and Stare, an evening of music, song, poetry and images inspired by the poem 'Leisure' by Welsh poet W. H. Davies, at the Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow, as part of this year's Celtic Connections Festival.
Rehearsals for Stand and Stare
David Walker, Kathleen MacInnes, Eileen Scott and Donald S Murray in rehearsals.
Gerry Cambridge, Charlie McKerron, Christine Hanson and Alasdair Taylor in rehearsals.
Gillian Clarke rehearses her poems
The performance featured many of Scotland, Wales and Canada's talented musicians, singers, actors and poets. The cast included former Welsh national poet Gillian Clarke; musicians Liza Mulholland, Charlie McKerron, Alasdair Taylor, poet and expert harmonica player Gerry Cambridge, and Canadian cellist Christine Hanson. Further performances were by Donald S Murray and his daughter Eileen Scott, actor David Walker and singer Kathleen MacInnes.
'Leisure' from Forty-nine Poems by W. H. Davies, Medici Society 1928.
The entire enterprise was the work of musician Liza Mulholland. It was a big thank you from all those involved to Liza for all her inspiration, hard work and organisation that brought the whole evening to fruition.
The Stand and Stare team (l to r) Gerry Cambridge, Alastair Taylor, David Walker, Kathleen MacInnes, Douglas Robertson, Liza Mulholland, Donald S Murray, Eileen Scott, Charlie McKerron, Christine Hanson, Gillian Clarke.