UCS concert will reveal ‘new’ talent

As we finalise the build up to the sell-out Celtic Connections Concert tomorrow, posted below is the latest press release about the UCS Work-in 40 Anniversary Celebrations. Have a good one tomorrow folks, and remember - there's more celebration in March!!

The organisers of the concert celebrating the 40^th Anniversary of Clydeside’s important UCS Work-in today announced that the Celtic Connections event scheduled for February 5, was sold out of the cabaret seating that forms the bulk of the venue. Only a few balcony standing tickets are left. 

In addition to the music, the packed audience will have a preview of the talents of Work-in cartoonist Bob Starrett. His cartoons and artwork will feature in the event programme, and on stage, actor David Hayman will dramatise some of his shipyard/Work-in stories, as well as some of the Work-in speeches.

The concert marks the inspiration given by the success of the Work-in to artists and musicians, and is being produced by Fair Pley with musical direction by Rab Noakes. 

Bob said ‘It is a bit strange to have some of these things I have done over the years featured after this time, but it is great that the contributions of people involved in supporting the Work-in are being recognised.’

He has been working in the film industry for some time now, but he says none of the Hollywood stars he has met matches Work-in leaders, Jimmy Airlie and Jimmy Reid.

 ‘I could listen to Airlie over and over again,’ he says ‘and Jimmy Reid never let you down in terms of the clarity of his analyses.’

Other Links with 40 years ago are being kept as the concert starring musicians Jimmie Macgregor, Arthur Johnstone, Dick Gaughan, and  Alastair MacDonald. Fraser Speirs, Scotland’s premier harmonica-player, will be there. Other musical performers include James Grant (of Love and Money), and Emma Pollock (of The Delgados). Rab Noakes will, round off an exceptionally busy Celtic Connections by performing too. (He has already played in his own concert and been musical director, producer, compere and performer for the sell-out Gerry Rafferty commemorative concerts).

Rab himself says “It was always going to be a busy festival for me this year but I would never turn down the opportunity to be part of commemoration and celebration of this momentous event. It is an opportunity also to underline the indelible links between trade union activities and arts and culture.”

In addition Eddie McGuire’s new composition - Work-in at UCS - a celebration suite - will feature. Eddie wrote an original piece for saxophones in 1971, that he presented to Jimmy Reid. This piece will be performed by Eddie’s traditional music band, the Whistlebinkies, Sax Ecosse and Alba Brass. Poet Tom Leonard will give a short reading. Well known actor and musician Dave Anderson is MC for the night.

Stephen Wright of organisers FairPley said “We are delighted  that Celtic Connections has recognised the UCS 40^th Anniversary by staging this concert on the last night of the festival. The support of musicians and artists was a key feature of the Work-in.  As the concert on 5^th February will demonstrate, their successful fight forty years ago to save shipbuilding on the Clyde continues to inspire artists to this day.”

The concert is being sponsored by Unite the Union, inheritor of many of the UCS unions’ members. Unite’s Scottish Secretary, Pat Rafferty said “The UCS campaign touched all facets of community and country - including artists in many spheres. It is fitting that a working class struggle is remembered in a festival that connects so many artists. It should provide an example for the struggle of today’s trade unionists.”

40 years on, UCS continues to inspire the arts

This is the release issued on Wednesday 3 Jan with an update on the next events to mark the UCS@40 celebrations. These are the Celtic Connections Concert on 5 February, and the showing of the Cinema Action films made at the time of the Work-In. It lead to an article on Lothian Health's UNISON News twittersite and a Platform piece in the Scotsman. There was also a mention on the World Music Central website.

The 40^th Anniversary of Clydeside’s important Work-in has inspired more than politicians and trade unionists.  The UCS struggle that started back in 1971 also attracted the attention of many musicians, filmmakers, writers and other artists. Contemporary support came from the well-publicised bunch of roses (and £5,000) from John Lennon and Yoko Ono through to concerts featuring weel-kent local acts like Jimmie Macgregor, Arthur Johnstone and of course Billy Connolly. The inspiration the Work-in provided to artists forms the next theme of the UCS@40 celebrations that continue into the New Year (the final mass meeting of the work-in was in October 1972). 

As part of the Celtic Connections festival, a UCS Work-in 40^th anniversary concert is scheduled for February 5. Concentrating more on the music and artistic side, it will feature a number of stars from last October’s gala concert alongside new artists, and is again being produced by Fair Pley with musical direction by Rab Noakes and Hilary Brooks. Rab said

“Last October a number of musical and theatrical performers came together to a substantial night celebrating the trade unionists who developed and sustained the work in. This year we hope to continue that by celebrating the focus that the UCS work-in contributed, and continues to contribute to the civil and social conscientiousness of musicians, poets and artists.”

The line-up for the Fruitmarket venue, is still being finalised, but it will again feature the new commission for traditional band, brass, saxophone and cello, ‘Work-in at UCS - a celebration suite’ composed by prominent Scottish composer, Eddie McGuire of the Whistlebinkies.

Eddie wrote an original piece for saxophones in 1971, that he presented to Jimmy Reid. Forty years later, this one was presented to Jimmy Cloughley of the Joint Shop Stewards at the Gala Concert. Eddie says

“The spirit of resistance and dignity demonstrated by the workers in the yards inspired me at the time to compose a piece for saxophones which I handed to Jimmy Reid in December 1971. I was really honoured, 40 years on, to be asked by those veterans of the struggle to compose for them once more. I am inspired again - this time to rekindle that spirit so needed again today. We are keeping the links strong, with Maya Burman-Roy again playing the opening cello. Maya is the cello teacher to Jimmy Reid’s granddaughter!” 

Maintaining the link with the inspirations of the time, there will be appearances by Jimmie Macgregor, Arthur Johnstone and Alastair MacDonald. Actor and director, David Hayman is planned to contribute as is well-known poet Tom Leonard.

Later in the year, from the 21-23 March, the Mitchell Theatre plays host to two seminal films of the work-in, with a contribution from one of the filmmakers. During the work-in, the only film or TV crew allowed by the shop stewards to record the struggle as it happened, were the radical filmmakers, Cinema Action. Out of this access that covered press conferences, mass meetings, stewards meetings etc, two films, the short campaign film UCS1, and the longer Class Struggle: Film from the Clyde, were made. Both will be shown over a period of three days, and Ann Guedes, one of the film collective who made the film, will be available to take part in panel discussions.

Stephen Wright of FairPley said

“ We were pleased that the unique access that Cinema Action had to the Work-in is going to be available for people to see.  The innovative nature of the action, meant that both the techniques and the politics were important to document. We hope we have succeeded and we’re looking forward to bringing the films to a whole new audience.”

UCS Anniversary at Celtic Connections 2012

Following the sell-out success of the UCS 40^th Anniversary Concert, and the various other events detailed on this blog, today is announced the ‘Son of’ the 40^th Anniversary Concert.

As Celtic Connections 2012 is launched, one of the key elements in an increasingly political programme is a further concert. The final line-up for this concert has not yet been announced, but potentially it involves a number of the artists who played on the 1 October date, plus some additions. The most detailed information on the line-up is on the Scottish Music Industry Association website where Arthur Johnston, David Hayman, Jimmie MacGregor, Eddie McGuire and Tom Leonard are listed.

While the bill may be fluid, the date is fixed - in the Old Fruitmarket on the final day of the Festival - Sunday 5 February. Bookings are already being taken on line via the Celtic Connections website

The Celtic Connections launch received wide attention in the media with the Concert given a high profile. The most comprehensive report is by Robert Dawson-Scott on STV. He also refers to the planned Woody Guthrie Centenary celebrations, and the concert with Justin Currie and Palestinian musician Kamilya Jubran. Tributes will also be made to Gerry Rafferty and Ray Fisher.

Other UCS events planned for the future include a screening of the Cinema Action films - UCS1, and Class Struggle, Film from the Clyde. Keep your eye on this blog for further information as it becomes available

UCS Anniversary in the media - part 2

In addition to the references in the post on this topic on 30/09/11 the main broadcast media have published material following the concert. BBC Scotland ran a piece on Sunday's Politics Show, and have a report on the concert on their website.

STV have a nice piece 'Voices from UCS' with interviews with UCS stewards.

UCS concert hits the note for the future as well as the past.

The mournful moan of a cello, and the sharp clang of hammers introduced Work-in at UCS, the premiere of a brass and traditional instrument suite written especially for this 40^th anniversary concert, by prominent Scottish composer, Eddie McGuire. The eclectic mix of instruments signalled the variety of the concert put together by Musical Directors, Rab Noakes and Hilary Brooks. Ranging from Elaine C Smith reading Alienation, Jimmy Reid’s Rectorial address to Glasgow University, through a short film, the rock of Kevin McDermott’s Where we were meant to be, the funk of Pat Kane, Clive Langer and Elvis Costello’s Shipbuilding - heartbreakingly sung by rising talent, Simone Welsh, interwoven with the traditional folk and political song of Greenmantle, Alastair McDonald, Jimmie Macgregor, Dick Gaughan and Arthur Johnstone, the evening was held together with wit and competence by Dave Anderson.

Many of these ‘review’ style shows can founder, and one element or another can drag. Not this one. You get the impression that even Pat Kane was given the instructions ‘two songs then off’! The three hour show moved along at a cracking pace, and managed to touch all the bases. Even the political speeches - from Deputy First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon and veteran campaigner, Tony Benn - hit the right note, stressing the importance of the work-in historically, and, in Benn’s case, the lessons that campaigners today need to learn from then. He was rightly, the guest of honour and received the evening’s only standing ovation.

There were surprises. Who knew that Jimmie Macgregor had such a political side? The house band itself was a revelation, consisting of such diverse talents as Rab Noakes, Eddie McGuire, Fraser Speirs, Hilary and Lorna Brooks. They coped with the range of talent in front of them brilliantly. 

The film is well worth a broader distribution (it currently forms part of the exhibition taking place in Glasgow’s Mitchell Library). Its ten minutes narrated by David Hayman, sum up the work-in and include some cracking clips of both Reid and Airlie. The STUC’s Kevin Buchanan rightly claims credit for its direction.

This anniversary has been driven by the veterans of the Shop Stewards Co-ordinating Committee, who commissioned event organisers FairPley to devise the programme. Many of the veterans were presented with commemorative badges by Unite Scottish Secretary, Pat Rafferty (Unite deserve huge plaudits for funding the series of events). This concert was planned as the key event - it did not let them down.

As the finale rendition of Your Daughters and your Sons rang out, it summed up the work-in’s importance for the future of the labour movement, and the struggle to defend the rights that they (amongst others) won for us.

UCS Anniversary in the media

The 40th anniversary of the UCS work-in has been well marked in the press in Scotland. In addition to the detailed feature in last Wednesday's Morning Star, the Sunday Mail has given the events the best show.

Last month the newspaper ran an exclusive interview with Guest of Honour, Tony Benn. Tony pointed out the link between today's campaigning and the workers who fought for the retention of shipbuilding on the upper Clyde 40 years ago.

Last weekend the paper tracked down work-in cartoonist Bob Starrett, currently resident in Los Angeles and ran another story on the impact that Jimmy's Reid and Airlie made, standing head and shoulders above the Hollywood stars that Bob subsequently worked with.

Other papers have also referred to the anniversary. The Herald covered the launch of the events. The Daily Record did a piece on the Scottish Parliament debate and reception, as did the Herald.

The BBC broadcast an 'Archive on 4' history  at the end of August, and GMS had an interview with Tony Benn this morning.

More obscure sites covering the events include Footstompin - a Scottish music site - specifically on Eddie McGuire's new composition, and maritime news/history site gCaptain.

Tony Benn links UCS struggle with today

The final release before the Gala Concert tomorrow night is below. The link between the struggles of today, and the work-in are clear for both activists now, and then. They are embodied in the figure of Tony Benn, who will be speaking to both the People 1st Demo, and the UCS 40th Anniversary Concert.

We'll see you at one or the other!!

30 September 2011 For Immediate Release 

On Saturday in Glasgow, veteran politician and campaigner, Tony Benn will be the keynote speaker at two important events. After the STUC’s People first demonstration, during the day, he will be guest of honour at a Gala Concert organised to celebrate the UCS work-in’s 40^th anniversary in the city’s Mitchell Theatre.

Tony Benn was the Labour Minister who created the UCS consortium in 1968 and a prominent supporter of the work-in when in opposition. He said; 

“The campaign against the cuts, which is being led by the trade union movement, has in many ways been inspired by the UCS work-in. That single event 40 years ago showed you don’t have to accept what the Government say. You can take a stand and make a fight. It shifted public opinion and, when public opinion shifts, government opinion shifts.

“That’s what David Cameron’s government should remember. The lessons of 1971 should tell the thousands of people fighting today’s cuts that they can be successful.”

The STUC’s General Secretary, Grahame Smith said,

“Like activists today the UCS workers faced a Tory government out to impose financiers’ solutions to economic problems. LIke communities today, they faced being forced to pay with their jobs for the crisis caused by irresponsible bankers. Their imagination, courage and organisation showed how a successful campaign could be won. That is why we wanted to have the broadest possible community base for the demonstration we have organised, and that is why we wanted to have Tony Benn as a living link speaking at both the rally and the concert.” 

Shop Stewards who were part of the UCS work-in have been busy organising a series of events to mark the 40^th anniversary of their famous dispute. In addition to the Gala Concert, an exhibition about the work-in opened in the Mitchell Library, a very special debate took place in the Scottish Parliament, and a civic reception is planned in Glasgow in November. The events are funded by a grant from Unite the union. 

The significance of the timing is not lost either, on the veterans who led that dispute. Jimmy Cloughley, a member of the UCS Co-ordinating Committee said,

“It is important when working people face increasing attacks on their jobs and conditions, to remember a successful struggle against a Tory Government bent on on butchering them. The community and country supported the UCS work-in. We righted a wrong,and it must never be forgotten. Unity of purpose, honesty, information, leadership and democracy are the lessons of UCS.”

Tony Benn will be backed at the concert by a line up of Scottish talent, many of whom played in fund raising concerts at the time. A specially commissioned suite Work-in at UCS composed by Eddie McGuire, the prominent Scottish composer will also feature.

The list of artistes includes Pat Kane; Jimmie Macgregor; Dave Anderson; Elaine C Smith; Arthur Johnstone; Dick Gaughan; Rab Noakes; Fraser Speirs; Kevin McDermott; Simone Welsh; Greenmantle; The Whistlebinkies; Alba Brass and Sax Ecosse.

ENDS 

UCS Anniversary sparks new musical suite

The second press release for the project deals with the composition written by composer and musician Eddie McGuire. Played by Alba Brass, Sax Ecosse, Eddie's own traditional music band - the Whistlebinkies and Maya Burman-Roy, this will be premiered at the beginning of the Gala Concert and promises to be a exceptional feature of an exceptional concert.

Tickets for the concert are now sold out. To join the waiting list email swright@fairpley.com .

28 August 2011 For immediate Release 

The forthcoming concert to celebrate the 40^th anniversary of the Upper Clyde Shipbuilders’ Work-In is to be marked by a new piece of music composed by prominent Scottish musician and composer, Eddie McGuire. Specially commissioned for the event ‘Work-in at UCS - a celebration suite’ will create a stirring musical gathering to open the concert due to take place on the 1 October in Glasgow’s Mitchell Theatre. Performances are also planned for other cities in the coming months.

McGuire, flute player with participating traditional band, The Whistlebinkies, has composed for orchestras, dance and theatre over the past 40 years - often influenced by folk as well as classical styles. 

He says of the new piece:

"The spirit of resistance and dignity demonstrated by the workers in the yards inspired me at the time to compose a piece for saxophones which I handed to Jimmy Reid in December 1971. I am really honoured, 40 years on, to be asked by those veterans of the struggle to compose for them once more. I am inspired again - this time to rekindle that spirit so needed again today. 

“The musical ingredients are no accident - of course a quartet of saxophones must be there again (Sax Ecosse revived my 1971 piece for the first time in over 35 years). And I met The Whistlebinkies in 1972 in the aftermath of UCS. Their founder Mick Broderick worked in the yards.  Brass has long been associated with trades unionism so I chose the leading young players, Alba Brass, to join in the performance. 

“To open the piece - as the musicians gradually gather, playing as they walk - we have solo cellist Maya Burman-Roy, who, by amazing co-incidence is the cello teacher of Jimmy Reid's grand-daughter."

Guest of Honour at the concert will be Tony Benn, the former Labour Minister who set up the UCS consortium, and became a prominent supporter of the Work-In. Other artistes playing include Pat Kane; Jimmie McGregor; Dave Anderson; Arthur Johnstone; Rab Noakes; Fraser Speirs; Kevin McDermott; Simone Welsh;  There will also be a number of yet-to-be-announced special guests.

The Work-In took place in 1971 when the then Tory government removed funding from the UCS yards and planned to close and sell them off. This provoked the Stewards Co-ordinating Committee to declare a ‘work-in’ which attracted huge support from Scotland, the rest of the UK, and around the world.

ENDS

For more information on the musicians, see their websites on:

www.whistlebinkies.co.uk www.albabrass.com    www.saxecosse.com