‘It feels simultaneously ancient and modern, profound and direct, led by the peculiar, beautiful sound of the smallpipes.’ Guardian

‘In a highlight of early 2019 releases, Hebridean piper Brìghde Chaimbeul gives Scottish folk a startlingly contemporary feel.’ The Quietus

Winner of the 2016 BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award, and 2017 Scots Trad Music Awards ‘Up and Coming’ nominee, Skye piper Brìghde Chaimbeul is one of Scotland’s fastest rising stars. We are delighted to welcome her for an intimate performance in Hall Two, accompanied by Lau’s Aidan O’Rourke, who produced Chaimbeul’s critically-acclaimed debut album The Reeling.

A native Gaelic speaker, Chaimbeul’s style is rooted in her indigenous language and culture, but draws inspiration from a variety of piping traditions such as from Cape Breton, Eastern Europe and Ireland. Growing up in a musical family in Sleat on the Isle of Skye, she was no stranger to the sound of the pipes, and indeed the sound of music at home. Inspired by hearing the playing of Rona Lightfoot she began learning at the age of 7 with local tutor and award-winning piper Niall Stewart.

Brìghde met pipe makers, players and revivalists Fin and Hamish Moore in 2014 where she was introduced to the smallpipes, and since has developed a unique style which has captured audiences across the globe. Mark Radcliffe of BBC Radio 2 described her playing as ‘mesmerising’, and Tim Chipping of renowned music magazine, fRoots as ‘exceptional’. She has collaborated with many established artists over the years, most recently including Ross Ainslie, Radie Peat, Aidan O’ Rourke, Carlos Nunez, Martin Green.

Recent performance highlights include appearances at major festivals including Cambridge Folk Festival, Celtic Connections, Fairport’s Cropredy Convention, Piping Live and Wickham Festival, as well as featuring on various TV programmes, series Port, Seirm, Trad ar Fad and the BBC Alba Hogmanay show.

Aidan O’Rourke is a fiddler, composer, producer and one of the most influential folk musicians of his generation. With his trio Lau (singer/guitarist Kris Drever, accordionist Martin Green) and various solo and collaborative projects, he has pioneered a new sound in Scottish folk and re-contextualised tradition forms with experimental, improvised, jazz, classical and electronic music.

‘O’Rourke is a dazzling fiddler in any setting’ Scotland on Sunday

‘O’Rourke’s music – both his writing and playing – is unfailingly strong and imaginative‘ The List