Hailing from the Outer Hebrides and now based in the Highlands, singer Julie Fowlis, perhaps best known for her work with the Disney Pixar movie Brave, is widely heralded for championing traditional Gaelic.

‘If snow could sing, it would sing like Julie Fowlis…’ …this is how the pure Northern voice of Julie Fowlis was described by acclaimed nature writer Robert Macfarlane. A regular feature in the HebCelt Festival line up, her music is deeply influenced by the Hebridean islands where she grew up, and by the Highland landscapes where she now resides.

With a career spanning several studio albums and numerous high-profile collaborations, her ‘crystalline’ and ‘intoxicating’ vocals have enchanted audiences around the world.

Enjoy the best of traditional Scottish vocals, backed by Fowlis’ vibrant band of some of Scotland’s finest instrumentalists.

Support comes from Westward the Light, a Scottish folk quartet creating a new expression of an age old-sound. They’re one of 10 ensembles who successfully applied to be part of Kings Place and Showcase Scotland Expo‘s Emerging Artists Scheme, giving opportunities to young Sottish artists.

This event will last approximately 2 hours, including an interval.

Reviews

‘icy beauty…a consummate masterclass in restrained delivery’ (Live review: Spell Songs, At the Barrier)

‘Sublime, magical’ FolkRadio

‘Beautiful, haunting’ The Arts Desk

‘otherworldly Gaelic bird-singing…I fall, once again, completely under Fowlis’s vocal spell.’ (Live Review: Spell Songs, RedGuitarMusic)

HebCelt takes place annually on the picturesque Lews Castle Green in Stornoway, Isle of Lewis. Over its 26-year history, the festival has grown from a small event attracting less than 1,000 fans to an international showpiece for roots, Celtic and traditional music, with record attendances of over 19,500 in 2023. 

About Westward the Light:

Westward the Light are a Scottish folk quartet, creating a new expression of an age old-sound. On fiddle, viola, piano, and guitar, the band’s powerful and dynamic music is reflective of upbringings immersed in the nature and landscapes of Scotland.

After years of collaboration in a range of settings, bandmates Charlie Grey, Sally Simpson, Owen Sinclair and Joseph Peach formed Westward the Light to make instrumental Scottish music in a way both true to their traditional roots, and pointing to the future.

After a year-long hiatus, March 2023 saw the release of the band’s hotly anticipated second album, Flow Country. The record sees both the development and refinement of their approach – their best work to date.

‘This band flat-out cooks’ – Divide and Conquer ★★★★ Songlines Magazine ???