A strong contingent of Manx musicians are taking part in Celtic Connections in Glasgow.

The event, which kicks off today (Thursday) and continues until February 5 is Europe’s largest winter music festival.

The festival is celebrating its 30th anniversary.

Fiddler Isla Callister’s band TRIP are taking part in the sold-out opening gig, taking place at the Royal Concert Hall tonight.

Isla told Island Life they would be playing one of her favourite Manx tunes, ‘Hie Mee Stiagh’.

‘We play this tune in one of our sets called Towards the Storm from our debut album, which has been chosen for the opening concert,’ she said.

‘It also features some tunes written by our flute and piano player, but I’m just delighted we’ve managed to squeeze a Manx tune in.

‘We’ll be joined by dancers from the Scottish Dance Theatre and a few special guests for the set at the opening concert, including a brass section arranged by Neil Yates — it all feels quite surreal.

‘We feel very grateful to have been asked to be a part of it.’

The Glasgow-based six-piece band are also involved in the world premiere of Moving Cloud, a collaboration of contemporary dance and traditional music created by Celtic Connections and Scottish Dance Theatre.

Performances take place at The Tramway on Friday and Saturday next week (January 27 and 28).

Meanwhile, bouzouki player Adam Rhodes and fiddler Tom Callister are performing Celtic Odyssée at the Royal Concert Hall next Thursday (January 26).

The show is in association with the Festival Interceltique de Lorient, where Celtic Odyssée premiered to full houses in the summer.

The aim is to foster new inter-Celtic encounters between artists from the eight European Celtic nations.

Adam told Island Life: ‘It’s really nice to see the island being represented so well at the festival as for a long time they had absolutely no Manx representation at all.’

He will then be performing with his band Ímar at the Old Fruitmarket the following evening.

They will be previewing material from their hotly anticipated third album, which they are currently in the middle of recording. It’s due for release in the spring.

Ímar will be touring Ireland at the end of February and then the UK at the end of April.

Adam said: ‘The last time we toured Ireland little did we know what was in store a few weeks later.

‘Belfast was our last gig for a number of years so it’s great to finally get back over there.’

And finally, genre-busting quartet Mec Lir, which features Tom, Adam, David Kilgallon and Scottish drummer Greg Barry will be playing at the Old Fruitmarket, on February 3.

They will be joined by Tom’s sister Isla as special guest.

The concert, which also features Skye-based contemporary folksters, Peatbog Faeries, is already sold out.

Buy tickets for Celtic Connections at www.celticconnections.com