Internationally acclaimed Scottish Gaelic singer Julie Fowlis will perform at the Gaiety Theatre on September 29 as part of Cooish Vooar, the annual Manx language festival.
This year’s event is expected to be one of the best yet as it coincides with and celebrates ‘Blein ny Gaelgey - Year of the Manx Language’.
The concert is entitled ‘InterGaelic Song & Music with Allt’, and it will explore the rich cultural and musical connections between Scotland, Ireland and the Isle of Man through a programme inspired by Gaelic poetry and traditional music.
The event will feature Fowlis alongside fellow members of the quartet Allt, with support from renowned Manx Gaelic singer Ruth Keggin and Scottish harpist Rachel Hair.
.jpeg?width=209&height=140&crop=209:145,smart&quality=75)
Julie Fowlis is internationally recognised for her work bringing traditional Gaelic song to global audiences.
She is best known for providing the singing voice for Disney Pixar’s Brave, while also enjoying a successful career as a broadcaster and presenter on television and radio.
Joining Fowlis and Allt are celebrated Irish musicians Zoë Conway, John McIntyre and Éamon Doorley.
Conway, a fiddle player and singer from County Louth, has performed with Riverdance and collaborated with artists including Damien Rice, Lou Reed, Nick Cave, and Rodrigo y Gabriela.
McIntyre is a guitarist deeply rooted in the musical traditions of County Donegal, while Doorley is a founding member of Danú and is widely respected for his mastery of the bouzouki.
The concert will also highlight connections between all three Gaelic languages through the participation of Manx singer Ruth.
Keggin, who has previously shared stages with Fowlis, said she is delighted to be part of the event.
She said: ‘I am thrilled that I’ll be performing alongside Allt with my duo partner Rachel Hair.
‘I have shared gigs with Julie Fowlis on a couple of occasions – she’s an incredible musician, and to have her and the rest of Allt perform here will be a real coup for the island. We look forward to teaching them all some Manx while they’re here, too!’
The performance serves as the headline event of Cooish Vooar, which will take place across the island from September 25 to 29.
Organised by Culture Vannin in partnership with Jeebin, the Manx Language Network, the festival will feature a diverse programme of events celebrating the island’s native language.
Year of the Manx Language coordinator Tiffany Kerruish said the concert promises to be a fitting finale to the festival.
‘This concert promises to be both spellbinding and a fitting finale to what will be the biggest Manx language festival ever held on the island, it will be wonderful to hear the beautiful Manx language alongside Scottish and Irish Gaelic, all performed by a world-class group of singers and musicians.’
Tickets for ‘InterGaelic Song & Music with Allt’ are available through the VillaGaiety website, priced at £25 for stalls seats and £28 for the circle.
The full Cooish Vooar programme will be announced by Culture Vannin in the coming months through Learn Manx social media channels and the Year of the Manx Language events calendar.