Julie Fowlis at Celtic Connections

A superb evening at the Old Fruitmarket in Glasgow. We arrived in good time, unreserved seating, and managed to get really near the front. The two seats beside me were reserved for MSPs. Neither turned up ... they missed themselves.

Here is Julie at the end of the evening, with members of her band. Some of the top traditional musicians in Scotland here. On the left, Iain Sandilands who played percussion, next Eamon Doorley, Julie's husband. To right of Julie, Ewen Vernal, who played double bass. He plays for Capercaillie, and used to be bass player for Deacon Blue. He certainly knows a good bass line. And on the right, Jarlath Henderson who played pipes. Out of shot, Donald Shaw, Duncan Chisholm, Tony Byrne, and the four ladies who are "Rant" on fiddles. What a line up.

Julie's set was mainly to launch her new album. More info on her website here. Delighted she sang her arrangement, in Gaelic, of the Beatles' song Blackbird. There's an interesting short film about her here, with beautiful views of the Outer Hebrides. In this, she talks a little about Mouth Music and Waulking Songs.

Also on stage this evening, Parveen Sabrina Khan, a young Sufi singer from Rajasthan, followed by the four fiddlers "Rant". We certainly experienced international connections this evening. A real privilege to be there.