We attended the Julie Fowlis concert in Springfield, OH. What an incredible performance!
She and her band ( acoustic guitar, fiddle, and a bouzouki-guitar played by her husband, along with her vocals as well as pennywhistles and an Indian instrument called a shruti) held the audience absolutely spellbound for two hours, and only three of the songs were in English (most were in Scottish Gaelic, and one was in Galatian).
We actually felt the lack of English was an advantage, as it let us focus on the music itself. The lyrics were beautiful and rhythmic all by themselves, even without knowing the language. The music ranged from slow lullabies and haunting "seal songs", to incredibly fast "mouth songs", all done perfectly, with all the performers in perfect sync with each other, and each showing complete mastery of their individual instruments. Julie's voice was absolutely angelic, and it was clear that her personality is as well.
I've heard it said that one way to tell a truly great performer is if their live performances are of the same quality as their studio CD's, they are relying on their talent, skill and musicianship instead of counting on a lot of doctoring and editing in the studio. This group definitely displayed that kind of skill and consistency.
A truly enchanting night!
This was the first stop on their US tour. Next stop will be this Sunday in Concord, NH. Tonight's performance was sold out, and I recommend getting your tickets early. You can see the rest of their schedule on her official website: