We have some good news and some bad news for you. So let’s get the bad news out of the way first:
Due to unforeseen circumstances Beira have had to withdraw from this year’s Ceòl Cholasa. Alas, these things can happen and we’re all very sorry not to be welcoming Shona, Alana and Fiona into the festival fold.
However (and this is the good news), we will still be seeing Caitlin McNeill as she is joining up and coming band Hecla. Hecla released their debut EP in January 2017 and proceeded to embark on a whirlwind first year, with appearances at Cambridge Folk Festival, HebCelt and an incredible trip to the Lorient Interceltic Festival. Nurtured by Lews Castle College (UHI’s idyllic Uist campus), the trio put their own winningly fresh spin on traditional tunes, taking their name from the enigmatic hill in South Uist.
On pipes, flute, fiddle and guitar, the group sprung into 2018 with a performance at Celtic Connections and a live session on BBC Radio Scotland’s Travelling Folk. fRoots magazine said of them “Crisp crystalline arrangements of Scottish traditional tunes segue thrillingly from one melody to the next.”
Frankly, we don’t think this does them justice – they are that good. Come see for yourself – you can catch Hecla on Saturday evening.