Julie Fowlis ann an Làr an Righ

Bho colbh Sùil Eile anns an Daily Record

Airson aon diog bha mi cinnteach gun robh Julie Fowlis a' priobadh rium bhon àrd-ùrlar a-raoir.

Ach às dèidh dhi òran a gabhail, dh'aidich an sàr-sheinneadair gur e na rosgan fuadain aice a bh' air a sùil a steigeadh sìos.

Och uill, chan e na sùilean ach an ceòl ioghantach a tha a' tighinn bho bilean.

Tha e duilich cèilidh Gàidhealach a chruthachadh am meadhan Lunnainn ach 's e sin a rinn Fowlis agus an còmhlan aice.

I fhein an lòn-dubh, 's i a' gabhail  òran MacArtaine mu ghràin-chinnidh anns na Staitean.

Is i an Eala Bhàn cuideachd, ann an geal, nuair a ghabh i òran Dhòmhnaill Ruaidh Chorùna aig comharrachadh blàr an Somme. Dh'fhag i rudeigin nam shùil an latha sin.

Mach à sin, thàinig iarratas dhi fhèin is Donnchadh Siosalach pìos ciùil a chruthachadh airson call na h-Iolaire a comharrachadh aig deireadh na bliadhna seo.

Mar a dhearbh Fowlis, anns an Fhraing agus Lunnainn, tha guth aice a tha airidh air le faireachdainn a chuireas gaol agus bròn nad chridhe anns an aon diog.



Translation
For a second I was sure Julie Fowlis was winking at me from the stage last night.
But after finishing a song, the incredible singer admitted her false eyelashes had stuck her eye shut.
Oh well, it's not the eyes but the lips and the incredible music that comes from them.
It's hard to create a Gaelic ceilidh in the middle of London but that is what Fowlis and her band achieved.
She is the blackbird, as she sings McCartney's song about racism in the States.
She is White Swan too, all in white, when she sang Domhnall Corruna's song at the commemoration of the battle of the Somme. She left something in my eye that day.
Out of that came a commission for her and Duncan Chisholm to create a piece of music to commemorate the loss of the Iolaire at the end of this year.
As Fowlis proved, in France and in London, she has a voice that is worthy of it, with emotions that put love and sorrow in your heart in same second.