May news

Julie was invited to guest on Miriam O’Callaghan’s show on RTÉ (Ireland) on Easter Sunday, alongside Port co-presenter Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh.  You can listen again to their performance and chat about the current series of Port on TG4 here:

https://www.rte.ie/radio1/sunday-with-miriam/programmes/2017/0416/868072-sunday-with-miriam-sunday-16-april-2017/?clipid=2461216#2461216

You can find out more about the new series of Port on TG4 here:

 

 

BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2017

The prestigious BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2017 will be held in the Royal Albert Hall in London on Wednesday 5th April 2017. Julie is delighted to once again be co-presenting the Awards Ceremony with good friend and BBC Radio 2’s Folk Show presenter, Mark Radcliffe. For full details, how to get tickets for this exciting event; and to see a full list of nominees and performers, etc, visit: bbc.co.uk/events/e5qgwh

TV Series ‘Port’
The third series of ‘Port’; presented by Julie and her friend Muireann NicAmhlaoibh; has been broadcasting on BBC Alba TV over the last few months. The last 4 episodes (which includes 3 programmes showing the highlights from the entire series) are still available to view on the BBC iPlayer via the following link: bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/b06vjl58  The series is due to air on TG4 in Ireland from April 9th.

News about further shows in 2017 and Julie’s new album coming soon..

Hogmanay, Music Network Tour, Celtic Connections & ‘Port’

Julie’s last performance of 2016 was as part of the BBC ALBA ‘Cèilidh na Bliadhn’ Uire’ Hogmanay celebrations, live from Stirling and broadcast ‘live’ on BBC ALBA. If you missed it on New Year’s Eve itself, there is still time to catch it on the BBC iPlayer:-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b087l9m1/ceilidh-na-bliadhn-uire-7-2016

As posted at the end of November last year, Julie was delighted to announce her involvement in an exciting and brand new musical line-up for the Music Network Tour project 2017. Performing alongside award-winning Kris Drever from Orkney, violin virtuoso Aoife Ní Bhriain and ground-breaking concertina player Pádraig Rynne, this group are currently in the midst of a nine show Tour throughout Ireland (with only 2 shows to go!).  Full line-up information and tour dates can be found here at the Music Network Tour site or at the Tour Dates page.

Celtic Connections is here again, and as announced also last November, Julie is to be involved in several shows.  Along with the band, Julie will perform at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall Main Auditorium in an exciting triple bill with Altan and Mary Chapin Carpenter on January 30th.  She will also sing as part of the ‘Starless’ concert with Paul McGeechan in the Mitchell Theatre on January 27th. Full ticketing links and details can be found here. There will also be some surprise appearances from Julie during the festival…keep your eyes peeled!

Finally, the latest (& third) Series of ‘Port’; presented by Julie and her close friend Muireann NicAmhlaoibh; is currently being broadcast on BBC Alba TV. If you want to watch it ‘live’, the 4th Episode is being broadcast tonight (Monday 23 January) on BBC Alba TV at 10.00pm (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06vjl58). If you have missed the earlier episodes you can catch them on the BBC iPlayer via the following link:- http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06vjl58/episodes/player

Music Network Tour, Celtic Connections and Hogmanay

Julie is delighted to announce her involvement in an exciting and brand new musical line-up for the Music Network Tour project 2017.  Performing alongside award-winning Kris Drever from Orkney, violin virtuoso Aoife Ní Bhriain and ground-breaking concertina player Pádraig Rynne, this group will perform nine shows throughout Ireland in January 2017.  Full line-up information and tour dates can be found here at the Music Network Tour site or at the Tour Dates page.
It’s almost Celtic Connections time again, and Julie will be involved in several shows.  Along with the band, Julie will perform at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall Main Auditorium in an exciting triple bill with Altan and Mary Chapin Carpenter on January 30th.  She will also sing as part of the ‘Starless’ concert with Paul McGeechan in the Mitchell Theatre on January 27th. Full ticketing links and details can be found here. There will also be some surprise appearances from Julie during the festival…keep your eyes peeled!
Finally – Julie’s last performance of 2016 will be as part of the BBC ALBA ‘Cèilidh na Bliadhn’ Uire’ Hogmanay celebrations, live from Stirling and broadcast on BBC ALBA.

St Andrew’s Night Concert LIVE STREAM

Tomorrow night (November 26th) Julie will perform as part of a special St Andrew’s night celebration which will be streamed live online to audiences around the world.

Phil Cunningham and Aly Bain will join forces with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra for a St Andrew’s Day Party.  Julie will perform specially arranged songs with Phil, Aly and the orchestra and other special guests include the incredible Eddi Reader, students from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and pipers from the Youth Pipe Band of Scotland.

You can tune into the live stream at 7.30pm tomorrow on the RSNO website, Facebook or YouTube channel.  Links below.  Enjoy!

http://www.rsno.org.uk

https://www.facebook.com/royalscottishnationalorchestra/

https://www.youtube.com/user/TheRSNO

Perthshire Amber 2016

Following a successful tour of the USA, Julie returns home to perform at the wonderful Perthshire Amber Festival next week.  Her duo performance with husband, Éamon Doorley, at Murthly Castle has been sold out for several months, but there are a few tickets left for the ‘Dougie MacLean and Friends’ concert in Perth Royal Concert Hall, where Julie and Éamon will perform as guests, on Saturday 5th November.  For tickets and further information see http://www.perthshireamber.com

Julie Features in ‘Grand Tours of the Scottish Islands’ TV Programme

In the final episode of the series; “Off the Map: North Rona and the Monach Islands”; presenter Paul Murton, embarks on his most difficult island Grand Tour to date. Every destination has been long abandoned by people, there are no ferries, no piers or proper landings at these islands making it quite a challenge to get there. Paul’s journey sees him travel to the once-inhabited island of Heisgeir (The Monach Islands), sail around the gannet city of Sula Sgeir and endure rough seas to finally make landfall on the extraordinarily remote island of North Rona.

Julie, who has family roots on Heisgeir that go back generations, joins Paul in this Episode as she searches for her great great grandmother’s house.

The programme will be broadcast tonight (Monday 10 October) at 7.30pm on BBC1 Scotland. For full programme details/information, video clips and to watch the programme in full again (after the broadcast) via the BBC TV iPlayer, visit this link:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07xyvq4

TÈARMANN (HOME FROM HOME)

This evening on BBC ALBA, Julie narrates a documentary which explores the work of the Children’s Hospice Association Scotland. They are the sole charity in the country who offer respite care children and youngsters with life threatening conditions. In Tèarmann/Home from Home we meet five families who depend on the hospice service for respite care and support.

This is a world where people aren’t afraid to talk about death, but prefer to focus on living life. The hospice staff and volunteers – from the housekeepers, to the chefs, to the nurses – all ensure that Rachel and Robin Houses provide a warm welcome and a home from home for families. Over 60 minutes, in a film which will make the audience both laugh and cry, we experience joy and sadness in Rachel and Robin Houses in an intimate portrayal of families coping with both life and death.

Tune in and watch the work this amazing charity does.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07y6xgt

Julie opens the 2016 BBC Quay Sessions with KT Tunstall

Morning peeps! I am here with news of a new song and a radio broadcast…

I was delighted to be invited to open the new series of the The Quay Sessions with Roddy Hart and alongside my pal, the talented Scottish fireball KT Tunstall a few weeks ago.

I was joined by the finest company a girl could wish for – Éamon Doorley, Duncan Chisholm, Tony Byrne and Donald Shaw. As part of our set, I decided to feature a new work – a work in progress – a poem called Air an Somme by Donald MacDonald, Dòmhnall Ruadh Chorùna, which I was moved to write music to whilst preparing to go and sing at the BBC’s 100 year commemorative service of the Battle of the Somme in Thiepval Memorial, France in July. You can hear Donald and I performing it for the very first time this evening as part of the BBC Quay Sessions set.

KT and I also had a bit of fun, and if you like The Boss, tune in to BBC Scotland at 9pm tonight to hear our duet…..here’s the link to the show, and to some pics to give you a flavour of the night! Lots of fun was had by all. Feel free to share the links, and hope you enjoy.

Love, Julie xx

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07v016j

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p047tdrj/p047tdhb

The Lost Songs of St Kilda (Decca)

The Lost Songs of St Kilda (Decca Records) was released today – an album with an intriguing backstory.
Trevor Morrison was a ten year old boy on the Island of Bute when he took piano lessons from a former resident of St Kilda, the islands which were finally evacuated in 1930. As an old man, he recounted these melodies whilst playing the piano in his care home in Edinburgh. They were recorded by Stuart Mackenzie, and eventually found themselves in the hands of Decca Records – who invited top composers to rework these beautiful melodies. Composers such as Craig Armstrong and James MacMillan have contributed to the album, and Julie was delighted to feature in a small way to the track ‘Dùn’ which her great friend Francis Macdonald (Teenage Fanclub) used as the basis for an arrangement and new setting of a poem by Norman Campbell (Tormod a’ Bhocsair) ‘Dha Fionnlagh MacDhòmhnaill à Hiort – To Finlay MacDonald from Hiort/St Kilda’ which was written circa 1990.
Here is more about the story:
And further info, the website and playing links are below.
Bu mhath le Julie taing a thoirt do Chatriona Lexy Chaimbeul agus do Mhàiri Sìne Chaimbeul airson an cead, taic agus brosnachadh seo a dhèanamh.