Feis Rois and Friends is a show by Feis Rois, an organisation which promotes traditional celtic and Scottish folk music. It has a variety of ‘celidh trails’, different bands that tour the country promoting this music, gaelic culture and the organisation in general. This particular show features three different trails, which vary in the type of music they play: one plays primarily Gaelic music, concentrating on vocals, while the other two focus on the instrumental side of the music and culture.
The first trail are the Local Trail, a group that ranges in age from 16-20. While they may be of tender years, these guys are serious musicians and they soon show their talent and class in a variety of songs, gigs, and reels of varying tempo. Stage presence is somewhat lacking, but that is excusable given their age and the music they play on their Northumbrian small pipes, pennywhistles, guitars, and fiddles certainly makes up for it.
The next trail are older than the first and certainly seem a bit more relaxed and confident on stage. They continue where the first left off, and while their line up varies slightly, the sound is largely similar. That is by no means a bad thing. This trail are bolstered by the presence of Amy Henderson, an accordionist and singer who is with Feis Rois courtesy of a fellowship from the BBC performing arts funds. One of only a handful of musicians to receive this fellowship, she is a joy to listen to and watch, seeming to genuinely enjoy and immerse herself in her music. She opens the second half of the show with a short accordion set. Having a professional of such talent as her in the ranks must be a pleasure for the directors of Feis Rois - any budding musical talents would do well to watch her for tips on stage performance.
The third and final trail, the Gaelic Trail, perform a more vocal type of music. This is just as enjoyable as what has come before and this group continue to ramp up the onstage confidence, joking and laughing with each other and the audience, which does a lot - in such a long show, at over 2 hours including the interval - to keep the audience engaged and attentive. The finale, with all the performers on stage, is a fitting end to an enjoyable evening of music.
There is much to recommend this show. The music on display really is top draw, from the younger players right the way up to the big boys and girls. If you’re a fan of traditional Scottish folk music, you really should see this show. Even if you’re not, Feis Rois and friends play some really beautiful songs with very impressive skill. Any music lover should be able to appreciate this show that, although long, seems to fly by.
