'Impossible to Ignore': Halpin at Brinam

Kieran Halpin is no stranger to the area, having appeared in Dunkeld and Dalguise several times over the past few years. He is one of the most popular and hard-working artists on the current scene, and spends most of his year on the road performing the length and breadth of the UK as well as throughout Europe, North America and Australia. He is a successful songwriter with many of his songs recorded by other artists and performed in clubs, pubs and concert halls throughout the world.

Never one to stand still, Kieran has always looked for new and innovative ways to present his songs and it is this fresh approach which has seen him record albums of varying styles all around the world - from a tiny recording studio in London to Nashville, Tennessee to Sydney, Australia.

Whilst a Kieran Halpin album is always something to look forward to, few will argue that it is live on stage where Kieran really makes his mark. Passionate, powerful, intimate and intense, he is impossible to ignore. This may be Perthshire fans last chance to hear Kieran for some time, as he is leaving in June for a year-long trip to Australia with his family.

Trio of Talent

The Lori Watson Three are very much at the cutting edge of the thriving young traditional music scene. Lori is widely recognised to be one of the finest new fiddlers in the country, and has also gained great praise for her haunting interpretations of traditional songs. Currently a PhD student at the RSAMD, Lori grew up in the Scottish Borders playing traditional music from a young age.

A BBC Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2002 and 2003 Finalist, she has performed extensively throughout Britain and Europe, as well as having broadcast on radio, television and internet in Europe and in the USA. Performing with artists such as Brian McNeill, Aly Bain, Cathal McConnell, Dick Gaughan, Duncan Chisholm, Karine Polwart, The Unusual Suspects and Scottish Women has solidified Lori's reputation as a leading traditional musician of her generation.

Their appearance at this year's Celtic Connections festival earned a 5-star review from Sue Wilson in Scotland on Sunday, which included the following: ".....vivacious, cleanly articulated fiddling was complemented by silvery, beautifully poised vocals and a wealth of inventive accompanying colours and rhythms." The Lori Watson Three comprises Lori on fiddle and vocals, her brother Innes on guitar and Fiona Young on accordion.

Websites: www.kieranhalpin.com, www.loriwatson.com.uk, www.thefiddletree.com.