By Jordan Buchholtz   Tue, Oct 21, 2014

Julie Fowlis, the singer for Pixar’s “Brave,” presented a program of traditional Scottish Gaelic music on Saturday at the Carlsen Center.

Pixar’s Brave singer Julie Fowlis presented a fantastic traditional Scottish Gaelic music program at the Carlsen Center for the Performing Arts Series at Johnson County Community College while on her U.S. tour. Performing music and songs from her new album Gach sgeul, Fowlis sang and played various instruments while collaborating with Éamon Doorley on the Irish bouzouki, Colin Farrell on the fiddle, and Tony Byrne on guitar.

Widely popularized as the featured singer on the soundtrack to Pixar’s Brave, Fowlis adheres to a busy touring schedule introducing and publicizing Scottish Gaelic music around the world. Her passion for the Gaelic culture has led to creating her own show, Fowlis and Folk on BBC Radio Scotland, and representing her country by performing on television at world events such as the Ryder Cup in Medinah, Illinois, and the Glasgow XX Commonwealth Games. She has received numerous awards and distinctions for her singing, the most recent being an Honorary Doctorate of Music in 2013 by Aberdeen’s Robert Gordon University.

All the songs performed on this program were traditional and sung in Scottish Gaelic. Each song was introduced with either an interesting story or a synopsis. The program included various types of songs ranging from slow lullabies to lively dances. Fowlis not only sang, but showcased her diverse musical talent by playing different types of whistles and an Indian instrument the Shruti Box, which is a small wooden instrument used to create drones by the continuous sounds of the same note or chord.

Scottish Gaelic songs are known for being sad and depressing, but the concert began with a set of upbeat and happy tunes. Fowlis captivated the audience through her warm and comforting voice, which explored a small but colorful range. Like most Scottish songs, there were multiple verses as the same tune repeated and, for variety, Fowlis alternated from singing to playing various whistles. The two different types of guitars added delightful color to the ensemble while the violin was a nice addition to the melody and brought more spirited energy to the stage. These first few songs were enjoyable, leaving the audience in a light-hearted spirit.

Changing the mood, the group played some slower and melancholy pieces including “An Roghainn” (The Choice), which is about the poet coping with his feelings when he finds out the woman he loves is going to marry someone else. A heartbreaking yet beautiful song, each performer effectively conveyed this new atmosphere as Fowlis lightened and softened her voice. Following “The Choice” was another depressing song, “A’ Chatrion’ Og” (Young Catriona). On this song, Fowlis sang while playing the Shruti Box, giving the song a richer sound with the drones.

Fowlis and her group created a fantastic arrangement of the well-known song “Blackbird” by Lennon/McCartney. Their arrangement became so popular that it was the first Scottish Gaelic song by a solo artist to be playlisted by the BBC in London. This song included some English words, but the tune was familiar enough for the audience to hum along.

The rest of the program included a boat song called “Turas san Lochmor” (A Journey in the Lochmor), a drinking song, some women working songs, and two lullabies. On one of the lullabies, Fowlis commented that it was the only lullaby that would actually put her children to sleep. One could see why, the melody was sweet and soft as the emotions of a mother singing to her child were powerfully conveyed. The audience understood this song completely, even though most of us could not understand the words.

Returning to more lively tunes, the group ended the program with some upbeat songs, returning the theater to a jovial and light-hearted state of mind. The audience really enjoyed the diverse program of Scottish songs along with the liveliness and enthusiasm of the performers. They had two encores: first, a song from Brave and second, a song that included the standard traditional instrument of Scotland–bagpipes, which Fowlis played brilliantly.

For non-Gaelic speakers, it was not necessarily a sing-along concert, but the simple yet beautiful melodies were easily recognized and the catchy rhythms allowed the audience to tap and clap along to the music.

REVIEW:
Performing Arts Series at Johnson County Community College
Julie Fowlis: Music of the Scottish Isles
Saturday, October 18, 2014
Polsky Theatre, Carlsen Center, JCCC Campus
12345 College Blvd., Overland Park, KS
For more information visit http://www.jccc.edu/TheSeries