On Thursday, April 4, in the Molnar Recital Hall inside Wygal, The Chamber Music Series closed off with Julie Fowlis, a Scottish folk singer. She sings primarily in Gaelic but is known to have a couple of songs in English as well. Even though many people are not too familiar with the name, she is kind of a big deal. If you have ever seen the movie “Brave,” you may have heard her gentle voice: “I will ride, I will fly. Chase the wind and touch the sky. I will fly, chase the wind and touch the sky.” She has a very distinct voice that, even when you do not have any idea what she is singing about, you can tell that it is her.
The program was ushered by Phi Mu Alpha fraternity and they did a great job of hosting a full house. All of the seats in the hall were filled up, and they were quick to grab some extra chairs to accommodate everyone. Once the show started and Julie and her band mates came out, everyone was in awe. She has a dominant Scottish accent that sometimes made it hard for the audience to understand her, but she was a good sport about it. Before she sang, she would give a background story. My favorite song of the night was “Brogan Ur Agam A Nochd,” which translates to “I Have New Shoes Tonight.”
The vocals were a bit more repetitive, but the melody of the song is what tied it all together. You could get a senseoftheculturethroughtheuseof the penny whistle and the fiddle. The song started off at a moderate tempo, but as the song progressed, it got faster and faster, suggesting that the song was a metaphor for her new shoes: they were meant for her to go on an adventure with and she did. Fowlis also mentioned how the majority of Scottish folk songs are either “songs of love, songs of drink or songs of the love of drink.” However, work songs are also gaining popularity.
She also sang songs about a man leaving his love to go out to sea and a couple songs of betrayal. She has devoloped herself to sing in Gaelic because she her, but she was a good sport about it. Before she sang, she would give a background story. My favorite song of the night was “Brogan Ur Agam A Nochd,” which translates to “I Have New Shoes Tonight.”
The vocals were a bit more repetitive, but the melody of the song is what tied it all together. You could get a senseoftheculturethroughtheuseof the penny whistle and the fiddle. The song started off at a moderate tempo, but as the song progressed, it got faster and faster, suggesting that the song was a metaphor for her new shoes: they were meant for her to go on an adventure with and she did. Fowlis also mentioned how the majority of Scottish folk songs are either “songs of love, songs of drink or songs of the love of drink.” However, work songs are also gaining popularity.
Th best part o the performance )other than it was free!) was that Fowlis made sure to make it interactive. She wanted the audience to stomp their feet and clap along with the beat. She incorporated traditional ways so that the audience could get a full feel of where she comes from. She is proud of her heritage, and she wants to share her love for where she comes from through music.
After her performance, she stuck around and signed programs or whatever else people handed her to be signed. She also sold a couple albums and left a lasting impression on those that went to see her.
