Celtic Fiddle Festival were the headline act tonight.  However, between Barrule and themselves, we were treated to the wonderful Aly Bain and Phil Cunningham – the connection being that Phil’s brother Johnny used to play with CFF.

The pair have a great stage presence with their repartee and stories. They opened with some Shetland tunes followed by waltzes before a slow air composed by Phil after the death of  his brother. In his own words Phil said ‘ I could have composed something lively as Johnny was a big friendly fellow however like most Scotsmen, he was happiest being miserable!!’   They then finished with ‘Castle Dangerous‘ and ‘Tam the Gun’

Time for the main act then of the Celtic Fiddle Festival which features Kevin Burke from Ireland, renowned fiddler Christian Lemaître (Kornog) from Brittany and sensational young Quebecois musician André Brunet along with  Nicolas Quémener, the group’s talented guitar accompanist.

They opened with ‘The Station Master’s Waltz’ followed by ‘Soggy’s/Waterboogie’ and then a series of jigs from André, whose feet constantly go whilst playing in a sort of sedentary step dance!   Phil Cunningham then joined them on stage again, to play some tunes written by Johnny Cunningham called ‘Leaving Brittany/ Pernod Waltz‘

Aly Bain then joined the rest for more jigs and reels from the latest album of CFF called ‘Live In Brittany’ so named, as Kevin Burke joked in his soft Irish lilt, because ‘It was recorded live in Brittany!’   The final set was a lively jig interspersed with each of the 6 guys on stage doing a solo set.

This was another good concert with a few people giving a standing ovation at the end.