Fresh off the back of his recent appearance at the Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow, Calum McIlroy, talented multi-instrumentalist and former Westhill Academy and NESCol student is returning home to Aberdeenshire to play a gig this Thursday (13 February at 8pm) at the Barn in Banchory.
Since winning the coveted title of BBC Radio Scotland’s Young Trad Musician of the Year in January 2024, over the past year Calum has been making waves in the Scottish trad music scene with a wealth of musical opportunities and experiences under his belt.
He says ‘’ It was really special (winning the title) and has given me a lot of performance opportunities, like playing at the 25th anniversary of the Scottish Parliament, and I have been fortunate enough to call on extraordinary musicians, including Mhairi Hall and James Lindsay, to play with me, which has been great for developing my career.’’
Last weekend’s Celtic Connections festival saw Calum conclude his ‘title’ year and pass on the ‘Young Trad’ winner’s mantle to his 2025 successor, Aberdeenshire vocalist, Ellie Beaton, another emerging local artist.
Keen to keep the momentum going and progress his own music, Calum is excited about returning to the Barn to play a gig, describing it as ‘one of his favourite local venues’. Fellow musicians Rory Matheson (keyboard) and Signy Jakobsdottir (percussion) will be joining him on stage as part of his band, and he is also pleased to welcome great young local fiddle player, Emma Cameron as his support act on the night.
‘’As much as I have enjoyed the opportunities of playing with other artists, there is nothing more enjoyable as playing your own music, interacting with an audience when the music is your own, and you’ve arranged it yourself…it’s quite special!’’
Regarding the Barn, he says ‘’I think it’s great to have a local venue available who are supporting local people. I’ve been coming to various gigs at the Barn since I was a teenager – like The Old Blind Dogs and McCusker, McGoldrick & Doyle – and I’m grateful for the opportunity to play on the same stage that I’ve hoped to play on for a long time.’’
The Barn is known for a musical programme that showcases a diverse range of talent from all genres, is actively seeking to promote young emerging musicians from the local area. The Barn’s Operations Director, Cath Du Preez is really excited about Calum ‘returning to his roots’ and coming to play a gig at the popular Banchory arts centre.
She says “We (the Barn) are proud to support emerging local musicians, like Calum. By featuring them on our stage, we encourage our patrons to join us in supporting these artists. By attending their shows, we can help them develop confidence in their artistic voice and gain the recognition they deserve, so it would be fantastic to see some strong local support at the gig!’’
Tickets for the gig are available to book online at any time from www.thebarnarts.co.uk or from the Box Office on 01330825431 (open 12-4pm Thursday to Saturday).
