Julie Fowlis - Mar a Tha Mo Chridhe - As My Heart Is

Horizon Award and Folk Singer Of The Year - BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.

Gaelic Singer Of The Year and Album Of The Year - Scots Trad Music Awards.

(January 2005) 12 tracks: Òganaich Uir a Rinn M’ Fhàgail * Tha Mo Ghaol Air Àird a’ Chuan * Biodh an Deoch Seo ‘n Làimh Mo Rùin * Jigs and Reels * Tha Caolas Eadar Mi ‘s Iain * Ged a Sheòl Mi Air M’ Aineol * Reels * Mo Bhean Chomain * Puirt * A Mhaighdeannan ‘s a Mhnathan Òg * Strathspey and Reels * Moladh Uibhist.

In 2005/6 Julie has appeared at the Cambridge Folk Festival, on the BBC's Hogmanay Show, at Glasgow's Celtic Connections festival and at the BBC Folk Awards, where she picked up the Horizon award for best newcomer.

Until relatively recently Julie Fowlis was best known as a talented instrumentalist, her piping skills having been learned in her native North Uist. Since becoming vocalist with the band Dòchas, the full range of her musical talents has now been revealed.

Julie was greatly influenced by her upbringing in the Outer Hebrides and so it is little wonder that the bulk of the songs on this, Julie’s first solo album, are from the rich Uist song repertoire.

Julie won the prestigious Pan Celtic Sean Nòs Singing competition in 2004, and was also nominated for Best Gaelic Singer at the Scots Trad Music Awards 2004, where Dòchas won the Best Up and Coming band.

The album brims with passion, pathos and intimacy, and confirms Julie as one of the current brightest stars in the galaxy of Gaelic singers.

Guest musicians include Eamon Doorley, John Doyle, Kris Drever, Allan Henderson, Ingrid Henderson, John McCusker, Iain MacDonald, Martin O Neill, Ross Martin and Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh.

"Julie Fowlis' Gaelic singing is a revelation" (Chris MacKenzie, The Living Tradition)

"…best of all is the powerful Gaelic singing of Julie Fowlis" (Norman Chalmers)

"The lead singer, Julie Fowlis, has everything. She has a voice that compares with the greats in Celtic music… Not only that, but she can pick up the pipes or whistle and still reach the same high standard." (BBC Celtic Roots)

"An outstanding album of traditional Gaelic song from one of the most exciting young Scottish musicians, and among the finest acoustic albums I have heard. Uist's song tradition has found an inspired interpreter in Julie Fowlis." (The Living Tradition)

"She imbues her skilfully varied selection of songs with a singular synthesis of freshness, depth, vitality and sinew." (Sunday Herald)

"It's exciting to chance upon an album of Scottish Gaelic song of such exceptionally honest and pure quality… if ever a set of songs spoke from the heart, this was it." (Songlines)

"A lovely voice without being too ethereal, and her phrasing and accentuation of the melody lines is hugely expressive at any tempo." (The Scotsman)

"Both a powerful and a delicate singer with an immediately attractive voice." (fRoots)