A musical group who wowed audiences at last year’s Aberdeen International Youth Festival will hope for a similar response when they play at Celtic Connections in Glasgow today.
And the event features talented Aberdeenshire teenager, Calum McIlroy, who has gained a place at the prestigious Royal Conservatoire school.
The Ceòl Mòr Big Band will perform in the Strathclyde Suite at Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall, alongside the Routes String Quartet, who also participated at the AIYF in 2015.
As an acclaimed guitarist and mandolin player, Mr McIlroy, 19, who hails from Elrick, is savouring the opportunity to reunite with many of his Ceol Mor colleagues at one of the country’s most prestigious folk festivals.
He said: “As somebody from Aberdeenshire, I am very excited to be a part of AIYF’s link with the Celtic Connections Festival, which is such a highly respected and anticipated event within the traditional music community.
“Last time [2015] was my third year at AIYF and my second year playing with Ceòl Mòr, and I am delighted to see so many past participants from my first year in the line-up for the gig.”
Aberdeen International Youth Festival has recently provided a platform for a string of young, aspiring musicians both internationally and in Scotland, who have gone on to pursue successful careers across the musical spectrum.
However, last summer’s collaboration marked the final year of the Ceòl Mòr Big Band, and, this year, the AIYF is adapting its summer course into one large Traditional Music School for young people aged 11+.
But Mr McIlroy, who rose through the ranks at the North East Folk Collective, is already looking ahead to the next chapter in his career.
He said: “I am delighted to be returning to Celtic Connections as part of the Ceol Mor group this weekend.
“I am hoping to use my experience at the Conservatoire [he begins his course in September] to perform at the Celtic Connections festival in the future.”