bring in the spirit
An evening with Robert Burns performed by Kirsten Easdale, Lionel MacLelland Pete Clark, Marc Duff and Gregor Lowrey.
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| Photograph by Steve Niblock |
| Bring In The Spirit in rehearsal at the plotting shed. |
Bring In The Spirit can provide:
Full concert programme. 2 X 50 minute sets of instrumental music, songs and poetry.
Short Concert Spot(s). For Burns Suppers and Events.
Complete Burns Supper. With all music, song, poetry, addresses and immortal memory.
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| Robert Burns 1759 - 1796 |
Kirsten, Lionel and Gregor all come from musical families and all started singing and playing music from an early age.
Lionel's parents were both traditional singers and he, quite literally, learned songs at his mothers knee.
Gregor's father and uncles from Butterstone played moothies, melodeons and mandolins and Gregor was raised among the famous Dunkeld sessions.
Kirsten's father sang at Burns suppers alongside the legendary Rev. Jimmy Currie and her mother was also a singer on BBC Radio's 'Aunty Kathleen' show while Kirsten's grandfather was a piper who survived Gallipoli.
Between them, Kirsten, Lionel and Gregor have over 50 years of experience in playing music professionally, both as solo performers and in bands like Calasaig, Blackeyed Biddy, Cantychiels and Clan Terra. Musicians they have performed with include Donovan, Dougie MacLean, Ally Bain, The Fureys, The Dubliners and Martin Taylor. All three have travelled extensively and made appearances at many well known venues and festivals all over the world including Scotlands own 'Celtic Connections' and 'Burns An' A' That Festival', as well as performing on several radio and television shows worldwide.
Kirsten, Lionel and Gregor have also recorded on numerous albums for labels such as Greentrax, Linn and REL records and they all feature on several volumes of Linn's landmark recording of 'The Complete Songs Of Robert Burns.'
''...poured forth in melody as clear and true as a Highland stream.'' Mail on Sunday. ''... a priceless heritage.'' Washington Post. ''A copy of Linn's box set should be in every school and library in the land.'' Sunday Herald
 Photograph by Steve Niblock
Lionel MacLelland: Vocals, Guitar & Whistle | One of Lionel's best known songs, 'The Earl O' Marches Daughter', which many people believe is traditional is now firmly established in the Canon of Scotland's Traditional Music. Lionel excels in reciting both Burns and his own self penned Scots verse, and his extensive repertoire includes an eclectic mix, and vast range of poems, songs and tunes which is, according to Living Tradition Magazine, ''Gripping stuff''. In addition to recording iconic albums with Scottish folk stalwarts 'Blackeyed Biddy', Lionel has also recorded with fellow folk legends Finbar Furey, Brian McNeil as well as guitarist Martin Taylor. |
| Gregor is a modern day troubadour, having travelled throughout the world with many musicians and diverse line ups including 'Rusty Nail', 'Clan Terra' and 'Cantychiels' alongside 'Iron Horse's' Annie Grace and Brian Mac Alpine not to mention the quirky Ceilidh Minogue. Gregor has also performed in several stage shows including 'Fiddler On The Roof' and the Scottish spectacular that opened the new Clyde Arena, 'Shehallion'. He has appeared as a guest artist on many recordings such as Neil Gow exponent, Pete Clark's album, 'Now And Then' and ex 'Genesis', Ray Wilson's album, 'Propoganda Man'. He has also recorded soundtracks and performed for TV shows such as 'Monarch of The Glen', and films such as 'Heartless', starring Angus Deaton and Simone Lahbib. |
 Photograph by Steve Niblock
Gregor Lowrey: Accordion |
 Photograph by Steve Niblock
Kirsten Easdale: Vocals, Bodhran & Viola | Described by The Evening Times as having ''...a God given voice that knocks you sideways'', Kirsten has performed at major international festivals and events, and has supported artists like, Shane McGowan and Donnie Munro. As well as recording over 15 albums including 4 with top Celtic band, 'Calasaig' on the Lazy Mist Label, she recorded a solo release 'Be Not Afraid' for REL Records and appears on several of their highly successful Scottish compilations such as 'Scotland United In One Voice', 'The Flowers Of Scotland' and 'Highland Cathedral' alongside artists like Jimmy Shand, Caledon and The Scottish Fiddle Orchestra. |
| Born and raised in Dunfermline, Fife, Pete is now based in Perthshire, not far from the birth places of Niel Gow and Robert Mackintosh. He has performed and recorded with many notable musicians including Dougie MacLean, Rod Paterson, John Watt, Tich Frier, Jim Malcolm and the rock band Nazareth. In addition to private instruction, he is a tutor on the Scottish Music course at the Royal Scottish Academy Of Music & Drama in Glasgow. In recent years Pete has presented workshops and master classes at Edinburgh's annual FIDDLE event, at Stirling University Summer School, Celtic Connections in Glasgow, Common Ground Scotland and at fiddle schools throughout Scotland and beyond. He has twice been on the adjudication panel at the annual Glenfiddich Fiddle competition at Blair Castle, Perthshire. |  Photograph by Steve Niblock
Pete Clark: Fiddle |
 Photograph by Steve Niblock
Marc Duff: Whistles, Recorder & Bozouki | Born in Ontario, Canada and raised in Argyll, Scotland, Marc was a founder member of the Scottish band Capercaillie with whom he recorded 7 albums which have sold over a million copies and included the first Gaelic, Top 40 single. His four year performance degree at the Guildhall School of Music in London added to Marc's eclectic taste in music. Since leaving Capercaillie in 1995 to pursue his own career, he has worked with many prominent artists. Recently he has toured in Scotland with Dr Fred Freeman, presenting a series of successful workshops in connection with Linn Records ''The Complete Songs Of Robert Burns'' series. In addition to live performances, Marc is currently researching and teaching. Marc was a nominee for BBC Alba's Trad Music Awards, 'Traditional Musician Of The Year', in 2008. |
Lionel and Gregor first worked together in 1989 when Gregor joined folk group “Black Eyed Biddy” who then went on to record the album “High Spirits” which was released on Dougie MacLean’s label, Dunkeld Records. Gregor and Kirsten met in the early nineties while rehearsing and recording for 'The Complete Songs Of Robert Burns' and have the distinction of playing together on the longest song in the series, 'O I Forbid You', of which Lars Nilsson of The Greenman Review says, ''The word Breathtaking has never been more in place.'' Kirsten and Lionel met back in 1992 when they found themselves playing a session in Moffat at the house of a mutual friend, artist Steven Niblock. The house had been home to Burns' friend and correspondent, James Clarke and it was magical for Lionel and Kirsten to spend a few 'magical ceilidh hours' in front of the fire with Steven knowing that Burns must have done exactly the same in that very place all those years before. | The trio formed in 2009 (the 250th Anniversary of Burns' birth) in order to perform the poetry, songs and music of Robert Burns and it is highly appropriate that their debut gig would take place in Burns' 'favourite howff', The Globe Inn in Dumfries. 'Bring In The Spirit' comes from the 'Before and after dinner Grace' which Burns agreed to compose for the landlord of the Globe Inn, William Hyslop, in exchange for his own dinner after Burns had arrived there one evening unannounced. |  | | | The Globe Inn, Dumfries. |
| Before Dinner | After Dinner | | | | | O Lord, when hunger pinches sore, | O Lord, since we have feasted thus, | | Do thou stand us in stead, | Which we so little merit, | | And send us from thy bounteous store, | Let Meg now take away the flesh, | | A tup - or wether-head! | And Jock Bring in the spirit! | | Amen | Amen |
With 'Bring in the Spirit', audiences will experience an authentic, emotional and living portrayal of Burns' work which is quite simply, intoxicating.   
Burns' Statue Dumfries Burns' Cottage Galloway Burns' House Dumfries
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