Cape Breton calls for Bryan and Violet

FEW, if any, would dispute that Bryan Gear is one of Shetland’s finest and most gifted fiddlers.

Fewer still would deny that pianist Violet Tulloch is one of the finest traditional music accompanists that Shetland has produced.

Now Bryan and Violet’s combined talents are once again set to make their mark much further afield, this time as part of the “Celtic Colours” Festival in Cape Breton, Canada, from 10th to 18th October.

They will be playing a number of concerts across Cape Breton as part of the international festival, while they will also be joining the island’s legendary guitarist and singer/songwriter JP Cormier on stage as part of their visit.

Their booking to appear at “Celtic Colours” was secured following the duo’s hugely successful appearance at this year’s Shetland Night in the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall in January, part of the Celtic Connections Festival, when representatives of the Cape Breton festival were in the audience.

Davie Gardner of Atlantic Edge Music Services, who helped promote that event, said: “The Celtic Colours promoters were hugely impressed with all the Shetland talent onstage that evening, but they were totally bowled over by Bryan and Violet, subsequently issuing the invitation for them to travel to Canada for Celtic Colours, one of the country’s most prestigious traditional music festivals.”

JP Cormier was equally impressed by Bryan and Violet, encouraging the festival to book them and issuing an invite for the duo to join him on stage during the nine-day long event.

The trip takes place during a time when Bryan is in the process of recording his much awaited debut CD – which, all being well, should be released in time for Christmas.