Gilly Hewitt

Gilly took us by storm last year so, of course, she and Ian are back this year

Growing up in Ayrshire, Gilly had ample opportunity to soak up Robert Burns poetry, music and culture. With an Irish father and Scottish mother she sympathises with both Irish and Scottish traditional song. Her Irish grandfather played fiddle and piano, and her mother sings and plays piano.

Gilly has sung traditional and contemporary folk song in the Edinburgh area since the late 1970s, and accompanies herself on 5-string banjo. She has appeared at folk festivals all over the U.K., regularly being asked back to Sidmouth International Folk Festival in Devon since 1988.

Her first album "From Down tae Boon" was produced in 1981, and her second album "An Honest Lass" was released in 1996 It consists of 11 songs of Robert Burns, of which a few are unaccompanied, and on others she is joined by an array of well known instrumentalists. She sings Burns songs in a style which is not bawdy but not drawing room, and pours out the feeling which she learned from the songs and the count enriched by her own experience as a traditional folk singer.

Apart from her Burns repertoire Gilly has a love for Irish ballad singing, particularly songs from the north of Ulster she knew well as a child. She also chooses songs from more contemporary writers who have something to say, and sings with rare sensitivity of feeling. She supported the Poozies while they were on their Scottish tour, and went down a storm at the iron Folk Club in Edinburgh.

Discography:

"From Down tae Doon" Jigs Music JIGS 981 Recorded at Fireside Studios.

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"An Honest Lass" Smiddy Made SMD 607 / CSMD 697

Seventeen Burns' songs with accompaniment including flute and whistle from Cathal McConnel

"...the arrangements are extremely subtle and very tasteful...solid, well crafted material allied to a rich new voice promising much makes Gilly Hewitt's entry to the big league a very successful one."
- Rock 'n' Reel Magazine

Watch out for Gilly's hubby Ian -pipe, kilt and a wicked sense of humour. A regular band member in his native land, Ian will be playing in the scratch band on Sunday evening.