Music to make the Ears Glad

First to appear are Flook, an Anglo-Irish four-piece who, pre-pandemic, made a tour de force return to recording following almost a decade and a half out of the studio. The band first rose to stardom in the early 2000s and then, following their recording hiatus, returned with a triumphant new album in 2019.

With the flutes and whistles of Brian Finnegan and Sarah Allen, the guitar of Ed Boyd and the bodhran of John Joe Kelly, this iconic band weaves and spins traditionally rooted tunes into an enthralling sound – with agile but tight rhythms and virtuoso improvisation.

“Way back in 2005, when we released our third studio album, little did we know that it would be our last for almost a decade and a half,” said Finnegan. “We took a break but when Flook came calling again the voltage returned and, like all deep friendships, it felt like we’d never been apart.

“Part of the decision to re-group was the understanding that we had much left to say as a band, and a certain responsibility to our loyal fans, old and new, to create Flook music of the present, rich in both past and future.”

Different again are the soulful, stirring performances of Penicuik-born Siobhan Miller, who returns to the Eastgate as a multiple winner of Scots Singer of the Year at the BBC Alba Scots Trad Music Awards.

Alongside her solo ventures, Siobhan’s exquisite, velvety-smooth vocal style has been honed during extensive tours with her own band, as well as guest appearances with the National Theatre of Scotland, a season on Broadway and on US/UK TV drama Outlander.

Now based in Glasgow, she is a regular at the city’s Celtic Connections festival and returned as part of a star-studded Transatlantic Sessions line up earlier this year.

Flook play the Eastgate Theatre at 7.30pm on Sat 30 April, while Siobhan Miller appears at 7.30pm on Wed 11 May. Tickets available from Box Office on 01721 725777 or online at eastgatearts.com