‘Amárach’ transports its audience to a mystical forest, through performing a variety of Irish and Scottish melodic tunes.

As the band recently formed, the ensemble is only at the beginning of sharing their niche genre of folk music with Perth. The show included a large variety of music choices within the setlist, including classics like, ‘The Parting Glass,’ which have been around for decades. This was alongside more mainstream songs, like ‘The Skye Boat Song’ from the TV show ‘Outlander’ and ‘Touch the Sky,’ a song from the Disney movie, ‘Brave’. This gave the audience the opportunity to build a familiarity with some of the covers performed and learn new music with a similar feeling and sound. As the performance was acoustic, it built a warm and welcoming ambience within The Ellington Jazz Club.

The performers allowed the audience to join in for a song and taught us some Gaelic lyrics. As the language was difficult to participate in, the crowd found it to be quite humorous and it only enforced the practice and professionalism needed to perform the genre. Despite not knowing the language, to listen and appreciate the performance we weren’t required to understand the lyrics, as the melodies and instrumentation kept the room entertained.

The band members displayed great talent and technique playing their individual instruments, the unique musicality of a harp and various flutes made the aura of the performance mythical and otherworldly. The artistry of the guitar and violin showed years of experience and enhanced the distinctive sound needed for folk music. It was a peaceful and calming gig that displayed a clear love of the genre from the band.

The Perth-based folk band will fill a unique gap within the local music scene, as Celtic folk appears to be a complex genre to master. In time, with more experience of working with one another and polishing their sound, ‘Amárach’ are sure to craft a whimsical show.