Ímar

BBC Radio 2 Folk Award winners, Irish/Manx/Scottish quintet Ímar are amongst Glasgow’s hottest folk property.  They revved up the WemsFest audience back in April 2022 and people are still talking about it – we had to have them back!

With a wide-reaching fanbase throughout the UK, Europe, USA and Canada, the quintet have fast become one of the trad scene’s most talked about group – thanks in no small part to their debut video, L’Air Mignonne, becoming a viral smash in 2016, catapulting the group to the attention of audiences and media worldwide.  Enjoy the catchy tune for yourself below 🙂

Their two albums – Afterlight and Avalanche – have since amassed a devoted listenership, whilst live audiences are transfixed by Ímar’s collective and individual technical prowess. With a line-up boasting a heavyweight haul of top solo prizes – including nine All-Ireland and eight All-Britain titles – the group’s collective synergy and live energy is positively electric.

Ímar are:

Adam Brown (bodhrán)

Adam Rhodes (bouzouki)

Mohsen Amini (concertina)

Ryan Murphy (uilleann pipes)

Tomás Callister (fiddle)

The quintet share a strong background in Irish music; a grounding that underpins many of Ímar’s distinctive qualities, in both instrumentation and material.  Indeed, the group’s very being embodies a personal reconnection with its members’ formative years, dating back long before their recent camaraderie around Glasgow’s celebrated session scene.  The shared cultural heritages between Scotland, Ireland and the Isle of Man are well documented: all three once shared the same Gaelic language, and a similar, clearly potent, kinship endures between their musical traditions.

“striking musicianship, artful arrangements and sheer absolute delight” – Songlines

“genuinely jaw-dropping collective virtuosity supplied frills to burn” ★★★★★ –  The Scotsman

“The energy that’s seemingly bursting to let loose is tempered by a variety of instrumental formations and an attention to pacing that showcases the tunes’ melodic strength, and even when the floodgates open the effect is all the more exhilarating for the underlying control and musicality.” –  The Herald

Doors open 7.30 for an 8pm start

Licensed bar helps support WemsFest

Please don’t try to park on Church Path or other local roads – there is plenty of free car parking in local car parks.

If you require special assistance or have mobility difficulties, please contact us in advance and we will do our very best to accommodate you so that you are comfortable.