Sibling duo Joy&Andrew hail from the village of Connel, in the West Highlands of Scotland, and have been making music together since childhood. Inspired by her love of Gaelic song and culture, Mòd Gold Medalist and Inter-Celtic Dance Champion Joy continued her education at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig on the Isle of Skye while Andrew pursued classical conservatoire training in Manchester and New York. However, after a decade of performing across the UK and further afield as part of various bands/groups, Joy&Andrew have reunited forces to create their first album together Dithis, which has been described ‘a fusion of musical unity and understanding that pushes traditional musical boundaries, whilst maintaining a distinctive air of authenticity throughout’.

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Following an arranged meeting by a mutual friend, Robert Burns embarked on a lengthy, and at times, passionate correspondence with Agnes McLehose. However, in 1788 their relationship became rather fractured after Burns left Edinburgh and reunited with Jean Armour, whom he eventually married; in addition to fathering an illegitimate child with Agnes’ maid...

In 1792 at the request of her estranged husband, Agnes travelled to the West Indies. Upon hearing the news, Burns penned Aye Fond Kiss, a song which he combines sincere and powerful notions of love with an ever present sense of deep despair and hopelessness.

The song was translated into Gaelic by Ruairidh MacDhòmhnall as part of his complete collection of Burns translations, published by Edinburgh University’s Celtic Department.

www.joyandandrew.co.uk