Celebrant, the new project of Scottish composer/songwriter Tom Irvine (Urvanovic) are touring Scotland and Denmark to mark the release of their debut single ‘Feral Gods’ (out 27/02/26).
Now based in Copenhagen, Irvine brings this new cohort over for their first full-band show on home turf. The danish contingent will be joined by Glasgow’s Haver String Quartet, and opening up proceedings will be sets from Edinburgh’s Gaze Is Ghost and Bell Lungs.
Celebrant’s unique blend of indie-folk songwriting and classical composition builds a stark and vivid world. The songs weave intricate arrangements around a strong emotional core, exploring themes of nostalgia, existentialism, displacement, transformation and hope, and the concept of ‘home’ in the midst of change. The band’s universe is a reflection of introspection and growth. The sweeping orchestrations are not simply an embellishment but the very foundation of the music – the starting point for its soaring, emotionally charged soundscapes.
Gaze is Ghost:
Gaze is Ghost is the pseudonym of Northern Irish musician Laura McGarrigle. McGarrigle is a classically trained composer whose work draws on an eclectic mix of influences. Her music is highly evocative and cinematic in scope, combining both acoustic and electronic elements.
Bell Lungs:
“Bell Lungs” is the moniker of Scottish-Turkish vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, composer and creative facilitator Ceylan Hay. Taking a freewheeling, magpie attitude to ambient, noise, free improvisation, psychedelia, jazz, post-rock, minimalism and folk, her music creates subtly shifting sound worlds drawing on natural cycles, environmental disaster and the microcosmic aspects of relationships.
Celebrant’s unique blend of indie-folk songwriting and classical composition builds a stark and vivid world. Led by Scottish songwriter and composer Tom Irvine, the songs wrap intricate arrangements around a strong emotional
core, exploring themes of nostalgia, existentialism, displacement, transformation and hope, and the concept of ‘home’ in the midst of change.
Irvine has teamed up with Italian singer Laura Zöschg to form the core of Celebrant, with a rotating constellation of musicians joining for performances that range from intimate duo sets to ensembles of eight musicians with string quartet, to orchestral concerts with up to twenty performers on stage.
Drawing influence from Sufjan Stevens, Joanna Newsom, Owen Pallett, and Adrianne Lenker, Celebrant craft stark, intricate songs that remain emotionally direct and profoundly connective.
