The Breath

The Breath are Stuart McCallum and Ríoghnach Connolly, blending alt-folk with heartfelt storytelling.

The Breath is Manchester-based guitarist Stuart McCallum and singer/flautist Ríoghnach Connolly. They met on the city’s gig circuit in the late noughties. An unlikely pairing though it was, he an acclaimed guitar whiz, ex long-time member of The Cinematic Orchestra and a softly spoken Manchester urbanite, she a folk singer with a larger-than-life personality and a powerful voice to match. Their connection was immediate; they formed The Breath in 2016, a singer-songwriter duo to present their contemporary take on alt-folk.

An affecting blend… McCallum provides the grandeur and artifice and Connolly the intimacy and purity. Uncut
For them, it’s all about the song. Connolly is a storyteller and their exquisitely crafted, honest, personal, heartfelt songs are as likely to touch on childhood summers and first love as cultural dislocation, post- colonial injustices and grief. But it’s Ríoghnach’s impassioned delivery and extraordinary stop-you-in- your-tracks voice, coupled with Stuart’s understated brilliance that is so engaging.

The Breath rolls across the senses like clouds caress low hills – always moving, changing, evolving; and utterly fascinating. Folk Radio.com

Tickets from £12 (Age 15 and under half price)