The Fairytale Cellist

31/03/2026

Diolch o galon ~ much gratitude to everyone who came to the Canu’r Tymhorau / Singing the Seasons workshop and Spring Alchemy Concert on Sunday, to Coed Lleol and Dafydd for making such a beautiful woodland and roundhouse accessible to the community, and especially to guest musician and poet Celyn Adar Telyn for bringing their incredible skill and humour.

We were a small but wonderful collective who - wrapped in layers aplenty - courageously weathered the early Spring weather with the help of fire and many cups of tea - and the wind let its magic be known through playing Celyn’s harp (turn your sound up to hear this!).

We listened to the soundscape around us with the help of a parabolic reflector made by , drew sound maps of what we heard, explored embodied voice practices and vocal improv games, and learned some Spring songs in both Welsh and English.

Celyn and I shared songs original, traditional & seasonal, improvisation and poetry with a whole collection of instruments, and we were finally treated to a magnificent sunset over the sea at Borth, which we sung down in joyous collective improvisation to end the evening, weaving sounds of our seeds of intention for the season ahead.

Pictures credits
2 : Celyn Adar Telyn
3-5 :

17/03/2026

Canu’r Tymhorau / Singing the Seasons 29/3/26 Tre Taliesin

I’ve been brewing this special two-part SPRING event for a while and am quite a bit later than hoped getting it out there but hope some of you lovely folk will still come!

Gweithdy / Workshop - 2-5
an afternoon summoning spring joy outdoors in a beautiful little woodland, through embodied voice work, seasonal song, and soundmapping.

Cyngerdd Alcemi’r Gwanwyn / Spring Alchemy Concert 6-8
Joined by special guest musician and poet Celyn Adar Telyn, we will weave seasonal magic round a fire in a gorgeous roundhouse, sharing music, poetry and inviting (optional) group sounding.

NB the clocks go forward that day so we will celebrate a longer evening and finish in time for sunset…

Lots more info on the event page, find links to both workshop and concert below (booking each separately is required).

I’ve tried to make them accessibly priced, offering the workshop as sliding scale / pay-as-you-feel (i.e I have suggested a price range of £20-30 but you literally can pay what you want/can when you book), and you get a discount for the concert of £5 if you come to both.

Ailsa x
✨

WORKSHOP:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/canur-tymhorau-gweithdyr-singing-the-seasons-workshop-tickets-1984556069627?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true

CONCERT:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cyngerdd-alcemir-gwanwyn-spring-alchemy-concert-tickets-1984559184945?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true

31/01/2026

Er cof Sianed Jones a’n deuawd Tinc y Tannau
༆
Remembering Sianed Jones and our duo Tinc y Tannau

Can’t believe it has been 4 years since the passing of extraordinary Sianed on Imbolc eve 2022. If you didn’t know her, she was an off-the-scale incredible musician, abundantly creative soul and most generous hearted friend. Today I thought I’d make a little reel of *some of* our musical adventures together (if anyone has any other pix and vids from our gigs I would love to see them for future archives)…

Annwyl S:
There will never be another human like you
I wish we could be Tinc-ing up the Welsh music scene together today
I sometimes feel like (the lesser) half of something without you
But you taught me so much about being a powerful, sovereign creative being (much yet to implement there!)
Me and the viol send you love and song forever
Caru ti,
Ai ### x

Cerddoriaeth / Music
Ancient Welsh poetry by Taliesin set to music by Sianed Jones (from our album GALW, 2018, recorded, mixed and mastered by Dylan Fowler)

Lluniau/Pictures
1, 4, 18, 21 - Michal Iwanowski
2, 10, 11, 12 - on residency at Capel y Graig Artspace, Rhaeadr Furnais, Avi Allen
3 - Castell Harlech Castle, Gŵyl Tân a Môr
5, 20 - Bookart Bookshop, London (Sheena Vallely)
6 - on residency at Festival Origines, le Trouillet, France
7, 15, 16 - Coliseum, Amgueddfa Ceredigion, Peter Stevenson
8 - in The Firemaker with Deb Winter, photo Karel Mujica
9 - first ever gig as Tinc y Tannau, Aberystwyth Arts Centre, March 2017, Peter Stevenson
13, 14 - NAWR, Swansea
17 - Yurt in the City Storytelling night, Caerdydd, with Angharad Iris
19 - GALW album cover - photo Michal Iwanowski, title design Mary Lloyd Jones, Tinc y Tannau logo by Maria Hayes

11/01/2026

Diolch o galon / thank you so much & for playing my track True North on the BBC Wales Mix last night and saying nice things about it.

You can listen to the fab selection of music new and old (some absolute bangers in there!) on BBC Sounds for the next 29 days - find my track at about 17mins in…

True North is out on bandcamp now and out elsewhere on some of the mainstreaming platforms on Jan 30th.

★

06/01/2026

Eira! Snowy adventures to the tune of my new track, True North.
It’s been a glorious joy to revel in this wintry magic.
Listen to the whole track on my bandcamp (link in bio) - and elsewhere from 30th Jan.

Blwyddyn Newydd Dda! Happy New Year.

Ailsa ✨❄️🌬️

23/12/2025

TRUE NORTH (Seren ||| Star) ~ sengl newydd / new single!

Announcing my new single from ongoing project Fool’s Journey/Taith y Ffŵl, inspired by the Star tarot card - and, well, just stars…

The Star card is about healing - both ways - and I am sending this little piece of my songlight out into the world at a time of deep darkness, a cusp moment on the wheel of the year, when the actual stars seem to me and many to take on a different significance and become even more precious a light.

There is, potentially, good and necessary darkness to be found in Winter, the kind that germinates seeds, dreams ideas into being, brings rest and owlsong, and helps forge our own tiny inner slivers of light to be shared and united in the face of the vast and terrible, unnecessary darkness in the world. And with festive celebrations aplenty right now, I am sharing this with a wish that healing light and joy reach all the places where it is most needed, and with awareness that celebration is seriously not possible for all right now.

I recorded and mixed the track myself, cocooning in an attic-studio in mid Wales, whilst taking time out from performing and social media. It features the clarinet of the fantastic Celyn Adar Telyn, and was mastered by the wonderful Mike West in Our Lady Studio, Borth.

It's currently just available on my bandcamp (linked below) but will be released on most main-streaming platforms (not Spotify) on Jan 30th 2026. I hope you enjoy - please do let me know, and share/support as you feel.

Heuldro Hapus & Nadolig Llawen, wishing you all well,

Ailsa X

track by Ailsa Mair

20/11/2025

🌑New moon ~ lleuad newydd🌑
Slowing down, taking time, arafu…

Had a little frosty new moon cello adventure this morn. Our local woods took a bit of a battering in the storm on the weekend but are still looking stunning - and this striking rock face has been calling to me for a while, so I went and serenaded it (but you’ll have to wait to hear this music ~ a new song ~ because insta wouldn’t let me edit the video).

After a busy and fruitful year I am going to be taking a moon or so off social media (whilst I can get away with it!) to go deep into my creative undergrowth over Winter - see you out there other side with whatever grows from this musical soil…

Diolch / thanks to the magical human and his trusty helper Cosmo for the beautiful photos.

And diolch o galon / heartfelt thanks to all of you who have supported my music in whatever way, been awesome collaborators, and been generally kind over the course of this year.

As ever my releases are available to listen to / buy on bandcamp, and lots of new material currently lives in seed form to find your ears sometime in the future.

Cariad mawr,

ailsa x X x

03/11/2025

Calan Gaeaf 🍂

the hair is gone (!)
the veil is thin,
Time to grow a new skin ~
a new cycle begins…

This weekend to celebrate Calan Gaeaf, the first day of Winter in the Welsh calendar, I went on an accidentally solo pilgrimage and played my residency piece ‘3 Diferyn/3 Drops’ back to Bedd Taliesin… whether or not the legendary bard was actually buried there, the place inspired my music ~ and answered me in the form of a cosmic joke called Hail.

Dyma ran o fy narn ‘3 Diferyn’ a gyfansoddwyd gyda chymorth cymuned Bro Ddyfi ar gyfer fy mhreswyliad gyda - wedi’i ysbrydoli gan hen chwedl werin leol Ceridwen a Thaliesin. Ar gyfer Calan Gaeaf y penwythnos hwn, ymwelais â Bedd Taliesin i ail-ganu 3 Diferyn i’r lle.

Croeso i’r Gaeaf!

03/10/2025

It’s Bandcamp Friday today - where all sales go to artists - and I welcome you to my layer of weird music and weirder merch, including USBs in handmade pouches and new buttons I made (with help!) on the laser cutter in our fabulous … I have only a few copies of my Mesolithic Mermaid CDs left but can order some more if enough of you want one…

Today in solidarity with the amazing efforts of the I will give 50% of all digital&physical sales to . Oh and the first 5 USB sales will get a free very limited edition button!

My bandcamp is linked in my bio.
Diolch / Thank you all who support my work

22/09/2025

Cyhydnos yr Hydref ||| Autumn Equinox ||| Alban Elfed

After an intensely busy Summer of performing, I am so grateful to return to the beauty of these special woods that have inspired me for the last 15 years, and for the chance to have spacious time to galavant, ground, rebalance and regenerate. What is next? Beth sy’n nesaf?

Autumn equinox feels a natural time to let go of what is not working, allowing space for the seeds of the new... One thing I am letting go of is Spotify: since it has been revealed as a highly unethical choice for streaming music, as illustrated by an increasing number of other artists, I have now removed all my songs from it and asked my distributor to not allow my songs to be streamed in Isr@eli territory from any platform.

PLEASE seek me on bandcamp or elsewhere in the streaming world if you wish to listen to/ support my work. Though highly inconvenient, this choice feels one of integrity and hopefully those sharing this choice can shift the paradigm together towards one which is better for all - minus greedy CEOs, wrth gwrs.

Equinox blessings all.

Ailsa x

Photo 3 credit - diolch .of.the.green.woods

🇵🇸❤️

01/09/2025

I miss you lot already - What a brilliant company.

The Winter’s Tale with was a deep journey that expanded my being and my musicianship… Personal achievements include hitting my top As 50-something shows in a row: I have officially extended my vocal range!

Lots of people commented on how much they loved how integrated the music was (keep music live!) - BIG respect to our fantastic musical director for holding it all together, and the rest of our awesome band - and of course the beautiful composition of that left plenty of space for my own weird and wonderful offerings of sound.

So many meaningful threads in this production that I know will keep weaving and working through me over the coming months.

I’m so grateful to everyone for being a delight to collaborate with, and for this opportunity to really bring myself to such a great show. Thank you all on and off-stage 💜

Now, home to wild Welsh waters, a carpet of acorns and yellow leaves, and sleep.

Production photos - (c) Marc Brenner