The Fretless & Madeleine Roger and Grace Honeywell & Jeri Foreman

The Fretless play The Mackintosh Church on Saturday 16 January, as part of Celtic Connections 2027. The Canadian quartet is fronted by Madeleine Roger, and the night brings together the full line-up: Roger, Grace Honeywell, and Jeri Foreman. It's a string-led set built around the interplay of fiddles, viola and cello, turning folk melodies into arrangements of driving rhythms, soaring harmonies and unexpected textures.

The concert celebrates Glasswing, a collection of original music presented as a live experience that pairs striking visual design with the quartet's musicianship. They describe the result as an atmosphere that's intimate, cinematic and full of movement, with the visuals running alongside the music throughout. It's a good way to hear the new material as it was intended, rather than just listening to the record on your own.

The venue is as much a part of the evening as the music. The Mackintosh Church is one of Glasgow's hidden architectural gems and the only church in the world designed by the Scottish architect, designer and artist Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Commissioned in 1896 by the Free Church, its Gothic windows carry his spirit and his characteristic floral motifs, especially the tracery of the large western window above the chancel. It's a distinct space to see a string quartet in, and one of the few places in the city where you can still see Mackintosh's work on this scale.

It's a free show, so you don't need to worry about tickets. The music starts at 7:30 PM at The Mackintosh Church, 870 Garscube Road, G20 7EL.