This lively folk rock outfit from Scotland was formed by Iain Fergus (vocals/guitar), who originally wanted the unit to be a ‘Caledonian big band’. They have worked extensively on the continent, and employed some significant Scottish musicians, including future members of Hue And Cry and Runrig. The band’s first three albums were all recorded outside the UK. 1979’s highly regarded On The Line contained a good deal of Fergus’ witty material and a batch of atmospheric electric folk numbers. During the 80s New Celeste only worked occasionally, but, by 1990, Fergus had completely reorganized the personnel. He was joined by multi-instrumentalist Ian Aitken, guitarist Steve Reid, bass player Jerry Soffe and violinist Rod Dorothy for The Celtic Connection, a collection of old and new songs. The band also made a highly impressive appearance at the Cambridge Festival in 1991. On 1996’s It’s A New Day, Fergus, Reid, Soffe and Dorothy were joined by Iain Copeland (drums) and Willie Logan (guitar/keyboards).