WHEN it comes to traditional music the Irish and the Scottish seem to have cornered the market.

The Welsh, of course, have their choirs — but now Fernhill are performing their nation's music on the international scene and gathering rave reviews.

Just back from Rome where the band performed as guests of the British Council they are soon to off to Japan.

'We have played in Vietnam. They didn't even have a word for Wales — so they had to make one up,' says singer Julie Murphy.

'They created 'Land of Dragons' so in a way we blazed a trail!'

Although they are West Wales-based Fernhill have become part of a bigger world music scene.

Most of their music is sung in Welsh — their latest CD, the superbly enchanting 'Whilia' is virtually all in Welsh. Here Julie's haunting voice is perfectly counterpointed by the lilting rhythms of the music.

'I think people are moved by the music first. It speaks to them in a direct way,' says Julie.

She moved to Wales 19 years ago and has learned the language of the adopted country that she adores.

'With any foreign language there is a certain level that you aren't getting. It's the same for me if I'm listening to music in another language.

'But people come up after gigs who haven't a word of Welsh and they enjoy the singing.'

A lot of Fernhill fans have played their CDs and are familiar with the songs.

'But that is true of a lot of songs. With bad pop music the words don't mean much — and you can't always hear them anyway. Also they are often so minimal they don't mean anything.'

Fernhill — whose current line up consists of top button accordionist Andy Cutting, guitarist Richard Llewellyn and fiddler Cass Meurig, fronted by the spell-binding vocals of Julie — has developed a particular style over recent years.

'We have done some pretty nifty versions of English folk songs — and we have quite a different take being a Welsh band,' says Julie.

Fernhill is enriched by the diverse background of its musicians.

'There is a contemporary element without us being self-conscious about it. We are a band that celebrates Welsh music and are quite a reflection of modern Wales.

'We do what jazz music does — take a traditional element and develop it. Ours is a contemporary approach by modern musicians while staying true to original elements — not swamping or sidelining them.'

She says this is why it is difficult to separate the language from the rhythms. The songs are in Welsh — and that is what makes them so unique.

A lot of Fernhill's songs come from the Cardiganshire and Carmarthanshire area of West Wales. The band's title underlines this, Fernhill being the farm in the famous Dylan Thomas poem of the same name.

'The songs evoke that landscape,' says Julie, who has made her own home amidst the scenic delights of West Wales.

'I think people are moved by this kind of music — it speaks to them in a direct way.'

While Irish music is endemic she feels what is positive about the Welsh equivalent is it hasn't got the baggage of decades of preconceptions about what it should sound like.

'With us it is a fresh thing. It is new and we have a lot of freedom to say "this is what it is".'

l Fernhill are at the Wharf, Tavistock tomorrow (Friday) at 8pm. Box office: (01822) 611166.