Ella Roberts began her musical journey with classical training, diligently following a path that emphasized technical precision. “I was very focused on getting all the technical things right and making sure that my voice was being properly used. My teacher was very old-fashioned, and any other style that was not classical was bad for your voice—very much like, ‘Okay, classical is the only way,’” she recalls. Despite the strictness of her training, Ella affectionately refers to her teacher as an “absolutely beautiful” mentor. This rigorous education gave her a deep connection to her breath and a purity of tone.
Pursuing classical training, Ella prepared for competitions and orchestral performances. However, something was missing. “Although I loved singing and enjoyed classical music, I wasn’t hugely passionate about it,” she admits. The joy she first discovered as a child, listening to Riverdance, had planted a spark, though it initially didn’t seem like a viable path. “I never thought that was something that I could sing. So it wasn’t until much later that I thought, ‘That music does something to me. Maybe I could try and sing it.’ And, yeah, that’s where I deviated from the classical route and went down the Celtic path.”
Ella describes the shift as a learning experience. “It was very much just finding my way,” she says. Unlike classical singing, Celtic style does not require the powerful projection needed to soar over an orchestra. “Celtic, it’s very soft, very breathy,” she explains. “I initially found it quite difficult because I was like, ‘Where does my voice sit? Can I sing this style?’ There was a lot of trial and error, a lot of fumbling.” Ultimately, she found her way by “settling into the emotion and letting the emotion take my voice where it felt like it needed to go.”
The result is Ella’s signature sound: a lilting, melancholic, and enchanting voice that transports listeners through traditional Celtic repertoire. Although born in Australia, Ella’s family has Scottish roots, and the music holds a deep connection to her great-grandmother. “She loved those songs. And when she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and her memory started to go, those were the songs that kind of brought her back to us for a time… We would sit there, and we would sing these songs together. And so they meant a lot to me.”
Uncertain about the reception, Ella decided to post her performances on YouTube. Her rendition of Loch Lomond alone has now reached 23 million views, and other favorites on her channel include The Skye Boat Song, Wild Mountain Thyme, Siúil a Rún, and Danny Boy. “I was actually really shocked at how that all went, because I had no idea the number of people it would reach. I was like, ‘I’m gonna sing because I’m passionate about it.’ I did my first recordings, and I thought, I’ll just upload one and see how I go. My mantra was, like, every year I’ll record an original and a traditional Celtic song and upload a video.”
The Loch Lomond video holds special meaning, as it was her great-grandmother’s favorite. “I was lucky enough to have my grandmother, her daughter, in the video, playing my older self. It was a beautiful family project, and I was absolutely gobsmacked with how much it resonated with people. That one just took off—and I’m still shocked.”
The online response boosted her confidence, and she returned to live performance, which she had left behind after moving away from classical singing. Celtic festivals welcomed her with surprise and delight, with colleagues and fans asking, “Where did you come from?!”
For Ella, Celtic music is more than a genre; it’s a link to her roots—a feeling that resonates with listeners worldwide. This sense of belonging, she says, draws fans to Celtic music. “A lot of my ancestors were forced to leave their home…a lot of the songs are about that longing for home.” Listening to the music created a “pull” within her. “I was like, ‘Oh, that’s weird, I’m Australian,’ but I eventually found so many others who felt the same way—a pull to a place they may have never been.”
Ella finally got the chance to visit these ancestral lands, starting with Ireland. “When the plane landed, and I stepped off, I felt like I had come home. It was the strangest feeling ever…I don’t know if it carries down through the blood, but it’s amazing how many people across the world feel the same way.” She reflects on how these old songs connect her to her ancestors: “If I listen to them, I tear up and feel this deep connection. A lot of sadness, but also a lot of hope. I think these songs hold a hope for new beginnings but also a longing for home.”
Stream Ella’s full interview on YouTube to hear her story and music.
