Dawn and Margie cd release is here!

As promised, we have information on the debut cd release for Dawn and Margie Beaton! Here it is folks!

In Judique, at the Celtic Music Interpretive Centre, will be the official CD launch for the first CD of Dawn & Margie Beaton. It will be a day of fiddle and dance! Dawn & Margie will be appearing at the Interpretative Centre in Judique from 3-6:45 and will have the CDs available then. The girls will then perform at the annual Thanksgiving concert at the Parish Hall, Mabou from 7:30 - 10 pm.

Then the party begins, where from 11 pm -3 am, the official CD launch will take place at the Hall of the Clans, St. Ann's Cape Breton in conjunction with Celtic Colors and the Drive'ers Association. Margie and Dawn will perform beginning at midnight!

Here's the summary:
What: Debut Cd release Ceilidh
Who: Margie and Dawn Beaton
Where: Interpretive Center -787-2708 http://www.celticmusicsite.com/
How much: $7
When: Sunday, Oct 12th, from 3pm-6:45pm

See you at the ceilidh!

Farewell, 2008 Season

Finally taking off our dancing shoes, putting the fiddles in their cases, getting out our autumn jackets and locking up St. Michael's parish hall for the winter, as another season of Baddeck Gathering Ceilidhs comes to a close.

What a great season it was! We had visitors from every corner of the globe, representing every continent except Antarctica.

We want to send out warm thanks to all who attended, all who participated and all who enjoyed! You all make the ceilidh special and different. We wouldn't be here if it weren't for you, the visitors.

Also a big round of applause for all of our phenomenal performers (in no particular order):
Shelly Campbell, Marion Dewar, Allan Dewar, Melody and Derrick Cameron, Stan Chapman, Mike Hall, Jennifer Bowman, Robbie and Isaac Fraser, Rachel Davis, Buddy MacDonald, Gabrielle MacLellan and Tom Daniels, Donnie Campbell, Dara Smith, Susan MacLean, Joel Chiasson, Jacinta MacKinnon, Anita MacDonald, Bucky Carmichael, Marc Boudreau, Kolten MacDonnell and Dwayne Cote.

What a lineup! No wonder we so enjoy our ceilidhs! We are blessed with such plentiful talent in the area, and so many great players, how can one sit still?

As we always try to mention our guest performers from the audience, we can't forget a graceful lady, Renee Gibbons, originally from Dublin but now residing in San Francisco, sang us two lovely songs on September 22nd: one in English and one in Irish Gaelic. Lovely, Renee, thank you for sharing your special talent!

We were able to continue the ceilidhs until September 23rd, and the hall was packed right up to the end. Many nights were standing room, and every night smiles covered the room while the floor bounced with tapping and dancing feet, hoots and applause filled the air, and tunes new and old flowed from the fiddle and piano strings.

Check back to the ceilidh homepage and blog for the next seasons lineup and other details as they become available.

Until then, have a great autumn and winter seasons, and keep us in your plans for next year!

See you at the ceilidh!

NOTICE:

The Baddeck Gathering is currently closed and will reopen Sunday, September 7th, continuing to host great ceilidhs every night indefinitely throughout the month of September, depending on demand and crowd size.

Thank you!

See you at the ceilidh!

Wrapping up August

Thursday August 28, Melody & Derrick brought along two French ladies from Quebec. One sang and played guitar. Connie played dulcimer and was joined by John on piano for St. Anne's Reel.


This same John from Virginia was back Friday the 29th to see Mike Hall and Jennifer Bowman. He obliged us to play a bit more, and he did a set of reels with Jennifer, Flowers of Edinburgh and Cooley's, and then Si Beag Si Mor, a waltz by Turlough O'Carolan. John organizes an O'Carolan festival in Virginia and plays for a contra dance band.

We also got to hear from a young performer from British Columbia. 8 year old Kye, with her bright eyes and tiny fiddle took the mic with confidence. She played the TamLin reel and St. Anne's with Jennifer's accompaniment. Keep up the good work, Dear!

Bulgaria and Iran ceilidh too!

Friday the 22nd, Jennifer Bowman and Mike Hall had the stage. Some audience participation this night included Christy-Anna Iotzova, of Bulgaria, and Mae MacDonald, visiting together from Hamilton, Ontario. While Mae is originally from Harbour View, Nova Scotia, this is Christy-Anna's first visit. Christy-Anna discovered Cape Breton music just two years ago after she joined the Hamilton Fiddle Club. Although she was classically trained in Bulgaria, she now feels that Cape Breton music is her number one priority!

We know the feeling, Christy-Anna! It is contagious.

Christy-Anna and Mae got up and played a set of jigs as twin fiddles and then Mae accompanied her friend on piano. Afterwards, she also accompanied Mike while Jennifer step danced.

Another visitor from Australia commented, "You can feel the music in you even while you're sitting. It's remarkable."

We received a special treat in our email a couple days ago which we are happy to feature here on the blog. One of our patrons was taking pictures and sent us this one of his wife with Mike and Jennifer. It was a great night. Glad you enjoyed it!

Wednesday 27th, Lisa from North Carolina sang the Ballad of John Riley and Susan from New York sang Someone to Watch Over Me. What talent in the crowd! These moments would have been lost in another format where no opportunity is given for audience participation! These things are what make the ceilidh what it is.

Our regards, Ladies, and many thanks for sharing your voices with us.

See you at the ceilidh!

a Taste of Gaelic

Saturday the 17th, what a dancing crowd we had! While Stan Chapman and Loretta MacDougall supplied the jigs and reels, ready feet in the crowd kept coming up for a Baddeck Gathering record of three square sets danced in an evening! You must have been crankin'em out, Stan!

Sunday, Buddy and Rachel were joined by Joe Peter MacLean and Kristin Shaw, a young player from Margaree. Joe Peter is a traditional player who also brings fluency in Gaelic, his first language, to his music. This is special and rare today, unfortunately. Joe Peter can regularly be seen at Rollie's Thursday session in North Sydney.

Tuesday the 19th, we can't help but mention how Shelley and Allan drove'er! Great playing, guys! Shelley hails from West Bay Road, and spent a lot of time playing with Alex Francis MacKay, another native-Gaelic speaking fiddle player, and one of the last who is still believed to ''have the Gaelic in his music.'' This old flavor, repertoire and unhurried timing seeped into Shelley's approach and beautifully colors the music she makes today.

Wednesday the 20th, what diversity of visitors again! We met and danced with people from Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, England: remarkable! While Marion Dewar kept everything rolling and grounded at the piano, Anita MacDonald danced another beautiful, spontaneous solo for us, and Jennifer Bowman danced to Anita's solid fiddle playing.

See you at the ceilidh!

From St. John & Kansas City to Baddeck

Mike Hall and Jennifer Bowman set the audience feet tapping again in another rousing Monday night ceilidh.

Hailing from St. John, New Brunswick, Mike Hall has become a sought-after performer in Cape Breton music, even among connoisseurs of the music. He has captured a Margaree/Cheticamp flavor, which is quite distinctive to hear in the younger generation these days. His drive and solid rhythms send your feet to dance floor and exhilarate the ears. Mike expects to be working on a debut cd this fall, so we will look forward to its release in Spring 2009.

Visitors on the 18th included individuals from the length and breadth of North America, as well as Iran and Australia! One woman so enjoyed the ceilidh, with beaming smile she declared, "I was simply in heaven!"

Is this why Cape Breton is often referred to as God's Country?

See you at the ceilidh!

From the four corners they come

to hear our music and learn of the history and culture. What an honor to be an representative of this rich heritage to so many people, themselves representing so many lands and cultures.


In the last week alone we've had visitors from South Africa, China, New Caledonia (an island in the South Pacific), England, France, Switzerland and others. Remarkable!

Tuesday the 12th Shelley Campbell and Andrea Beaton shared the stage. Stan Chapman of Antigonish visited and shared some tunes, and to our surprise, a fiddler from Ireland, Liz Doherty landed in. It is not hard to look forward to something new every night!

Wednesday, while Jennifer Bowman and Marion Dewar supplied the tunes, we had a special step dancing guest: Harvey MacKinnon, of Whycocomagh. Harvey recently celebrated his 73rd birthday and can dance rings around many half his age. He has been highly respected as one of the island's best since his youth, and rightfully so. His accurate and smoothly executed steps are a pleasure to watch. Another volunteer from the audience was a lady from Ontario, who joined in on a set of reels with her spoons.

We heard from the Walkers who had nothing but praise for the Chanterelle Inn in North River. This is their 4th season to stay there. They love it. The food is all locally grown and prepared. Excellent! What better to compliment good music than good food?

Thursday, we welcomed Andrea Beaton back, this time with Jennifer Bowman. They switched back and forth from fiddle to piano seamlessly. Andrea was excited to debut her new tune book. Congrats, Andrea! It looks great! The new tune book, as well as all of Andrea's cds and more bio info are all available at her site. Just click on her name!

See you at the ceilidh!

When it rains in Cape Breton, it pours fiddlers!

On Shelly's Tuesday night, a young fiddler named Megan Samm from Lawrencetown played. She is only 9 years old and takes fiddle lessons in the Halifax area. Keep up the good work, Megan!

Wednesday we had a plethora of visitors taking the stage! Our own Anita MacDonald treated the crowd to her weightless footwork again, as she is so able to do.

Getting things rolling after the break was a group of young fiddlers and Irish Dancers from New Brunswick who are travelling throughout Cape Breton. They toured the island doing several performances and participated in dance and fiddle workshops. They are part of a musical troupe called the Celtic Discovery Performing Troupe, consisting of 12 members ranging from ages 11-16 years old. They performed 3 fiddle medleys for us as well as Irish soft and hard shoe routines.

While they were around they made the most of their time, including performances at Chestico Days, Port Hood, the Bras d'Or Lakes Inn in St. Peter's, Strathspey Place, the Barn at the Normaway Inn, and finally The Lobster Kettle, in Louisbourg.

Then a visitor from Wales who has become a regular attendee at our ceilidhs: Robert Woodley. He has attended the Gaelic College, and shared a set of tunes on his accordion as well as a song, accompanying himself on guitar. We are sure to see you again, Robert! Cheers!

After we thought the dust had cleared from the traffic at the door (what a crowd we had! standing room only!), yet another musician came in, this time a young man from Montreal, Jacques, fiddle case thrown over his back. Well, we couldn't let him leave without a tune as well! He gracefully obliged and shared a set of Quebecois reels that set every one's feet a'tapping as well as a traditional Cape Breton set of strathspey and reels.

What does the next hold? Nobody knows- you have to come see for yourself!

See you at the ceilidh!

Highland fling, whistle and sing!

Friday night Robbie and Isaac Fraser, brothers from Inverness county, entertained a large crowd. It is always great to have such a good crowd! The Frasers have 2 great traditional cds to their credit, the newest of which is available for sale any night at the Ceilidh.

Saturday a young girl from Ontario did the Highland fling to the music of Carl MacKenzie and Doug MacPhee. Carl and Doug are two living legends in their own rite and we are privileged to have them share their wealth of musical history and expertise with us. Both of them have done a lot of recording as well, so if you enjoyed this ceilidh, you can easily find much more of them!

Sunday we had another packed house, and everyone enjoyed Rachel Davis and Buddy Mac Donald. They wowed the crowd with their tunes, songs, and antics. Buddy is a seasoned performer who has entertained crowds far and wide with a natural wit and ability to tell a story with his songs. Rachel, while still a young lady, is gaining such experience, especially after her recent trip to Scotland with the Fiddler's Association.

Mike Hall and Jennifer Bowman resumed their Monday night slot as of last night, August 4th. A couple of the audience volunteers included a harmonica player from West Virginia who did a duet with Jennifer, and a tin whistle player from Conamara, in the west of Ireland. Richard is a native Irish speaker from the Gaeltacht (Irish speaking area) and played an air, Sé fath mo Bhuartha, followed by a couple marches on his whistle. He is visiting Cape Breton to attend the Gaelic College and learn some of our Scots Gaelic.
Go raibh maith agat, a Richard! Tar ar ais arís!

See you at the ceilidh!

One never knows what a ceilidh holds.

Shelly Campbell and Allan Dewar supplied wonderful music as usual Tuesday and we recognized a few in the crowd, locals who came to appreciate their artistry. There were enough even to finish off the night with some of our own great dancers doing part of a real Baddeck set: an unusual treat.

Of course we always ask for volunteers from the crowd to share their talents, and this evening there was a young pianist from Quebec who charmed all with her own original compositions.

Wednesday, however, was definitely a stray from routine. Due to the tragic accident on Hwy 105, Jennifer was held up almost 2 hours, and the ceilidh was left to improv!
Thankfully Bucky Carmichael was in attendance, a Gaelic singer, who entertained with stories, jokes and songs. Marion Dewar had been able to make it, and was driven'er on a few piano solos. Rachel Davis came in and played a few great tunes, to which Jennifer step danced. Hannah from the great state of Delaware in the United States, played several selections on her fiddle after her Dad went back to their room to get it! Thanks Hannah and Father! Jennifer arrived in time to do the 2nd half and played 15 extra minutes at the end to help compensate.

To close the evening, after a moment of silence, an air was played in dedication and memory to the victims of the dreadful accident.

We are still thankful and count ourselves blessed, for our own health and safety, and if a delay in our plans is all we have to complain of, we are doing quite well.

For the audience patience and good cheer with the whole evening, and all who filled in because of the delays, BGC sends out a big warm thanks!

See you at the ceilidh!

do we have to follow that?

Colin Grant was accompanied by Jennifer Bowman for our Monday the 28th ceilidh. You wouldn't know it had been 2 years since they had played together!


Rachel Davis and Anita MacDonald did some great fiddling and step dancing, respectively.


A surprise from the crowd, however, was Moshe Weidenfeld, who played some mean jazz piano, and left Jennifer saying, "Do I have to follow that??" Moshe is from Brooklyn, New York and is here with wife on holidays. He said he was wishing for more time in Cape Breton.

It's a big job getting the word out that Cape Breton is, in fact, God's country. One visitor at a time is converted as they have the opportunity to enjoy our beautiful little corner of the world.

See you at the ceilidh!

Guitars, fiddles, and accordions! Oh my!

Friday night, we enjoyed some great tunes with Robbie and Isaac Fraser. Visiting from Ottawa, we met Patrick, who played along on his button accordion. He seemed familiar with many Cape Breton tunes; I don't think this was his first ceilidh!

Carl MacKenzie and Pat Chafe, daughter of renowned violinist Winnie Chafe, came down to replace Kolten MacDonell and Susan MacLean on short notice Saturday night. Carl and Pat have played together for years and compliment each other's playing nicely. Carl is known for his tremendous repertoire of traditional tunes and he plays with such finesse! It makes for great listening music, and he has 11 cds to his credit, so if you missed him Saturday, you can always hear more in the comfort of your own home! His latest recording is available from Cranford Publications here. Anita Mac Donald couldn't help but step'er off to some of his lively strathspeys and reels. Anita also played some fine fiddle tunes herself.

Buddy Mac Donald and Rachel Davis are back for their Sunday night sessions. This Sunday we saw a young fiddler from St.Peter's, Megan Burke, play a group number with Rachel.

See you at the ceilidh!

Into Week Four...

On Tuesday the 22nd, we had another great ceilidh with Shelly Campbell and Allan Dewar who were joined on some numbers by Chris who played bodhran, the Irish frame drum. Rachel Davis, a local fiddler, played some for us while Shelly step danced.

Some visitors who had been at the Highland Village recommended it, and said they saw a video that included a fiddle number called the "Gael", as played, they thought, by Dougie MacLean.

Look for a tune in this coming week's Victoria Standard which makes mention of our ceilidh. Paul Cranford, who's site can be seen here, includes original compositions regularly, and this week's will be from one the the Ceilidh's own, Jennifer Bowman.

She was at the Ceilidh with Marion Dewar Wednesday the 23rd. We at the ceilidh consider it lucky that she has come to stay in Nova Scotia from Kansas, and plays the Cape Breton style. Jennifer and Marion were joined by quite a goodly collection of volunteers from the audience. Robin Hazeslip of Independence, Missouri, danced an Irish reel for us. Burton MacIntyre, who "lives 30 minutes from every dance in Cape Breton" and attends most of them, danced a solo despite his recent knee surgery. In a beautiful, strong voice, Jennifer's mother, Judy Collins, visiting from Kansas, sang My God is Real. 9 year old Kate played Heart and Soul for us on the piano, first solo, then as a duet with Jennifer. John of Belleville, Ontario came up for a rendition of Chariots of Fire.

Thursday the 24th Melody and Derrick Cameron were joined by Melody's sister, Kelly. Melody and Kelly have danced together for years, renowned locally as the Warner Sisters. They are known for their interesting steps, tight unison, and clean execution. Kelly's children Mikayla, Sachelle and Stephen were in attendance and you can see more of them at the Broad Cove concert on Sunday. We had fiddle tunes from Jane Young from Ontario and heard some Cajun fiddle style by Tom Norman from Lafayette, Louisiana.

Always surprises, always treats awaiting at St. Michael's parish hall upon a summer's eve.

See you at the ceilidh!

Young ladies share talents

Though it was a rainy day and a rainy night, we found sunny, cheering atmosphere in the ceilidh Monday night!

Another simply phenomenal pianist took the stage Monday: Joel Chiasson. Hailing originally from Cheticamp, Joel has played over the years with nearly every great fiddler the island has seen, and his harmonic wonders make even the best sound better.

After the break we were delighted to welcome a couple of young ladies from the audience to share their talents with us. First, 8 year old Morgan from Ontario played a dandy rendering of O Canada for us on her recorder.

Then an international constituent : Iona MacDonald, a mere 10 years old, from Aberdeen, Scotland, sang Fagail Lismor (Leaving Lismore), a Gaelic song she learned in her Gaelic medium school in Aberdeen. What a treat to hear the ancient tongue so fluently out of the mouth of the younger generation. Bha sin gle-mhath, a Iona!

There was fantastic step dancing to be seen as well, care of Anita MacDonald who has been visiting us a number of times, and giving audiences a superb example of traditional Cape Breton dance. Thanks, Anita!

See you at the ceilidh!

Over the weekend

Robbie and Isaac Fraser returned for our Friday night ceilidh. They were joined by a bongo drummer from Florida who said playing at the ceilidh made his trip! Thanks!


Stan Chapman and Donnie Campbell played Saturday, and Mairi Thom dropped by and played beautiful Cape Breton tunes as well as some Scottish jigs. Originally from Scotland, Mairi is currently living in Baddeck working as a veterinarian.


Sunday was Andrew McFayden's CD release. Congrats, Andrew! Andrew has learned the Gaelic language ,songs and history from attending the Gaelic College at St.Ann's .
Dara Smith and Susan MacLean also played.

Andrew's web site http://www.grianmcbuttons.ca/ can be accessed for further dates and info.

One couple mentioned dining at the Baddeck Lobster Suppers, and they thoroughly enjoyed their meal.

See you at the ceilidh!

Thursday the 17th, Melody and Derrick Cameron were joined by Joel Chiasson on piano. Melody and Derrick have a lot of experience educating about Scottish and Cape Breton musical traditions with their group Triskele, as well as a couple recordings available for sale at their website which you can access by clicking here.

We had the surprise treat of seeing Melody's niece, Mikayla, demonstrate some step-dancing.

Emma From Scotland sang a Scottish song and Henry from BC lead the audience in a folk song.

Good diversity, good audience participation, good ceilidh!

See you at the ceilidh!

Another good ceilidh Wednesday the 16th with a selection of really great visitors sharing their talents as well!

One pianist who has become a regular at Baddeck in the last couple years is Marion Dewar. A seasoned accompanist, she has toured Europe and parts of the States with Jerry Holland and now is very in-demand locally. She will be around most every Wednesday over July and August, and let me say, she was on fire this evening! Great chording, Marion!


Becky and John (hope I remember those names right!) from London, Ontario shared some Irish session tunes with us on the fiddle and concertina and Bill from Tarbot, Nova Scotia told a humorous story in Gaelic and English.


We also had 2 visitors from Scotland and one from Liverpool, in addition to our normal mix of Canadians and Americans. One of the Scottish folks was able to educate us on the geographical origin of the term 'strathspey.' It is apparently from a valley (not a town) in the northeast of Scotland. We can all learn from each other.

See you at the ceilidh!

Beaton infiltration!

Margie and Dawn Beaton graced our stage last night. They are in the process of recording their first cd, so we have that to look forward to after this taste! This was the first time they played the Baddeck Gathering Ceilidh; hopefully they'll be back.

Watch our blog to get news of their cd release.

Tom from Dayton, Ohio was visiting the ceilidh here after having seen Natalie MacMaster in concert.

As is usual at all our ceilidhs, we saw visitors from many parts of Canada and the US. One couple in particular had dinner at the Bell Buoy Restaurant and recommends the "Haddock Au Gratin."

See you at the Ceilidh!

Lots of news since we last posted!


We've had a lot of great visitors, not to mention the host of musicians and singers sharing their talents with us as well. It's looking like we are off to a rollicking start of another great season.


Wednesday, July 9th we had TWO tour groups come in! A full house indeed! The Millennium Choir group from Kitchener, Ontario, shared their vocal talents with us (as well as the director's sense of humor!), as did the Anne D'Cruz tour group. We enjoyed their enthusiasm for the music and great dancing too!


Thursday night a young Irish dancer from Aurora showed off her jig steps. Excellent!

Friday night a mandolin player from New Hampshire dropped in and joined Robbie and Isaac Fraser on stage for a couple numbers.


Let us take this opportunity to make sure all musicians know they are welcome to join us on stage for a number or two! That's part of what makes it a ceilidh! Just let one of us know beforehand or at the break, and we will call you up!


A delegate of Ross clan members from Ontario visited us Sunday, July 13th and enjoyed the music of Gabrielle MacLellan and Tom Daniels. They partook in an afternoon sail on the Amoeba, had a fine dinner at Lynwood Inn and recommended you ask for Barb to be your server. Great serving, Barb!


Sounds like they took full advantage of a number of the great opportunities in Baddeck!

Hope you can too!



See you at the Ceilidh!

Blackford Fiddle Group

We had the opportunity to have a coffee on June 2 with Jan, Glen and Kate from a fiddle group called the Blackford Fiddlers. They are from Perthshire, Scotland. We met and discussed the Baddeck Gathering Ceilidhs. The group is planning a trip to Cape Breton in 2009. Find out more about them by clicking this link. They look like a very interesting group: do a lot of teaching and performing.

We look forward to seeing you guys at the ceilidh!

Welcome!

The Baddeck Gathering is opening a blog to provide a forum to share some of the stories and antics from the Ceilidhs themselves. Feel free to comment with your own stories and feedback, especially if you have had the opportunity to attend a ceilidh yourself.

We look forward to this season with anticipation as we have another great lineup and a history of good times fresh in our memory.

Keep checking back for blog updates, and of course if you find yourself in Baddeck, drop in for some tunes and tea!