Last night Susan MacLean came in to fill in for Marion Dewar on piano, joining Jennifer Bowman for the first time in a few years. A happy reunion! Jennifer and Susan played many Baddeck Ceilidhs together over the years, but haven't had the opportunity recently.
Susan's experience chording for many in her family, including her grandfather, Michael Anthony MacLean, and her uncles Carl and Hector MacKenzie and many many others, have given her a broad knowledge of the tradition and has armed her to sit ready, full of music, with any fiddler who finds themself in her company. Her sensitive style and solid timing provide a great support and foundation for the fiddler, and her humility allow the music to shine in its own natural beauty and worth, without flash or flaunt.
Two bright faces in the crowd turned out to be two very talented young people: sister and brother, Elizabeth and Ben Anderson, aged 15 and 11 respectively. Elizabeth and Ben were visiting Nova Scotia with their parents from Westborough, Massachusetts. Both violinists, they are regular attendees at the Boston Harbor Fiddle School, and are learning the Scottish fiddle style as well as becoming accomplished in their classical music studies. They played a medley together for the crowd, including Cape Breton tunes Dusky Meadow and Mortgage Burn, the first of which is purported to have been composed by Donald MacLellan, and the latter by local pianist Gordon MacLean. Susan accompanied them.
Also in the crowd were a couple from Dublin, Ireland, and the lady sang us a humorous song in Irish Gaelic, An Poc Ar Buile, about a cranky billy goat.
Go raibh maith agat as d'amhráin, a Bhean Uasal!
See you at the ceilidh!
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Hardly a boring Wednesday at the office.
What a night!
We have all heard good music, nominal music, music that is pleasant or interesting: but sometimes we are met with magical music. It is otherworldly, it moves you. It touches something deeper in you than just sound waves in your ears.
We write this having just experienced some of the magical variety at our very own ceilidh.
It makes sense that often in Celtic folklore, the best musicians were rumoured to have received their gift from the fairies. Listeners could find no natural explanation for those sounds which left them speechless and full of joy. How is it, that these waves of sound can lift my spirit and thrill me?
We seek answers in vain. Beauty, be in it a sunset, or in the strains of a violin or piano, is enigmatic and elusive to description. It is ready to be enjoyed, however, and that, Friends, we are, here in Baddeck! Cape Breton has been blessed with a multitude of wonderful musicians and a good number are featured at our ceilidh nightly. The last few nights are good testament to that. Our humble parish hall has been filled to capacity with many congregating on the step to hear whatever they can manage.
Last night Leanne and Marion were on fire! Marion was all over that piano as we have come to expect from her! Leanne, fresh from a year in Ireland, was full of good tunes and had her characteristic powerful drive in full swing.
Robbie and Jennifer were fantastic tonight- there was magic in the air, indeed! They traded places effortlessly between fiddle and piano, giving each other a turn at the lead chair. For those who arrived unsuspecting, what a treat they received!
Robbie Fraser, together with his brother Isaac, have just released their 3rd cd, Everything Old is New Again. It is hot off the presses, only coming off the truck in the last couple weeks. Based on what we heard tonight, this is not one to be missed.
If for some reason you were unable to get their recording tonight, or find it elsewhere, Robbie did leave some with us at the ceilidh, so Everything Old is New Again will be available for purchase nightly at the Baddeck Gathering along with Mike Hall's recent release, A Legacy, Not to Be Forgotten. Both are $20 each.
See you at the ceilidh!
We have all heard good music, nominal music, music that is pleasant or interesting: but sometimes we are met with magical music. It is otherworldly, it moves you. It touches something deeper in you than just sound waves in your ears.
We write this having just experienced some of the magical variety at our very own ceilidh.
It makes sense that often in Celtic folklore, the best musicians were rumoured to have received their gift from the fairies. Listeners could find no natural explanation for those sounds which left them speechless and full of joy. How is it, that these waves of sound can lift my spirit and thrill me?
We seek answers in vain. Beauty, be in it a sunset, or in the strains of a violin or piano, is enigmatic and elusive to description. It is ready to be enjoyed, however, and that, Friends, we are, here in Baddeck! Cape Breton has been blessed with a multitude of wonderful musicians and a good number are featured at our ceilidh nightly. The last few nights are good testament to that. Our humble parish hall has been filled to capacity with many congregating on the step to hear whatever they can manage.
Last night Leanne and Marion were on fire! Marion was all over that piano as we have come to expect from her! Leanne, fresh from a year in Ireland, was full of good tunes and had her characteristic powerful drive in full swing.
Robbie and Jennifer were fantastic tonight- there was magic in the air, indeed! They traded places effortlessly between fiddle and piano, giving each other a turn at the lead chair. For those who arrived unsuspecting, what a treat they received!
Robbie Fraser, together with his brother Isaac, have just released their 3rd cd, Everything Old is New Again. It is hot off the presses, only coming off the truck in the last couple weeks. Based on what we heard tonight, this is not one to be missed.
If for some reason you were unable to get their recording tonight, or find it elsewhere, Robbie did leave some with us at the ceilidh, so Everything Old is New Again will be available for purchase nightly at the Baddeck Gathering along with Mike Hall's recent release, A Legacy, Not to Be Forgotten. Both are $20 each.
See you at the ceilidh!
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Week 2: 2009 Season
By now we've seen and heard most all of our regulars: Shelly Campbell, Rachel Davis, Buddy MacDonald, husband and wife team Melody & Derrick Cameron, Susan MacLean, Jennifer Bowman and Mike Hall, as well as Dwayne Cote, who made a wonderful appearance with Kevin Levesconte on piano of the 4th of July. Dwayne and Kevin are two great players that we don't often get the opportunity to hear.
We would also like welcome Helen MacDonald and Scott MacKenzie to our weekly lineup this year.
Every night has been great. Fantastic crowds and music to match.
Tuesday the 7th we had a tour visiting whose leader presented the Chariots of Fire theme on the piano. There was also a Quebecois fiddler visiting as well, and he cracked out a few tunes for us. It is always a treat for us to discover what talents are waiting to be enjoyed in our audience! Please don't be shy when you come to visit us!
Wednesday the 8th, we had a Baddeck Gathering first. Our square set participants got so excited, and were having so much fun, they couldn't manage to finish the square set! In all our 10 years, that has never happened! We all collapsed in our seats with eruptions of laughter, wiping a tear from the eye, we were laughing so hard. They were a fun group. Oh to be a fly on the wall of THAT bus!
We will be hearing Chrissy Crowley tonight. Chrissy counts as close blood family the renowned musical family, the Chisholms of Margaree: Archie Neil, Cameron, Maybelle, Margaret. Come out and listen to see if you can hear that famous Margaree sound.
See you at the ceilidh!
We would also like welcome Helen MacDonald and Scott MacKenzie to our weekly lineup this year.
Every night has been great. Fantastic crowds and music to match.
Tuesday the 7th we had a tour visiting whose leader presented the Chariots of Fire theme on the piano. There was also a Quebecois fiddler visiting as well, and he cracked out a few tunes for us. It is always a treat for us to discover what talents are waiting to be enjoyed in our audience! Please don't be shy when you come to visit us!
Wednesday the 8th, we had a Baddeck Gathering first. Our square set participants got so excited, and were having so much fun, they couldn't manage to finish the square set! In all our 10 years, that has never happened! We all collapsed in our seats with eruptions of laughter, wiping a tear from the eye, we were laughing so hard. They were a fun group. Oh to be a fly on the wall of THAT bus!
We will be hearing Chrissy Crowley tonight. Chrissy counts as close blood family the renowned musical family, the Chisholms of Margaree: Archie Neil, Cameron, Maybelle, Margaret. Come out and listen to see if you can hear that famous Margaree sound.
See you at the ceilidh!
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Day 1, 2009 Season
Well that was certainly a good start to a new year of ceilidhs!
Jennifer Bowman and Marion Dewar were crackin' the jigs and reels all night, and there were smiles on every face! We especially enjoyed a couple toddlers who were givin' a few steps and showing their unashamed enthusiasm. What a treat!
Jennifer was fresh from playing at the Celtic Music Interpretive Centre in Judique last Sunday, and was ready to get the ball rolling Wednesday night.
We enjoyed visitors from the entire length and breadth of North America: there were very few border states from the US that were not represented! We also had around 6 from Germany and a couple from Denmark.
Now that we've tasted the fun again, we are hooked. We'll have to do this every night!
Don't just take our word on it that it's good, however. Come out and join us!
See you at the ceilidh!
Jennifer Bowman and Marion Dewar were crackin' the jigs and reels all night, and there were smiles on every face! We especially enjoyed a couple toddlers who were givin' a few steps and showing their unashamed enthusiasm. What a treat!
Jennifer was fresh from playing at the Celtic Music Interpretive Centre in Judique last Sunday, and was ready to get the ball rolling Wednesday night.
We enjoyed visitors from the entire length and breadth of North America: there were very few border states from the US that were not represented! We also had around 6 from Germany and a couple from Denmark.
Now that we've tasted the fun again, we are hooked. We'll have to do this every night!
Don't just take our word on it that it's good, however. Come out and join us!
See you at the ceilidh!
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