Presented By
NTIF 2012 Headline Performers
The theme of "Fiddles and Harps" guided our selection of musicians for this years festival, though judging by our first two bands it could quite easily be called Musical Families.
Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy - Two Fiddles Two Pianos
With roots that run deep into the time-honored traditions of their native Cape Breton and artistic imaginations that unceasingly seek new horizons, Natalie McMaster and Donnell Leahy explore the richness of Celtic music while expanding its possibilities. Each a celebrated fiddle virtuoso, they combine talents to conjure up a whirlwind of driving rhythms, soaring tonalities and mesmerizing step dances that takes their audience's breath away.
Equally at home on the concert stage or at a folk festival, Natalie MacMaster, niece of famed Cape Breton fiddler Buddy McMaster is one of the most versatile and exciting young musicians on both the Folk and Celtic music scenes. Natalie's live performances are a testament to her incandescent musicianship and boundless energy, featuring foot-tapping rave-ups, heart-rending ballads, and world-class step dancing.
Donnell Leahy also hails from a musical family and took to the stage with his eight brothers and sisters to delight audiences across North America with their expert musicianship, explosive energy and intense emotion. Among the accolades accorded to this family of musicians are Juno Awards for Best New Group, Best Country Group and Best Instrumental Album, as well as the Socan award for Folk/Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year. In addition, their commercial success includes capturing the number four spot on Billboard's World Music chart for their self-titled album, Leahys.
This is going to be a special treat! Fiddlers Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy team up with pianists Mac Morin and Erin Leahy to present a show that is completely different from typical Natalie MacMaster or Leahy shows. It's a pared down line-up that offers an intimate experience, reflecting the musicality of these two pairs of performers. The laid back presentation allows each of the pairs to do what they love--play music together--in a tangible, touchable setting that's more like bringing music to your home than a typical concert setting. By the way, they can dance too!
Máire Ní Chathasaigh & Chris Newman, Nollaig Casey & Arty McGlynn - Heartstrings
Two renowned duos. Two gifted sisters. Two extraordinary guitarists. A multi-faceted, unique quartet... Some of the most important names in Irish music; legendary guitarist Arty McGlynn, virtuoso fiddler Nollaig Casey and brilliant harper Máire Ní Chathasaigh, came together in 2008 to record with Britain's finest flat-picking guitarist Chris Newman. The resulting music crosses boundaries in a tour-de-force of world-class guitar-playing, sensuous singing, fiddle-playing of heart-melting lyricism and powerful, passionate harping.
Máire is Ireland's most influential harper. As a teenager in Co Cork in the early 1970s she invented an entirely new style that quickly became the norm amongst both her contemporaries and the younger generation of harpers. A multiple All-Ireland and Pan-Celtic winner, in 1985 she recorded the very first harp album to concentrate on traditional Irish dance music.
Chris is a "brilliant English master of the acoustic guitar" (The Daily Telegraph) and a prolific composer, arranger and record producer. He bagan to play guitar at the age of four and at fourteen played his first paid gig in a folk club. He's played with luminaries of many musical worldsincluding Boys of the Lough, Stéphane Grappelli and Diz Disley.
Máire's sister Nollaig is one of Ireland's most eminent musicians, with her own unique way of playing traditional Irish music on the fiddle. Her utterly distinctive and inimitable sound and style has held such appeal for other musicians that there hardly exists any major Irish artist of the last 20 years with whom shw has not worked. Her powerful presence has graced two of Ireland's most influential bands, the legendary Planxty and the ground-breaking Coolfin.
Arty is one of the best-known and most influential musicians in Ireland, with a unique understanding of music he performs. Born in Omagh, Co. Tyrone, his family was steeped in traditional music and when he was eleven his mother bought him his first guitar. Touring professionally with showbands and rock bands throughout Irelend, the UK and the USA from the age of fifteen, his playing soon came under the influence of Wes Montgomery and Thelonius Monk.
Eileen Ivers
Eileen Ivers & Immigrant Soul, Nine Time All-Ireland Fiddle Champion, London Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony at The Kennedy Center, Boston Pops, original musical star of Riverdance, The Chieftains, Sting, Hall and Oates, Randy Brecker, Patti Smith, Paula Cole, Al Di Meola, Steve Gadd, founding member of Cherish the Ladies, Grammy awarded musician, movie soundtracks including Gangs of New York, performed for Presidents and Royalty worldwide…this is a short list of accomplishments, headliners, tours, and affiliations. Fiddler Eileen Ivers has established herself as the pre-eminent exponent of the Irish fiddle in the world today.
It is a rare and select grade of spectacular artists whose work is so boldly imaginative and clearly virtuosic that it alters the medium. It has been said that the task of respectfully exploring the traditions and progression of the Celtic fiddle is quite literally on Eileen Ivers' shoulders. The Washington Post states, "She suggests the future of the Celtic fiddle."
She's been called a "sensation" by Billboard magazine and "the Jimi Hendrix of the violin" by The New York Times. "She electrifies the crowd with a dazzling show of virtuoso playing" says The Irish Times. Ivers' recording credits include over 80 contemporary and traditional albums and numerous movie scores. Her latest CD, entitled 'Eileen Ivers & Immigrant Soul' continues to display why Ivers is hailed as one of the great innovators and pioneers in the Celtic and World music genres.
The daughter of Irish immigrants, Eileen Ivers grew up in the culturally diverse neighborhood of the Bronx, New York. Rooted in Irish traditional music since the age of eight, Eileen proceeded to win nine All-Ireland fiddle championships, a tenth on tenor banjo and over 30 championship medals, making her one of the most awarded persons ever to compete in these prestigious competitions.
Celtic Fiddle Festival
The original Celtic Fiddle Festival was a tour by three outstanding fiddlers - Kevin Burke from Ireland, the late Johnny Cunningham from Scotland and Christian LeMaitre of Brittany, and NTIF was proud to host that original lineup in 2002. This year Kevin and Christian will be joined by André Brunet and guitarist Nicholas Quemener.
Kevin Burke is a world-renowned Irish fiddle master, playing the beautifully fluid, highly-ornamented style of County Sligo. Kevin has been a mainstay of several seminal Irish supergroups, from The Bothy Band to Patrick Street, and has toured and recorded with countless artists. London-born to Sligo parents and now living in Portland, Oregon, Kevin was awarded the National Heritage Award in 2002, America's highest honor in the traditional arts.
Christian Lemaître is from Brittany, the Celtic region in northwest France. A master of traditional music, and one of the first to translate traditional Breton music to the fiddle, Christian is a member of the outstanding Breton groups Kornog and Pennou Skoulin. His style and repertoire includes hypnotically rhythmic Breton dance tunes with influences from Southern and Eastern Europe.
André Brunet is a wonderful young fiddle player from the French-Canadian band La Bottine Souriante. André commands a vast repertoire of French-Canadian jigs and reels, plus folk tunes originating from France, England, Ireland, and Scotland, imbued with a color and rhythm particular to Québec.
They will be accompanied by guitarist Nicolas Quemener. Nicholas grew up in Angers, France and studied percussion in the National School of Music. Emigrating to Ireland in 1990, he joined Arcady, remaining with the group until 1994 when he joined the Belgian band, Orion. In 1997 and 1998, Quemener toured with Dan Ar Braz' fifty-piece group, Heritage Des Celtes. In addition to working with Kornog, he continues to play in a duo that he shares with uillean piper Ronan Le Bars, and, joined by Lemaitre, in a trio that backs Celtic vocalist Gilles Servat.
Goitse
Traditional Melodies, Modern Rhythms and new compositions are synthesized by this five piece band all of whom are students of Traditional Music and Dance at the University of Limerick. The band, which is now entering its third year, was formed after Eoin Coughlan asked musicians to play for Telethon at Dolan's, Limerick. The session produced exciting playing and an instant chemistry between the musicians and on that night Goitse was formed.
All five students are rooted firmly within the tradition and are well known and respected within Irish music circles. Their recently released CD includes many of their own compositions and owes its distinctive sound to the collaborative arrangements by all members.
Goitse have gone from supporting acts and opening concerts for Beoga, Martin Hayes and Denis Cahill, Donal Luny Martin O Connor and Andy Irvine, The Alan Kelly Quartet, the trio of Cathal Hayden, Seamie O Dowd and Johnny Ringo Mc Donagh to performing concerts in the four provinces of Ireland, parts of Europe and even as far afield as Africa. Recently Goitse have had the honour of playing the Half time interval in the All Ireland semi Final football match between Kildare and Down which had an attendance of 62,182.
Goitse's debut album which, was released in January 2010, has gained much praise from critics with the Hotpress magazine assuring Irish traditional music lovers that "They play with an easy assurance that should cause those fretting about the future of Irish trad to rest more easily at night".
Seamus Kennedy
In his thirty years of professional performing, Seamus has taken his music from Alaska to Florida, Maryland to California and a host of stops in between, playing everything from the pubs to the concert halls. As a result, he is a master showman of exceptional musical skills and unmatched repartee.
Seamus has released eleven CDs of both contemporary and traditional material, including Christmas songs and a children's album. The Washington Area Music Association has awarded him a WAMMIE for "Best Irish/Celtic Male Vocalist" every year since 1993. His versatility makes him a headliner at Celtic festivals such as Hunter Mountain, Celtic Classic, Longs Peak Scottish Irish Festival, and at Sacramento Highland Games. Seamus is often invited to perform for various organizations, including the Ancient Order of Hibernians, Fraternal Order of Police, Firemen, military groups and the Bar Association. There is always something for everybody.
Seamus' trademark is his ongoing interaction with his audiences. From the moment he steps on stage, he starts talking to them — and encourages them to talk back! He is quick with a quip and likes nothing better than to discover someone in the audience who is similarly inclined. Fast-paced humor is very much a part of what Seamus does, whether he's telling a series of rapid-fire jokes or launching into a lyrical parody.
In fact, Seamus seems to be having such a grand time and he makes it all look so effortless that it is easy not to notice what a superb musician he truly is. He will segue seamlessly from an Irish ballad about a dying town to a rollicking reel and then move into American music, equally at home with folk, pop, country or traditional. Accompanying himself on guitar or bodhran, his musicianship is much in evidence as he moves through such a vast range of styles. More information is available at www.seamus-kennedy.com.
Patrick Ball
Patrick Ball is one of the premier Celtic harp players in the world and a captivating spoken word artist. He has recorded nine instrumental and three spoken word albums which have sold well over one-half million copies internationally and won national awards in both the music and spoken word categories.
Along with Celtic Harp and Story, his beguiling blend of music and spoken word concerts, Patrick has written and currently performs two acclaimed solo musical theater pieces: O'Carolan's Farewell to Music, which brings to the stage the legendary life, the turbulent times and the glorious music of Ireland's most celebrated and beloved musician, Turlough O'Carolan, and The Fine Beauty of the Island, a musical journey to Ireland's legendary Blasket Islands in search of a deeply haunting tune and the vanished islanders who played it. Patrick also presents an ensemble performance, The Flame of Love, a spoken word and Early Music retelling of the greatest of medieval legends, The Romance of Tristan and Iseult.
Patrick Ball is "a rare artist." For in playing the ancient, legendary brass-strung harp of Ireland with its crystalline, bell-like voice and performing marvelous tales of wit and enchantment, he not only brings new life to two cherished traditions, but blends them in concert to create "a richly theatrical and hauntingly beautiful performance."
Ed Miller with Scooter Muse & Jil Chambless, plus John Taylor
Ed Miller has been hailed as "one of the finest singers to come out of the Scottish Folksong Revival" and as "one of Scotland's best singing exports." Originally from Edinburgh, he has for many years been based in Austin, TX where he gained graduate degrees in Folklore and Geography at the University of Texas. Ed is available for concerts, clubs, house concerts, festivals, Highland Games and Burns Suppers, as well as for lectures and workshops and has recorded 8 CD's of Scottish songs.
For a number of years now Ed has also been leading tours through the lowlands and highlands of his Scottish homeland.
"The aim of the tours," says Ed "is to give people the chance to enjoy and learn about Scotland through experiencing its music and landscape. You will meet and hear performers and songwriters on their home ground, visit the contexts from which the songs and music have come, and have the chance to enjoy occasional hikes in both the Lowlands and the Highlands."
Ed will be joined again by two great friends/musicians from the Alabama band Henri's Notions - Scooter Muse on guitar and Jil Chambless, vocals and flute - they've been playing as a trio whenever possible at festivals in the southeast, and performed at the Mull of Kintyre Festival and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland. Jil has recently released her first solo album, "The Ladies Go Dancing", produced by Brian McNeill.
A special guest this year will be the return to Dallas of John Taylor, fiddler and composer from Buckie in Scotland and a past winner of the Niel Gow award for Scottish fiddling. He now lives in California and leads the band Hamewith.
John is well known in Scottish country dance circles having appeared in many parts of the world including the USA, Canada, New Zealand and various parts of the UK. John is a frequent visitor to folk music events in Texas where he is highly regarded and known for his large repertoire, and plays at many US wide festivals each year.
© 2010-12 Southwest Celtic Music Association, Inc. All Rights Reserved.