Festival
logo courtesy of Celtic Colours International Festival Website |
| The Celtic Colours
International Festival is the music event for you if you're a fan of
Celtic Music. The 6th annual festival recently wrapped up, taking
place October 11-19, 2002. This was my 4th time attending the
festival and it keeps getting better with more performers and spectators
coming to attend and take part in this unique festival.
What makes this festival unique is the venue. Taking place in Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada, you are able to see the music in an area where a lot of the music came from and is still popular. A backdrop of blazing fall foliage is the setting for a gathering of some of the world's finest Celtic performers. The leaves and scenery in Cape Breton are spectacular at this time of year, making it the perfect time for a holiday to Canada's east coast. Cape Breton Island has produced such great musicians as The Rankins, Natalie MacMaster, Buddy MacMaster, The Barra MacNeils, Ashley MacIsaac, just to name a few.
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The Celtic Colours International Festival takes place in almost 40 communities around the island. From arenas and theatres, to pubs, parish halls and churches, the festival provides an intimacy that isn't seen elsewhere. The audience can be sitting within mere inches of the stage, able to see and hear the performers in an acoustic setting. Whether you come for a day, a weekend, or the whole week, there's no shortage of music to take in. Each night, you have plenty of choice as to what event to take in. There's at least 4-5 events each night, all over the island. This means that you are able to explore the island during the day and then take in a concert in the area you're staying in that evening.In 2001, there were performers from Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Spain, Denmark, the United States and the rest of Canada. They joined some of Cape Breton's finest songwriters, instrumentalists, singers, dancers and storytellers, in the celebration of living Celtic culture!
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Besides the official events, there are lots of local and special events going on. These include regular session at the local pubs, the famous West Mabou, Glencoe Mills, and Brook Village Square Dances, Thanksgiving festivities and much more! Be sure to visit the Tourist Information Centre when you arrive on Cape Breton Island to find out what is going on. A central location to stay in is Baddeck, especially if you're planning on taking in the Festival Club. The Festival Club takes place each evening from 11pm-3am, or longer, after all the events have wrapped up. You never know who will show up on stage but each performer will likely wind up on stage here at least once here during the festival in a relaxed atmosphere. And admission is only $5 if you have a ticket from an event that evening, a definite bargain.
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Admission for festival concerts ranges from $10-25, and the concerts are usually 2-3 hours in length. You certainly get your money's worth...you often pay this price to see just one of these artists if they are in your city on tour. Be prepared to not get much sleep during this week. Between concerts and sightseeing, there's not much room to rest if you want to see everything. But who needs sleep, right? :-) You can grab a coffee at Tim Horton's, which are all around the island!You are invited to explore Cape Breton Island in all its autumn splendor to visit the many communities hosting concerts and workshops and to enjoy the season, the music and the good times. So book October 10-18, 2003 off for your vacation now and start planning your trip to Cape Breton for the 7th Annual Celtic Colours International Festival. Come join the ceilidh!
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The following is just a sample of the events that were
taking place.
Friday October 11 - Gala Opening Concert - Sydney - Centre 200 "Celtic Colours 2002 opens with an amazing showcase of international talent from Ireland, Scotland, the US and Cape Breton. Ireland’s Sharon Shannon, the darling of the first Celtic Colours Festival in 1997 returns as does Scotland’s Phil Cunningham who left last year’s audiences begging for more. Fiddle virtuoso Liz Carroll from the US makes her first Celtic Colours appearance, backed by Cape Breton’s own Tracey Dares-MacNeil. Raylene Rankin, formerly of the Rankins, and the multi-talented J.P. Cormier will represent Cape Breton in style while our two Artists in Residence, Margaret Bennett and Jerry Holland give us a wee taste of exciting days ahead."
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Saturday October 12 - Pastoral Airs - Inverness - St. Matthew's Church (matinee) "The beautiful St. Matthew’s Church in Inverness is perfect for an afternoon concert of pastoral airs. Performers from Scotland, Cape Breton and the US share poignant songs and melodies that bring tears to the eye and joy to the soul. Winnie Chafe is renowned for her interpretation of slow airs. Jerry Holland and Liz Carroll compose their own beautiful fiddle tunes. Phil Cunningham’s airs are played all over the world - he wrote one for Cape Breton on his visit last year. Margaret Bennett and the Gaelic choir Coisir An Eilein complete a memorable afternoon."
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Saturday October 12 - Whycocomagh Gathering - Whycocomagh - Consolidated School (evening) "Whycocomagh is the site of another big gathering. Two young Cape Breton bands welcome back Ireland’s Sharon Shannon who made so many friends and fans in 1997. Those friends include Beòlach, whose energetic sound has Irish as well as Scots Gaelic influences and Triskele, with its strong Gaelic roots. Three bands, fiddles, pipes, accordion, songs, dance... The energy level for this show should carry a warning sign. Hold on to your hats."
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Sunday October 13 - Only A Woman's Heart - Port Hawkesbury - SAERC "When Ireland’s Eleanor McEvoy wrote “Only a Woman’s Heart” she inspired the title for the "A Woman's Heart" anthology which became the best selling album in Irish history. She also inspired the concept for this concert which brings together women singers from Scotland, Ireland and Cape Breton. Eleanor will be joined by Shine (Alyth MacCormack, Corrina Hewat and Mary MacMaster) from Scotland and two of Cape Breton’s most beloved singers, Raylene Rankin and Mary Jane Lamond."
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Monday October 14 - My Cape Breton Home - Judique - Judique Community Centre "Our Artist in Residence, Jerry Holland, is the focus of this concert that traces the development of his music from his early life in Boston to his chosen home in Cape Breton. Dave MacIsaac and Paul MacDonald will be our guides welcoming Irish fiddler Frankie Gavin who influenced Jerry in his youth, piano players Dougie MacPhee and Hilda Chiasson, and BC fiddler Daniel Lapp, one of Jerry’s recent musical friends."
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Tuesday October 15 - Close to the Floor - Mabou - Strathspey Place "Cape Breton’s fiddle and piping tradition has been maintained largely because it is all about dancing. This performance celebrates dance including dance styles from Scotland and the US as well as our own. Fiddler Andrea Beaton will accompany a troupe of local dancers for step dancing, Scots Four and square dancing. Highland dance will be represented by the Ryan Dancers of Port Hawkesbury. Alasdair Codona of Scotland and Cucanandy of the US bring their own touch to the tradition of dance."
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Wednesday October 16 - Celtic Knot - Mabou - Strathspey Place "Celtic Colours has become a meeting place for artists from many countries bringing our Celtic world closer together through friendships and musical collaborations. For this concert Cape Breton’s Beolach will welcome their friends Shine from Scotland and Spain’s exciting Carlos Nunez Trio with piping from Galicia. The musical links between pipers, Gaelic songs, fiddles and harps will make for an amazing evening hosted by our Artist in Residence Margaret Bennett."
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Thursday October 17 - Islander's All - Port Morien - Legion "This show may just provide the answer to why Islands produce such quality and quantity of musicians. Newfoundland’s A Crowd of Bold Sharemen are joined by Cape Breton’s Cyril MacPhee and Cynthia MacLeod from P.E.I. for an evening of songs, stories and great tunes."
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Friday October 18 - Kinfolk - Inverness - Inverness Academy "Musical traditions are often carried on through families. Here we’ll see family groupings from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia and Brittany. Don’t miss this rare performance by the legendary MacLellan Trio, Buddy MacMaster accompanied by his daughter Mary Elizabeth, Kendra, Troy and Sabra MacGilivray, young siblings from Antigonish, and Jacky and Patrick Molard, brothers from France who perform traditional music of Britanny."
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Saturday October 19 - The Next Generation - Mabou - Strathspey Place There was a time when we worried that Cape Breton traditional music was at risk of dying out. Not any more. This afternoon concert is a celebration of youth and includes the Celtic Crew, a group of talented teenagers from Dalbrae Academy in Mabou, Rachel Ryan, a young fiddler and dancer from Port Hawkesbury, a family of five siblings from Mabou (age 9-16) whose surname happens to be Rankin and young PEI fiddler Cynthia MacLeod. You’re sure to agree that we can be very confident in the future.
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Saturday October 19 - World's Biggest Square Dance - Baddeck - Victoria Highland Civic Centre "Our traditional closing blast is your last opportunity to kick up your heels and also bid a fond farewell to some of your favorite festival performers like Phil Cunningham, Alison Brown, Carlos Nunez, Mairi Smith, Jackie & Patrick Molard. The square sets will be lead by some of the most respected Cape Breton dance players; Buddy MacMaster, Jerry Holland, Brenda Stubbert, Sandy MacIntyre, Dave MacIsaac, Andrea Beaton, Ian MacDougall and Dougie MacPhee. We’ll even have some good folks to help you on the dance floor so don’t be shy."
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Awards that the Celtic Colours International Festival has won
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For more info on the Celtic Colours International Festival, check out their websites at http://www.celtic-colours.com If you're interested in more Canadian Celtic Music, visit Kimberley's Canadian Celtic Music Website. |
Thanks to Odyssey Records and the Celtic Colours International Festival, we gave away 1 copy each of the 2000, 2001 and 2002 Celtic Colours International Festival CD's. Congratulations to the following winners (who have all been notified): Nancy N. from Seattle, WA |
