Chrissy
Crowley |
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Chrissy Crowley
Biography courtesy of Chrissy Crowley's Website Chrissy Crowley is the latest young celtic musician to emerge from Cape Breton, Canada and she is captivating audiences with a talent that belies her youth. Chrissy is a traditional fiddler and recording artist who has recently released her debut album. Chrissy lives in the beautiful Margaree area of Nova Scotia, Canada, a place known for it's cherished musical culture. The music of the ceilidh resonates in the majestic mountains and peaceful valleys, incorporating not only the tunes of the Scottish Gaels but also those of the area's Irish and French-Acadians. Christine Crowley is one of the new generation of fiddlers; those who are inspired by the traditions of artists who have gone before. She has embraced the music of her celtic roots and has made it her own. Christine Crowley is a Cape Breton artist whose passion for the music of her Gaelic ancestors is borne of destiny. Chrissy is the granddaughter of fiddlers Bill Crowley and Archie Neil Chisholm and her large extended family has always greatly valued the traditions of their Scottish forebears and their Newfoundland/Irish ancestors. It was Chrissy who asked her mother to take her grandfather Bill's violin out of storage. She had decided, with a resolve uncommon for one so young, to become a fiddler and listened intently to her family's home recordings of the vibrant sessions in which legendary musicians participated, including her great uncle Angus Chisholm and cousins Cameron Chisholm and Margaret (Chisholm) MacDonald. She remains a largely self-taught artist, absorbing the rich musical culture of the Margaree in which she lives by listening to the local players and learning by observation. Chrissy has on occasion been in a classroom environment, enrolling in courses at the Celtic College in Goderich, Cape Breton's Ceilidh Trail School of Music and the Gaelic College of Arts and Crafts, the latter which honoured the young musician with an "outstanding piano student" award. These institutions extended the gifted player scholarship opportunities and she took advanced fiddle instruction from master artists of Cape Breton, Ireland and Scotland. Chrissy's determination and natural ability have allowed her to become an exceptional fiddler in an astonishingly short period of time and she remains in demand at the various traditional music venues thoughout Nova Scotia. She has also been on stage at festivals in Cape Cod, Ontario and Prince Edward Island and played a command performance at the Clan Gathering for the Chisholm Clan Chief in Scotland. Her music has been heard on radio stations CBC 93.9, 101.5, The Hawk and CKJM Cheticamp, both in live and recorded performances. Chrissy also has performed on a CBC television special "A Day In the Life of Canada". In 2007 she was given the East Coast Music Association's nod of approval when she was selected as an ECMA 2007 Roots Room Showcase performer. Paralleling the efforts of her late grandfather Archie Neil, a writer and broadcaster revered throughout the island as a life long proponent of the Cape Breton musical culture, Chrissy too has involved herself with the promotion of the area's traditions as a member of the Cape Breton Highlands Celtic Club. She is an active member of the Cape Breton Fiddlers' Association, her success emblemizing the organization's mandate to encourage and support the players of the young generation. Christine Crowley has released her first CD, following the footsteps of her great uncle Angus who was one of the first fiddlers in Cape Breton to make a recording. Tour Dates: "Chrissy Crowley" CD Information 9 tracks:
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Win Chrissy Crowley's debut CD!
Thanks to Chrissy Crowley & Offshore Gael Music, we gave away three copies of Chrissy Crowley's self-titled debut CD to website visitors! To win, you had to send in your answer to the following question: "Name Chrissy's well-known grandfather from Cape Breton." The correct answer is "Archie Neil Chisholm" The winners are Andrea O. (ON), John M. (NS), and Greg W. (ON). If you're interested in more Canadian Celtic Music, visit
http://www.islandviewcreations.com/canadacelticmusic |
