Line-up announced for 2009 Celtic Colours International Festival

Celtic Colours International Festival organizers are pleased to release their line-up for 2009 today and excited about this year’s focus on the ties to and influence of Irish music and culture.
The festival kicks off with Island to Island: The Cape Breton-Ireland Musical Bridge, in Port Hawkesbury on October 9. It’s a concert that goes to the root of it all, says Artistic Director Joella Foulds. “In 1993, a group of Cape Breton musicians were invited to Ireland to put on a Cape Breton festival in Cork. Now, we have invited the Irish here to share their cultural traditions in this concert and throughout the nine days of the Festival.”

Twenty-four artists from Ireland will be participating in the Festival this year which runs from October 9-17. Their presence will contribute to an exploration of tradition and culture and how that is maintained through generations and in communities. People might not recognize the names of some of the Irish artists, but they are the people who are carrying on the tradition.

“We want our audience to experience the real thing,” Foulds explains, “just as they would with our Cape Breton artists. These Irish artists represent the best of the various traditions including Donegal fiddling, the Irish harp, uillean piping, Irish Gaelic and sean nos (meaning “old style”) singing, accordion, sean nos dancing, and story telling.”

“In 1993, a group of Cape Breton musicians were invited to Ireland to put on a Cape Breton festival in Cork. Now, we have invited the Irish here to share their cultural traditions in this concert and throughout the nine days of the Festival.”

- Joella Foulds (Artistic Director, Celtic Colours International Festival)

Some of the visiting artists Celtic Colours fans may recognize from Ireland are harper Laoise Kelly from the popular group Bumblebees, Maireád Ní Mhaonaigh of Altan, and of course, Liam ó Maonlaí who was a big hit last year. Returning from Scotland this year is the fiddle harp duo Chris Stout and Catriona McKay; fiddler Sarah McFadyen from Harem Scarem and the Unusual Suspects; Mairi Campbell who performed with the Cast in 1997; and Gaelic singer Brian Ó hEadhra.
Canadian artists returning to the Festival this year include Le Vent du Nord from Quebec, fiddler Sierra Noble from Manitoba, and Jim Payne & Fergus O’Byrne from Newfoundland while Abby Newton and Kim Robertson will be traveling from the US.

This year, there will be concerts paying tribute to influential Cape Breton fiddlers Sandy MacIntyre, Angus Chisholm and Jerry Holland. There are also a couple of very special shows in the works. One is Suite Silver Dart, featuring Symphony Nova Scotia, which will premiere Friday at the Savoy with an encore performance on Saturday afternoon at Strathspey Place. Another is a show called The Fiddle Tree, October 12 in Sydney Mines at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, a new venue this year. This show will put luthier Otis Tomas’s work, both his instruments and his music, on display in a way not to be missed. And also fitting into the category of not be missed shows is Traveling Tunes, a show that takes advantage of the expertise of this year’s Artists in Residence Paul Cranford from Cape Breton and Máire O'Keeffe from Ireland. They will be discussing tunes and how they make their way around the world in a show that includes some of Cape Breton’s foremost composers and carriers of the tunes. As usual there will be a number of shows featuring Gaelic song, piping, fiddling and traditional dance as well as the Acadien roots of Cape Breton’s music.

For those who want to experience the festival more deeply, there is once again an extensive program of hundreds of Cultural Opportunities available in communities all around the Island.

For the full schedule and lineup of artists visit www.celtic-colours.com. Tickets will go on sale July 6 at 9am ADT. They can be purchased online through our website or by phoning our Box Office at 567-3000 locally or 1-888-355-7744 (toll free in North America).

Highland Village August Event Line-Up

Tourism, Culture and Heritage

Nova Scotians and visitors from around the world can experience Gaelic culture at various events happening in August at Highland Village Museum in Iona, Victoria Co. The outdoor living history museum offers a unique opportunity to explore period buildings along with a breathtaking view of the Bras d'Or Lakes.

Highland Village is kicking-off the month, with the annual Highland Village Day concert, Aug. 1. The outdoor concert features fiddlers, step-dancers, pipers, highland dancers and local musicians, including the Boisdale Trio and special guests J.P. Cormier and Hilda Chiasson Cormier. The concert will be from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is $10 per person with children under 12 admitted free. In the case of rain, the concert will take place indoors.

The Làithean Sona/Happy Days program will continue every Wednesday in August from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Children ages eight to 12 are provided costumes to live for a day in the life of Gaels with traditional chores, crafts, games, language, and songs. The cost is $30 per child. Reservations are required.

Na Deugairean/Living History for Youth is a program offered to teens ages 13-17. Young people will participate in various activities of young Gaels. Na Deugairean is offered Aug. 6, and Aug. 20, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $30 per person. Prepaid reservations are required.

Every Friday in August, children are invited to take part in Spòrs, a morning of interactive games that focus on many aspects of Gaelic heritage. The games help children learn basic Gaelic vocabulary and phrases. Spòrs is for children ages five-10, and takes place from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Admission is free.

On Aug. 11, Highland Village will be hosting Musique Royale Concert featuring Ensemble Polaris. It will be an evening of innovative tunes from Scandinavia and the Baltic countries. The name, Not Much Worse Than a Troll, the title of their second album. Polaris concerts feature haunting ballads, rollicking dance tunes, tender lullabies, and nonsense songs that appeal to music lovers of all ages. The concert starts at 7 p.m. Admission is $20 for adults and $5 for students. Tickets are available at the door, or in the Highland Village Gift Shop.

The second Candlelight Tour of the summer will be on Aug. 12. It will be an intimate evening featuring a storytelling tour of the living history museum. The tour will take place under a Cape Breton sunset overlooking the Bras d'Or Lakes. The tour runs from 7-9 p.m. Admission is $12 for adults, $5 for students, and $28 for a family. Prepaid reservations are required.

Finishing-off the month is the delicious Codfish Supper, Aug. 22. Guests can satisfy their taste buds with a feed of salt cod, potatoes and all the trimmings of a traditional Cape Breton salt cod supper. There will also be hot dogs available upon request. The supper is from 3-6 p.m. in the Tuning Room. Admission is $15 for adults, $8 for a children's plate, and $2 for a hot dog. Admission includes a tour of the village.

The Highland Village Museum and gift shop are open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. For information or to register for any of the events call 902-725-2272, or e-mail highlandvillage@gov.ns.ca .


Media Contacts: Jim Watson
Highland Village Museum
902-725-2272
E-mail: watsonjb@gov.ns.ca

Shannon MacIver
Highland Village Museum
902-725-2272
E-mail: highlandvillage@gov.ns.ca