Celtic Music Interpretive Centre buzzing with activity throughout the winter

Great Celtic music can be enjoyed throughout the year in Cape Breton, particularly at the Celtic Music Interpretive Centre.

On Thursdays, there are lively Tune Sessions at 7:30pm. If you play the fiddle, piano, guitar, pipes, etc., you’re encouraged to bring your instruments and join in. If you don’t play, feel free to come by and tap your toes to the music.

Every Sunday the Centre hosts a weekly ceilidh from 3:00pm to 6:30pm, featuring some of Cape Breton’s finest musicians. Upcoming ceilidhs will feature such talented artists as Mike Hall, Mac Morin, Sandy MacDonald, Kinnon and Betty Lou Beaton, Andrea Beaton, Shelly Campbell, Joel Chiasson, Douglas Cameron, Robbie Fraser, Glenn Graham and many others.

For more information on the schedule of upcoming events at the Celtic Music Interpretive Centre, click here.

Gaelic Weekend featuring TIP (Total Immersion Plus) coming up at the Gaelic College

If you’re interested in learning Gaelic or sharpening your skills, you’ll definitely want to attend the Adult Gaelic Weekend coming up on February 13-14, 2010 at the Gaelic College of Celtic Arts and Crafts. The weekend will feature TIP (Total Immersion Plus) Workshops for Beginner, Advanced Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced adult students.

The weekend will include:

• Song Workshops at Beginner and Intermediate/Advanced Levels
• A Storytelling Session, with English translation, to allow everyone to relax and enjoy one of the favourite entertainments of Gaels everywhere.
• An evening Milling Frolic, which will bring together singers from many communities. To help everyone enjoy the experience, the evening will begin with a Milling Song workshop where participants will learn and practice choruses to some of the more popular songs.
• A Ceilidh following the Milling Frolic, which will follow the tradition of the Gaelic House-Ceilidh where people provide their own entertainment. Everyone is encouraged to contribute to the evening’s enjoyment, whether that be by playing an instrument, singing a song, telling a story, taking part in the dance, or by sitting back and being an appreciative audience.

Participants can choose to stay at the College for the weekend or attend as a day student.

For more information and to register, click here.

An Rubha, Highland Village Gaelic Folklife Magazine, now available online

The Highland Village/An Clachan Gàidhealach has been producing An Rubha, its Gaelic Folklife Magazine, over the past decade. The magazine is an absolute treasure of articles, stories, songs and history that cover many diverse facets of Cape Breton’s rich Gaelic culture. For those learning Gaelic, the magazine contains much of its content in Gaelic along with the English translation.

To download the latest issue of the magazine, click here.

Past issues of An Rubha and its predecessor, Naidheachd a’ Chlachain, are also available for download by clicking here.

Enjoy!

Celtic Colours generates millions of dollars for Cape Breton economy in 2009

Celtic Colours International Festival had an amazing year in 2009. The Festival’s unique combination of culture, heritage, history and scenery, bolstered by new investment and marketing initiatives, found new audiences and increased visitorship to Cape Breton Island, resulting in a $5.5 million economic impact in 2009.

The impact of the festival goes well beyond visitor expenditures though. Celtic Colours put over $100,000 back into community venues in 2009 and another $45,000 was realized by the groups who hosted more than 290 community cultural activities. One hundred twenty-six non-profit organizations throughout the island partnered with Celtic Colours to get directly involved in the festival.

To read the full news article, click here.

For a sampling of what the Festival had to offer in 2009, visit http://www.youtube.com/user/celticcolours to see the newly launched 2009 highlight video. And stay tuned for information on Celtic Colours International Festival 2010, taking place October 8-16.

Young Victoria County fiddler releases first CD

Rachel Davis is a talented young fiddler from the Baddeck area of Victoria County on Cape Breton Island who released her first CD during this years Celtic Colours International Festival.  It was her third appearance at the festival.

She was the 2008 winner of the Frank “Big Sampie” Sampson Award given to an up-and-coming young Celtic talent to aid them in financing their first recording. This prize is sponsored, in part, by the Celtic Colours Festival Volunteer Driv’ers Association and their financial contribution is matched by studio time from Lakewind Studios. Rachel was the fourth winner, following in the footsteps of Dawn & Margie Beaton of Mabou, pianist Jason Roach of Cheticamp, and fiddler Colin Grant from Sydney.

Rachel has taken her great talent, her musical background and her ability to select good tunes to bring forth a great new recording. She’s not alone in her musical venture, getting solid backup from established musicians such as Buddy MacDonald on guitar and Tracey Dares-MacNeil on piano. She was also joined, at different times, by a number of special guests that included Joey Beaton, Brona Graham, Ciarán MacGillivray, Meagan Burke and Clarence Long.

Clarence is Rachel’s grandfather, known in the Baddeck area as both a fiddler and a barber. He was also her first fiddle teacher, helping her hone her initial skills and getting her well on her way with the music. Rachel is also quick to point out that he put up with a lot as she sat in the corner of his barber shop, scratching away as she learned new tunes, often taken from his vast collection of music books. As well as playing fiddle, Rachel studied Cape Breton stepdancing, Bodhran and Gaelic singing at the Gaelic College of Celtic Arts and Crafts.

While the majority of her recording is hard driving, close to the floor music, there are a couple of lovely exceptions. Rachel does a powerful and very moving rendition of J. Scott Skinner’s Hector The Hero. It’s never an easy tune for even the most experienced players, but she certainly does a masterful job on this lovely slow air.

Rachel also throws in a very interesting surprise when she sings a lovely Gaelic song, backed up by a number of family and friends. A student at Cape Breton University, she has been involved with the Celtic Studies courses since the beginning and received some great coaching from her instructor, Hector MacNeil. Singing is something that Rachel needs to do more of, as her vocal skills have been hidden behind her fiddle playing abilities for far too long.

Look for Rachel’s self-titled CD. Well worth getting, I think that it will be enjoyable for one and all.

Until next time,
Dan

Remember: if you have any information on upcoming events, or anything that you feel should be included on Celtic Heart Beat, please drop me a line at celticheartbeat1@gmail.com. Thanks!

Nova Scotia Tourism focuses on Celtic culture

Nova Scotia’s Department of Tourism, Culture and Heritage just released its Tourism Plan for 2010 and it includes this note about Celtic culture:

Nova Scotia is home to one of the few living Gaelic cultures outside of Scotland, setting us apart from other North American destinations. The old world has been shaped by the new on Cape Breton Island where Gaelic language, music, song, and dance are part of the cultural fabric and key to its identity, as well as an important niche for Nova Scotia’s tourism industry.

The plan notes that the Department has partnered with the Celtic Heart of North America Co-operative to play a key role in delivering this cultural experience. Currently, the Celtic Heart of North America is a cooperative representing the Highland Village, Gaelic College of Celtic Arts and Crafts, Celtic Colours International Festival, Celtic Music Interpretive Centre, Glenora Distillery, Féis an Eilein, and the municipalities of Inverness and Victoria counties.

The Department of Tourism, Culture and Heritage has highlighted Joanne MacIntyre, a Gaelic speaker and member of the interpretive team at the Highland Village Museum/An Clachan Gàidhealach, in their “Heroes” campaign. The video, produced in Gaelic with English subtitles, is a wonderful glimpse into the Celtic experience that Cape Breton offers. It is due to be released in the coming months.

The Tourism Plan also notes the following:

Value and experience are key
The focus on top-notch experiences is more important than ever. In this competitive environment, industry members must work together to creatively package experiences and develop value-added offers that will appeal to visitors.

The Celtic Heart of North America Co-operative is exactly that – industry members coming together – and we plan to creatively package our experience. We’ll have more to announce on that in the future, so please stay tuned!

Busy times ahead in Cape Breton!

There are busy times ahead between now and Christmas with Celtic cultural activities in Cape Breton. Here are a number of examples:

The root of the culture is the Gaelic language, so learning Gaelic will provide insight into the entire culture. There are Gaelic classes, taught by A. J. MacDougall, taking place every Wednesday in several locations. At 1 PM, classes take place at the KOC Club in Port Hawkesbury, and then again at 7 PM at the Celtic Music Interpretive Centre in Judique. There is usually a Gaelic Mass that takes place that evening as well, at St. Andrews Church, just across the road from the Centre.

All are invited to an Information Session on the Office of Gaelic Affairs Gaelic Language in Community Program, taking place this Thursday at 7 PM at the Knox Presbyterian Hall in Baddeck. This is just one of a series of sessions being held across the province, providing information and an opportunity to discuss the program.

Don’t forget the regular Thursday evening music sessions that happen at Rollie’s Wharf in North Sydney and at the Celtic Music Interpretive Centre in Judique. You can bring your instruments and join in or just sit and enjoy.

An Comunn Gàidhlig Cheap Breatuinn is presenting “Cofaidh ‘is Cabadaich,” a Gaelic conversation circle hosted by two fluent Gaelic speakers. It is held on Saturday afternoons, from 1-3, at the Sydney River Superstore. There are two sessions still remaining in the series, December 5 and 12. The cost is just $5/session.

This Friday afternoon from 4 to 6, CBC Radio will be broadcasting from the Lyceum Building in Sydney. It’s the official launch of the new CD of the songs and music of Lauchie Gillis. Gaelic Songs From The Mira is an extensive re-issue of many of Lauchie’s early recordings. The proceeds from the sale of the CDs will go to the Lauchie Gillis Memorial Scholarship Fund at Cape Breton University.

And on Friday evening it’s the official opening of the newly renovated Community Hall in Creignish with music by Troy MacGillivray, Andrea Beaton, Cheryl Smith and Jimmie Inch.

The regular Saturday afternoon music session continues at Chéticamp’s Doryman’s Tavern, starting at 2 PM. If you are in the Sydney area, there are now two sessions to choose from: at Governor’s Celtic Pub, (formally Bunker’s), on The Esplanade in Sydney, with Carl MacKenzie and Pat Chafe and at Daniel’s on Charlotte Street where this week’s session features Celtic Infusion.

This Saturday night it’s Howie MacDonald and friends playing for a square dance at the Westmount Legion. And, of course, the regular square dance is being held in West Mabou as well.

The annual Christmas Fair at the Gaelic College takes place at the College in St. Ann’s throughout the day on December 5. Events include a sale at the Gaelic College Craft Shop and other activities.

The Sunday music session at the Celtic Music Interpretive Centre in Judique on December 6 features Andrea Beaton. That same night, Strathspey Place in Mabou hosts a Step Dance Recital, featuring Mary Janet MacDonald’s students.

First United Church in Sydney hosts the Joyful Sounds of Christmas on December 6 featuring fiddler Colin Grant, Kelly MacArthur Dancers, Don Crouse, the Cape Breton Chordsmen and a children’s choir. The MC is Wendy Bergfeldt, host of CBC’s Mainstreet.

On December 13, St. Joseph’s Church Hall in Glencoe Mills hosts an evening of Pastoral Airs beginning at 7:30. Guests include Kinnon and Betty Lou Beaton, Kelly MacLennan and Girls, Maggie Beaton, Sandy Gillis, K.C Beaton and more.

Lyrics & Laughter are performing four Christmas shows at the Louisbourg Playhouse starting December 17.

It’s getting to be a very busy time of year. Make sure to take in some of the Celtic cultural events!

Until next time,

Dan

Remember: if you have any information on upcoming events, or anything that you feel should be included on Celtic Heart Beat, please drop me a line at celticheartbeat1@gmail.com. Thanks!!