CEOL AGUS CRAIC: Summer Festivals Take It Outside!
By ERIN MULLAN
Ceol binn a bhaint as an saol! The height of summer means the festival season is underway and there are ample opportunities to catch wonderful acts in the best of all venues: the great outdoors.
Festival roundup:
Here's the Celtic content for just a few of the many great summer festivals.........The Harrison Festival of the Arts runs July 10-18 with highlights including ace fiddler Pierre Schyrer, Mission-based Celitc band Prydwen and Shooglenifty in concert July 16. Details: Phone (604) 796-3664 or go to: www.harrisonfestival.com......The Vancouver Folk Music Festival takes place July 16-18 with Dick Gaughan, Shooglenifty, Martyn Joseph, Rory MacLeod, The Duhks, The Bills, James Graham Trio and heaps more. Tickets and info: (604) 602-9798 or www.the festival.bc.ca......The Salt Spring Festival of the Arts runs throughout July with concerts by David Francey on July 12, Shooglenifty on July 20 and Pierre Schyrer July 22. Call (250) 537-4167 or www.saltspringfestival.ca......The Mission Folk Music Festival is July 23-25, with Les Batinses, David Francey, James Graham and The Rankin Sisters. Phone (604) 826-5937 or www.missionfolkmusicfestival.ca......The Salmon Arm Roots & Blues Festival has Kendra and Troy MacGillivray, Rory MacLeod, Spirit of the West and The Ennis Sisters August 13-15. Call (250) 833-4096 ain or www.rootsandblues.ca.
Concert listings:
Everyone's favourite one-man band Rory McLeod hits St. James Hall on July 20......Martin Simpson comes to St. James July 30......Cape Breton fiddler Kendra MacGillivray is joined by her brother Troy and sister Siobhan for a fine night of Cape Breton music at St. James on August 12......Scotland's Old Blind Dogs will be at St. James September 9......Scottish-Canadian singer-storyteller David Francey, along with Kieran Kane and Kevin Welch, opens the fall concert season at Capilano College on September 10.....September 24 John Renbourn & Jacqui McShee play at St. James......BC's own The Bills (the renamed Bill Hilly Band) are at Cap College October 2 and 3......Irish trad supergroup Lúnasa return to Cap College on October 9......The show by Irish-American duo Liz Carroll & John Doyle at St. James on November 5 may well be the highlight of the fall......On December 4 local faves The Paperboys play St. James......November 10 Dougie MacLean will be at St. James......Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas will be in town December 10 at St. James.
Local motion:
Monday evenings there's Scottish Country Dancing at Stanley Park's Ceperley Playground at Second Beach, 7:30-9:30 PM, weather permitting until August 16. Info: (604) 984-6998 or www.rscdsvancouver.org......Irish-American fiddle ace Liz Carroll will be teaching at Ceili 2004, an Irish Music and Dance Camp in Harrison Hot Springs August 15-20. Call (604) 290-4129 for more info......The Irish Heather hosts traditional Irish music sessions on Tuesday and Thursday nights......The Wolf and Hound has traditional sessions on Monday and Wednesday nights.
Recordings:
Here's your best bet for summer listening; get yourself out to hear some real live music perhaps at one of our amazing festivals. Stock up on CDs by the artists that impress you while you're there. The musicians get a much bigger portion of your purchasing dollar and you can always get a head start on your Christmas shopping. Have yourselves a sweet summer everyone!
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