CeltFest 2005 Prepares to Celebrate Fifth Anniversary Of Celtic Magic
NANAIMO - Organizers of CeltFest, Vancouver Island’s five-day celebration of Celtic music and dance are getting ready to welcome the world on their fifth anniversary.
With only days to go for taking student registrations, and less than a month until the beginning of the CeltFest, the organizers are in a flurry of preparations to ensure that this fifth anniversary will mark the best CeltFest event ever. This year the summer school and festival is based at the Tigh-Na-Mara resort, Parksville (Gaelic for “dwelling by the sea”).
Also, for the first time there will be not one – but two – gala concerts presented in two different locations: one at Rathtrevor Park, Parksville on July 7 and a special indoor event on July 8 at the T. Gil Bunch Theatre in Mill Bay, both starring the cream of the Celtic music world.
CeltFest is a unique festival that includes a week-long summer music camp as well as a festival style concert series, with performances open to the public each night. It brings in some of the hottest names on the Celtic music scene from across Canada, and around the world.
These world-class musicians, dancers and choreographers teach at the CeltFest school all week, and then cap it all off with a public showcase of their talents at the Sunset and Stars Gala Concerts at the end of the week.
Among the scores of performers will be the dynamic young six-piece band, Dòchas, who won the “Up and Coming Band of the Year” at this year's BBC Scots Traditional Music Awards. The teaching camp presents instruction for young and old alike, from experienced players to complete beginners, and covers just about every instrument and performing art practiced in the Celtic scene.
Bagpipes and drums of every kind, whistle, fiddle, harp, accordion, cello, guitar and piano accompaniment, an introduction to singing Celtic music in both English and Gaelic are taught by some of the best players and singers on the international Celtic circuit.
Dancers and choreographers who have won international championships will be passing on their knowledge of Highland and Irish Dance and Scottish stepdancing. Performance enhancement courses are added into each curriculum.
And for those inclined to visual art, there's also a course in learning to draw and design the kinds of Celtic knotwork patterns that adorned the famous Book of Kells, and are still a living art form.
The fifth anniversary year is marked not only by new venues and an extra Gala Concert, but also by a change of dates: this year CeltFest takes place during the first week of July, from July 3-8, earlier than in previous years.
Ticket sales are now open for the Sunset and Stars Gala concerts, and there are still openings for students of all ages, who can check out the course offerings, instructors and special events at the extensive CeltFest website www.celticperformingarts.com.
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