Battlefield Band: Legendary group and leader of the Scottish music revival
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PHOTO CREDIT: John Slavin
THE BATTLEFIELD BAND – (L-R) Sean O’Donnell, Alasdair White, Ewen Henderson, and Mike Katz. |
By CATHOLINE BUTLER
Scottish Celtic music legends the Battlefield Band will perform in concert on October 26 at the North Shore Credit Union Centre for the Performing Arts (formerly Capilano Performing Arts Theatre) in North Vancouver.
Battlefield Band is a Scottish traditional music group named after the Glasgow suburb of Battlefield, where the group was formed by four student friends in 1969.
They have now been on the world’s road for over 40 years, distilling their own unique form of the Scottish spirit and bottling it in concert and onto disc.
They have performed all over the world, breaking down barriers and pioneering many new directions which others have followed.
Inspired by their rich heritage of Celtic music and fired by the strength and vibrancy of today’s Scottish cultural scene – which indeed they have done much to create and fuel – they have been at the forefront of a great revival in Scottish music.
Their music is angry, joyful, raucous, contemplative and most importantly – accessible to all.
Refusing to be limited musically by suffocating antiquarianism, or musical fashion, they have mixed the old songs and music with a new self-penned repertoire, all played on a fusion of ancient and modern instruments – bagpipes, fiddle, synthesiser, guitar, flutes, bodhran and accordion.
During the years there have obviously been line-up changes and indeed the band are remarkable for the smooth and organic way in which these changes have taken place.
Their continued creativity, freshness and enthusiasm is due to the positive way they have viewed, and used these changes and, of course, the new musicians have been of prime importance.
Current members of the band are: Sean O’Donnell, vocals and guitar; Ewen Henderson, fiddle, bagpipes, whistles, piano and vocals; Alasdair White, fiddle, whistle, bazouki, Highland and small pipes; and Mike Katz, Highland pipes, small pipes, various whistles, bass guitar and guitar.
Battlefield Band, with a repertoire of over 30 albums, are famed for their electric live shows. Don’t miss the opportunity to see them, appearing for one night only at the North Shore Credit Union Centre for the Performing Arts Capilano University, 2055 Purcell Way, North Vancouver. For tickets, call the box office at (604) 990-7810, or visit their website at: www.capilanou.ca/nscucentre. |
