Selections

NTIF Headline Performers

The following are the headline musicians scheduled for NTIF 2010, in strict alphabetical order.

The Barra MacNeils

Throughout 2007 and 2008, the Sydney Mines, Cape Breton Island based family group, the Barra MacNeils, celebrated over 20 years in an outstanding recording and touring career. This was accented with a two CD special 20th Anniversary package covering the span of their entire career to that point, as well as live concerts reflecting the musical course of their career, from humble family beginnings to world wide acclaim. The concert touring in support of that project took the group to theatre and festival stages coast to coast across Canada, had them jetting across America from festival stage to theatre stage and beyond, as well as sending them to Ireland and Scotland for prestigious events across the Atlantic.

As a group, the six MacNeil siblings are widely regarded as one of the greatest live concert acts in the Celtic world. Hailing from Sydney Mines, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, the family group is deeply rooted in Celtic music, culture, dance, language and history. Their numerous critically acclaimed recordings have included their own original songs as well as tried and true standards, both instrumental and vocal. These two new live recordings are no exception and are a must have for any fan of their live shows.

The David Munnelly Band

On the road since 2000. Started by Irish button accordion player David Munnelly, who’s toured and recorded with The Chieftains and with DeDanann, the David Munnelly Band is one of the hottest bands on the traditional Celtic music scene.

With members from Mayo, Dublin, Donegal, Tyrone and, Brighton, England the exciting sextet combines button accordion,fiddle, guitar, mandolin, banjo, piano, bodhrán and flute for a high-spirited instrumental sound colored with a bit of jazz and ragtime, and extraordinary percussive dancing topped with the singing of All-Ireland champion Shauna Mullin.

"The Irish band to see" (Irish Voice) has won special acclaim for incorporating the sound of the 1920s and 1930s and such bands from that era as the Flanagan Brothers with its traditional roots. Awarded "Concert of the Year" for both 2006 and 2007 by LiveIreland.com.

Ed Miller

Ed Miller has been hailed as "one of the finest singers to come out of the Scottish Folksong Revival" and as "one of Scotland's best singing exports." Originally from Edinburgh, he has for many years been based in Austin, TX where he gained graduate degrees in Folklore and Geography at the University of Texas. Ed is available for concerts, clubs, house concerts, festivals, Highland Games and Burns Suppers, as well as for lectures and workshops and has recorded 8 CD's of Scottish songs.

For a number of years now Ed has also been leading tours through the lowlands and highlands of his Scottish homeland.

The aim of the tours is, say Ed "To give people the chance to enjoy and learn about Scotland through experiencing its music and landscape. You will meet and hear performers and songwriters on their home ground, visit the contexts from which the songs and music have come, and have the chance to enjoy occasional hikes in both the Lowlands and the Highlands. This is NOT a search for the Scotland of Brigadoon, Braveheart and the Loch Ness Monster - rather it is a unique opportunity to learn about the music, people, history and landscape of this amazingly varied country in an interesting, personal and entertaining way."

Ed will be joined again by two great friends/musicians from the Alabama band Henri's Notions - Scooter Muse on guitar and Jil Chambless, vocals and flute - they've been playing as a trio whenever possible at festivals in the southeast, and performed at the Mull of Kintyre Festival and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland. Jil has recently released her first solo album, "The Ladies Go Dancing," produced by Brian McNeill.

Gadelle

Gadelle is a four member, all woman, traditional French-Acadian band that includes former internationally acclaimed Barachois members, Helene Bergeron and Louise Arsenault. Gadelle is an old Acadian word which translates as "wild berries" and also has a connotation of a feisty female. This new group's performance is delivered with a stylistic essence and the stagecraft that Barachois was well known for.

All hailing from Prince Edward Island on Canada's east coast, the four members of the group are: Helene Bergeron - vocals, piano, pump organ, fiddle, foot percussion and step dancing; Louise Arsenault - fiddle, harmonica, foot percussion, step-dancing; Caroline Bernard- primary vocalist, piano, pump organ, accordion and guitar; Paige Gallant- fiddle, mandolin, guitar, bass and step-dancing. Caroline and Paige are from the newest generation of gifted traditional musicians and are teamed up here with Louise and Helene who are veterans of the stage. Gadelle members play and dance with ferocity and conviction while putting on one heck of a show.

Grand Derangement

Grand Dérangement is a group from the Saint Mary's Bay area of Southwestern Nova Scotia. The name Grand Dérangement refers to the expulsion of the Acadians in 1755, but the name also alludes to the group wanting to rouse its audience. The music is exciting, the show is a visual feast, and the highly poetic songs, while insightful, defy the audience to sit still. The bow fires up the fiddle...the sparks fly.

This award-winning group is very eclectic in its musical approach, drawing from such disparate musical inspiration as French chansonniers, folk, Celtic, rock, and Broadway. The rhythms are contagious, the dancers enthralling. Grand Dérangement is ambitious in targeting an audience and has succeeded in acquiring an acclaimed international reputation. The group acts as an Acadian ambassador and its popularity in Europe and the United States is on the rise. The musicians are raising the profile of Acadians and Michel Thibault's songs are setting new standards for Acadian songwriting.

Great Big Sea

Forged from the loins of Figgy Duff and Ryan’s Fancy, GBS found its feet on the unforgiving streets of St. John’s, and stood their ground when others faltered. When asked about their unlikely success, founding member Bob Hallett is typically candid: "We weren’t the best musicians in town," he says, "we just wanted it more. We were driven by a bloody-minded need to succeed and we were rewarded for our bleeding."

The band dragged themselves out of the city’s infamous bars to release their Warner debut Up in the spring of 1995. Relentless touring and a raucous live show quickly propelled the record to platinum. Their next effort Play enjoyed even bigger success and the band moved its show into hockey stadiums across the nation.

Born and raised in ‘the far east of the western world’, the lads have traversed the globe, all the while wearing their hometown on their sleeves. "Our music is of Newfoundland," explains McCann. "It would be impossible to do what we do if we were from anywhere else. Our songs come from the sea and the cliffs and the rocks and all the other natural beauties our country provides. Without her we simply couldn’t exist."

Irish Descendants

Since their formation in 1990, The Irish Descendants have garnered a loyal fan base in their native Canada, and captured the attention of an ever-growing international audience. The band’s award winning recordings range from lilting ballads to toe-tapping reels, and their high energy, humorous live performances have made them a popular attraction at home and abroad. To date, the band has sold half a million albums.

Having toured extensively throughout North America, including headlining Celtic Festivals in Chicago, Boston and Cleveland, (and now Dallas) The Irish Descendants have performed at such prestigious venues as The Smithsonian in Washington D.C., and have played with many of the nation’s best symphony orchestras. They appeared on stage at The Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto in the theatrical production of Needfire, as well as headlining The International Festival of the Sea in England.

When Newfoundland celebrated its 500th Birthday, the band was selected to play at the festivities, entertaining European royalty and heads of state.

Samantha Robichaud

Her passion, desire and drive have led her to achieve incredible success in just a short time. Samantha has performed on many prestigious stages and events, standing ovations during 2 week tour of China as a professional soloist with the New Brunswick Youth Symphony Orchestra, represented province of New Brunswick as Tourism Ambassador on US junkets, Celtic Colours Cape Breton, Carnegie Hall, Grand Ole Opry, Wild Horse Saloon in Nashville, the Calgary Stampede new artist stage and youth stage, Klondike days in Edmonton, the nationally broadcast CBC TV East Coast Music Awards show, CBC Acadian World Congress Closing Show, A Musical Maritime Odyssey performing for Queen Elizabeth II during her last Canadian visit in 2002.

Samanthas Photogenic looks and contagious personality have also had her invited on photo shoots for magazines, calendars, TV/Radio interviews across Canada, TV commercials, studio recording work for CBC shows and commercials. Over the course of her already long 18 year career, fans in eastern Canada have repeatedly found Samantha performing at Maritime Festival and Festivals in PEI and New Brunswick Day Festival of the Arts as well as the prestigious Lunenburg Folk Festival.

Sliabh Notes

Sliabh Notes, the traditional group from the south-west of Ireland, features Dónal Murphy from Abbeyfeale, Matt Cranitch from Cork, and Tommy O’Sullivan from Dingle. Since the group was formed in 1995, they have released three albums, and have established an enviable reputation for their high-quality traditional music. They have played at many venues throughout Ireland, and have also performed at major festivals, including Milwaukee Irish Fest, the largest Irish festival in the world, North Texas Irish Festival in Dallas, Copenhagen Irish Festival in Denmark, Torino Festival in Italy, Camden Festival in London, Castlewellan Celtic Fusion Festival, and Ballyshannon International Folk Festival. At all these events, Sliabh Notes and their music, which has been described as ‘having a distinctive regional flavour but with international appeal’, were given a very enthusiastic reception.

Their performances at Milwaukee Irish Fest were reviewed in Irish Music Magazine by Betsy Cummings, Director of North Texas Irish Festival, and she had this to say;- "Sliabh Notes outstandingly represents Ireland’s Sliabh Luachra region and they also get my award for one of the best Irish band names. I can only hope they’ll be touring Stateside more often and very soon. I’m a fan but who wouldn’t be when the music is this good?"

At the heart of the Sliabh Notes sound is the playing of Dónal Murphy on accordion, Matt Cranitch on fiddle, and is the versatile guitar-playing and unique singing of Tommy O’Sullivan. The result is a dynamic mix of exciting traditional music that is vibrant, powerful and compelling.

The Town Pants

The Pacific Northwest may not be the first place you would expect to hear rollicking Celtic, Folk or World music, but The Town Pants are determined to change that. The Vancouver, Canada­based band combines aspects of Irish traditional, acoustic pop, roots Americana, even Australian and Mexican influences, to create their own unique brand of "West Coast Celtic." Armed with a pawnshop’s worth of musical instruments, The Town Pants play songs that appeal to young and old alike. The music of The Town Pants remains in the heart and head long after the music stops. The Keogh brothers, Dave and Duane, lead the band in vocals and instrumentation with banjo and acoustic guitar, teamed with Aaron Chapman on tin whistle, harmonica and vocals. Together with Ivanka Watkin providing some fiery fiddle while Brendan Mooney and Gilles Nadon on bass and percussion provide the rhythm, they generate a rare blend of passion, energy, animation and spirit. The Town Pants are unsurpassed with their fast-paced West Coast Celtic style.

Feverish and stampeding, The Town Pants’ lively renditions of traditional and contemporary Celtic-influenced tunes, combined with the group’s original compositions, create a distinctive sound that has attracted fans from around the world. At home, Vancouver fans selected The Town Pants as one of their favourite National Celtic/Traditional Acts in Vancouver’s Georgia Straight entertainment weekly annual "Best of Vancouver" readers poll, where they were shortlisted with such groups as Great Big Sea and Natalie MacMaster.

Vishtèn

In the North Atlantic Ocean, in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence off of Canada's east coast, lays tiny Prince Edward Island and nearby, the even smaller archipelago known as the Magdalen Islands (les Îles de la Madeleine). In addition to being connected today by a ferryboat, both Islands have a shared history and a shared cultural tie that dates back several centuries.

This cultural tie tells a story of early French Acadian settlers seeking a better life in the new world. In their quest to survive, many of these settlers eventually became fishermen and carried with them their musical traditions as a means of celebrating their survival. There still exists today a small enclave in Prince Edward Island where the French culture is predominant while the Magdalen Islands still remains primarily French.

There has been a musical connection between these two places for centuries, traded back and forth through trips made on fishing boats in the old days and marriages among the French people which have taken place over the years. A musical marriage that embodies the spirit and the sound of this connection in the present is the contemporary Acadian traditional group Vishtèn.

2009 Schedule of Performers

The 2010 performer schedule will be released in early January.