Celtic Fiddle Festival comes to Orcas Center on their current North American tour
Celtic Fiddle Festival brings fiddlers from the Celtic tradition in Ireland, Brittany and Quebec to the Orcas Center Stage at 7:30 p.m. this Friday evening, Sept. 17. Called “three of the finest folk violinists anywhere” by The Washington Post, Kevin Burke (Ireland), Christian Lemaître (Brittany) and André Brunet (Quebec) combine their talents, musical traditions, and spontaneous humor for an evening of dazzling energy and subtle grace.
Originally conceived as a unique touring project in 1992, the trio proved such a success that a live recording “Celtic Fiddle Festival” was released. It received glowing critical reviews and racked up impressive sales. Three albums and numerous international tours later, the ensemble is now one of the most popular on the Celtic circuit.
In concert each artist plays a solo set, showcasing their individual musical styles and traditions, followed by a collaborative set featuring all three fiddlers. Together, they play with such relentless precision and fire that the tunes transcend all cultural and geographical barriers, leaving the audience with a memorable musical experience.
Kevin Burke is a world-renowned Irish fiddle master, playing the fluid, highly-ornamented style of County Sligo. His formidable career includes the seminal Irish group The Bothy Band. Now a resident of Portland, Oregon, Kevin was awarded the National Heritage Award in 2002, America’s highest honor in the traditional arts. His most recent solo album is “In Concert,” recorded live in Portland.
Christian Lemaître honed his remarkable skills playing the hypnotic Breton melodies at festou-noz (night dances) throughout Brittany, the Celtic region of France. One of the first to translate traditional Breton music to the fiddle, Lemaître displays unerring control and propulsive energy on the hypnotically rhythmic Breton dance tunes. His style and repertoire shows influences from Southern and Eastern Europe as well. Christian is a member of the outstanding Breton groups Kornog and Pennou Skoulin.
André Brunet, the newest member, is a wonderful young French-Canadian fiddler and also a member of the group La Bottine Souriante, playing the infectiously rhythmic tunes of Quebec. André is a warm, dynamic performer, and an excellent musician, with a vast repertoire of French-Canadian jigs and reels.
The unexpected passing of Johnny Cunningham in December 2003 left the members of Celtic Fiddle Festival with an unimaginable hole to fill in their hearts and in their line-up. In January 2004 they invited André to join the upcoming tour. At tour’s end, the group recorded three concerts in Portland, Oregon. The band’s 2006 CD, “Play On,” is dedicated to founding member, the great Scottish fiddler Johnny Cunningham
Tickets for the concert at Orcas Center are $25, $17 (Orcas Center members),
$11 (students). Call 376-2281 or go to www.orcascenter.org to order tickets.
What a treat–three fiddle virtuosi, each with distinct style–LeMaitre, Bretagne; Brunet, Quebec; and of course, Kevin Burke, Irish fiddle, accompanied by Nicholas Quemer, guitar. Intense, sophisticated riffs, great energy,entertaining. These guys really ENJOY what they’re doing!