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Welcome to the Christmas Céilidh!
(Left to Right) Peter Watson, Dick Bolt, Bevin MacRae Lynn,
Joel Hume, Chuck Boda, Kevin Angus
Och, aye!” you’re sayin’ to your own self. “What have I gotten myself into here?” You thought you were comin’ down to the quaint kirk to take in a wee concert ... glad tidings, holiday spirit and the like. Instead you find yourself in the middle of a céilidh. ´Tis a céilidh! What is a céilidh? Pronounced “KAY-ley”, it is the Gaelic word for a social gathering where traditional music, dancing, and storytelling abound. It’s a party, a celebration. In the “old days”, before nightclubs and theme bars, there were céilidhs in community halls on Friday and Saturday nights - social events celebrating local customs and culture. Today céilidhs are seeing a resurgance, still serving as an important and popular social outlet in rural parts of Ireland and Scotland, especially in the Gaelic-speaking west coast regions. And, there are special céilidhs held during busy festival and holiday times, like Christmas. So sit back and … … Oh … ... No sitting back here. You are a crucial part of the céilidh. Open your voice and join in the singing. Delight in the tales with a hoot and a holler. You may even learn a dance step or two before the night’s out. Right, then. Enjoy the Christmas Céilidh! The Christmas Ceilidh Band is six outstanding Celtic musicians: Kevin Angus, Chuck Boda, Dick Bolt, Bevin MacRae Lynn, Pat Carey and Ben Ford. Together they create a unique and widely varied program of traditional Celtic music and song. Their instrumentation includes smallpipes, Celtic harp, guitar, mandolin, whistles, bagpipes, fiddle, Celtic Bouzouki, cittern, percussion and multi-voice harmonies. CCB has been performing for holiday audiences since 2001 in area churches and community halls. They have also appeared at Genesee Country Village & Museum’s Yuletide in the Country. |
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