News - Great North Woods Committee for the Arts

- FEBRUARY 3 - "FABULOUS FEBRUARY" CONCERTS ANNOUNCED -

Get ready for the biggest month of concerts yet sponsored by the Great North Woods Committee for the Arts. The three concerts are of such a caliber that the GNWCA is calling it “Fabulous February.” All three concerts will be held in the Tillotson Center in Colebrook beginning at 7 p.m. and tickets are now on sale at Fiddleheads on Main Street.

It gets underway on Monday, Feb. 13, when the remarkable Arcadian group Grand Dérangement hits town with a spectacular show of music and dance that will set will heat up any cold North Country winter night.

Grand Dérangement’s 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 high-energy Canadian 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.

Next up is the award-winning group The Cottars, who will be appearing through a cooperation with the Skye Theatre in Maine. The Cottars will be appearing on Tuesday, Feb. 21. This young group has gained an international following. Rounders Roundup noted, “This band delivers an ingenious, multifaceted take on the folk music of their native Nova Scotia. With their dynamic and riveting music, captivating vocals, assured stage presence, and joyous step-dancing, they preserve essential elements of their heritage. Fiona MacGillivray, the group’s lead vocalist, is blessed with a beguilingly beautiful voice and a mature sense of phrasing well beyond her years.”

And then on Sunday, Feb. 26, our neighbor to the north, Quebec, sends down a trio which has been the hit of Vermont’s New World Music Festival and Champlain Valley Folk Festival, Crowfoot. From the Sherbrooke area, Crowfoot performs a bilingual mix that will put you in a trance. All the time you won’t be able to keep your feet still. On the concert stage, rich vocal harmonies, haunting songs, and finely crafted instrumental arrangements compliment their infectious dance energy. Their diversity of instrumentation allows for a wide palette of sound, and audience members are consistently won over by the depth and variety of Crowfoot’s musical experience.

Tickets for the individual concerts are $15 each or you can purchase tickets to all three for $40. Advance tickets are now available at Fiddleheads, 110 Main St., Colebrook, and at the door on the night of the concerts. Given the demand, advance ticket purchases are being advised.

For more information on these and other GNWCA concerts, visit www.gnwca.org or call 237-9302 or 246-8998.

- JANUARY 1 - THREE WINTER WARMERS CONCERTS ANNOUNCED -

The Great North Woods Committee for the Arts announces its schedule for the popular Winter Warmers concert series, an annual seasonal favorite which attracts audiences to the Colebrook Country Club to hear some of the best in local musical talent.

The series is a fundraiser for the GNWCA. Proceeds from the Winter Warmers allows which the arts group to fund many of the other music events it sponsors throughout the year.

Local performers give of their talents freely during the Winter Warmers and Clay and Michelle Hinds of the Colebrook Country Club donate their facility for the series to the GNWCA, also serving up a free buffet to concert-goers.

This year’s Winter Warmers will see three “really big nights,” providing over two and a half hours featuring a variety of musical styles served up by over 30 local performers.

“We’ve decided to fill the nights with wall-to-wall music,” GNWCA President Charlie Jordan said. “For the $12 admission each night, you will hear as many as three or four groups, as well as a variety of solo performers who will range from blues and folk to Celtic, jazz, rock and more.”

It all kicks off on Wednesday, Jan. 11, at 6:30 p.m., with a night called “The Coffeehouse.” Among the performers will be Ed “White Wolf” Schoenaly on blues harp (harmonica), and brothers David and Tom Obomsawin, on bass guitar and lead rhythms and vocals, respectively. They will open the evening with a rich mix of blues, folk, rock and a bit of jazz.

Mario Marquis, guitar and vocals, and Francine Bigney, vocals, will follow with a line-up of top hits from the pop charts. Susan Zizza, on vocals and keyboard, will perform favorites from the swinging 1940s to the ’60s. The evening will continue with Steve Reich, on guitar and vocals, with a tribute to Eric Clapton, including “Lala,” “Tears In Heaven,” “Old Love” and more. Rick Erwin, on drums, Greg Goodwin, keyboard, and Bob Purington, bass guitar, will wrap up the evening with a stellar combination of jazz and pop tunes.

After a two-week rest, the GNWCA Winter Warmers will be back to the Colebrook Country Club again beginning at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 25, with an expanded “Fiddlers’ House Party.” Last year the “House Party” proved very popular, packing the Country Club. It has been expanded this year to include the Celtic ensemble which has been drawing crowds to the series since its inception. It gets going with the music of Quebec fiddler Alain Gosselin in the opening set. After a short break, the nine–member Isley Mist Ceili group will perform a blast of jigs and reels, along with some beautiful Celtic airs. Then the nine-member Fireside Fiddlers headed by Patrick Ross will round out the night with fast-paced fiddling sure to have everyone hopping.

During the month of February the GNWCA will host three major music concerts at the Tillotson Center (watch for details shortly). But the series will return to the Colebrook Country Club on March 14 for the final Winter Warmers concert of the season, “Feel the Folk,” beginning at 6:30 p.m. Get out your tie-dyes and groove to the sounds reminiscent of the hootenanny and protest days of yore. Among the performers lined up are George Jacques, Mark Hanlon and Michele Johnson, with Haze Smith topping it off with some great bluegrass.

Tickets are on sale in advance at Fiddleheads, 110 Main St. in Colebrook or at the door on the night of the concerts. For more information on the Winter Warmers series, call 246-8998 or 237-9302. For more information on the Great North Woods Committee for the Arts, visit the organization’s website at www.gnwca.org.

The sixth annual TubaChristmas event will be held on Saturday, Dec. 17. The free concert begins at 1 p.m., at the Trinity United Methodist Church on Bridge Street in Colebrook. Players from all around the North Country, and beyond, will again gather to play familiar Christmas music specially arranged just for baritones, euphoniums, and tubas.

Traditionally led by Doug Nelson of Keene and Colebrook, this year’s event will be guest conducted by Andrew Tobin. A North Country native, Tobin holds degrees in tuba performance from the Eastman School of Music and Ithaca College. He’s been involved in TubaChristmas events since 1986, and has been the band director for Groveton schools for 10 years.

The event is sponsored by the Great North Woods Committee for the Arts. Freewill donations are welcomed to help support this and other programs. For more information, contact Sharon Pearson, coordinator, at 237-5805 or at Sharon@jenkinsnewman.com.

The Great North Woods Committee for the Arts will present Aoife Clancy, Robbie O’Connell and Jimmy Keane at the Tillotson Center in Colebrook on Tuesday, Dec. 13. The show starts at 7 p.m. and tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for students high school age or younger.

“Here’s a great opportunity to enjoy the holidays with an international flair right in the North Country,” said Charlie Jordan, President of the GNWCA. “We are delighted that our partnership with the Skye Theatre in Maine is helping make it possible for us to bring these top-name performers to Colebrook. And in the world of Celtic music, they don’t get any more legendary than the name Clancy.”

“A Celtic Christmas” will headline cousins Aoife Clancy and Robbie O’Connell, who hail from the same family that brought the world the famous Clancy Brothers, who delighted audiences worldwide for a generation. With all the Clancy brothers now having passed away, the spirit of their music carries on with this second generation of family members, who also are adding their own distinctive style to the family brand.

Irish-born artists, Aoife Clancy, Robbie O'Connell and virtuoso accordion player Jimmy Keane, present “A Celtic Christmas” for its first tour in northern New England. This celebration of the coming winter season has a distinctly Celtic flavor and extends from the little known Kilmore carols of Wexford to the Irish-American vaudeville stage.

Robbie and Aoife, accompanied by Jimmy, will explore the Christian and Pagan traditions surrounding the Winter Solstice in a mixture of songs, poetry and instrumental pieces. They will share stories of family Christmases growing up in Ireland along with songs that were passed down to them by their uncles.

Aoife Clancy, now living in New Bedford, Mass., comes from the small town of Carrick-on-Suir in County Tipperary Ireland, where her musical career began at an early age. Her father, Bobby Clancy of the Clancy Brothers, placed a guitar in her hands at age 10, and by age 14 she was playing with him in nearby folk clubs.

In 1992, Aoife moved to the States and toured for six years with the acclaimed group Cherish the Ladies, doing over 200 dates a year. She has also been a featured soloist with the Boston Pops and has three solo recordings along with a CD titled “The Clancy Legacy” with cousins Robbie O’Connell and Donal Clancy.

Robbie O’Connell has been called “A National Treasure—a man blessed with an enviable turn of phrase and a gift for melody bestowed on only the few.” That’s how Ireland’s top music magazine, Hot Press, describes him. He now resides in Bristol, R.I,. but was born in Waterford, Ireland and grew up in County Tipperary. In 1977, Robbie was asked to join his uncles, the Clancy Brothers, with whom he has recorded three albums. Robbie is also a prolific songwriter and has had many artists record hit material including award-winning Irish vocalist Sean Keane. Every May he runs a successful tour to Ireland with Celtica tours and teaches songwriting workshops all over the United States and Europe.

Irish music’s accordion virtuoso Jimmy Keane was born in London of Irish-speaking parents from Connemara. Jimmy's accomplishments are far reaching having won five consecutive All-Ireland titles on the piano accordion. He has been an avid collector and arranger of old tunes and is becoming increasingly known for his original compositions. He has also recorded and produced numerous albums and in 2011 was honored with the “Male Musician of the decade” by Live Ireland and by the Irish American news. Jimmy and Robbie have toured together over the years and this Christmas he has joined with Robbie and Aoife for their Celtic Christmas tour.

Tickets for the Colebrook concert are on sale now at Fiddleheads at 110 Main St., Colebrook, as well as at the door on the night of the concert. The Tillotson Center is situated in downtown Colebrook, just behind the Colebrook Post Office on Parsons Street. For more information, call 246-8998 or 237-9302, and for more information on upcoming shows sponsored by the GNWCA, visit www.gnwca.org.

The North Country should get ready to fasten its seatbelts—one of the hottest groups in North America is about to hit town on its first U.S. tour. And it will all get underway one week from today here in Colebrook.

The Sultans of String are billed as musical experts in what they call “atomic world jazz flamenco.” The CBC calls them an “organic mix of rumba, Gypsy, jazz, Middle Eastern and Spanish flavors brilliantly executed.”

The Sultans of String are coming to town next Friday, Nov. 11, for one appearance only, beginning at 7 p.m. at the Tillotson Center. Tickets are $15 for what is sure to be a hot time on the new facility’s stage.

Called “Canada’s ambassadors of musical diversity,” Sultans of String thrill their audiences with their global sonic tapestries ranging from Cuban rhythms to French Manouche, celebrating musical fusion and human creativity with warmth and virtuosity. Fiery violin dances with rumba flamenco guitar while a funk bass lays down unstoppable grooves.

Acoustic strings meet with electronic wizardry to create layers and depth of sound, while world rhythms excite audiences to their feet with the irresistible need to dance. The band is riding a wave of success from their sold out “Yalla Yalla!” Canadian CD release tour, their national features on CTV’s “Canada AM” and CBC’s “Canada Live,” and their triple nomination for the 2009 Canadian Folk Music Awards, winning Instrumental Group of the Year. Both their CDs soared to Number One across Canada on Top Ten national radio charts, and the Sultans of String won the award for Best Variety Act from Festivals and Events Ontario as well as the 2009 International Songwriting Competition. The buzz extends into the U.S., with acclaimed promoter David Wilkes (Emmylou Harris, Bela Fleck, Jesse Cook) now representing the band.

A Canadian string super-group, Sultans of String include six-string violinist and 2009 JUNO Award nominee Chris McKhool, plus duelling guitar wizards, bass masters and the jaw-dropping talented percussionists.

Touring as a quartet, McKhool draws from this collective of master musicians to bring Sultans of String to community, festival and audiences around the world including the Celtic Connections Festival in the UK, Birdland jazz Club in NYC, Mariposa Folk Festival, National Arts Centre, Toronto’s Four Seasons Centre and Folk Alliance in Memphis, Tenn.

Tickets will be available at the door of the Tillotson Center on a first-come, first-served basis. Advance tickets are now available at Fiddleheads, 110 Main St., in Colebrook.

For more information on the performers, visit www.sultansofstring.com. For more information on the Great North Woods Committee for the Arts, visit www.gnwca.org or call 246-8998 or 237-9302.

The Great North Woods Committee for the Arts will present Alan Reid and Rob van Sante in their first northern New Hampshire concert on Tuesday, Nov. 1. These legendary Scottish singers have been scheduled to perform at the Moose Muck Coffee House on Parsons Street in Colebrook, which should prove to be an ideal setting for their “coffee house” balladeer style. The concert is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m., but the Coffee House will be open beginning at 6 p.m. with food and beverages that can be purchased prepared by the Moose Muck staff.

The GNWCA is excited to introduce this new venue for some of its performers who have become available locally through the arts organization’s partnership with the Skye Theatre in Maine. Tickets for the Colebrook concert are $12 each and will be available at the door on the night of the show.

Alan Reid has assured himself a place among the legends of Celtic music, having been a member of Battlefield Band from its inception in 1969 until his departure in 2010. In that time, he toured all over the world and made almost 30 recordings with the band, working with such artists as Garrison Keillor, Van Morrison and Mike Oldfield. The Battlefield Band won awards in Germany, Britain and the U.S. and throughout Alan was at the heart of the band, his keyboards underpinning the bagpipes and the fiddle.

His first solo album, “The Sunlit Eye,” featuring original songs and tunes, was released in 1998 and was followed up with a song and tune book “Martyrs, Rogues and Worthies” in 2001. Since then he has recorded two albums in his partnership with Rob van Sante, both of which showcase many of his works. In 2009, he was nominated at the Scottish Tradition Awards in the composer of the year category and in 2011 “Recollection” was released, an album of his own choice of songs from his long career with Battlefield Band. Alan, along with Rob, is currently putting the finishing touches to an album on the life of John Paul Jones, a project for which he has composed all the music.

Rob van Sante is a guitarist of exceptional skill and subtlety. He was born in the Netherlands and begun playing guitar at an early age. As his interest in music developed, he became influenced by the best of Folk, Rock, R&B and Blues. During the 1970s-90s he toured extensively throughout Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Rob has appeared on many albums displaying his virtuoso vocal ability both as a lead and harmony singer, also showcasing his undoubted instrumental skills to the project in question. All these strands come together to make a perfect foil to Alan and his music.

The Great North Woods Committee for the Arts is hosting two more concerts coming up. On Friday, Oct. 28, beginning at 7:30 p.m. the 17-piece string orchestra Camerata New England will be appearing at the Tillotson Center in Colebrook in a program entitled “Going for Baroque.” Tickets are $12. And on Friday, Nov. 11, the GNWCA will be hosting the remarkable Sultans of Strings in the band’s first U.S. tour. The Sultans feature jazz, flamenco and world music. Tickets for this concert, also slated for the Tillotson Center, are $15.

For more information on these and other upcoming concerts, call (603) 246-8998 or visit www.gnwca.org.

Glorious sounds of classical music will be heard throughout New Hampshire next week as chamber music ensemble Camerata New England tours the state from the North Country to the Upper Valley with a program of Baroque music featuring world-renown cellist Ronald Leonard as their special guest.

The group will be making its third return to Colebrook and very first appearance on the new Tillotson Center stage, under the sponsorship of the Great North Woods Committee for the Arts.

The Colebrook concert, called “Going For Baroque,” is set to begin at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 28, and is sure to be a memorable evening for all. When Camerata New England first played in Colebrook, the 17-piece ensemble was something of a curiosity: no classical music group of that size had played in the area for 25 years. Now, Camerata New England returns to Colebrook for the third time in two years; to Lebanon for the fifth time (on Oct. 29 at the Lebanon Opera House); and to Berlin for the first time (on Oct. 30 at St. Kieran Art Center).

Once a curiosity, now a familiar friend. And that’s precisely how the group likes it. “We’re not interested in one-and-done events,” says Carlos Galvan, Executive Director of Camerata New England. Instead, the group seeks to build long-lasting relationships through repeat visits, providing world-class concerts combined with educational outreach programs. “It’s about building awareness and growing new audiences for classical music,” he said. “That takes time. And it also takes collaboration with local partners.”

One such partnership is with the Great North Woods Committee for the Arts. The organization’s president, Charlie Jordan, initially invited the group without knowing whether such a visit would even be feasible. Historically, the remoteness of the region had made the presentation of large-scale classical music difficult. “But talking with Charlie, we realized there was a need there, and a deep desire in those communities for great classical music,” said Galvan. “That’s the kind of place we want to play. We decided to bring the whole band.” Encouraged by the quality of the music and the response of the audience, GNWCA has invited the Camerata back for repeat visits—a strategy that Jordan and Galvan hope will build momentum and long-term viability for chamber music in the region.

For their concerts next week in the region, the Camerata completely sidesteps the esoteric and focuses on what Galvan calls “repertoire that folks will like—the kind of exciting and beautiful music that people go back to again and again, generation after generation.”On the program are works by Corelli, Handel, Hayden, Vivaldi, and Mozart.

Tickets for the Colebrook concert are available at the door and are $12 for adults. Advance tickets are now available at Fiddleheads at 110 Main St. Colebrook. Students seriously interested in music can come for free courtesy the GNWCA. Additional information can be found at Camerata New England’s website, www.cameratanewengland.org, or the GNWCA’s website, www.gnwca.org.

The Great North Woods Committee for the Arts will present Scott MacMillan and Brian Doyle at Trinity United Methodist Church on Bridge Street in Colebrook on Tuesday, Oct. 18.

“If you are a guitarist and are looking to pick up some great techniques, you’ll want to catch this show,” said GNWCA President Charlie Jordan. “The clips we’ve seen of this duo are remarkable.”

Since meeting in 1995, Scott MacMillan and Brian Doyle have been blending their musical intuitions in ever fresh and innovative ways. Their performances are captivating, creating an exciting and always expanding musical experience. Throwing caution to the wind, these two guitar wizards mesmerize with imaginative guitar interplay transporting their audiences from the Highlands to the Blues and just about everywhere in-between.

“Live Off the Floor” is their first duo recording. It features synchronistic guitar interplay with the duo ever pushing musical boundaries.

A musical treasure, Macmillan has played a significant role expanding audiences for Atlantic Canadian music both nationally and internationally for over 30 years. Scott has played a pivotal role in the rise of the Rankin Family Band, Symphony Nova Scotia’s Maritime Pops programming and the Nova Scotia Mass Choir. Doyle is a well-known guitarist. His playing encompasses a variety of styles, from the Rock ’n Roll of his earliest days to the traditional music of his ancestors. Brian has played on many recordings and has toured nationally and internationally, both with big name acts like Anne Murray and Chris DeBurgh and for Nova Scotia Tourism promotions with East Coast performers like Natalie MacMaster, Beolach, Lennie Gallant and others.

Tickets are $12 each and now available in advance at Fiddleheads, 110 Main St., in Colebrook, as well as at the door on the night of the concert. The Colebrook concert by MacMillan and Doyle is being presented with the cooperation of the Skye Theatre in South Carthage, Maine.

GNWCA’s upcoming concerts also include the impressive Camerata New England string orchestra’s classical “Go For Baroque” performance at the Tillotson Center on Friday, Oct. 28, followed the next Tuesday, Nov. 1, with a Scottish night of song featuring Alan Reid of the Battlefield Band, which will take place at Trinity United Methodist Church. These concerts will also begin at 7 p.m. and are $12 each.

The Colebrook Country Club will be the scene on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2011, beginning at 7 p.m., for a night of Scandinavian, Quebecois and Celtic music as the Vermont trio Skellig brings its distinctive sounds to Colebrook.

Members Rachel Clark and Bob DeMarco of the band Wind That Shakes The Barley join John Drury, a veteran of the Quebecois and New England folk scene, blending their talents by delivering traditional music with a rich and tantalizing flavor.

The concert is the latest offering sponsored by the Great North Woods Committee for the Arts, which has been rotating top-quality New England and Canadian musicians through its three local venues, at the Tillotson Center, Trinity United Methodist Church and the Colebrook Country Club.

Skellig’s performance at the Colebrook Country Club will be a return of sorts for DeMarco, Clark and Drury—the three performed there to a packed house in 2009 as part of the Celtic group Wind That Shakes The Barley. Their reconfiguration as Skellig marks the trio’s expansion into Scandinavian and French Canadian music, while maintaining a solid mix of Celtic in their playlist.

They will have their latest recording for sale during their Colebrook appearance. During their last Colebrook performance they sold 40 CDs during a 20-minute intermission. They plan to bring a good supply along this time as well.

“We’re delighted to have Bob, Rachel and John return to Colebrook,” said GNWCA President Charlie Jordan. “The trio really wowed audiences the last time they were here, which was followed not long after by their successful appearance at the New World Festival in Vermont.”

Tickets for Skellig are $12 each and now on sale at Fiddleheads at 110 Main St. in Colebrook, as well as at the door on the night of the concert. The GNWCA concerts at the Country Club include Clay and Michelle Hinds’ generous free buffet table.

The GNWCA will also be hosting the dynamic Canadian jazz and Celtic guitar duo Scott McMillan and Brian Doyle at Trinity United Methodist Church in Colebrook on Tuesday, Oct. 18. And later in the month, on Friday, Oct. 28, the acclaimed string orchestra Camerata New England will return to Colebrook with a stunning concert called “Go For Baroque!” This concert will be held at the new Tillotson Center. Tickets for these concerts are also $12 each and more information on these performances will be forthcoming shortly.

If you like the sounds of old-timey tunes and French Canadian fiddling, with a healthy dose of Celtic tossed in for good measure, you are sure to enjoy the next performance in the current Great North Woods Committee for the Arts concert series.

The Bb Sisters, who hail from Ottawa and the Maritimes in Canada, will be bringing their fast-moving, toe-tapping show to Colebrook on Monday, July 25, beginning at 7 p.m. What’s different this time around is the show will be hosted at the Colebrook Country Club. The first three performances in our new series have been at the Trinity United Methodist Church, which has seen a dedicated following building for the shows. The GNWCA was able to book the Bb Sisters (pronounced "B-flat Sisters") at the Country Club. The GNWCA expects to make use of various venues in town over coming months, including what it promises will be "a very exciting act we will announce shortly for the Tillotson Center.”

Though sisters in musical spirit only—they’re not actually related—the Bb Sisters have been performing together since they first met at a fiddle camp in Canada in 2002. Kimberley Holmes and Sherryl Fitzpatrick have emerged onto the Traditional Folk music scene as a new duo with fresh Canadian fiddle tunes. With driving Quebecois jigs and reels, traditional Cape Breton and Irish tunes, soulful slow airs enveloped in beautiful harmonies, this duo will certainly take you on a rich journey through the diverse repertoire of the Ottawa Valley, Maritimes, Quebec as well as exploring their original music.

This unique duo will highlight their ability to switch from fiddle to piano as well as incorporating their beautiful blends of harmonies. They have recently begun competing in fiddle competitions and have captured first place in the group category at the Maritime Fiddle Festival which was held July 9, 2011.

Accompanying the Bb Sisters is Kimberly’s husband, Skip Holmes, who is one of the most in-demand guitarists above the border.

The group will be performing selections from their introductory CD, “Versatility.” The numbers include “Centennial Two-Step,” “Golden Rod Jig,” “Tooth Fairy Jig,” “Valse Oliver,” “Drummondville Reel,” “Cripple Creek” and many more which will bring to life the old-time kitchen party with a new kick.

Tickets for the Bb Sisters show are $12 each and now available at Fiddleheads at 110 Main St. in Colebrook. They will also be available at the Colebrook Country Club on the night of the performance.

The GNWCA series is made possible through a partnership with the Skye Theatre in Maine. For more information on the show, call 246-8998 or 237-9302. For more information on the Great North Woods Committee for the Arts, visit www.gnwca.org. To learn about the Skye Theatre in Maine, visit www.celticarts.com.

The Great North Woods Committee for the Arts’ Celtic Concert Series continues this Tuesday with an appearance in Colebrook by the internationally acclaimed fiddlers Kane Sisters.

Direct from Ireland, the Kane Sisters will be appearing at Trinity United Methodist Church on Bridge Street in Colebrook at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 5. Tickets are $12 each and available in advance at Fiddleheads on Main Street in Colebrook and at the door on the night of the performance.

“We were delighted with the enthusiastic turnout during last Tuesday’s appearance by The Outside Track,” said GNWCA President Charlie Jordan. “That performance as well as the appearance in May by the Press Gang shows us that there is a growing audience for performances of this caliber here in the North Country. We had many people in attendance at these shows from New Hampshire, Vermont and Quebec, with a number of people travelling over 40 miles to attend.

“If you’ve ever wondered how real Irish fiddle is played, you’ll want to catch the Kane Sisters,” Jordan went on to say. “They are traditionalists who bring to life the rich and rollicking heritage of Irish fiddle playing.”

From North Connemara, Liz and Yvonne Kane are well-respected musicians and educators. Born in Letterfrack, they were educated in Kylemore Abbey School. They were taught music by their grandfather, fiddleplayer, Jimmy Mullen, and Mary Finn, a County Sligo musician and teacher.

Liz and Yvonne first came to national and international prominence during the three-year period in which they toured with accordion player, Sharon Shannon as members of her band, The Woodchoppers. They traveled all over the world with her band and are featured artists on Sharon’s album “The Diamond Mountain Sessions.”

Following this period of touring with Sharon Shannon, the Kanes decided to embark musically on their own and they recorded their first album together entitled “The Well Tempered Bow.” The Kane Sisters toured Ireland and the United States following the release of their first album and this followed with a second album entitled “Under the Diamond” in 2004. Their latest album “Side by Side” was launched in July 2010 at the Catskills Irish Festival in East Durham, N.Y.

The GNWCA Celtic Series is made possible through a partnership with the Skye Theatre in South Carthage, Maine. “We’re now working on lining up some more exciting performers slated for later in 2011,” said Jordan. “We’ve just confirmed a Sept. 15 appearance here in Colebrook of Ottawa Valley favorite April Verch, who is a well-known fiddler/stepdancer who has played with John Hartford and Allison Krause, among many others. April’s shows combine the best of Country, bluegrass and Celtic.”

For more information on these and other Great North Woods Committee for the Arts concerts, visit www.gnwca.org or call 246-8998 or 237-9302.

The new Great North Woods Committee for the Arts Concert Series continues on Tuesday, June 28, at 7 p.m., with a night of lively music by the international group The Outside Track.

A stunning combination of virtuosity and energy, The Outside Track’s blend of Canadian, Scottish and Irish music and songs has been rapturously received around the world. Hailing from Scotland, Ireland, Cape Breton and Vancouver, its five members are united by a love of traditional music and a commitment to creating new music on its foundation. Using fiddle, accordion, harp, guitar, flute and vocals, The Outside Track is a source of boundless energy.

The Colebrook concert will take place at Trinity United Methodist Church on Bridge Street in Colebrook and tickets are $12 each, available in advance at Fiddleheads on Main Street in Colebrook and at the door on the night of the concert.

The GNWCA notes that it is “really excited to bring this dynamic group to our region—this promises to be a night of high energy and memorable music.”

The Outside Track has been touring all over the world for the past five years, winning new fans in England, Canada and the U.S. with appearances at Celtic Colours in Cape Breton, Celtic Connections in Scotland and other top concert venues.

The Outside Track concert is the second in a new series which was launched last month with an appearance by The Press Gang from Portland, Maine. It is made possible through a partnership between the GNWCA and the Skye Theatre in South Carthage, Maine. The GNWCA is working with Phill McIntire of the Skye Theatre to bring some of the Celtic and folk world’s top performers to Colebrook. Among those now being scheduled are members of the famous Clancy family, members from the Battlefield Band, Ottawa Valley star performer fiddler/step dancer April Verch and more.

On Tuesday, July 5, a top sister fiddling duo, the Kane Sisters, direct from North Connemara, Ireland, will appear in the GNWCA series. Tickets will be available shortly.

For more information on these and other upcoming GNWCA programs, visit the performing arts organization’s new website at www.gnwca.org or call 246-8998.

The GNWCA suggests that you also consider becoming a supporting member and help it to continue bringing world performers of this caliber to the North Country. For information on how to become a GNWCA supporting member, call 237-9302.

“This is a real opportunity for Colebrook to become a destination point for fans of Celtic music from all over,” said Great North Woods Committee for the Arts President Charlie Jordan this week. “Celtic music, combined with folk and Francophone performers, rate as the top draw for music here in New England and the Eastern Townships of Quebec and now we will be able to see all this without leaving the North Country.”

Jordan was talking about the new partnership the GNWCA has forged with the Skye Theatre in Carthage, Maine; They will begin this year to bring the top Irish, Scottish, French, Cape Breton and folk performers to Colebrook. “We are really excited to launch this series on Tuesday, May 17, at 7 p.m., with an appearance by the hot young Irish-music band The Press Gang,” he said.

The Press Gang, which has just released a new CD, features what it calls a “new music in the Irish tradition.” Irish Music Magazine says of The Press Gang that they serve up “a fast moving blend of buttons and strings which incorporates dynamic key changes and where each instrument is aware of its role in the set.” The Boston Irish Reporter notes, “There are three reasons for Boston area Irish music fans to like this trio: They’re young, they’re from New England, and they’ve clearly got a strong dose of Irish trad in their collective bloodstream. Oh yes, one more reason: They’re very good.”

The Press Gang will be performing at Trinity United Methodist Church on Bridge Street in Colebrook. Tickets, which are $12 each, will be available at the door on the night of the concert and will go on sale at Fiddleheads at 110 Main St. in Colebrook on Monday.

“These guys have been highlights at the Champlain Valley Folk Festival in Burlington, Vt., and The New World Festival in Randolph, Vt., recently and it is a real treat to have them come here to town to perform,” Jordan said.

He emphasized that local support for these performers are crucial to the success that the GNWCA and Skye Theatre are forging. “This year we are talking with Skye about four or five concerts,” Jordan said. “If the reaction is positive and the public turns out, we plan to launch 12 concerts here in town in 2012, all at affordable rates.”

Next on tap will be the dynamic young band The Outside Track, which features musicians from Vancouver and Cape Breton, Germany and Ireland, with Mari Rankin of the famous Rankin family as one of the members. “Cape Breton, Arcadian and step dancing are all part of their musical mix. We hope to have them here in late June,” Jordan said.

Looking further down the roster, the GNWCA is working out details of performers who pack in venues around the Northeast with styles that not only feature Celtic, but Francophone, Appalachian and classic folk as well. All of the GNWCA –Skye Theatre partnership performers will be featured either at the Colebrook Country Club or Trinity United Methodist Church, the two local venues that the GNWCA has developed a partnership with successfully over recent years.

“To make this happen, we will depend on local support,” Jordan said. “We are striving to keep the costs down so that these concerts are affordable for all. If you’ve ever wanted music to come to your doorstep rather than traveling great distances to catch these performers, it begins by your attendance at these first concerts. We hope to see you there.”

Watch an extended feature clip of the Camerata New England performance of "London Legacies" at the Trinity United Methodist Church in Colebrook, New Hampshire:

The Great North Woods Committee for the Arts announces that it will be sponsoring three open mics this spring. Mark your calendar now for these popular local events.

The first will be held on Friday, April 29, at 7 p.m. in the downstairs of the Colebrook Public Library on Main Street in Colebrook.

The second will be on Friday, May 20, at 7 p.m., also in the downstairs of the Colebrook Public Library.

The third open mic will be held on Friday, June 10, beginning at 7 p.m. at the Marion Blodgett Museum in the former Methodist Church in Stratford Hollow.

These provide an opportunity for anyone with talent to have an audience and share his or her abilities, whether it be singing, playing an instrument, reading a poem or whatever. All you need to do to take part is show up and sign up that night. Bring your voice, your instrument and your family and friends for a fun night. Come perform or just to be part of the audience.

A $5 admission fee is suggested for non-participants. Performers are admitted for free. Beverages and goodies will be available. Funds raised during the GNWCA Open Mic Series go to support bringing the arts to the North Country.

For more information on the open mics, call GNWCA Open Mics Chair Susan Zizza at 237-5517 or GNWCA President Charlie Jordan at 246-8998.

For the second year in a row, the region will be treated to a stunning evening of chamber music on Saturday, April 16, when Camerata New England performs in Colebrook.

The concert, set to begin at 7:30 p.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church, will see the 14-piece ensemble perform a concert titled London Legacies, which will feature the music of William Lawes, Henry Purcell, Francesco Geminiani, Frank Bridge and Benjamin Britten.

The Colebrook appearance is presented by the Great North Woods Committee for the Arts and the Arts Alliance of Northern New Hampshire. “We are happy to partner with the Arts Alliance again this year to bring this extraordinary ensemble to Colebrook,” said Charlie Jordan, president of the GNWCA. “Throughout the past year we’ve developed a very good relationship with Carlos Galvin, director of Camerata New England, who has shown his dedication to work with us and the Arts Alliance of NH to maintain an ongoing presence in the North Country. And anyone who saw them perform here last year knows that Camerata New England is a breathtaking musical experience.

Frumie Selchen of the Arts Alliance of Northern NH added, “It’s wonderful to be able to bring an ensemble of this caliber to Colebrook and to have a strong and enthusiastic organization like the GNWCA to work with.”

Tickets are $15 and will be available in advance at Fiddleheads at 110 Main St. in Colebrook. They are available on a first-come, first-served basis and will be available on the night of the concert at the door. “To assure yourself a seat at this memorable musical experience, we suggest you order your tickets early,” Jordan said.

Camerata New England will also be performing the night before at the prestigious Lebanon Opera House.

For more information on the program and Camerata New England, you may visit www.cameratanewengland.org.

The Great North Woods Committee for the Arts works throughout the year to bring performing arts opportunities to the region. Beginning each year with the popular Winter Warmers Concert Series, the GNWCA also host a series of local open mics as well as the TUBACHRISTMAS concert annually. This past year it also brought the Shaw Brothers to Colebrook, as well as the hot Boston-based Celtic band Matching Orange and a theremin concert. It co-sponsored the Sunday Afternoon at the Tillotson Center.

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