The Boston Celtic Music Fest Kicks Off the 2015 Celtic Festival Season with Fresh Haggis, Alba’s Edge and the Scottish Country Dance Society with a Full Line-Up of Entertainment

 The 2015 North American Celtic Festival season kicks off in January with an impressive calendar of events.  First out of the gate is the 12th Annual Boston Celtic Music Festival (BCMFest) held at venues in and around Cambridge’s Harvard Square January 9th through the 11th.  The BCMFest features a three day program starting with an “Urban Ceilidh” with Celtic social dancing from the Irish, Scottish and Cape Breton traditions. Participants are encouraged to learn the ancient social dances of the Gaelic speaking peoples during these sessions which form the core of this impressive celebration of Celtic culture.

The eclectic line up of entertainment at the 2015 BCMFest reflects the rich spectrum of Boston’s Celtic Roots. Performing in 2015 are Alba’s Edge, described by the Patriot Ledger of Quincy, Massachusetts as “…progressive Celtic music (which) brings an intriguing combination of Celtic fiddling and traditional jazz motifs along with bass and Latin rhythm.  In March 2014 the US State Department sponsored the band on a tour of Mexico to present “The American approach to Celtic Music.”

In addition are The Royal Scottish Dancing Society who describe themselves as the first branch of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society established outside the United Kingdom. “Since 1950, the Boston branch has been promoting, entertaining and educating an increasing community of the joys of Scottish dance and music.”

Also performing are Fresh Haggis, comprising of border piper/singer Elias Alexander, guitarist/singer Eamon Sefton and fiddler Kathleen Parks. The band are known to combine Scottish musical traditions and the influences of progressive bands on the current Scottish scene. They are described by the Riverwalk Café and Music Bar as “ Setting themselves apart with their fresh, expressive original tunes. The huge sound of border-pipes and fiddle together, plus the intricate and groovy rhythms of Eamon’s guitar will have you stomping your feet. Real contemporary Scottish traditional music at the peak of exuberance! “.

The following Press release form the festival organizers affords a complete description of the line up at this unique event:   

The 12th annual BCMFest, which takes place this coming January 9 and 10 in the heart of Harvard Square, will be a gathering place for local musicians, singers and dancers of all ages. This family-friendly, grassroots festival features performances as well as participatory music and dance events, starting with the Friday night “Roots and Branches” concert at Club Passim and the Boston Urban Ceilidh – BCMFest’s popular Celtic dance party – just around the corner at The Atrium, 50 Church Street.

At press time, performers confirmed to appear at the festival include: Flynn Cohen & The Deadstring Ensemble; Jenna Moynihan; Laurel Martin, Mark Roberts & Kieran Jordan; Joey Abarta & Jackie O’Riley; Cat and the Moon; Patrick Hutchinson; Soulsha; Fódhla; Alba’s Edge; Molly Pinto Madigan; The Coyne Family; Fresh Haggis; Bridget Fitzgerald; Ceol Corvus; the Vox Hunters; Oran Mor; Lindsay Straw; Nancy Bell; Scottish Fish; Elizabeth & Ben Anderson; Adrianna Ciccone; Laura Cortese & the Boston Urban Ceilidh Band; Mad for Trad Ensemble; the Jackie O’Riley School of Irish Dance; Highland Dance Boston; Audrey Budington & Clayton Clemetson; Liz & Dan Faiella; Will Woodson & Eric McDonald; Jigs & Saws (comprised of students from the Passim School of Music’s Celtic Ensemble); the O’Shea-Chaplin Academy of Irish Dance; Colleen White & Sean Smith; the Rushy Mountain Oysters; Hayley Hewitt; Boston Scottish Fiddle Club; and the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society of Boston.

http://www.clubpassim.org/bcmfest/2015-press-release