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May 8, 2008 Ships' Company hosts fiddle camp Halifax Herald Ship's Company Theatre is holding its annual fiddle camp in Parrsboro on May 16, 17 and 18. Led by master fiddler and music educator Gordon Stobbe, the camp is for individuals of all ages and varying levels of musical experience. Award-winning instrumental artist Kendra MacGillivray joins the contingent this year, which includes teachers and performers Sherryl Fitzpatrick, Geoff Horrocks, Skip Holmes and Greg Simm. There will be an instructors' concert Saturday, May 17, 7:30 p.m., during which time Ship's Company Theatre's complete 2008 season offerings will be revealed. On Sunday evening, camp participants will be showcased in a 7:30 p.m. public performance at the theatre. Visit <http://www.shipscompany.com>www.shipscompany.com for a printable brochure featuring instructors' biographies, weekend agenda, registration form and payment and contact information. |
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January 2008 All-star Celtic team raises funds for diabetes TODD MACLEAN, The Guardian When you’re in need of raising funds for a cause, it pays to have a brilliant Celtic musician as an older brother who’s connected to some of the best names in Celtic music on P.E.I. This is the truism that was brought to life last Friday night at The Guild in Charlottetown as Lisa Deagle and her older brother, well-known guitarist/mandolin player/fiddler Elmer Deagle, put together one boombastic barn-burner night of Celtic music. All for the cause of raising money for Lisa’s participation in the Brazilian marathon this June with Team Diabetes for the Canadian Diabetes Association, the show was a sell-out. And by its end, the high dollar figure raised for the cause was only exceeded by the height of spirits in the house. Despite the poor weather that hovered about the Island that day, which actually kept a couple of performers from getting to the show, the turnout was spectacular. And it’s safe to say that all in attendance must have been quite proud that they made the trek out in the elements, as soon as they heard the beginning act that night. Yep. They broke out the big guns first — J.J. Chaisson on fiddle, Kevin Chaisson on piano and Elmer Deagle on guitar and fiddle. They played a fiery opening 20-minute set that probably shook all the snow off the roof of The Guild. Commencing with a slow air and then moving into a barrage of strathspeys and reels, complimented by the addition of young Summerside piper Harley Peters (playing Scottish Soldier and Amazing Grace), their set was thoroughly enjoyed by the appreciative crowd. Colette Cheverie of The Celtic Ladies then took over the stage, with accompanist Jon Matthews on guitar, to perform several heartfelt tunes. Through songs like Stan Rogers’ Tiny Fish for Japan, and Francis James Child’s Sweet William’s Ghost, Cheverie performed passionately, eyes perpetually closed, as her smooth voice echoed throughout the theatre. Melvin Ford was the host of the night, and at the beginning of the second half, we were treated to a couple of vocal performances from him, including Fields of Athenrye and Leaving on a Jet Plane, which the crowd sang along with (particularly my Aunt Muriel sitting next to me ...) Up next on the bill was Emmanuelle LeBlanc of Vishten. The group has been touring the world for the past while and is up for two ECMA nominations in a few weeks. With accompaniment from Elmer Deagle on guitar (who has also been a member of Vishten for about a year now), LeBlanc began with a lovely, sweeping, sliding tune on the tin whistle, written by Deagle. Following it up with a couple of reels and a jig played on a higher whistle and then a bodhran performance (complete with some Acadian chair step dancing) as Deagle played some fantastic fiddle, their set was one of the most impressive of the night. “Comb your hair, Elmer!” yelled an audience member at the shaggy-mopped Deagle, as he prepared the stage for the next act of the evening, his three sisters, Lisa, Donna and Rhonda. “I haven’t combed it in five years,” he replied, as the audience hollered in laughter. Singing songs such as I Told You So by Randy Travis and Goodbye is All We Have by Alison Krauss, the sisters sang in a pleasant blend of harmony and were given an encore for their performance. Kendra MacGillivray was the much-anticipated final act of the night. And where the first act blew the snow off the roof, in her commanding fiddle power, accompanied by Kevin Chaisson on piano and Elmer Deagle on guitar, MacGillivray then proceeded to tear that roof off. Cutting, cutting, cutting into the notes like a friggin’ Ginzu knife through honey dew melon, MacGillivray just ripped through a set of reels to begin (The Messer Medley), followed by a dreamy, beautiful air called Love of the Isles (the name of her new CD) and then finished off the tremendous set with a few raging reels, as rosin dust soared up in clouds above her head. As if that wasn’t enough, we were all then treated to a magnificent finale of all the performers from the night up on stage, led by J.J., Elmer and Kendra on fiddle, complete with step-dancing and non-stop clapping and stomping from the fired-up crowd. All in all, it was certainly one of the best Celtic music shows I’ve seen in a long time. And if you’re sad you missed it but would like to make a donation to Lisa Deagle’s Team Diabetes cause, check out www.teamdiabetes.ca. Also, special thanks to Ward MacDonald and my Aunt Muriel Jay, for the favour of saving a seat for me. At a
glance: |
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March 12, 2007
Easter Seals telethon set for Monday night The Guardian The 2007 Easter Seals Telethon will air live on CBC Television from the mainstage of Confederation Centre of the Arts on Monday, March 12, 7-10 p.m. This year's Easter Seals ambassador, Anthony Comeau, will be joining CBC News Compass host Bruce Rainnie and CBC Radio's Mainstreet host Matt Rainnie for the three-hour fundraiser for the P.E.I. Easter Seals Society. CBC Television producer Claire Nantes says it's a wonderful opportunity to showcase some of the most talented entertainers in Prince Edward Island. "The stage will come alive with music and dancing from a wide variety of performers. We will also share stories about children who benefit directly from the donations people make to the telethon." The entertainment lineup for this year's telethon includes pianist Doug Riley, Celtic fiddler Kendra MacGillivray, singer/songwriter Angèle Arsenault, Eddy Quinn and Fiddlers' Sons, Ian Toms, Celtic Ladies, the College of Piping Dance Company, The Hustlers, Edge and the house band with Wayne Dunsford, Perry Williams, Alan Dowling, Darren Ings and Dave Berrigan. Corporate sponsors for this year's telethon are ADL, Atlantic Turbines International, Superior Sanitation and Credit Unions of Prince Edward Island. Volunteers from Confederation Centre of the Arts, Aliant and CBC will be combining their talents and resources to produce the three-hour event with support from the Charlottetown, Summerside and Montague Rotary Clubs. CBC Television viewers can call in their pledges for this year's telethon to a toll-free number, which will be visible throughout the broadcast. The P.E.I. Easter Seals Society will use the funds raised during this year's campaign to provide programs and equipment for people with disabilities on P.E.I. Everyone
is invited to join the live show at Confederation Centre of the Arts. |
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December 20, 2006
Christmas
came in August for the Celtic Angels. Fiddlers Gillian Boucher and
Kendra MacGillivray, Kendra's sister Sabra
Celtic Angels at Christmas premieres on VisionTV tonight at 9 p.m. "It was
hard initially to get into the mindset, but as soon as we walked onto
the set with the candles, sparkles and white trees we got into the
mood," says Sabra MacGillivray, who grew up in Antigonish, but now makes
her home in "We didn't use the sanctuary, but built a set separate from the church. It was all white and beautiful." Sabra dances a solo to the music of Winter Wonderland, sporting a skirt of white tulle with sparkly snowflakes and a green velvet bodice. "I felt like a ballerina," she laughs. She also brought along six of her students from the Celtic Touch Dance Studio. The girls, aged 10 to 12, join Sabra for an upbeat strathspey reel. Brother Troy, an accomplished pianist, and Kendra play on the set. "Christmas wouldn't be the same without a Christmas ceilidh," says Sabra, recalling that at house parties, part of the family tradition was getting together to make music. The
middle child of three was immersed in Celtic music. Her grandfather on
her mother's side, Hughie A. MacDonald, was a well-known fiddler, her
mother fiddled and played piano and her grandmother was also a pianist.
Her father's Kendra,
who now lives in Prince Edward Island with her broadcaster husband Bruce
Rainnie, brought her son, Mark Anthony to the set. Born April 19, the
tot sat in a Jolly Jumper and became a little jumping bean when Kendra
played, Murray
was seven-and-a-half months pregnant during the filming of Celtic
Angels. Looking radiant after the birth of Rowan Marie five weeks
ago, the Gaelic songstress says the show will be a permanent memento of
her daughter's first Raised in Prince Edward Island and now living in Halifax, Murray sings the Holly and the Ivy and the Wexford Carol in the show. "The Wexford Carol is one of the oldest Irish carols, it tells the story of the birth of Christ, it's a haunting tune," she explains, noting it's one of her favourite seasonal tunes. Murray was also pleased to sing with Hardy, who hails from Cape Breton, and MacInnes, on an English/Gaelic version of Silent Night. "They're three different voices and they blend in so well," adds MacGillivray. Murray, whose husband Michael McNeil, a medical student at Dalhousie University plays the bagpipes, has been singing Gaelic songs to Rowan since before she was born. "She really responds to the music, she finds it soothing." Murray's headed home to Summerside, P.E.I. for the holidays. Because of her love of the season she was thrilled when producer Charlie Cahill on Halifax-based New Scotland Pictures Inc. approached her to be part of the production. "I love the music of the season, the meaning behind the songs, the beauty of all the melodies," she says. MacGillivray plans to watch the show Wednesday with her family in Creignish. She'll watch it again when she, Kendra and Troy are home in Antigonish for Christmas. Asked about her favourite carol, MacGillivray says anything that talks about angels. "It reminds me of my mother, she's our angel now." (Janice MacGillivray passed away in 2005). |
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December 18, 2006 Charlie's Celtic Angels sing divine By Dean Lisk, Halifax Daily News
Charlie
Cahill said from day one, the obvious jokes about him and his angels
were there.
His Halifax-based New Scotland Pictures was also behind the Barra MacNeils Christmas special in 2000. Female stars "They said their audience did like Celtic music," he said "We sort of came up with the idea of making it female stars, and call them Celtic Angels." Cahill, along with musical director Declan O'Doherty, spent the winter and spring developing the show and casting his angels. Singing in the special are Prince Edward Island's Patricia Murray, Cape Breton's Stephanie Hardy, and Scottish vocalist and harpist Maggie MacInnes. They're joined by fiddlers Gillian Boucher and Kendra MacGillivray, dancer Sabra MacGillivray, and a group of "wee angel" step dancers. "We were able to start shooting in August," said Cahill. "So, it was Christmas in August this year." Even
though it was the middle of summer, Hardy said she didn't find it hard
getting into the yuletide spirit. "Most of the versions I've heard are slow ballads, which are beautiful. But I wanted to do something with this song to make it more upbeat," she said. "It also sounds more pop modern, rather then classic. "Christmas songs are done all the time, so it is nice to see a new spin on the classics." Part of
the reason for the spin, says Cahill, was that his angels were asked to
suggest songs they would like to sing. "The best part of doing these things is getting to watch the talent work together," Cahill said. "To some extent, it is a recipe for disaster or a recipe for success, and we have been pretty lucky." Diva-free He said once everyone got together in Halifax to rehearse, all the angels suggested other ways they could work together and help each other with their songs. "There were no divas on this one, they were just great, talented people," he said |
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August 26, 2006 Kendra featured in "Celtic Angels at Christmas" Celtic fiddler, Kendra MacGillivray will be featured in an upcoming television show, called "Celtic Angels at Christmas". The special is being produced by New Scotland Pictures and will appear on the Bravo TV station. Other performers include highland and step dancer, Sabra MacGillivray (Kendra's sister), fiddler, Gillian Boucher and vocalists, Patricia Murray and Stephanie Hardy. The show is being taped in Halifax, Nova Scotia from August 26-30, 2006 and will air in December 2006. |
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August 15, 2006
Lunenburg folk fest keeps keeping it real By Stephen Pederson, Halifax Herald
IT HAS BEEN
a great weekend in Lunenburg at the Folk Harbour Festival. The four
mainstage shows, which began a little after 7 p.m. and finished a little
before 11:30 p.m. Thursday to Sunday, each introduced at least one or
two new and On Friday, it was British folk-vet Brian Peters, Alberta songwriter John Wort Hannam and the evergreen Marigolds. On Saturday, it was master-guitarist Andrew White and the inimitable Joel Plaskett. And on
Sunday it was the energetic fiddle playing of Kendra MacGillivray and
the silken vocal/instrumental arrangements of Susan Crowe and the
Tenderlies in their inaugural concert appearances. What makes Lunenburg
live, however, is the festival's willingness to take a chance on new and
sometimes, perhaps regretfully, untested performers. No need Ruth and
Gabe Minnikin used to sing with the Guthries, we were told. But what
they were on about Sunday night puzzled more than just me, to judge from
the audience reaction. Barely intelligible lyrics sung by Gabe in so low
a range But such
surprises serve to remind us all that getting up on stage before 800 or
900 people is not as easy as the veteran performers make it seem. Even
the unprepared or the not-yet-ready for prime time contribute to the
surprise and That emotion is never absent from the Sunday Morning Gospel concert on Blockhouse Hill. The tent cannot contain the crowds who spill out on the wings on the grass and share the mayhem caused by the vocal fire-power on the stage. The Johnson Girls, The Marigolds, The House of Doc, a variety of soloists, guitarists, bass players and keyboardists launch themselves into the up-beat repertoire, much of it old-time, all of it road-tested for decades in communities and churches and sing-outs, and none of it resistible. One gets born again and again and again. Sunday night's finale in the tent began with the relatively new Western swing/honky-tonk quartet Flat Fifth with pianist Paul Buchanan, violinist Eilidh Campbell, double-bass player George Barkhouse and drummer Geordie Comstock. They play
four-to-the bar with a jazzy inflection paced by Buchanan's jazzy breaks
and warmed by his strong, lyric baritone voice. Their energy and style
are somewhat compromised by their astonishingly heavy bass lines.
Buchanan The set
included the rhythmic volubility of a peanut vendor's spiel, an audience
participation slurping-song about watermelons, a fine ballad with Matt
Large about "cruisom" (not "cruisin' ") down the coast of Barbary, and
with the
Eighteen-year-old Jennah Barry, with an indescribably sweet and true
high soprano cast a spell over the crowd with her intensely felt
interpretation of her mother Leslie's song Where Harbour Meets the Sea,
the winner of the first MacGillivray brought the crowd back to life after the enervating Minnikins set with the first note of her lively, bracing, richly played Cape Breton tune set. Accompanied by pianist Darla Chaisson and charismatic bodhran playing/step-dancing sister Sabra, MacGillivray played clogs, hornpipes, reels, strathspeys and polkas and ended her set with a spectacular performance of the difficult Tullochgorum variations, topping that off with a couple of reels and gilding it with a demonstration of step-dancing while fiddling - and all that from a young mother barely four months out of the maternity ward. Matt Andersen finished the show, but I caught him earlier in the day singing the blues on the Wharf stage like an old-timer and ripping out riffs from his guitar like a young firebrand. Second last came Crowe with the Tenderlies (Lisa MacDougall and Cathy Porter), the trio backed up for the occasion by "Tenderloin" James Logan on very jazzy guitar. That's a
lot of feisty femininity and their urbane mix of tunes like I Fell Up
Again (a Crowe evergreen), La Vie En Rose, Bye and Bye (gospel song),
Bound Shackled and Chained and Love's Pure Gold arranged to take
advantage of the I liked this festival a good deal. All of it. Even the times my ear involuntarily cringed. It was, as it always is, real. And that's rare and precious. |
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May 30, 2006
Kelly, Gallant to help cancer survivors celebrate Halifax Herald
Cancer
patients and families from across Nova Scotia will gather at Pier 21 in
Admission is free. Terry
Kelly, a cancer survivor and honorary event chair, will headline the Other
performers include Lennie Gallant, Floyd King, LeMarchant St. Thomas The
afternoon will include a message of inspiration delivered by Carly
Bunyan, |
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May 18, 2006 MacGillivray, Rainnie have a boy Halifax Herald Congratulations to ECMA-winning fiddler Kendra MacGillivray and her CBC broadcaster husband Bruce Rainnie on the birth of their son, Mark Anthony Rainnie. Mark was born on April 19 at 3:29 p.m. at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown. He weighed 7 lbs. 14 ozs. and was 20 inches long, with blue eyes and light brown hair. He's named after his grandfathers (Bruce's dad is Mark and Anthony is Kendra's dad's name.) ""We're getting along great,"" said MacGillivray from her P.E.I. home. ""He's been watching hockey and basketball games already with daddy and we'll have him on the fiddle in no time!"" |
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October 22, 2005 Celtic Colours: Whycocomagh Gathering at the Whycocomagh Education Centre by Tom Knapp - Rambles.NET Our arrival in Cape Breton was heralded this year by thick grey clouds and torrential downpours, a bout of nasty weather that followed us from the Maine border, across New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, and settled in for a spell. But the swollen skies and puddled streets couldn't dampen day two of Celtic Colours, our first night on the island for a week's splendid music. Award-winning singer-songwriter David Francy got things going with a selection of his expressive stories and songs. Coupled with singer-guitarist Shane Simpson, Francey brought the eager Whycocomagh crowd into his world with songs including "Tonight in My Dreams" (which Francey described as "the one happy song in the set") and "Torn Screen Door," which laments the loss of a viable farm and lifestyle to debt. Next up, the formidable MacGillivray clan -- talented siblings Kendra, Sabra and Troy -- demonstrated the power of Nova Scotia traditions. Beginning their set with Kendra on fiddle, Troy on keyboard and Sabra on bodhran, they led the audience through an animated, lively, wonderful program. Kendra, center stage, is a firecracker when she plays, legs pumping madly with the beat. Sharing in the family tradition, she first introduced a polka set learned from her grandfather, who first recorded it in the 1930s. Next, Troy -- with a flurry of fingertips -- played the "Mary Queen of Scots" set on keyboards; the set was previously recorded on fiddle on his latest CD, but built to an amazing climax in this arrangement. Sabra leapt to her feet and, with fellow dancer Kelly MacArthur, showed how Cape Breton footwork looks with practiced professionals in the tap shoes. Arms relaxed and swaying, legs loose and precise in their movements, backs and shoulders in a perfect line, long ponytails bobbing in time and grinning broadly, the two young women moved in perfect unison, tirelessly beating out a mighty rhythm as Troy and Kendra pounded out the melody. Then, Sabra (only slightly winded) took over the keyboard (her first public performance on the instruments, her siblings quickly pointed out to Sabra's embarrassment) while Kendra and Troy worked into a perfectly matched fiddle duet of strathspeys and reels -- Kendra looking completely relaxed, the music an effortless extension of her arms, while the equally gifted Troy played with a look of focused concentration and, for a brief portion of the set, showed his own skill at dancing. For the final set, the MacGillivrays returned to their original positions and launched into a stately melody, building -- as, of course, it must -- into a fast, heel-pounding set. Kendra's smile was infectious as she (and her newly styled, slightly reddened hair) bounced in time, Troy matched her beat for beat on the keys and Sabra again demonstrated why she is one of the island's leading proponents of the dance. Their standing ovation was well earned. And the energy level kept building. After a brief intermission, the twang of a jaw harp signaled the beginning of Le Vent du Nord's display of Quebecois music. The French-Celtic connection was full of frantic energy, a high-energy and gravity-defying parade of tunes and songs about love, both comic and tragic. The lyrics -- often presented a cappella, in a strong four-part vocal arrangement or as a call-and-response -- were expressive even in French (a language I sadly do not understand). And let's not forget the fantastic foot percussion that punctuated the music, primarily the work of fiddler Olivier Demers who demonstrated freakish levels of energy as he played. And of course there's Benoit Bourque, a giant scarecrow of a man, all smiles and footwork as he showed off his own brand of stepdancing and maybe even an extra joint or two in each leg. Frankly, I'd hate to be on stage after that, if for no other reason than the fear that every single supporting nail must have been shaken loose under the foot-stomping barrage. We looked to Nicholas Boulerice for a lesson in the power, majesty and versatility of the hurdy-gurdy, "the most beautiful of all instruments." And then Benoit leapt from the stage to lead the audience in an arm-circling, pinky-linking dance that snaked through the seated crowd. For the finale, Kendra and Troy got things rolling with a strathspey, tossed it to Francey for a bit of "Rantin' Roarin' Willie" and then joined the full ensemble for a fierce set of jigs and reels, featuring additional dancing by Sabra and Benoit, plus a surprise from emcee Burton MacIntyre, a local institution in dance, when he very nearly lost his kilt (twice) while partnering with Lt. Gov. Myra Freeman. Burton took it all in good humor, of course, blaming a recent diet for the garment's looseness. The Whycocomagh crowd was in high spirits as everyone filed from the building and back into the rain. The week was just begun, and there was plenty of music still to come. |
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August 10, 2005 Kendra MacGillivray & Bruce Rainnie To perform concerts at Jubilee Harbourfront Jubilee
Theatre (Summerside) Celtic fiddler Kendra MacGillivray was the 2002 ECMA "Female Artist of the Year" and "Instrumental Artist of the Year", and has performed at festivals & events around the world. From a square dance or Scottish concert in Cape Breton to a main stage performance at the Glengarry Highland Games or Harrison Festival of the Arts or to a corporate event in Japan or Barbados, Kendra plays the music of her Scottish ancestors with energy and passion. MacGillivray has performed with Philip Glass & Friends in concert at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, Symphony Nova Scotia in the "Maritime Pops Series", Atlantic Scene Festival in Ottawa, Villa Montalvo in California and was a featured performer in DRUM!, the musical in Halifax. She was also featured in a CBS movie called, "Heart of a Stranger", starring Jane Seymour and presented awards on the 2003 East Coast Music Awards, a CBC production and the 2002 MIANS Music Awards. Kendra started taking highland dance lessons at the age of six, followed by classical piano lessons, fiddle lessons and then classical violin lessons. Musically, she was influenced from the very beginning by her grandfather's fiddle music, Hugh A. MacDonald, a pioneer recording artist and recipient of the ECMA Stompin' Tom Award and a Nova Scotia Country Hall of Fame Induction. Although she was much too young to learn fiddle tunes from him while he was living, Kendra danced to his music at every chance and his playing has inspired the music she plays today. MacGillivray continues to perform her most requested selections, ranging from lively jigs, to hauntingly beautiful slow airs and rousing sets of strathspeys and reels - in theatres, festivals and corporate events - in venues nearby and far away...'Over The Waves'. Bruce Rainnie is the host of Canada Now, the supper hour news program in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. In addition, he is known as the voice of CBC Sports in Atlantic Canada. He has broadcast 3 Olympic Games (2000, 2002, 2004), and had the honour of calling Daniel Igali's gold medal wrestling performance in Sydney, Australia. More recently, Bruce teamed with Russ Anber to bring Canadians coverage of boxing from Athens. In March of 2004, he researched, co-produced, and hosted "Great Expectations," a half-hour primetime documentary on hockey sensation Sidney Crosby. Bruce came to the CBC from CJLS Radio in Yarmouth where he hosted the morning show from 1989 to 1995. He also hosted a one hour information/entertainment program, "Rainnie at Noon". Bruce has done extensive emcee work for various organizations. He has hosted the Progress Club Sports Celebrity Dinner, the QEII Hospital Research Dinner, the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies, the P.E.I. Business Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies, the Halifax Comedy Fest, Pier 21 Heritage Day Celebrations, the Special Olympics Dinner and Auction, and the CIAU All-Canadian Basketball Awards Dinner. He's also been the featured speaker at graduations and athletics banquets all across the Maritimes. The award-winning sportscaster has expanded his professional duties to include hosting CBC News Morning, the Celtic Colours Music Festival, Tall Ships 2000, Spruce Meadows Showjumping, Davis Cup Tennis, the CFL on CBC, the World Curling Championships, the Pan Am Games, Hockey Night in Canada, and CBC Sports Saturday. As a host, master of ceremonies or featured speaker, Bruce's quick wit, thoughtful insights, and humorous, engaging style have entertained audiences all across Atlantic Canada. The combined talents of these two Maritimers promise an evening not to be missed, and organizers say from the buzz at the Jubilee box office, the pair is proving to be a favourite of this year's Summer on the Waterfront Festival lineup for August, which also includes performances by The Lazy Jacks, The Chucky Danger Band, Sketch 22, and The Jubilee Players. Tickets are now on sale for all listed performances, and can be purchased at the Harbourfront Jubilee Theatre Box Office, local 888-2500 or toll free 1-800-708-6505. |
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July 9, 2005 Kendra & Troy MacGillivray Concert By Andrea Nichol, Linear Reflections E-Magazine - Victoria, BC For generations the MacGillivray family has entertained Nova Scotia and Canada with their extreme talent in Celtic music. Hugh A MacDonald, grandfather to Kendra and Troy MacGillivray, was a well-known recording artist who was a recipient of the ECMA Stompin' Tom Award. He was also inducted into the Nova Scotia Country Hall of Fame. Antigonish, Nova Scotia is where Kendra and Troy MacGillivray get some of their nspiration for the music they perform from different artists such as Neil Gow, The Rankin Family, and of course, their grandfather. In this performance, Kendra and Troy MacGillivray not only entertained us, they made their grandfather proud. It was a wonderful evening of music and dance. Kendra and Troy haveperformed together for over 15 years, and throughout the evening, it was clear that they were comfortable performing together. The venue was the Fairfield United Church; it was small, cozy and intimate. I felt like I was sitting in a living room somewhere, a rather large living room, of course, listening to people playing music. It was great. A large armchair instead of a wooden pew would have been more comfortable however. Throughout the concert both Kendra and Troy addressed the audience in a friendly manner that only increased the comfort level. They played a mixture of jigs, reels, and laments, all of which were excellent. Several, however, deserve to be noted. "Jackson's Fancy Medley," a group of pieces that incorporated jigs and reels, set all of our toes tapping. It was spirited and fun, and echoed the many celebrations experienced throughout the years by Celtic people on two continents. "The Old Gray Goose" was also a wonderful piece. "Neil Gow's Lament for the Death of His Second Wife" was poignant and beautiful; a very fitting lament for a loved one. The tune was very suited to the piano, its keys giving it a delicacy that was required for a lament. Near the end of the first set, they played some of the pieces their grandfather had played like "Polka No. 3 Medley." These pieces were more raw and earthy in sound, but overall they had a charm that obviously lives on. Also near the end of the set, as his sister fiddled, Troy did some step dancing and showed us his moves. It brought something extra to the fiddling and also continued the theme of the cozy, intimate party. I was tempted to join him, but would have looked extremely clumsy in comparison. In the second set, Kendra also step-danced for us and showed us that both she and Troy have trained long for their talents. It was a fun addition to the evening. "Arisaig Mist" was a piece played by Kendra on the fiddle and it was absolutely amazing. She prefaced her playing by tellingus a story of the mist that lowers along the ocean on the coast of Nova Scotia and that this piece was an echo of that imagery. I would have to say that this was my favourite piece of the evening. The tune brought tears to my eyes. It was very beautiful. The rest of the evening was more of the same - solid, excellent playing that was highly entertaining. I was impressed as they switched instruments and played well at anything they attempted. I enjoyed their step-dancing immensely. Troy and Kendra have several albums available. Kendra has put out three recordings: "Over the Waves," "Clear the Track" and "Antigonish's Own." Troy has recorded two albums: "Boomerang," and "Musical Ties." I would suggest that they would all be well worth purchasing. Both Troy and Kendra have been the recipients of several awards over the past couple of years. Kendra was the 2002 ECMA "Female Artist of the Year" and "Instrumental Artist of the Year." Troy was the 2004 recipient of the "Auleen Theriault Young Tradition Award" from the Goderich Celtic Roots Festival. It is clear from their performance that they both have embraced tradition and their roots in their musical journey and I look forward to watching the rest of their careers. It will be memorable. |
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June 29, 2005 Musicians bring a traditional sound to the stage Vernon Morning Star - Vernon, BC
Kendra and Troy
MacGillivray will bring a little Celtic inspiration to the stage when
they perform at the Creekside Theatre July 11. 2004 was a busy year
for Troy. At the age of 24 he was the recipient of the Auleen Theriault
Young Tradition Award from the Goderic Celtic Roots Festival in
Goderich, Ont. This award is given to an artist who shows outstanding
talent and love for traditional and roots music. |
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June 29, 2005 Brother and sister act return to Lake Country for Celtic performance Penticton Western News - Penticton, BC
Canadian Celtic performers
and siblings Kendra and Troy MacGillivray will return to the Okanagan
this year for a July 11 concert in Lake Country. She was featured in a
CBS movie called Heart of a Stranger starring Jane Seymour and was a
presentor at the 2003 East Coast Music Awards. |
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March
19, 2005 C.B. Ceilidh at the Cohn to aid IWK Halifax Herald A Cape Breton Ceilidh in support of the IWK Health Centre will be held at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium on Wednesday, April 6 at 8 p.m. The evening features a stellar lineup of traditional talent, including composer/conducter Scott Macmillan, David Greenberg, St. Peter's fiddler Dwayne Cote, New Waterford pianist Doug MacPhee, Judique fiddler Glen Graham, Antigonish's Troy and Kendra MacGillivray, Beolach's Mairi Rankin and guitarist Pat Gillis, with special guests Sugartime, the vocal group remembered from the Halifax-produced TV show Up Home Tonight. |
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March
11, 2005 Transplanted - Nova Scotia’s award-winning fiddler Kendra MacGillivray enjoying life on P.E.I. By Sally Cole, The Guardian It’s been an exciting year for Kendra MacGillivray. The ECMA award-winning fiddler packed up her belongings and moved to Charlottetown this past January, after marrying CBC Canada Now anchor Bruce Rainnie. "We’re very happy to be here," says MacGillivray. The couple met at the Old Triangle in Halifax in 2000, the night she released her CD, Over the Waves. "Bruce came to interview me. A few days later he called me back, asked me out...Isn’t that incredible? We’ve been together ever since," says MacGillivray. And while she’s thrilled about starting a new life with her husband, she is equally thrilled to be living in Charlottetown. "I’m very happy to be here. People love music here, especially the fiddle. So it’s nice to know that I’ve come to a place that embraces the traditions and the culture of the music, " says MacGillivray, who performed this week at the Easter Seals telethon. The talented musician will be giving a fiddle workshop Saturday afternoon and performing at a concert/dance the same night at the St. Pius X Hall, accompanied by Kimberley Holmes on piano from 9 p.m. to midnight. Part of moving to Prince Edward Island involved moving her business here. In Halifax and Antigonish, she taught students and sold her CDs from her website. And that’s what she intends to do here. "By having a telephone and e-mail, you can pretty much live anywhere and do business, as long as people can get to your website. The key is having good delivery options," says the 2002 ECMA female artist of the year and instrumental artist of the year. Now that she’s planted in red Island soil, the next step is starting fiddle lessons. "I’ve been teaching for 15 years, so I’m looking forward to continuing that tradition with new students on the Island. "I am already learning faces and names, just from the concerts that I have done here over the last five years, " she says. No stranger to P.E.I., MacGillivray performed at Indian River Festival, Victoria Playhouse and three times at the Easter Seals telethon. Just before Christmas, she played in the CBC, A Christmas Carol concert with Rainnie and Kevin (Boomer) Gallant. "That was quite the experience," she says, with a laugh. Marriage has had a settling effect on her. "It’s nice to have a home base. It’s the first time in a long time that I’ve been in the same place for longer than six weeks," says MacGillivray, who recently travelled to Quebec to perform. Originally from Antigonish, MacGillivray was influenced from the very beginning by her grandfather’s fiddle music, Hugh A. MacDonald, a pioneer recording artist and recipient of the ECMA Stompin’ Tom Award and a Nova Scotia Country Hall of Fame Induction. Although she was much too young to learn fiddle tunes from him, she danced to his music at every chance and his playing has inspired the music she plays today. "My grandfather was one of my greatest mentors. He and Colin Boyd from Antigonish were the first two fiddlers to record Celtic fiddle music in Canada in 1935, 70 years ago," she says. A more recent mentor is on air personality Eric MacEwen, who hosts a syndicated radio show. "Eric used to host a radio program that was on the Antigonish radio station (CJFX) every Sunday for two hours. He played lots of great musicians and that’s where I became very fond of the music of Howie MacDonald and Winston Fitzgerald. "Winston played a lot of tunes that my grandfather, Hugh A. MacDonald, played, so I think he could have been influenced by him," says MacGillivray, who also considers John Allan Cameron and Rita MacNeil as mentors. Businesswise, she is inspired by Celtic performer Loreena McKennitt. "She is self-managed and treats her music like a business, which inspired me not only to be self-managed but to book my own shows, publicize them and produce them," she says. Anyone interested in registering in the fiddle workshop can call 367-5606. For more information about fiddle lessons go to www.kendramacgillivray.com
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Airing on
VisionTV this week, the show features a collection of six women -
singers, step dancers, and fiddlers - sharing a selection classic Celtic
carols. "They do like Christmas music specials," said Cahill about
VisionTV, explaining they approached him about putting together a
holiday special in late 2005.