Songs and Stories of the Sea
This is the closing concert: what will become another tradition established right out of the gates during last year’s Festival launch. Like the opening concert, it will be a smorgasbord and a celebration of the weekend that just was. But the focus is squarely on SONGS and STORIES OF THE SEA as we tip the hat to this festival’s home in the historic culturally rich setting of Cape Ann. Through the centuries; the music of Ireland, Scotland, Canada, New England, and Scandinavia has been fed, nourished, challenged and inspired by the sea. The dependance on the ocean for economic survival has connected these cultures and created a narrative well archived in traditional songs, stories, and poetry. of the Celtic Isles and Scandinavian. The theatre’s backdrop looking onto Cape Anne waters is particularly moving as we share these stories, tunes and songs so dear to our traditions.
Songs and Stories of the Sea Artists
Maeve Gilchrist & Brian O’Donovan
The Nordic Fiddlers Bloc
Cathy Jordan (Dervish)
Eamon O’Leary (Murphy Beds)
And more to come…
About the Rockport Celtic Festival
Brian O’Donovan & Maeve Gilchrist, artistic directors
For over three decades, Brian O’Donovan has been hosting A Celtic Sojourn on WGBH, a program exploring traditional and contemporary music from around the Celtic world. He’s also well known for his live concert series A Christmas Celtic Sojourn, as well as many other presentations around New England. In partnership with Rockport Music and working in close collaboration with fellow Artistic Director, Edinburgh-born harpist/composer Maeve Gilchrist, Brian is proud to return with his 2nd annual Rockport Celtic Festival- Exploring Celtic Roots and Branches. Featuring a wide and quite extraordinary variety of new and familiar musicians, singers, dancers, and storytellers, the weekend will focus on the genre’s broad and vibrant range with a strong emphasis on crossover and collaborative work between musicians from different genres including classical, jazz, and American Traditional. This will be a dynamic and interactive weekend featuring mainstage concerts, workshops, intimate salon-style sessions in our third floor space, and much more.
This will be a gathering rarely, if ever, seen before.
Thank you to our Celtic Festival Corporate Partners!
