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April
17, 2010 ... On Saturday night The Barras took St. Andrews United Church in Sydney by storm! Cathedral is unlike any Barras’ production that you’ve ever seen before, an unusual concept that combined traditional jigs and reels with Gregorian chant, Gaelic presenting, the classical music of Bach and a massive four-ton pipe organ. Sprinkle in music from Styx, Bobby McFerrin, Fred Lavery and Gordie Sampson and you start to get the idea. Having the premier presentation of this show on their home turf was a brave move by the Barras. What would their family and friends think about a production that was so far from what the public has come to expect? The response from the sold out audience was more then positive, with several standing ovations. Each of the Barras is more then the traditional side that they are most known for and Cathedral certainly demonstrates this. The six MacNeil siblings didn’t do this entirely on their own. Their longtime bassist Jamie Gatti also joined them and they had help from cellist John Spearns and vocalists Meghan and Mikayla Luckie-Taylor. At only 15 years of age, the twins’ singing and show skills are impressive. This was particularly highlighted by their dynamic presentation of the difficult Pie Jesu, a performance that garnered them a well-deserved standing ovation. Overall, this was quite the production, something that took months of planning and hard work to come to fruition. If you saw the show, I’m sure that you have been raving about it to anyone who would listen. If you weren’t there, you missed the show of the year. Catch it whenever and wherever you can.
April
8, 2010 The Barra MacNeils will unveil Cathedral on Saturday night in Sydney and hope to take the show on the road in the future. Surprisingly, early Styx albums lend themselves well to being played on a pipe organ, says Stewart MacNeil. "They are a huge keyboard band," says MacNeil, who sings and plays accordion, tin whistle, flute, bouzouki and guitar in the multiple East Coast Music Award-winning Cape Breton band The Barra MacNeils. "Their stuff has a real energy around it, particularly the rhythm section, and when the Barras play it, it has a real Celtic feel. The bodhran drives it." Nevertheless when the Barras take to the stage on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at St. Andrew’s United Church in Sydney, for their new project Cathedral, the show will be far from typical for the musical family group from Sydney Mines. The production spans music from the past millennium, from Vivaldi to Styx, ancient chants to Bobby McFerrin and Bach to traditional, featuring the power of the organ and instruments ranging from penny whistle to pipes. "I think it will appeal to a wide range of people. The music crosses a lot of boundaries," MacNeil says by phone from Cape Breton, where he’s home after returning from a three-week tour that took the family group from Texas to Regina to Whitehorse and B.C. Cathedral arose from discussions several years ago between Sheumas, who plays keyboards, piano, bodhran, fiddle and bouzouki, and producer Brookes Diamond about the fact Sheumas studied pipe organ at Mount Allison University. "Years went by and it never left Brookes’ mind," says Stewart. "Last year we talked about the idea of putting a show together and we worked on it on and off between touring with Maynard Morrison in a directing capacity." The whole family — Sheumas, Stewart, Kyle on vocals, guitar, violin and mandolin; Lucy on vocals, bodhran, Celtic harp and fiddle; Ryan on keyboards, percussion, uillian pipes, tin whistle and bodhran; and Boyd on mandolin, fiddle, guitar, banjo and percussion — will be joined by Jamie Gatti on bass and John Spearns on cello as well as 15-year-old twin vocalists Meghan and Mikayla Luckie-Taylor. While the group is reworking one of its tunes, most of the material will be songs they won’t have performed before. For example, the group has transposed a piece of music by Bach so Irish pipes and flutes could play along. "Playing Bach in church is about as natural as it gets," says Stewart. "Some of the Vivaldi parts were written for the organ, so the setting, a church, is where it would originally have been performed. There are a capella moments which in a church feel really special." And the Barras plan to perform Bobby McFerrin’s 23rd Psalm. "I’m a huge fan of his music," Stewart says of the singer known for the hit Don’t Worry, Be Happy. "The albums have a lot of multi-layering so it works well with the whole family performing together. The 23rd Psalm is so well written, but there’s a challenge to it and everyone has to dig in." Cathedral may feel like the Barras’ popular Christmas show to some audience members. "There’s a certain feel or ambience when it’s performed in a church. Something special happens. Aside from the really energetic parts, there are ethereal moments. We really work to create a balance to transcend the musical experience and take people somewhere else." Stewart says regardless of people’s religious beliefs, they will enjoy the music, which he describes as timeless and awe-inspiring. And, he notes, there is no such thing as an old organ, just an organ that is not well-maintained. "Both Sheumas and myself took pipe organ lessons at St. Andrew’s from Peter Fraser who is still the organist there. Huge volumes (of music) have been written for the organ, and people don’t hear it." As well, Stewart notes, the organ is a very physical instrument. "When this organ is opened up to its full volume, it’s incredibly powerful. There’s no amplification, but you can feel the wind rushing through the columns — there’s nothing that can replicate that." He notes the pulpit in St. Andrews can be removed so people will have a good view of Sheumas playing the organ. The group hopes to tour the project eventually and Stewart is looking forward to the feedback from this first concert. "There’s a stereotype of what a church show can be, but there’s huge potential for a concert of this sort. It’s wonderful music and timeless. We want people to enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoy playing it." Tickets are $30 and can be purchased at: Brine’s of New Waterford Hairstyling Ltd., 862-3885; Brewers Convenience Store, North Sydney, 794-2304; Sexton’s Pharmacy, Sydney Mines, 736-3801; Pharmasave, Glace Bay, 849-6552; C.B. Curiosity Shop, Sydney, 564-4660; Quality Cameras & Computers Ltd, Sydney, 562-3600 and St. Andrew’s United Church Office, Sydney, 564-4810.
April 7,
2010
The Barra MacNeils to unveil new musical venture
The production is described as a musical adventure combining the best of many worlds - a selection of the past millennium’s greatest musical compositions, featuring the power of the pipe organ with the delicate, sometimes driving sounds of the mandolin, fiddle, and whistle, all happening in a beautiful cathedral setting. From Vivaldi to Styx, ancient chants to Bobby McFerrin, Barras to Bach, CATHEDRAL will take the audience on a unique musical adventure. The concept for CATHEDRAL first emerged from conversation between the Barras Sheumas MacNeil and Halifax based producer Brookes Diamond, where Sheumas revealed he had spent his university days at Mt Allison learning to study the pipe organ. “It was such a surprise,” says Diamond, “…so out of keeping with Sheumas’ deep Celtic roots. And the light just went off - how unique and entertaining a combination of the musical traditions could be. Balancing the might of the pipe organ with the array of traditional instruments the Barras have mastered and how moving it would be to experience it all in the magnificence of the great cathedrals of the world.” Sheumas agrees. “It was always one of my favourite instruments to play, but we didn’t have one at home and they’re hard to find in concert halls, so it all just fell out of the picture. It’s been great getting back at the pedals and the keys, experimenting with so much new and old material.” Stewart MacNeil has been happily surprised at the way the show has been coming together. “The whole family has been involved, suggesting pieces from many genres that have been lifelong favourites while discovering material that we’d never heard before. The organ certainly adds a powerful new sound and we’ve been enjoying learning some amazingly interesting music.”
CATHEDRAL
will debut at St. Andrew’s United Church, Sydney, NS Tickets can be purchased at the following locations:
Brine's of New Waterford Hairstyling Ltd,
422 Hudson St., New Waterford Download high resolution posters:
March 11, 2010 As part of celebrations for the 10th Anniversary of Vancouver Island's Celtfest, Canada's first family of Celtic music, the Barra MacNeils will perform at the Port Theatre on March 21. Steeped in Cape Breton tradition with strong Celtic roots and musical artistry, this diverse and talented family group sells out shows around the world with their captivating vocals, harmonies and extraordinary musicianship. As a group, the six MacNeil siblings are widely regarded as one of the greatest live concert acts in the Celtic world. Hailing from Sydney Mines, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, the family group is deeply rooted in Celtic music, culture, dance, language and history. Their numerous critically acclaimed recordings have included their own original songs as well as tried and true standards, both instrumental and vocal. The Barra MacNeils live concert experience -- their first in a decade on Vancouver Island -- brings so much more to the stage than most live acts ever can. Multiple lead vocalists, beautiful sibling harmonies, top drawer instrumental prowess on a wide variety of acoustic, stringed, percussion and wind instruments blended with dancing, storytelling, Gaelic songs and a journey through an ancient culture; it is family entertainment at its highest level. Multi-award winners, the Barra MacNeils have released no less than 14 recordings. Canada's Celtic ambassadors, the Barra MacNeils continue to perform to sold out audiences throughout Canada, the United States, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and Europe. From headlining major festivals, concerts, special guest appearances, television specials, film and television placement and their annual Christmas tour, they have set the course with a solid foundation for success. Also featured on the program will be Vancouver Island CeltFest favourites master piper René Cusson and members of the Glengarry Highland and O'Brien Irish schools of dance. Tickets for the Port Theatre show are available at their box office. Call 250-754-8550 or go online to www.porttheatre.com. © Copyright (c) Canwest News Service
March 3, 2010 Cape Breton’s Barra MacNeils are traveling to Dallas, Texas Thursday where they will be one of the headliners at the North Texas Irish Festival. The group was such a successful hit at the festival last year that the festival asked the band to return for 2010. The festival is the largest Celtic festival in the Southwestern United States. This year, the festival has a special focus on Atlantic Canada. Also included in the line up are good friends Great Big Sea, Acadian group Grand Dérangement, David Munnelly Band and many more. After spending the weekend in Dallas, the Barra MacNeils start a tour of Western Canada the following week.
March 5-7 , 2010
February 17, 2010 The Barra MacNeils concert at the Confederation Centre in Charlottetown was one of the final casualties from Wednesday's snowstorm which hit P.E.I. during the early morning hours. The concert, set for Wednesday night, has been rescheduled to Thursday. The snow is tapering off and winds are forecast to become light overnight as the storm pulls away. Environment Canada ended its snowfall warning for all of Prince Edward Island by early afternoon. Forecasters say two more centimetres are still possible this evening. The Department of Transportation says roads are slippery but visibility is good. Traffic is running smoothly on the Confederation Bridge. The Charlottetown Airport is reporting delays, especially for flights in and out of Halifax, Ottawa, and Toronto. The early morning storm struck quickly after 4 a.m., resulting in the closure of all schools across the province. All Holland College classes are cancelled while UPEI is shut down until this evening. This is just the second closure of classes this school year because of weather. And today’s storm gives students an extra short week following Monday’s Islander Day provincial holiday. Both provincial and federal government offices are closed for the day.
February 10, 2010 After performing together for 23 years, a certain musical family has a storied career. And the newest chapter in the saga of The Barra MacNeils will be told during their upcoming concert at The Confederation Centre of the Arts. “The first great news is that we’ve just released two albums — live. The idea (for it) originated from fans that had sent us different emails saying they enjoyed our concerts but wanted something that reflected the energy of our live shows. “It was also something that the band had never done before, even though we’ve been playing for over 20 years. So we thought it would be fun,” says keyboard player/piper Ryan MacNeil who, along with siblings Stewart, Lucy, Kyle, Sheumas and Boyd will perform music from their new CDs on Wednesday, Feb. 17, in the Homburg Theatre at the Confederation Centre of the Arts at 8 p.m. The second news is that the new recordings — In Concert and In Session — tell the two sides of the musical story that they bring to audiences the world over. “We recorded In Concert over two nights at The Marigold Cultural Centre in Truro. This one represents the music we perform at soft seat theatres and concert halls,” says MacNeil, noting the CD includes tunes like the Clumsy Lover Set and Step Dance with Lucy, as well as vocal favourites like Caledonia and Coal Town Road. Their second CD, The Session, happened rather spontaneously. “We’ve grown up playing music for house parties with friends and relatives. One night we were playing at a party when our manager, Andre Bourgeois, suggested that we record exactly what we were doing. We thought it wasn’t such a crazy idea so we booked Governor’s Pub in Sydney and invited 30 friends to come along. “It quickly turned into a party atmosphere and we played for six solid hours. Other than a few planned numbers it was mostly impromptu with people singing along or jumping up to step dance,” says MacNeil, adding this CD includes songs like Dancing We Would Go, Aimless Love and Every Time and instrumentals like Highland Village Day, That ’70s Set and So You Think You Can Step dance. What sets this one apart is its drive and enthusiasm. ”It definitely has a different energy. We finally captured what we’ve been doing at parties on a CD that we’re really happy about,” says MacNeil, adding the group plans to create the same energy on stage during their Charlottetown concert. Their P.E.I. date is part of a tour that will take the award-winning Celtic performers to Ontario and then to Texas where they are headliners at the North Texas Irish Festival. “Unfortunately, that means we’ll be missing the East Coast Music Awards in Sydney,” says MacNeil. After that they’ll continue on to the Canadian prairies and Whitehouse for more shows before heading to British Columbia for a few more dates. But before they take off on tour, they’re wrapping up Cathedral, a project that they’re doing with Brookes Diamond Productions. “It’s a show centered around the pipe organ and the wide variety of music that can be performed on it. What inspired it is that my brother Sheumas studied music at Mount Allison University and is an accomplished organist. But very few people have heard him play. And we wanted to change that. “The show will premiere in Sydney on April 10 and we’ll start taking it to other cities from there,” he says. At a glance: Fast facts on Ryan MacNeil Favourite colour: Blue. Favourite food: Lobster. Favourite composer: Kevin Breit (jazz). Favourite book: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Five things to take to a desert island: Uilleann pipes, piano, fresh pineapple, lobster, other musicians.
December 17, 2009 Celtic group The Barra MacNeils take the stage for two shows Saturday at St. John’s United Church. It has been a little over 20 years since the group released its first CD. In that time, they have become one of the most famous Celtic bands in the world, releasing 13 CDs, winning 5 ECMA awards and being nominated for a Juno award along the way. This year's Christmas Tour has taken them along the Eastern seaboard, from New Hampshire to Newfoundland, and all points in between. "It has been a really nice tour," says Stewart MacNeil. "We have had two Christmas albums that were really popular. There are some great arrangements, some of them Gaelic, and others instrumentals. We have stories and family harmonies. We have been doing it for 10 years now and it is a very popular show." The MacNeil family loves what they do and, as you watch them on stage, you can tell. "The thing about this show is that it is fun!" says Aaron Billard of St. John's United Church. "It's fun! From the moment they hit the stage, toes were tapping and hands were clapping. They have a great sense of humour, and sing some songs in Gaelic. When they jumped to the front of the stage and started step dancing, the church filled with cheers and applause!" The six MacNeil siblings are widely regarded as one of the greatest live concert acts in the Celtic world. Hailing from Sydney Mines, Cape Breton, the family group is deeply rooted in Celtic music, culture, dance, language and history. "I grew up two streets away from the MacNeil family home, and I was their paperboy. I went to school with two of the younger MacNeils, Ryan and Boyd," remembers Aaron. "Whether it was children taking music lessons, or step dancing lessons, there was always music coming from that house." The Barra MacNeils offer multiple lead vocalists, beautiful sibling harmonies, top drawer instrumental prowess on a wide variety of acoustic, stringed, percussion and wind instruments, all blended with dancing, storytelling and singing. "A lot of times people are taken aback by the sheer number of instruments we play," says Stewart, "but it really ads a special character, from Celtic harps to various mandolins and wooden flutes, Irish pipes. You come to this show and you are getting everything." St. John's made a decision in the last couple of years to offer quality musical shows, partly as a way to raise funds, but mostly as a way to share good music and create community. "We heat this huge space, and only use it for a couple of hours a week," says Owen Fraser, events committee chairman for St. John's. "With very little effort we changed it into a performance space, because it is a great space, it is beautiful, and it has great acoustics." In fact, the Irish Tenors who performed there a few weeks ago decided on the spur of the moment to put down their microphones and sing a piece a cappella. "The one thing artists always tell us, everyone from the Celtic Tenors to Marshall Button, is that the acoustics within St. John's are amazing," Aaron says. "Hearing the music of Christmas performed live, or any music for that matter, in an historic church building is really a wonderful opportunity." And the Barra MacNeils can use this space to its fullest extent. "We had a sold out Christmas show last year on the 19th of December," says Owen. "There were so many people who wanted tickets and never got them that we figured we should see if two shows would go, so we are adding a matinee." As Stewart tells it, this show is first and foremost about celebrating what Christmas in the Maritimes means. "There are so many songs I really like. I really like that everybody gets featured," he says. "But it is also the range of the show. There are parts that are just like you are sitting in our kitchen, and parts of it seem like a midnight mass. It is a whole mix of what the season brings." "Last year's concert got me so in the Christmas spirit; it was that perfect dose of Christmas" says Becky Campbell. "Their voices for Christmas songs are so classic!" "They are excellent performers. They know how to play to an audience," Owen recalls of last year's show. "They had everyone stomping their feet and clapping their hands, it was really something." Perhaps the clearest memory from last year was the performance of O Holy Night. "When Lucy sang O Holy Night, as her brothers joined in on harmony, there wasn't a dry eye in the place," says Aaron. "Near the end of the show, Lucy took a few moments to talk with the audience about this time of year not always being joyful, then she invited people to think about someone, or to hold the hand of someone, as she sang Auld Lang Syne and invited everyone to sing with her; it was very moving." "I would go just to hear their voices live, to hear them blend together," says Becky. "And if you walk out of there in a bad mood, there is something really wrong. "It shakes all that shopping out of you and you forget everything else when you hear them sing. It is that good!" "All we really want to do is get people into the Christmas spirit," says Stewart. "That is what it is all about."
December 6, 2009
The
traditional family group Barra MacNeils bring their annual
Christmas show to St. John’s for the first time....
December 2009 All times Eastern (Check your local listings)
Bravo TV Canada
Christmas Together with the Barra MacNeil's
(E) 2007. The Barra MacNeils perform a selection of songs from their
Christmas albums in front of a live
VisionTV Christmas Together With the Barra MacNeils. Canada’s leading Celtic artists, the Barra MacNeils, perform music from their best-selling Christmas Album II in this holiday concert special filmed in Dartmouth, N.S.
THE BARRA MACNEILS CHRISTMAS TOUR ADDS ANOTHER SHOW! ... Friday December 11th! (ST. JOHNS, NL) – Due to popular demand, the Barra MacNeil's have added an additional show Friday, December 11th at 8pm at George Street United Church. The festive season is fast upon us and we are proud to announce that, for the first time ever, the Barra MacNeils will bring their annual seasonal musical celebration to St. John’s! The Barra MacNeil’s will bring their annual Christmas show featuring a skillfully performed collection of seasonal favourites complete with captivating vocals, harmonies and extraordinary musicianship to George Street United Church for two beautiful evening performances December 11th and 12th, 2009. The Barra MacNeils will be performing selections from both of their popular Christmas CD's as well as a variety of vocal and instrumental favourites. The tour has fast become a holiday tradition for many and they are so pleased to bring it to St. John’s, NL and hope that this can become a Newfoundland tradition. Please see the attached Media Release for additional information. For Media inquiries, please contact Chelsey MacNeil at 709-765-7594 or at this email.
BARRA MACNEILS – CHRISTMAS CONCERT
November 27, 2009 Barra MacNeils take on a winter tour... Read More (JPG)
November 18, 2009 The Barra MacNeils will bring their annual seasonal musical celebration to St. John’s this year. The show will take place at George Street United Church at 8 p.m. Dec. 12.
The event will feature a skillfully
performed collection of seasonal favourites complete with captivating
vocals, harmonies and extraordinary musicianship. During the Dec. 12 show, the Barra MacNeils will perform selections from both of their popular Christmas CD's as well as a variety of vocal and instrumental favourites. According to the George Street United Church website, tickets are $30 each and available at the Holy Heart box office 579-4424. For more information on the group and each show, visit: www.barramacneils.com
For
Immediate Release
Due to high demand, a second show has been
added for the Barra MacNeils
The Barra MacNeils Christmas concert will
include selections from both of
Multi-award winners, The Barra MacNeils
have released numerous recordings in their prolific 20-plus year career
including their latest In Concert and In
The six siblings from Sydney Mines, along
with long-time bass player, Jamie
The Barra MacNeils will also perform at the
Savoy Theatre for one show only
MEDIA RELEASE
THE BARRA
MACNEILS CHRISTMAS TOUR TAKES (ST. JOHNS, NL) – The festive season is fast upon us and we are proud to announce that, for the first time in many years, the Barra MacNeils will bring their annual seasonal musical celebration to St. John’s!
The Barra
MacNeil’s will bring their annual Christmas show featuring a
skillfully performed collection of seasonal favourites
complete with captivating vocals, harmonies and
extraordinary musicianship to George Street United Church
for one beautiful evening performance December 12th,
Multi-award winners, The Barra MacNeils have released
numerous recordings, including Racket In the Attic (2002),
Christmas Album (1999), Until Now (1997), The Question
(1995), The Traditional Album (1994), Closer to Paradise
(1993), Timeframe (1990), Rock in the Stream (1989), The
Barra MacNeils (1986). In 2001, they released a DVD titled
Cape Breton Christmas
The Barra
MacNeils continue to perform to sold-out audiences
throughout Canada, the United States, the Caribbean and the
United Kingdom. They have headlined major festivals and
concerts, made guest appearances on television specials
(Rita MacNeil’s CTV Christmas Special, performing The Barra MacNeils will be performing selections from both of their popular Christmas CD's as well as a variety of vocal and instrumental favourites. The tour has fast become a holiday tradition for many and they are so pleased to bring it to St. John’s, NL and hope that this can become a Newfoundland tradition.
BARRA
MACNEILS – CHRISTMAS CONCERT
September 2009
September 24, 2009
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2009
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3, 2009
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November 25, 2008 The ticketmaster discount code for Winnipeg The Barra MacNeils Christmas Tour tickets has just been posted! This is your chance to save on tickets to see The Barra MacNeils Christmas Tour at the upcoming concert in Winnipeg. Here are the details you will need, and the coupon code to save when you buy tickets at ticketmaster.com Use the The Barra MacNeils Christmas Tour discount code at Ticketmaster in the box labeled Ticket Deals Partner Offer or Special Offer Code. Please remember that offers do expire, check back often for new codes, or use the search box at the top of the page to find what you are looking for.
The Barra
MacNeils Christmas Tour Discount Code: Want tickets early? ** You can get presale passwords for The Barra MacNeils Christmas Tour tickets tickets at our other blog: Presale Passwords by WiseGuy.
November 20,
2008
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2008
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August 1, 2008 LISTEN ONLINE on Monday August 18 at 9.00pm Irish Time).
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