Hearts in Cape Breton
Celtic Colours International Festival opens in Sydney
Walking around Centre 200 on Friday, you couldn’t help but hear people talking about the annual Celtic Colours International Festival.
As attendees were helped to their seats by staff members, the bright colours of red, orange, yellow and green shone bore on the main stage as Celtic music played in the background.
When the show began, people could be seen tapping their feet and nodding their head to the beat of the music, with some even clapping.
More 1,000 people attended the Celtic Colours International Festival opening concert at Centre 200 in Sydney on Friday.
The event kicked off the nineday festival, which will feature concerts across Cape Breton Island, running until Oct. 14.
Although many locals were at Friday’s show, they were also joined by many off-island guests, including Frank and Jane Ollendorff of St. Louis, Missouri, who were attending their fourth festival.
“We’ve made this an annual event, it’s so much fun,” said Frank Ollendorff with a smile on his face.
“Everything about the festival is so good, the colours, the music, but most important the people,” he said. “Everybody we met is just so friendly and welcoming and it’s like we’re coming home.”
The Ollendorff family was introduced to Celtic music through a friend, Mitzi MacDonald, a Cape Bretoner now living in St. Louis.
“She told us about Cape Breton and brought us here for the first time and it was just natural that we come back and be part of the Celtic Colours International Festival,” said Jane Ollendorff.
The opening concert featured performances by Heather Rankin, Michael McGoldrick, John McCusker and John Doyle, Coig, Cathy Ann MacPhee and Patsy Seddon, and IVA as well as La Swing du Suête dancers.
Carol Draper and her husband made a special trip to the island from Bridgewater, N.S., to be part of the opening concert.
“My husband is crazy about this kind of music (Celtic) and we love the Barra MacNeils,” said Draper. “It’s exciting to be here because it was hard to get tickets when we started looking for them in early August.”
The Draper family attended their first Celtic Colours International Festival a couple of years ago, but never stayed any longer than a day, but not this year. The family, who is also joined by their neighbour, will be on the island for weekend shows.
“We’re staying in Baddeck, so we’re planning to attend a couple of dinners and a couple more concerts,” said Draper. “We’re really looking forward to the weekend.”
As of last Monday, more than 75 per cent of the concerts for the festival were sold out.
The 21st annual Celtic Colours International Festival will feature 49 official concerts held throughout the island.
Meanwhile, at least 280 community cultural experiences will also take place during the festival, including workshops, meals and lectures. The Ollendorff’s plan to attend 12-14 shows during this year’s festival, travelling across Cape Breton for various performances and dinners.
“Cape Breton is so wonderful,” said Frank Ollendorff. “Every place we go is different and we have to go to all of them to see.”
“Tonight’s show was a combination of some of our old favourites and some brand new music that we never heard before – it’s always a fantastic combination.”
For a full list of events for this year’s Celtic Colours International Festival, visit www. celtic-colours.com.