Celtic Harmonies
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with the closing concert taking place in Waterloo and another concert in Mansonville, but that wasn’t always the game plan. “We were hoping this would become a big Townships thing but it was more complicated and more difficult to find support to do that. We decided to focus the festival in Knowlton. We get lots of support from the municipality and it’s great.”
Ever since making its way to the Townships, things have only gotten better for the festival. “It’s been growing in popularity. People have been calling us in advance about the dates of the festival. I got a guy in Magog whose whole family wants to come visit here but they wanted to come during the festival. He bought the whole family tickets.”
This type of support from the community goes beyond ticket purchases. “The community support for this festival has been amazing. People have come forward to offer housing for the artists. To the musicians, it doesn’t feel like a gig it feels like a vacation. They say great things about this festival, and some have questioned as to why they have yet to be invited! They are so excited to come and they look forward to it.”
There are also various restaurants in Knowlton, such as The Relais, Star Café, Chez moi chez toi, Café Floral, and Buzz Café, who agreed to feed the musicians and take care of them free of charge. Let’s not forget about the venues. “One thing I have to say, is that the venues have been very good to us. No one charges us for the workshop venues so we get to use their space for free.”
Taking the time to discuss the role of the festival, April discussed how it all came down to celebrating our musical roots. “Our mission is to celebrate our common musical roots. Since there was such a huge diaspora of Celts around the world, there’s Celtic music that was brought with them all over the world. We find this music brings us together through our roots. It’s also about celebrating nature in music. The Ancient Celts had very mystical places and nature is a big part of their culture and continues through the music.”
The festival is also about the people. “We also want this festival to help people reconnect and slow down. We live in a world where we are connected through technology, but we are losing a real connection to real people.”
The festival is also a great chance to witness some extraordinary traditional artists who are coming from Ireland, Scotland, Brittany, The United States, Prince Edwards Island, Ontario, and Quebec. “We have great Canadian talent like Keith Murphy from Newfoundland, Richard Wood, and Louis Schryer; he won the Canadian Fiddle Championship eight times. We also have locals like Kira Shaughnessy, she is so talented and the words of her songs are meaningful, and Timi Turmel from Orford. I can’t imagine how his fingers move so fast on those buttons.” Let’s not forget Ronan Browne, a top Irish piper from Dublin.
“What I like about Celtic music is that it’s not something fixed in time and it’s not just fiddling. Celtic is a people, the Celts, and like all people we evolve. Music has evolved from the traditional to the more contemporary. There’s not always fiddling, there’s harps, guitars, and beautiful voices. Some concerts there is no fiddling at all.”
Throughout the festival, there will be various workshops taking place. “The workshops are all 90 minutes long and they are affordable. We are trying to do that so the prices don’t keep people away. Artists do these workshops out of love and I let them choose what they want to do. That musician, from whatever country, it’s a chance for you to learn about their music. Some are going to teach you stuff. People can do hands-on workshops, you learn to play an instrument, and there are several dancing and singing workshops.”
Some of these workshops include learning P.E.I step dancing with Richard Wood, Quebec style square dancing, Scottish country dancing, and learning to play the bones and spoons with Benoit Bourque. “It gives you a chance to exercise, enjoy good music, and meet new people.”
And don’t miss your chance to join in on those Irish sessions. “An Irish session involves playing music that has a specific beginning and end. There are three during the festival from 4-6:30 p.m. It’s a session not a concert. It’s an experience that is shared. They all play and celebrate together.”
Despite involving a lot of work, April still takes on the task of organizing the festival because she believes it holds a lot of importance for people. “I think it’s important because it reconnects us with our roots and each other. This music enriches our lives. It takes a lot of effort but when I see how people feel leaving the festival, that’s all the reward I need, and I want to do it again. It’s a deeply human experience and it’s important to have that today. People tell me how grateful they are and that’s why I do it.”
If you’re hoping to purchase your tickets you can go to the Celtic Harmonies International Festival website at http://www.celticharmonies.ca/ where you can choose what concert(s) you would like to go to and pay with a credit card. You can also purchase your tickets over the phone by calling 450-292-3456 at extension 227 which is the ticket office. Upon arriving at the festival, you give your name at the door and your tickets will be there waiting for you!
The festival will be taking place for nine days from Oct. 5 to the 13. “I want to connect people to this music,” April said.