Chaisson Trio performs sweet tunes at Friday night ceilidh
Out And About
When the chilly nights set in around this time of year, I think we all naturally crave a good cozy spot to spend the evening.
And last Friday, as the wind and rain pelted Charlottetown, what a comforting thing it was to come in out of the cold to a hall nearly-full with a crowd, and to be warmed right away by the bright sound of a fiddle jig on a rainy night.
The place was the Benevolent Irish Society. And the group — who was appropriately introduced by BIS president George O’Connor as being “legendary” in traditional music around here––was none other than the Chaisson Trio.
Longtime trio member Kevin Chaisson has recently welcomed into the trio his cousin Louise (Chaisson) MacKinnon (who is the daughter of former member, Lem Chaisson) and Rannie MacLellan, who is originally from Cape Breton.
And with the renowned talents of MacLellan on fiddle, the solid guitar/vocals of MacKinnon, and the alwaysstrong piano playing by Kevin, the Chaisson Trio may have changed its membership within the past number of years, but the musicality remains top notch and the spirit and passion for traditional music remains the same.
Beginning with jig, the set of sweet tunes made youngsters spring up out of their seats right away, as they twirled in a dance at the side of the stage.
Some great classic songs were brought to our ears by the clear voice of MacKinnon in the first half of the show too. They included the Galway Shawl, Red is the Rose and Dirty Old Town and Snowbird.
With a couple of fiddle strathspeys that carried into a flurry of reels, it didn’t take long for me to be mesmerized by the dazzling combo of pinpointed melodic timing by MacLellan on the fiddle, with the steady bounce of the chordal foundation led by the hopping left hand of Chaisson on the piano.
I’ve heard it said before that MacLellan is a “fiddler’s fiddler” – which I take to mean that his technique may not be very showy, but is highly focused and skillful – and he certainly displayed this skill to the utmost in a set of lovely Cape Breton strathspeys and reels, which coaxed on loud applause from the crowd near the end of the first half.
After an intermission of complimentary tea, sandwiches and sweets (always an awesome bonus at a ceilidh), some highlights of the second half included a beautiful version of the fiddle air Hector the Hero by MacLellan, songs like Fields of Athenry and Go Lassie Go by MacKinnon (which got the audience singing along), and fiery sets of reels that even lured a dancer up to the stage at one point.
This is now an opportunity as a writer that I do not take lightly – because for the first time in my 11 years as a Guardian columnist, I get the chance to write about the performance of my longtime (and long-enduring) editor, Carolyn Drake, who has recently taken on the new role of senior night editor at The Guardian.
And moreover, she is on vacation this week – so she doesn’t even get the chance to edit this out of the paper.
Thus, I get to say...it was Drake who jumped up to the stage for the step dance, as she earned a big ovation for her spontaneous burst of lively, well-timed steps, which took the energy level of the night up a notch at that point.
There we go. I can now chalk this one up to yet another columnist experience.
All in all, what a great way to spend a chilly fall night it was – and the next ceilidh you can catch at the BIS is actually tonight, 1. Paper Lions Super Show – P.E.I. Convention Centre, Delta Prince Edward, today at 10 p.m. It’s in celebration of Paper Lion’s new album, Full Colour. Go to www.paperlions.com. 2. Tall Ship fundraiser for Kings Playhouse – Georgetown Marine Terminal Wharf, today at 7 p.m. It’s an evening of music, tapas, and exploring the 170foot El Galeon Andalucia. www. kingsplayhouse.com. 3. Dennis Ellsworth – Trailside Café, Mount Stewart, tomorrow at 8 p.m. with dinner seating at 6:30 p.m. 4. Farm Day in the City – Queen Street and Victoria Row, downtown Charlottetown, Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. DiscoverCharlottetown.com/FarmDay 5. Dr. Jane Goodall: Gombe & Beyond – Delta Prince Edward, Sunday and Monday at 7 p.m. featuring Cian Ó Móráin and Friends.
The Chaisson Trio returns on Oct. 7. Oct. 14 will be an evening with Fiddlers’ Sons, and for more info visit www.benevolentirishsocietyofpei.com/activities Todd MacLean is a local freelance writer and musician. If you have a comment or suggestion for a review, you can get in touch with him at tmaclean@theguardian.pe.ca or at 626-1242. But he won’t be offended if you don’t.