Celtic guitarist helps wrap up music season
Tony McManus joins James Keelaghan for a night of music Sunday at Market Hall
When he first started teaching, Tony McManus found the concept of instructing others how to perform and arrange music to be quite comical.
After all, the Scot widely-considered to be the leading guitarist in Celtic music was self taught – he developed his musical knowledge during his formative years by slowing down vinyl records from his family’s collection and recreating what he was hearing.
More than two decades and numerous instructional videos and courses later, he still enjoys analyzing how he acquired certain techniques and came by arrangements before conveying that information to someone else whose path was different.
“(Being a teacher) forces you to analyze that in detail,” he said Tuesday from his home in Fergus, in southwestern Ontario, where he has lived for 13 years.
McManus will help close out the 31st annual Folk Under the Clock concert series Sunday afternoon at Market Hall, sharing a bill with popular Calgary singer-songwriter James Keelaghan.
Thanks to technology, the guitarist has students across the world, including in South Africa, Australia and Hawaii. He loves all aspects of teaching and the community of guitar players it connects him with.
“It’s great fun … it’s a lovely way to reach out to the world,” he said.
McManus, who has contributed to more than 60 albums, was recently listed among 50 transcendent acoustic guitarists of all time by Guitar Player magazine, which wrote:
“One of the premiere purveyors of Celtic music, McManus displays an incredible ability to capture the melodic nuances of that ancient genre—including the sounds of fiddles and pipes— making his solo works supremely evocative. On his latest album, Mysterious Boundaries, McManus even deploys his signature PRS on a rendition of Bach’s colossal Chaconne in D Minor. Wow!”
The musician said he feels fortunate to be recognized, but pointed out that the writer’s list is subjective and wondered why others are not included – such as influential English guitarist and songwriter John Renbourne.
The native of Paisley, Scotland has loved travelling his acquired homeland since the first time he crossed the Atlantic 25 years ago. McManus pointed out that you don’t have to go very far to discover the unique regional musical styles Canada offers.
The guitarist recalled playing his very first Canadian show in Bristol, N.B. “I’ve met people in New Brunswick who don’t know where Bristol is.”
McManus particularly enjoys smaller venues. It’s humbling, he said, to be able to play shows folks attend without knowing what to expect.
“It’s a great opportunity all around … smaller communities are just great,” he said, adding that larger cities come with their own challenges. “There is a lot of competition.”
In his travels, he has also been fortunate to spend time in Spain and France, drawing from their own unique Celtic offerings.
“People might be surprised about how similar it is to Irish and Scottish music,” he said.
McManus will play the first half of Sunday’s concert, with Keelaghan playing the second half before a possible collaboration at the end.
He recalled meeting his billmate when they were booked at the same festivals in Australia in 1997 – finishing their tours at the same location, they soon performed together for a local radio show and became friends.
McManus will continue to tour Canada’s west coast in May and July before taking part in more teaching gigs this summer in upstate New York, and Spain.
“It’s going to be a very busy year,” he said.
For more information on Tony McManus, visit www. tonymcmanus.com.
For more information on James Keelaghan, visit www.keelaghan.com.