Love of the sea
Celtic Fiddlers ready to launch new album “Ready for the Storm”
Residents of this province have had a love of the sea for as long as time, so it is only fitting that the eight songs on a soon-to-bereleased album “Ready for the Storm” by The Celtic Fiddlers are sea-centric.
“All the tracks are reflective of the ocean and the strong ties Newfoundlanders have to the love of the sea and its impact on our culture,’’ said Korona Brophy, musical director and founder of the Celtic Fiddlers.
“The title track, ‘Ready for the Storm,’ written by Dougie Maclean, is a traditional Scottish tune recorded by a host of people in the past, and is representative of our connection to the sea, for sure, as are the other seven tracks,’’ she added.
Additional songs include “The Lonesome Boatman,” “The Last Great Love Song,” “Caledonia,” “Hard Times,” “The Rakes of Kildare” and “The Sailor’s Wife.” All have direct ties to life in this province and how the ocean affects each of the titles.
The Celtic Fiddlers are launching their 6th studio album on Saturday, Feb. 23 from 8-10 p.m. at Quidi Vidi Brewery in St. John’s.
The release party is an all-ages event, with tickets being $15 for adults, and free admission for children younger than 12. (Because of liquor laws in the province, children under 16 can only attend until 9 p.m.)
The album was recorded in February and March of 2018 and was supposed to be released last summer after the recording was completed by producer Jason Whalen at Sound Solutions Studio in St. John’s.
“This release coincides with the timing of a number of members leaving the group and they certainly wanted to be part of a Celtic Fiddlers album before they moved on,’’ Brophy said.
“The songs were chosen from a list of about 20 that we play in our shows and from requests from the audiences we play for. We took that list and whittled it down to eight songs and set out to record them from there,’’ she added.
The Celtic Fiddlers, based in St. John’s, are a vibrant group of 13 young professional musicians, ages 15-27.
This unique group of fiddlers is accompanied by piano, mandolin, mandola, tin whistle, Irish flute, bodhran, cajone, accordion, banjo, bouzouki, bass, voice, guitar and drums.
They have gained an outstanding reputation for their eclectic style and presentation.
Under the direction of Brophy, a musician, arranger and teacher, the Celtic Fiddlers, formed in 1993, and perform at a wide milieu of international, national and provincial conventions and festivals, local folk festivals and events, celebrations and weddings.
Their travels have taken them to New York, Ireland, Isle of Man, Ottawa and throughout Newfoundland.
This year marks the 26th anniversary of their sharing of music, culture and history as proud ambassadors of Newfoundland and Labrador. On March 3, 2018, the group held its anniversary show at the LSPU Hall.
During the summer of 2018, The Celtic Fiddlers toured parts of Newfoundland to showcase a preview of their sixth CD, “Ready for the Storm.”
A tour is also planned for this summer and includes a trip to a festival on the Isle of Man titled Fleadh Cheoil being hosted in Drogheda on Aug. 16. The Celtic Fiddlers will be in Europe for seven days as part of the tour.