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From: Muff Worden <>
Subject: [Scot] Cape Breton's Beolach in Vancouver July 25th, Victoria July 27th
Date: Wed, 16 Jul 2003 11:35:37 +0000

Hi, folks - for those of you within reach of Vancouver and Victoria, I
highly recommend this group of excellent musicians from Cape Breton. I
don't know if they will appear south of the border anywhere along about
then, in Washington or elsewhere, or elsewhere in Canada -will try to
find out. Enjoy - Muff
------------
Media Release - For Immediate Release - July 15, 2003
Island View Creations Presents...Direct from Cape Breton...
BEÒLACH
"Featuring Wendy MacIsaac, Mairi Rankin, Ryan J. MacNeil, Patrick
Gillis,
Mac Morin and Matthew Foulds"

Friday, July 25 - Vancouver, BC - Wolf and Hound (3617 West Broadway) -
9pm
$10 (tickets at the door)
Call (250) 514-7241 for more info

Sunday, July 27 - Victoria, BC - Lucky Bar - 9:00pm - $10/advance,
$12/door
Advance tickets available at A&B Sound & Lyle's Place
Call (250) 514-7241 for more info

"The group performs an energetic mix of Cape Breton, Scottish, and Irish
tunes featuring piano, pipes, whistles, drums, guitar, and two fiddles!"

They are called Beòlach ("be ô' lokh"). Beòlach (a Gaelic word meaning
lively youth) is also one of Cape Breton's most exciting new young
bands. The group performs an energetic mix of Cape Breton, Scottish,
and
Irish tunes featuring piano, pipes, whistles, drums, guitar, and two
fiddles.

Beòlach began at an impromptu session at the Celtic Colours Festival in
1998, and after a strong initial response have gone on to play
festivals in
North America and Europe. The group recorded their self-titled debut
album
in the summer of 2001 at Lakewind Sound in Point Aconi, Cape Breton.
The
album features original compositions as well as the groups unique
dynamic
arrangements of their favorite traditional tunes.

Beòlach has thrilled audiences with energetic performances, witty
presentation, and versatile step dancing. They remove Cape Breton tunes
from their usual fiddle/piano context and present them with the renewed
energy of a young six-piece band. While they perform within a
contemporary
style, Beòlach maintains a great respect for - and understanding of -
traditional Cape Breton music.

Beòlach is Wendy MacIsaac (fiddle), Mairi Rankin (fiddle), Ryan J.
MacNeil
(pipes/whistles), Patrick Gillis (guitar), Mac Morin (piano), and
Matthew
Foulds (drums).

Wendy MacIsaac began her career at age four as a stepdancer, and went
on to
take up the fiddle at age twelve. By 1990 she had established herself as
one of the top fiddler/pianists in Cape Breton and was in great demand
for
dances and festivals across Canada, the United States, the UK, Europe
and
Brazil. She has performed with such renowned acts as The Barra MacNeils,
The Chieftains and Ashley MacIsaac and has toured and recorded with Mary
Jane Lamond for the past several years. She has recorded three solo
albums,
"The Reel Thing" (1994), "That's What You Get" (1996) and "Timeline"
(2003). You may also find Wendy teaching the joy of fiddle and
stepdance
to others at festivals and workshops in Cape Breton and abroad.

A native of Mabou, Cape Breton, Mairi Rankin has been playing the fiddle
and stepdancing since the age of 15. Now 24, her extraordinary talent
and
magical stage presence continues to leave audiences smiling across
Canada,
the U.S., Denmark and the U.K. She has performed as a solo artist with
such renowned names as The Rankin Family, Cuillin, Natalie MacMaster,
Ashley MacIsaac, Mary Jane Lamond and "Spirit of the Dance." She can
now
also add acting to her repertoire, having done an adaptation of Alistair
MacLeod's "Island" with Eastern Front Theatre, for which she also
provided
the score. In 2001, Mairi released her first solo recording entitled
"First Hand."

Originally from Big Pond, Cape Breton, Ryan J. MacNeil is known for his
powerful yet graceful style of playing. He has performed with various
acts
including his aunt Rita MacNeil, who he has joined on tour as well as on
television. Ryan's talents have been showcased at concerts and events
all
over the U.S and the U.K. Ryan`s electrifying upbeat piping style is
dance
oriented and strongly rooted in Cape Breton tradition. His whistle
style,
however, is more Irish in influence. He is a true master at blending
many
different techniques into one blazing and very impressive sound.

From Scotsville, Cape Breton, Patrick Gillis grew up with traditional
music in his home. Along with his love and enthusiasm for music,
Patrick
contributes a great amount of energy to Beòlach that can be heard in his
accompaniment and in his solos. Being left-handed and only having
right-handed guitars around, Patrick learned to play up-side down,
sideways
and backwards - and learned it well! Patrick has also toured with
Cuillin,
Ashley MacIsaac, Natalie MacMaster and Glenn Graham, performing at many
festivals throughout Canada, the U.S. and the U.K.

A dancer and piano player, Mac Morin is a proud native of Troy, Cape
Breton. He comes from an ancestry of noted Cape Breton stepdancers
spanning several generations. First taught by his mother and then by
the
talented Warner Sisters, Mac took on the role of teacher himself and has
instructed privately as well as at many workshop venues, including the
International Celtic Colours Festival held yearly in Cape Breton. Mac
has
made quite the name for himself as an accomplished piano player and is
kept
busy supplying accompaniment for various fiddlers such as Glenn Graham,
Howie MacDonald, Buddy MacMaster, Natalie MacMaster and Howie MacDonald.

A professional musician for over ten years and an industry manager for
two,
Matthew Foulds has been involved in many different aspects and forms of
music. Most recently, Matt has become a contributing writer for two
national music publications: Drums Etc and Musik Etc. Matt has
performed
and recorded with many notable artists such as Ashley MacIsaac, Bruce
Guthro, Gordie Sampson, The Barra MacNeils, The Rankin Family, Howie
MacDonald, Mary Jane Lamond, Natalie MacMaster and many other
traditional
and contemporary performers. He has been invited to play with some of
the
greatest fiddlers in Cape Breton as well as various instrumentalists in
Ireland including world famous Sharon Shannon.


Muff Worden
Ranargata 3
710 Seydisfjordur
Iceland
Phone: +354-472-1775
Car: +354-854-4078
Web: www.geocities.com/mworden.geo/

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