Presented By
NTIF 2011 Featured Performers
BEHAN
BEHAN is all about family – family by blood and family by friendship. Anyone who has heard BEHAN has become an honorary member of their family. From the grandparents to the youngest grandchild, they have always encouraged audiences to join in and share their music (the boys need help with the lyrics sometimes). BEHAN includes brothers Barney, Michael, and Joe Behan with brother-in-law Joe Morris and lifelong friend Rusty George.
BEHAN’s influences include The Clancy Brothers, The Dubliners, The Irish Rovers, Irish Rogues, Bing Crosby and Daddy Behan’s predilection to inundate their young ears with jigs, reels and barn dances from old 78’s. Somehow, the punk music scene, liturgical music and the Arlington Drum and Bugle Corp are factors. Combine these influences with sibling rivalry and a Guiness or two and there’s bound to be a raucous time. BEHAN – Gaelic for fun.
Beyond the Pale
Beyond The Pale delivers a wild ride with stunning harmonies and dazzling instrumental flare. Weaving traditional Celtic music together with songs and world instrumental pieces, this quartet effortlessly spins out fiery reels, jigs, original songs, both humorous and haunting, offering culturally rich stories and music from around the world, including Celtic, Bluegrass, Folk, Mexican Polkas, Eastern European and Scandinavian tunes, Americana/Appalachian and even a little Texas Swing!
The entire band sings, from well-crafted original songs to "celticized" versions of contemporary songs ranging from 1930’s music hall songs to stunning a cappella pieces. Expect the unexpected as Beyond The Pale cooks up a tasty acoustic stew on fiddle, flute, hammered dulcimer, accordion, guitar, bodhran, whistle, concertina and saxophone. Discover your roots and expand your borders with this highly versatile never-a-dull moment band!
Blue Fiddle
Blue Fiddle is pure Ozark Irish – as wild as a razorback, as fierce as an Irish kiss, as perfect a union as whiskey and grits. Powered by extraordinary musical talent and fueled by the bandmates’ longtime friendship, Blue Fiddle delivers dazzling original and traditional Irish pub songs with rock-band energy.
Hamilton ’s dynamic vocal chops paired with Ware’s smoking hot fiddle and Lindquist’s scorching accordion ignite the stage. Audiences under the influence of Blue Fiddle’s head-spinning jigs and reels have sworn to the authorities that they’re only drunk on music. “Blue Fiddle brings the audience to their feet!” - Dick Renko, Concert Promoter, Muzik Management Productions.
Boru's Ghost
Boru’s Ghost has consistently entertained audiences since its inception in 1999 with a refreshing and multifaceted blend of acoustic rock, Celtic and folk music. The band’s energetic performances include inspired original compositions interspersed with thoughtfully arranged traditional Celtic songs.
All are comprised with a distinctive style incorporating many instruments including but not limited to guitar, fiddle, hammered dulcimer, Irish whistles, doumbeck and the bohdran. Boru’s Ghost seeks to entertain its audience with its intelligent arrangements and heartfelt harmonies and strives to strike a chord in the hearts and minds of its listeners.
Clandestine
We regret to announce that, due to Al Cofrin's work commitments, Clandestine have requested that they be allowed to withdraw from this years festival. The schedule has been adjused.
Clandestine is hard-driving, toe-tapping Texas Celtic sound. They re-formed in 2006 after a four-year break, with the same brand of blasting tune sets and new songs. Al Cofrin, the newest member, brings cittern and another set of bagpipes to the mix.
Percussionist and singer Emily Dugas captivates with her original song collaborations with Al, as well as her singular interpretations of songs in the Celtic genre. Piper EJ Jones and fiddler Gregory McQueen return with the full force of their individual musical energies. EJ and Al also join Emily on vocals, with many songs now set in three-part harmony.
Cór Gaeilge Texais
Singing in the old-style, unaccompanied, traditional manner, Cór Gaeilge will entertain you with catchy tunes and haunting melodies. Cór Gaeilge Texais performs traditional songs in Scottish Gaelic and Irish (Gaidhlig agus Gaeilge). Established in 1997, the group regularly appears at festivals in Texas and the surrounding region. The repertoire explores all aspects of life from church to tavern, dandling babies to rousing marches, love songs to work songs, and dances to dirges. The group consists of Denice Brown, Jonquele Jones, Michelle Kelleher, Vicki Morris, and Marie Paddock.
Don Gabbert
Don Gabbert has been called “The Voice of the West Texas Celts”. A singer and songwriter, he has shared the songs and stories of Ireland and Scotland across the Southwest.
As a proud first generation Irish-Texan, Don entertains young and old alike with his very personal perspective on the Irish in Texas. And, as such, he inspires his audience to join him in cheering “Tejas Go Bragh”
Drowsy Maggie
Far from drowsy, this young, Lafayette-based band delivers high-energy Louisiana-flavored Irish music. Though the music could be defined as contemporary, Drowsy Maggie still clings to the deep-set traditions of Ireland. No strangers to the stage, the band has performed across the Gulf South for festival crowds and more intimate audiences over the course of the past 8 years. The trio includes Julia Higdon on the bagpipes, Pete Dawson on Irish flute and tinwhistle and Mike Lahey on guitar.
5 Second Rule
5 Second Rule has delighted audiences with their acoustic creativity at pubs and festivals around the Southwest since forming in 2008. Decades of experience in traditional Celtic music and bluegrass set the foundation for inventive excursions into jazz, world music, classic rock and other realms.
Performing both traditional and original material, the blend of styles is eclectic, energetic, and fun! The group features Michelle Feldman on fiddle, David Lovrien (whistles, sax, keyboards), Mike Tidwell (guitar, bouzouki), Paul Dryer (mandolin, guitar) and Rick Holt (drums, percussion). All the boys join in for vocals.
The Irish Rogues
The Irish Rogues are a traditional Celtic/Irish Pub Band that performs a rich collection of rollicking sing-a-longs, ballads and brilliant, danceable instrumentals that originate from Ireland, Scotland and Australia. The Irish Rogues band was created by Ireland's own John Hodgins (a native of County Offlay) and his good friend Harold Herrington.
Under John's leadership, the band shares an energy and fun loving direction combined with excellent instrumentals and vocals. They are one of the longest held Celtic music groups in the Southwest.
Jiggernaut
Jiggernaut is not your typical celtic band, nor are they your typical rock band. Jiggernaut is a powerful combination of Celtic, rock and folk music. Drawing from years of experience playing rock-n- roll, the rhythm section lays down a solid foundation allowing the bagpipes and vocals to soar.
Passionate, energetic and always fun, Jiggernaut appeals to audiences from six to sixty, their tunes and songs tell ancient stories and teach lessons of today’s world, in a style entirely their own. What is Jiggernaut? Celtic musicians with a rock sensibility? Rock musicians with a Celtic sensibility? You be the judge...
Jigsaw
Instrumentally, Jigsaw is talent rich, blending a large variety of instruments and vocal harmonies. Kevin Alewine plays flute, guitar, mandolin, tenor banjo, whistle and sings. Peggy Fleming plays fiddle and remains the lead vocalist of the group while husband Ken Fleming plays button accordion, Anglo concertina, tenor banjo, guitar, mandolin, whistle and vocals.
As the name implies, Jigsaw interlocks multiple talents to form one of Texas’ finest ensembles playing traditional Irish music. Whether the venue is a concert, pub, festival, wedding or special event, Jigsaw is an audience pleaser.
Jim Flanagan
Jim Flanagan is a regular and popular favorite at NTIF. Writing in the Irish American News (December 2009), Shay Clarke has said "Jim Flanagan is a national treasure" who sings the "most beautiful Irish songs preserving all the traditional sensibilities."
A native of Baile Mhuirne, in County Cork, Jim has performed at major festivals from the Milwaukee Irish Festival to the Lake Charles Celtic Nations Festival. He is a member of the staff at Augusta Irish Week in West Virginia each summer. He performs occasionally with the Jackson, MS based band, Legacy. He is deeply committed to the preservation of the Irish language and has taught Irish (Gaelic) at workshops through the country.
Kelly
Kelly members are loaded with years of experience and talent. Their ability to combine their past experiences and deep understanding of where Irish music has been, bring it full circle with new ideas mixed with time-honored traditions.
It truly makes for a very exciting performance experience! Each set of tunes they play and ballads they sing is a chapter offered to the great collection of music played for hundreds of years inside and outside of Ireland. It continues the passage of the Irish music tradition on to the next generation one note and word at a time.
Killavil
Killavil is a group of three musicians with an unwavering dedication to traditional Irish music. Killavil’s roots are in Dallas, Texas, where they began their pursuit of Irish music with the Trinity Hall Session Players. They have performed at festivals, clubs, and pubs, across the United States, England, and Ireland.
The band consists of Michael Stribling on the uilleann pipes, tin whistle, and flute, Rachel Stribling on the fiddle, and Daniel Stribling on bouzouki, bodhran, and keyboard. Killavil focuses on traditional music originating from the Galway and East Clare regions of Ireland. Michael and Daniel both placed at the 2010 All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil and Michael is a current uilleann piping champion.
Legacy
Legacy draws the rapt attention of music fanatics wherever they play. These talented multi-instrumentalists perform an extensive repertoire of tunes and songs from the Irish tradition. Their skill is undeniable, their arrangements complex and challenging, and their performances tight and energetic. Said Dirty Linen: "This band fills the bill.... a delicate combination of full-speed-ahead attack and subtle finesse."
Legacy is Valerie Plested (fiddle, vocals), Justin Murphy (flute, whistles, guitar, bodhrán, vocals), Don Penzien (guitar, bodhrán, whistles, vocals), and Tim Britton (Uillean pipes, flute, whistles, vocals). Said Len Holton, Director of the Little Rock Folk Club: "Legacy are in the top flight of bands performing music from the Irish tradition, their loyal following regionally is both well-earned and well-deserved."
Needfire
Texas-based Celt-rockers Needfire have headlined many of North America’s largest Celtic and arts festivals. Since its formation in early 2005 they’ve become one of today’s most distinctive and original bands blending reeling Celtic fiddles, bagpipes, tribal didgeridoo, and a rock rhythm section.
Needfire’s 2011 Tour bring’s some exciting changes to the band’s line-up. Magen Miller (fiddle, piano, vocals), Jonathan Jones (wind instruments), Kevin Hanlon (guitars, vocals), Ben Croucher (drums, percussion), Ed Walewski (bass). Needfire looks forward to delivering more of the same high-spirited, powerhouse live shows that they are praised for by fans of all ages and critics worldwide.
Nine-8ths Irish
Highly acclaimed Sacramento, CA band Nine-8ths Irish combines the talents of four accomplished musicians to present music that is "Irish and a wee bit more." Comprised of award-winning fiddler Linda Relph (a four-time women’s champion in California), Bo Bowen (whistles), well-known bluegrass musician Kathy Barwick (guitar), and Chris Dunlap (bodhran), the band has spent time performing for audiences in California, Nevada and as far away as Ohio and Mississippi, and the band’s music continues to be as much in demand for Contra dances and Irish stepdancers as for festivals and pubs.
The group’s first CD, entitled West of Ireland, released on FGM Records in 2007, contains traditional jigs, reels and other dance tunes. With the release of the eclectic and accomplished Out on the Ocean, their second album on the FGM label, Nine-8ths Irish takes its place among the most compelling, crowd-pleasing and original bands playing traditional Irish music within the U.S.
North Texas Caledonian Pipes & Drums
The North Texas Caledonian Pipes & Drums is a recognized leader among pipe bands in the Southwest and a major competitor throughout the United States and Canada. The Band has established this standard of excellence in performance and competition under the skillful leadership of a number of dedicated Pipe Majors; most recently that of Pipe Major Don Shannon.
Founded in the mid 1970’s, the North Texas Caledonian Pipes & Drums is dedicated to furthering the great traditions of Scottish music and culture through education and demonstration. Over the years, the Band has established a unique standard of excellence in competition. The Band’s titles have included 1st place finishes in many competitions throughout the Southwest.
The Band proudly wears the distinctive "hunting" tartan of Clan Robertson and is pleased to promote our distinctive Scottish heritage. The Band has an ongoing student orientation, dedicated to promoting programs for pipers and invites experienced drummers to audition for the corps. There are competition units in both Grades 4 and 5.
Poor Man's Fortune
From their founding in 1997, Poor Man’s Fortune has been considered one of the finest performers of Irish and Scottish music in the US, but they are North America's premier performer of the Celtic music of Brittany. This region of Northwestern France boasts Europe's largest traditional music scene, larger that of Ireland and Scotland combined! The Breton music tradition embraces a range of styles from the pure-drop traditional to the intensely modern, and Poor Man's Fortune embraces them all.
Poor Man’s Fortune mines the Breton dance tradition as well, offering workshops on the traditional dances of Celtic France. No fairy tales, just fiery tunes that happen to be a century or so older than your average hip-hop jam, arranged for modern ears and played on traditional instruments with verve and exuberance. Dance music, Real music that’s been around awhile but still sets toes tapping.
Raging Sea
The fiery fiddle tunes and haunting ballads of Raging Sea are centuries old, and showcase the melodies of the Irish and Scottish who immigrated to the Allegheny Mountains of the United States. A fourth generation fiddler and multi-instrumentalist, Shawn Craver (MadFiddler) specializes in these forgotten jigs, reels and songs.
Guitarist Joshua Luper (MOD) and percussionist Caleb Eastman (Calybdragon) also grew up immersed in Celtic music and the band’s sound is described a "unbridled earth energy." Their intoxicating live shows, Shawn's original songs, and their strict adherence to traditional music make each Raging Sea show a spiritual and uplifting musical experience.
The Rogues (Scottish)
Over the past 16 years, the performances of this CeltRock Folk Classical group have electrified audiences on two continents. They have added to their ever-growing family of fans — affectionately known as the Rogue Army — at music festivals, theaters, Highland Games, clubs, pubs, and corporate events — anywhere that presents top-quality, high-energy music.This has even included regular rotation on satellite radio station, XM.
Their hard won road successes have established them as artists with bona fide international acclaim. Renowned for their musical skill, quick wit, and engaging stage show, The Rogues have mastered the art of creating an immediate connection with their audiences. The Rogues are fast becoming a household name with music lovers around the world, loved by young and old of all backgrounds.
Sarah Dinan
Sarah Dinan grew up in an environment filled with music and fell in love with singing at an early age. A woman of remarkable talent, Sarah's love of music and storytelling is evident in her performance and her voice has been described by both critics and audiences as "breathtaking", "crystal clear", "angelic", "beautiful", and "enchanting". Sarah sings a variety of genres and has performed with some of Texas’ most respected Celtic and Folk musicians.
She released her debut Celtic CD, "From the Ashes", in 2004 and has since added children's music shows to her regular performance schedule. Sarah released her first Children's CD, "For A Little One I Love", in 2010. She has a natural aptitude and appreciation for folk music and her clear alto voice is perfect for the lilting songs and haunting ballads she sings. Sarah is joined by Alexis Buffum on fiddle, Dana Martin on guitar and Nick Mitchell on drums and percussion.
Seamus Stout
Your pint has never tasted as good as it does with Seamus Stout. This “upbeat Celtic” group has established themselves in the North Texas area over the last 10 years as a crowd favorite at many area festivals and pubs. With Jan (pronounced “Yon”) at Fiddle, Banjo and Mandolin, Jarrod at Whistle and Irish Flute, Billy at Guitar, Damon at Bodhran and all singing, these guys provide a lively set that will keep your toes tapping, your hands clapping and a smile on your face.
From the first jig to the last reel, you’ll love your pint of Seamus Stout!
Shift
The word “shift” means to change emphasis, direction or focus. The band Shift has solidly established itself in the Dallas-Forth Worth area as one of the driving forces behind the transformation of traditional Irish music into an innovative and powerful musical experience.
Building on diverse backgrounds in traditional music, band members Jason Huntley on fiddle, Emily Bryant on guitar and Craig Scotland on bodhran lend their talents to this trio’s expressive blend of slow airs, fast-paced tunes and catchy songs.
Threadneedle St
The North Texas-based musicians of Threadneedle St have been together for 20 years, delivering strong traditional instrumental music from all the Celtic nations with a driving pulse that makes it ideal for dancing.
Whistle player Peggy Turner, fiddler Melina Shaffer, percussionist Jim Brunke and guitarist Bobby Bush have appeared at many venues in Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma and at large national festivals such as the Chicago Celtic Festival and the Dublin Irish Festival as well as the North Texas Irish Festival. The band has produced two well-received CDs, Having a Tune and Underground.
Trinity River Whalers
Rockin' and rowdy at the local pub or coaxing a concert audience to its feet, the Whalers are an adventure you don't want to miss. An eclectic mix of influences has carved a groove the band slips into snugly, and whether it's Celtic music with a Texas twist or Texas music with a Celtic twist, you'll find toes tapping and hands clapping. Throw in lead and harmony vocals by all five, creating a dynamic vocal variety and impressive wall ‘o’ sound, that run the gamut, from salty sea songs to drinking songs best belted out to carefully crafted tunes. The Whaler crew includes mandolin maven Marj Troyer trading-off on the mandolin and electric guitar, Steve Harrison playing bouzouki, lead guitar and didgeridoo, Micheal Price on rhythm guitar, Rodger Harrison playing the bass like a lead guitar and Randy Christian on accordion and percussion.
Tullamore
Fourteen robust seasons and two international tours have made Tullamore one of the Heartland's premiere Celtic bands. Diverse musical influences and experiences lend them an unmistakable sound - an American-folk body with a traditional Celtic soul.
Their take on Celtic music is rich and clear vocals, tight harmonies and instrumentals, and cool and clever arrangements. Across the country and across the ocean, from arts-centers and theatres to Irish Festivals and Scottish Highland Games, Tullamore are favorites wherever they go.
Vintage Wildflowers
Since January 2009, Tulsa-based Vintage Wildflowers (formerly known as Crossroads) has developed an enthusiastic legion of fans with their vibrant blend of Celtic harp, Irish flute, fiddle and harmony vocals. Mix in bits of mandolin, whistle, guitar, banjo, concertina, and bodhran and you have an idea of what it’s like to spend an evening with these women.
Equally at home performing on a huge festival stage, in a formal concert hall, or in someone’s living room, their concerts reflect both their respect for traditional music and their desire to create a style completely their own. The music of Vintage Wildflowers is a reflection of the musical lives and backgrounds of these three women, melding the trio's wide-ranging musical interests with their Celtic music obsession.
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