News in Cortland NY
August 22-24, 2008
Courthouse Park, Downtown Cortland
This fun filled event offers something for everyone, from toddlers who will enjoy seeing the Celtic breeds of cattle, sheep, dogs and horses, to grandparents who will enjoy hearing the traditional music of their childhood. A weekend of everything Celtic: food, music, dance, exhibits and demonstrations. A Celtic Run starts the morning off at 8:00 am, sponsored by the Cortland YMCA (kilts are optional!).
A day of Celtic music, food, dance, gift vendors and entertainment
For the latest information visit www.cortlandcelticfestival.com
See Photos from Celtic Festival 2005!
Performers for 2007 Cortland Celtic Festival:
Enter The Haggis
Since its conception in 1996, Enter the Haggis (ETH) has built an international touring and recording career based on its unique approach to Celtic-based music and high-energy performances. After the success of 2002’s ‘Enter the Haggis -Live!’, the group teamed up with JUNO nominated producer Joao Carvalho (Slainte Mhath, Pilate, Hawksley Workman) to record its fourth album, ‘Casualties of Retail’ (2004). The music is primarily a fusion of Celtic, bluegrass and rock, however, elements of Latin, blues and funk can be heard throughout.
The group is no stranger to the stage; a look at ETH’s past and present tour schedule makes it clear that they’ve become a big draw at U.S. and Canadian Celtic and folk festivals. "We have a great time sharing our music with audiences" says the band’s Scottish-born bagpiper, Craig Downie, who joined the award-winning General Motors Pipe band at the age of 12. "The music we play crosses so many genre lines that it appeals to a wide demographic. It’s a very satisfying feeling seeing people of all ages connecting to the music we create."
Enter The Haggis and Zude invite ETH fans and everyone else to create an Enter The Haggis Tribute web page or website on Zude. The contest runs through midnight August 17. Contestants can use any objects from the ETH website, their own fan pages, a friend’s site or anywhere else on the Web.
One grand prize winner will receive a brand new Nintendo Wii, while the second- and third-place winners get an autographed copy of ETH’s album Soapbox Heroes and a Zude t-shirt. In addition, all three winning entries will be featured on the Zude Music homepage and ETH’s website, www.enterthehaggis.com. In addition, all entrants into the current competition will automatically be entered for a chance to win a trip to Ireland to party with the band next spring. For complete rules and contest details, visit www.zude.com/ethcontest.
Visit their web site at www.enterthehaggis.com.
The Town Pants
The Pacific Northwest may not be the first place you would expect to hear rollicking Irish or celtic folk melodies, but The Town Pants are determined to change that. Making their return to the Cortland Celtic Festival after their debut here in 2004, the Vancouver, British Columbiabased band combines aspects of Irish traditional to create their own unique brand of "West Coast Celtic."
Armed with a really a mere pawnshop’s worth of musical instruments, the feverish sound of The Town Pants traditional and contemporary influenced songs create a distinctive sound that remains in the heart and head long after the music stops, and has attracted fans from around the world from tot to pensioner. Featuring brothers Dave & Duane Keogh on dual-lead vocals and banjo and guitar respectively, Tin whistleman Aaron Chapman, fiddler Virginia Schwartz, and percussionist and bass player they generate that rare blend of passion, energy, animation and spirit. Not to mention a refreshing sense of humor in their live performances that never strays too far from their approach.
The group are no strangers to New York state where they have a growing legion of fans after having toured through the area heavily over the last couple of years at a number of festivals and clubs appearances over the last couple of years. While at home, Vancouver fans selected The Town Pants as one of their favourite National Celtic/Traditional Acts in Vancouver’s "Georgia Straight" Entertainment weekly annual "Best of Vancouver" readers' poll, where they were shortlisted with such groups as Great Big Sea and Natalie MacMaster.
The band-members all hail of Irish and Scottish descent, but The Town Pants' David Keogh explains "You don't have to be of Irish or celt background at all to enjoy our music, we'd like to think it transcends any of those boundaries. It has an energy and feel that goes beyond that. We play songs that old men sing in pubs and that kids will dance to."
For more information about the band, including audio and video clips, visit their website at www.thetownpants.com
Greenwich Meantime
Greenwich Meantime will play Friday Night, August 24 at the Marketplace Mall Parking lot, sponsored by the Downtown Music series, in conjunction with the festival. There is no charge for this concert.
The Montague School of Irish Dance
