Thursday, January 10, 2013

Indoor Celtic Festival in Cambridge Friday and Saturday



If not yet on your radar, place the 10th annual BCMFest, which will be produced at three venues in Harvard Square this Friday and Saturday, dead center.

Like notloB Parlour Concerts*, BCMFest is an all-volunteer effort (in fact they are still seeking volunteers - contact them though their website and get free admission).


There will be a very strong notloB alumni presence, including.....
Katie McNally and Eric McDonald

Bronwyn Keith-Hynes
Molly Pinto Madigan
Laura Cortese
Matt Heaton
Flynn Cohen and The Deadstring Ensemble
Sean Smith
Cliff McGann
Hanneke Cassel


About BCMFest
BCMFest (Boston’s Celtic Music Fest) showcases Greater Boston’s best musicians, singers, and dancers from Irish, Scottish, Cape Breton, and other Celtic traditions. BCMFest hosts an annual weekend-long festival in January that features more than 100 performers. All of the profits from BCMFest are used to fund the next festival.
Throughout the year, BCMFest organizes the Celtic Music Cruise, Boston Urban Ceilidh, and monthly Celtic Music Monday Sessions at Club Passim, which spotlight local Celtic musicians and singers.
Laura Cortese, Shannon Heaton, Leanne McNally, Rachel Reeds, and Sean Smith head the BCMFest committee. Please contact themwith any questions about the festival.

The mission of BCMFest is
  • To produce locally-based Irish, Scottish, and Cape Breton music and dance in an upbeat and friendly environment.
  • To bolster appreciation for traditional Celtic music and dance among youth and the Greater Boston community.
  • To support a living, changing tradition by encouraging cross-genre collaborations and innovations among dancers and musicians of all generations.
  • To produce a variety of collaborative projects and performances for the Greater Boston community.
Hanneke Cassel BCMFest Photo

    Follow BCMFest on facebook and get BCMFest
      news year-round on the BCMFest blog.



The 10th annual BCMFest will be held January 11-12, 2013.


History:
BCMFest was born after Laura Cortese (Scottish fiddle) and Shannon Heaton (Irish flute) realized that recently they had seen many great, traditional Celtic music acts playing it the area; they thought it would be exciting if more of the Boston-area trad players worked with local folk music venues like Club Passim, the Burren, Johnny D’s, and the Canadian American Club. Soon after their talk, Laura and Shannon began planning a weekend-long showcase of local traditional talent—a Boston Celtic Music Fest to celebrate the rich, diverse pool of traditional music and dance in the Boston area.
The festival has become a hub for generating ideas, energy, and community support for local, traditional Celtic music and dance performers. In 2011, BCMFest became an official program of Passim. Today, in addition to the annual festival in January, audiences and artists can enjoy monthly concerts at Club Passim that feature a broad selection of Boston-based Celtic music and dance acts.
As BCMFest enters its tenth year, the festival is stronger than ever, and its vision is more refined. By presenting touring professionals, tradition-bearers, and young performers, the festival offers a variety of music not found anywhere else. The list of performers and fans involved in the festival continues to grow, a sign that BCMFest is a vital addition to the Boston music community.

*Upcoming notloB and related concerts:

01/18/13Loring-Greenough HouseKatie McNally & Eric McDonald
02/18/13Watertown private residenceBrittany HaasLily Henley and Kellen Zakula
02/23/13Loring-Greenough HouseFellswater
03/05/13Johnny D'sRichard Wood & Gordon Belsher
03/09/13Loring-Greenough HouseBronwyn Keith-Hynes and Catherine Bowness w/ George Clements


p.s. I will be managing the BCMFest's sanctuary stage, stop by to say 'hello.'

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