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Welcome to the Christmas Céilidh!
Och, aye!” you’re sayin’ to your own self. “What have I gotten myself into here?” You thought you were comin’ down to the quaint kirk to take in a wee concert ... glad tidings, holiday spirit and the like. Instead you find yourself in the middle of a céilidh. ´Tis a céilidh! What is a céilidh? Pronounced “KAY-ley”, it is the Gaelic word for a social gathering where traditional music, dancing, and storytelling abound. It’s a party, a celebration. In the “old days”, before nightclubs and theme bars, there were céilidhs in community halls on Friday and Saturday nights - social events celebrating local customs and culture. Today céilidhs are seeing a resurgance, still serving as an important and popular social outlet in rural parts of Ireland and Scotland, especially in the Gaelic-speaking west coast regions. And, there are special céilidhs held during busy festival and holiday times, like Christmas. So sit back and … … Oh … … No sitting back here. You are a crucial part of the céilidh. Open your voice and join in the singing. Delight in the tales with a hoot and a holler. You may even learn a dance step or two before the night’s out. Right, then. Enjoy the Christmas Céilidh! The Christmas Céilidh Band is six outstanding Celtic musicians: Kevin Angus, Chuck Boda, Pat Carey, Ben Ford, Cathy McGrath and Paul Gluchowski. Together they create an exciting energy, unique sound and lively performance. CCB has been delighting holiday audiences with their varied program of traditional and contemporary Celtic music and song since 2001. Their instrumentation includes smallpipes, Irish flute, whistles, bagpipes, guitar, mandolin, Celtic bouzouki, cittern, cello, fiddle, percussion and multi-voice harmonies. The céilidh atmosphere of their program is enhanced by the community performance spaces they perform in throughout western New York. They have been featured performers at several locations including Genesee Country Village & Museum’s Yuletide in the Country. |
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