 |
|
            
|
 |
Tartan Day on Ellis Island Sixth Annual Celebration Set for April 7, 2007 About the Performers The Island Tapes
David Allison - Guitar “Painting with sound" is how the Scotsman newspaper described David Allison's unique looping technique in which he records and layers his performance in real time to make a truly cinematic experience. When it came out on DVD last year Empire magazine called his soundtrack to "St Kilda - Britain's Loneliest Isle" as "a great musical score." "I stood at the back of a packed Nashville auditorium and saw a crowd of hot-shot guitar pickers and hard boiled session musicians rise to their feet in a spontaneous tribute to the brilliance of David Allison's playing." Sheena Wellington, The Living Tradition. Alyth McCormack - Vocal Born and raised on the Isle of Lewis, singer Alyth McCormack was immersed in the music, poetry and drama of her native Scottish Western Isles from a very early age. She's one of the most exciting talents in the world of Gaelic song and as well as her solo career she is known for her work with all-girl trio Shine alongside Mary McMaster and Corrina Hewat. "Nothing short of riveting was Gaelic singer Alyth McCormack, whose voice soared from the outset in a beautifully poised sequence of mainly Gaelic material." The Scotsman. Ian Melrose – Guitar, Flute Ian Melrose's early influences were the giants of the "British school" of guitar-playing such as Davey Graham and John Renbourn. Since moving to Berlin in 1981, he has made a name for himself on the German acoustic scene as a solo fingerstylist and as a number of successful projects including Norland Wind, Talking Water and the Scandinavian-Celtic duo Kelpie. He became lead guitarist with the Scottish band Clannad ten years ago and plays on their Grammy-winning album "Landmarks" and on the recently-released live album. He is also in demand as a producer: recent albums include the "Rubicon" (Duggan brothers of Clannad), Vicki Genfan (NY) "Up Close & Personal." "One of the best Celtic-based fingerpickers on the scene today." Acoustic Guitar (USA) Allan Neave – Guitar Allan Neave studied at the RSAMD and the RNCM between 1984 -1988 and performs at many of the worlds leading musical events including the Sonorities, Bath and Cheltenham Festivals. He has worked with many influential musicians and composers including Nikita Koshkin, Edward McGuire, and James Macmillan. “One of the foremost performers amongst today's classical guitarists.” The Observer.
The New York Celtic Dancers The New York Celtic Dancers (NYCD) are a performance-based Scottish dance troupe located in New York City. Formerly the Mary Morrisson Dancers, the NYCD has been performing in the tri-state region for over ten years. The NYCD has performed at such New York landmarks as Carnegie Hall, Ellis Island, Central Park and The Cloisters (a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art). The NYCD have performed with many local pipe bands, including the Clan Gordon Highlanders, the New York Pipes and Drums and the St. Ann’s of Hampton Pipe Band. Director Allison Fippinger has been dancing since the age 4. From a family of Scottish heritage (Hamilton), Allison began her career with Scottish country dancing at a young age. She has since been trained in Scottish step and highland dance, Cape Breton step dance and Irish step dance, as well as studying a variety of traditional and ethnic dance forms outside of the Celtic realm.
The St. Ann’s of Hampton Pipes and Drums St. Ann's of Hampton Pipes and Drums were founded in 1990 by the late Father William J. Hewitt. It was his profound love the music and his own heritage that led him to form the band. St. Ann's membership consists of men women and children ranging in age from 14 to 60 plus. The band is a not for profit organization dedicated to the promotion of the Celtic culture. The band has recently returned from their award winning tour of Scotland, making one of their biggest 'pipe dreams' come true. The band performed in Edinburgh and participated in the Pipe Fest march and Cancer research fund raiser joining together with pipe bands from around the globe.
The band most recently celebrated their sixth appearance in the New York City St. Patrick's Day parade on March 17th. It is one of the few New Jersey Pipe bands to have this honor. In addition to their Ellis Island debut, the band will also be marching in the NY Tartan Day parade on Saturday, April 14.
Jeslyn Wheeless – Scottish Storyteller and Folk Singer Jeslyn Wheeless is a New Jersey storyteller and folksinger who performs in schools, libraries, park settings, museums, churches, and clubs, for audiences of all ages. She has been a featured storyteller in New York’s Central Park, the New Jersey Storytelling Festival, and First Night Celebrations. Jeslyn’s first recording, Hoot Owl Blues: Tales and Tunes to Conjure Up a Mood, was named to the American Library Association’s Notable Children’s Recordings for the Year 2000.
John Grimaldi – The Kilted Juggler John Grimaldi is a professional juggler and clown of Scottish-Irish heritage. Over the past few years, he has developed a unique act which combines Gaelic and Scots song, juggling, poetry, dance, zaniness and audience participation into a new exciting brew of theatrical excitement! He has performed with the NY Celtic Dancers, an innovative group with new ideas on traditional Scottish dance. With my partner, Bonnie Heather Greene, I have developed a dance piece that is a unique combination of Gaelic song and Scottish hardshoe dance. John has also created pieces that combine poetry, juggling, dance and physics in a truly unusual and exciting way. Besides his Scottish themed work, John is the Artistic Director of the NY Lyric Circus and has performed at the Metropolitan Opera for the past 20 years as a juggler, clown, stilt walker and actor. For the past 14 years, I have been a part of the Big Apple Circus Clown Care Program, visiting 7 New York City hospitals and Yale New Haven Hospital as “Dr. Quackenbush,” a character he created as a founding member of “Dr. Quackenbush’s Traveling Medicine Show and Magic Circus.” (est. 1970) Performances include Spoleto USA Festival, the Festival of Fools in Amsterdam (1980 &1984) and the Lower East Side Festival of the Arts.
Learn More:
< back to "Tartan Day on Ellis Island" press article
Home •
History of the Clan • Clan
Leadership • The Currie Tartan •
Clan News clancurrie@mail.com
|
