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Performers2020-02-14T19:48:26-07:00

Supporting Local Performers

Celtic Folk supports Celtic and East Coast folk music and traditions. We tap into primarily local talent. Local means you get to Calgary by your own means. So if the stars align, groups passing through might occasionally appear in our lineup. You might:

  • Be interested in attending a show and want more details,
  • Want to perform for us at a show, or
  • Want to find a performer for your event.

This page is intended to support all those objectives.

Call for Performers

If you are a local performer or group and think you might be a good match for one of our Club/Concert evenings, drop us a note at info@celticfolkcalgary.ca. If you are passing through the area during the fall to spring months – give us a shout – you never know what could be possible when the wind is right.

Performer Bios

The most recent performers will appear first. Click on the performer for additional information, including contact information if it is available.

See the events page for upcoming shows.

Ceard

Ceard

Ceard are the house band at the Rocky Mountain Folk Club. Ceard are Dick Howe on guitar, vocals and bodhran, Jim Atkinson on bass, guitar and vocals, Paula McGarrigle on vocals and fiddle, and Hal Curties on vocals, guitar. Ceard plays predominantly traditional songs but they throw in a few contemporary tunes and the occasional bad joke.

The Doll Sisters

The Doll Sisters

When you hear The Doll Sisters, you’ll recognize them. They are an acoustic duo from Rocky Mountain House, AB, who captivate audiences with their haunting harmonies and beautiful instrumentation. The girls play guitar, fiddle, bodhran, banjo, and mandolin. Jenna(18) and Shelby(17), love the fact that being a roots musician affords them the opportunity to cover all the genres that they love so well. Celtic, Folk, Bluegrass & Appalachian to name a few.

Altho’ the girls will often do cover songs that they love – they have been hard at work writing their own music for a while now. And when you listen, you will find that their original music is unmistakeably a product of their influence. No matter what they play, their music and arrangements have a sound that is all their own, and when tradition calls….they will answer!!

The girls’ website address is www.dollsisters.com and there are links to all of their social sites (Facebook, Twitter, etc), from their website.

The girls can be reached at dollsisters@yahoo.ca.

Robbie and Will

Robbie and Will

Robbie and Will began playing together just under 2 years ago. They play Celtic and Folk music from Scotland, Ireland, Cape Breton and Quebec as well as some of their own compositions. They have played at Alberta Wilderness Association’s Climb for the Wilderness and AWA’s Concert for the Wild Series with Tim Williams, Fish Creek Concerts opening for Garnet Rogers, Market Collective and the Water Valley Celtic Festival. Robbie and Will are composed of Robbie Bankes on Guitar, Mandolin and Bouzouki and Will Lynch on piano and button accordions.

You can contact them at wr.acoustic@gmail.com or join their facebook page.

Doug Baker and Blaine Hrabi

Doug Baker and Blaine Hrabi

Doug Baker was raised in a musical family and took up the guitar at age 13. Solo and in various groups, Doug has performed in churches, coffee shops, folk clubs, festivals and private parties. Currently, he takes part in jams whenever time allows, plays in a number of duos, trios and quartets, and hosts a very popular open mic session.

Blaine Hrabi has musical roots in bluegrass and country and, after moving to PEI in 1980, soon became immersed in Celtic and Maritime music. Since moving to Alberta about 7 years ago, he has connected with local musicians and has performed at the Rocky Mountain Folk Club, the Water Valley Celtic Festival, and at local open mics in town.

Doug (guitar, whistles, bass) and Blaine (guitar, mandolin, mandola, and harmonicas) teamed up at an open mic awhile ago and realized their vocal and instrumental talents blended well so have been playing and performing together since. Their music draws from Celtic, folk and country traditions to create a repertoire of music that makes audiences laugh, feel and hopefully sing along.

Eric Coyle

Eric CoyleI’ve been doin the old folks circuit and the kitchen party thing for some time now. I like to throw in a bit O’ Burns, a touch of O’ Glesga humour, in ode and song.

Celtic Rabbits

Celtic Rabbits

The Celtic Rabbits meet formally on alternate Sunday evenings to share their love of traditional Irish music.

Kirk MacNeill

Kirk MacNeillKirk MacNeil is a guy who spent the early part of his life growing up in Cape Breton Island on the East Coast of Canada. Cape Breton is an Island with deep traditional Scottish and Irish Culture which influenced Kirk’s taste in music.

His desire to sing East Coast/Celtic music goes back to his days when he used to be a full time magician on cruise ships and was asked to sing a few tunes on a cruise ship review show in addition to his magic. Fortunately for him after one of his stints at sea, he met up with the late great John Allan Cameron who was very kind to Kirk sharing the love of Cape Breton Celtic Music at an East Coast Music Awards festival which Kirk volunteered at. Kirk then took some singing lessons from Paul Gatchell who is the lead in a show which is very popular among locals and tourists to Cape Breton called “Spirit of the Island”. Paul who was also the lead in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera Canadian Production, cast as the Phantom, was a great guidance on voice which helped Kirk discover his vocal range as a singer.

Although Kirk loves to sing traditional tunes and Cape Breton tunes, his career of recent times is that of an airline pilot, hence he jokes about it and calls himself “The Singing Pilot from Cape Breton”. Kirk looks forward to sharing

All images copyright Celtic Folk Calgary.

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