Rockport Music Presents: Rockport Celtic Festival

Exploring Celtic Roots & Branches

Immerse yourself in a captivating weekend of music, storytelling and cultural exchange at the Rockport Celtic Festival, where tradition meets innovation in a stunning seaside setting. Led by artistic director Maeve Gilchrist, this year’s festival welcomes acclaimed artists from across the Celtic world and beyond, weaving together Irish, Scottish, Breton, and Quebecois traditions with fresh collaborations and bold new works.

Thursday, September 11 :: 7:30 PM
FESTIVAL CLUB: OPEN THE DOOR FOR THREE

An incredibly dynamic trio based between Chicago and Maine and representing the very finest of Irish Music in America. Fiddler Liz Knowles and piper Kieran O’Hare are two of the most sought-after traditional musicians on both sides of the Atlantic and, for a long time now, have paired their formidable instrumental skills with the timeless voice and guitar playing of Dublin-born Pat Broaders. The result is a dynamic, momentous sound paired with laugh-out-loud repartee between three old friends.

Friday, September 12 :: 7:30 PM
OPENING NIGHT: QUEBEC TO BRITTANY!

Don’t miss the spectacular power of Québec supergroup Le Vent Du Nord. Ferocious and fun in equal measure, this band will kick off our Friday night mainstage concert with unparalleled energy. The evening also features the innovative, Breton-inspired sounds of the trio Triton featuring accordionist Jeremiah McLane, the small-pipes of Tim Cummings and Alex Kehler on nyckelharpa. A completely unique, reed-y sound with repertoire from the Celtic region of Brittany.  Artistic Director Maeve Gilchrist will also bring in regular collaborator Kyle Sanna to premier some new music for harp and electric guitar inspired by a Seamus Heaney translation of a middle English Poem on the mysticism of Hares! The evening will also include bassist Logan Coale and harpist Maeve Gilchrist.

Saturday, September 13 :: 11 AM
SALON: THE CREATIVE PROCESS

In this hour-long presentation, we chat with artist in residence Liz Knowles and award-winning author Ben Shattuck about how Shattuck’s writing, the New England seascape and existence on the fringes of genre and sound have influenced Knowles’ music-making. Liz’s band, Open the Door for Three, will also discuss the presence of Irish Music in America and how it impacts the evolution of the music as a whole.

Saturday, September 13 :: 1 PM
CHANTEY SING WITH DAVID COFFIN

Bring your voices to a boisterous Chantey Sing with David Coffin. Sing along on the chorus of a hauling, stamping, heaving, capstan, what-have-you chantey. No experience required and lyrics will be provided. Let’s rattle the rafters!! Location: First Congregational Church Fellowship Hall, Rockport, MA

Saturday, September 13 :: 7 PM
CELTIC BAROQUE

Tonight, we hear music from Ireland, Quebec, Germany and New England with an interweaving thread of Baroque Music and techniques. At a time when Telemann and Bach were composing fugues in continental Europe, the Bardic harping tradition was alive and vibrant in Ireland resulting in a whole repertoire of Irish harp tunes that are now carried via pipes, fiddles and a host of different instruments. We have the stunning sounds of Montreal-based violist Alexis Chartrand, bringing his unique Gut-bow approach to traditional Quebec repertoire.  In contrast, the GRAMMY-nominated violinist Christina Day, along with theorbist Michael Leopold, performs one of Heinrich Biber’s Mystery Sonatas. Artistic Director Maeve Gilchrist will also bring in longtime collaborator Kyle Sanna and bassist Logan Coale to premier some new music for harp and electric guitar inspired by a Seamus Heaney translation of a middle English Poem on the mysticism of Hares! Don’t miss this richly imaginative evening of 17th century inspired exploration in a completely contemporary fashion!

Saturday, September 13 :: 9:45 PM
FESTIVAL CLUB: CEILIDH!

Grab a drink at the bar, bring your dancing shoes and join host Maeve Gilchrist for an exhilarating evening of fiddle music and dance! Enjoy the traditional session hosted by Abbie MacQuarrie along with some surprise special guests. And be prepared to grab a partner and dance as Abbie teaches some easy-to-learn traditional Ceili-dances. Pure-drop fun!

Sunday, September 14 :: 12 PM
WORDS & MUSIC: THE CELTIC SPIRIT

A meditative Sunday hour with poetry, prose and music.

Sunday, September 14 :: 5 PM
WHERE THE SEA MEETS THE LAND

It has become a tradition that on the final day of the festival we acknowledge our home in Cape Ann and the rich nautical history of this stunning part of New England. We will welcome back the inimitable David Coffin along with the small pipes and accordion of Jeremiah McLane and Tim Cummings. In addition, this year, we are thrilled to be presenting a brand new collaboration between our artist in residence, Liz Knowles and critically acclaimed author Ben Shattuck’s newest collection of stories ‘The History of Sound’. This new piece of music, commissioned in the name of Brian O’Donovan, blends the spectacular depths of Liz’s fiddle with Kyle Sanna’s electronics, Maeve Gilchrist on harp and cellist Mike Block.