FERINTOSH, featuring Laura Risk on fiddle, Abby Newton ..o and Kim Robertson on Celtic harp, presents the vibrant folk music of Scotland and of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, where Scottish Highland music has continued in a living tradition since the 18th century. From poignant airs to high-spirited strathspeys and reels, their dynamic arrangements unleash both the subtle beauty and rhythmic energy of this timeless music.
Abby Newton is well known for her groundbreaking work in the revival of the cello in American and Scottish traditional music. In the the mid-seventies, she began performing with John Cohen and Jay Ungar in the Putnam String County Band, making it the first modern string band with a cello. At the same time, she began an active and continuing recording career. She has produced and performed on over a hundred folk recordings including 16 CDs with Scottish singer, Jean Redpath. Abby's solo CDs "Crossing to Scotland" (1997) and "Castles, Kirks, and Caves" (2001), have earned her critical acclaim both in the US and abroad. She has appeared on Prairie Home Companion and in 2001, Fiona Ritchie, of the nationally syndicated NPR show Thistle and Shamrock, did a feature program on Abby’s music and her influence on the folk cello movement.
In addition to many workshops conducted in Scotland promoting the use of the cello as both a melodic and rhythmic instrument in traditional music, Abby has taught in the US at Gaelic Roots, the National Strings Workshop, the Swannanoa Gathering and Rocky Mountain Fiddle Camp. Mel Bay published her first collection of Celtic tunes for cello and the second is in the works. The combination of her teaching, performing and publishing have inspired many amateurs and professionals to play traditional music on the cello. www.abbynewton.com
Kim Robertson is a renowned performer and instructor who has stretched the boundaries of the harp for a new generation of performers and audiences. As a pioneer in the N. American folk harp movement, she combines an improvisational spirit with a passionate sense of tradition, bringing a contemporary touch to a centuries' old instrument.
Born in Wisconsin, she is classically trained on piano and orchestral harp. In the mid-70's, Kim's discovery of the Celtic harp grew into a profound love for the instrument, setting her upon the path of exploration for which she is now widely known. She tours throughout the USA, Canada and Europe, and is recognized as one of the most popular lever harpists performing today. Her work encompasses over 20 album projects, 11 volumes of published harp arrangements, three instructional videos and an international itinerary workshops and retreats. Her latest releases are "Dance to Your Shadow" (Narada) and "Searching for Lambs" (Gourd). | www.kimrobertson.net.
Guest Dancer: Sabra MacGillivray is a champion highland dancer, step dancer, choreographer and percussionist. Featured on many Nova Scotia tourism commercials and television specials, Sabra MacGillivray is one of the Atlantic region's leading ambassadors of Highland and Scottish step dancing.
A dance instructor as well as a choreographer, Sabra is also a member of the award-winning group, the Macquarrie Dancers. With her cutting-edge choreography and breathtaking performances, Sabra adds an exhilarating visual and rhythmic dimension to the music of Ferintosh. | www.sabramacgillivray.comI edited my profile with Thomas Myspace Editor V4.4 (www.strikefile.com/myspace)
