Celtfest Isle of Man – a fresh new name and look for the annual summer festival. Celtfest Isle of Man will be bringing some of the hottest names from the forefront of the Celtic music scene to Peel in the West of the Island this July.
Celtfest Isle of Man is brought to you by Yn Chruinnaght, a group of like-minded individuals who love all things Celtic.
Putting The Celts firmly into Celtfest from the outset will be a lecture by anatomist, anthropologist and broadcaster, Professor Alice Roberts, who has presented several landmark BBC series including The Incredible Human Journey, Origins of Us, Ice Age Giants and The Celts.
A new event for 2017 will be The Gathering, a free family day based in and around Cathedral IOM on the final Saturday, sponsored by Conister Bank. With July’s skies full of sunshine, you will be able to enjoy music and dance performances, our famous artisan craft fair, and opportunities to get creative in mini-workshops. Food and drink from local producers and the gorgeous cool spaces within the Cathedral itself make this the perfect event to drift in and out of throughout the day. Manx performers will be joined by Celtic harp guru, Rachel Hair, who is tutor to the next generation of Manx harp players. Yarn-spinner and puppeteer Fi Angwin will bring the traditional stories of the Celtic lands alive.
Celtfest is very much about taking Celtic music into new spaces and to new people, so we’re delighted to have teamed up with Noa Bakehouse for a week of free lunchtime sessions featuring talented local singer-songwriters and musicians - every day from 1pm. 800 schoolchildren will also benefit from Celtfest’s outreach programme during the festival week, enjoying concerts from visiting and Manx acts.
Four evenings of superb entertainment will take place in the Centenary Centre, bringing only the finest of Celtic musicians from Ireland and Scotland, with support from some fabulous Manx bands.
Talisk: winners of the 2015 BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award and featuring the talents of 2016 BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year, Mohsen Amini (concertina), Hayley Keenan (fiddle) and Craig Irving (guitar), Talisk create a captivating, energetic and dynamic sound.
Rioghnach Connolly Band: Armagh born singer and flautist with more sass than a sassy thing, Rioghnach guests regularly with Afro Celt Sound System, and fronts the foot-banging sound of Honeyfeet and the soulful beauty of Realworld Records’ The Breath.
Connla: the hottest new group out of Northern Ireland, featuring Ciara McCafferty (vocals), Ciaran Carlin (whistles), Paul Starrett (guitar) and siblings Emer and Conor Mallon on harp and uilleann pipes.
Hamish Napier’s The River: the stunning debut album by award-winning Scottish composer and folk multi-instrumentalist, Hamish Napier, celebrating his local river, The Spey, is the perfect soundtrack to the stunning scenery of Speyside and the Highlands. Featuring the musical talents of Hamish Napier, Ross Ainslie, Sarah Hayes, James Duncan Mackenzie, James Lindsay, Martin O’Neill, Calum MacCrimmon, Dave Milligan, Tom Gibbs. Hamish will also work with Bree supergroup Scran to programme the first half of the concert. The River is sponsored by the festival’s travel partners, Isle of Man Steam Packet Company.
Steam Packet Company Chief Executive Mark Woodward said: ‘For four decades Yn Chruinnaght has been a leading celebration of Manx and Celtic culture and as it enters an exciting new era as Celtfest we are delighted to be the festival’s Travel Partner. Since the late 1970s the festival has not only engaged the Manx community but also brought visitors from across the Celtic nations to share their music, song and dance and experience the Isle of Man. As Celtfest, the festival can build on this great tradition and grow, bringing more people to the Island and getting even more of the local population involved. The Steam Packet Company is proud to call the Isle of Man home and delighted to support Celtfest as it shares our unique culture with people from around the world.’
Celtfest Isle of Man is grateful for the wonderful support of Culture Vannin and IOM Arts Council. Celtfest is always happy to hear from other potential sponsors who would like to be part of this vibrant cultural festival. Find out more on Facebook, Twitter and our website: www.celtfest.im
E-tickets will be available soon from www.centenarycentre.com.
Photo - Professor Alice Roberts.
