We have great acts for our 30th anniversary celebration – you won’t be disappointed! See our line-up below, and be sure to check out our YouTube Channel for sneak peaks!
Kathleen Gorey-McSorley
Kathleen is a sixteen year old fiddler who got her real start in Celtic music at the age of ten when she lived in Ireland. The traditional Irish style is evident in her playing. Even at this young age Kathleen has international experience having performed in Ireland, Scotland, the USA and various parts of Canada. Kathleen released her first CD “Càitlìn Is Ainm Dom” (Irish for My Name is Kathleen) in September 2008, at the age of thirteen. Her second CD “Cheoil Binn” (Irish for Sweet Music) was released in July 2010. Although she identifies as a Celtic fiddler she also enjoys playing Old Time, Blue Grass, Appalachian and Cajun styles and as a member of the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra can even throw in some pretty cool classical.
Website: www.kathleengorey-mcsorley.com
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_ylEBmfkM4
Dan McKinnon
Many Atlantic Canadian’s first introduction to Dan and his music would have occurred while walking through the Halifax Farmer’s Market where, almost every Saturday morning for thirteen years he busked for any and all who would stop and listen. However, it was his first venture with veteran music producer, Paul Mills, that his fifth recording, “Fields of Dreams and Glory”, would introduce his music to the world stage. This CD amassed an amazing 74 consecutive weeks of international airplay – from folk radio shows and stations throughout Canada and continental USA, to Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, Holland, the UK, Ireland, and Israel.
Thirty years of performing and six recordings later - from the coffeehouses, pubs, and bars of his early beginnings in Atlantic Canada, Dan, “blessed with a gorgeous baritone voice, and an exceptional command of phrasing, light and shade” (David Kidman, The Living Tradition, September/October 2006), continues to convey his “finely crafted songs” to audiences through his yearly tours in the UK and performances in and around the Canadian Maritimes.
Website: www.danmckinnon.ca
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LepQiUXbZfs
Mason's Tender 
An energetic group from the Maritimes with Irish and Acadian roots, Mason's Tender blends heartfelt originals with traditional and country/rock favorites. Lively and passionate, this group has audiences stomping their feet for all things Atlantic.
Mason's Tender is formed of Bryon Chase (vocals, bodhran, whislte and guitar), Gabriel Caissie (electric and upright bass, guitar and vocals), Chris Daigle (drums) and Stacey Read (fiddle).
Website: http://www.sonicbids.com/epk/epk.aspx?epk_id=143492
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Masons-Tender/110984035647197
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpwo2KHNwzo&feature=related
Oran
Ask any follower of Folk music in New Brunswick what the word ORAN means and those who have heard these wonderful singers and musicians will invariably say "great music" and "great entertainment."
Taking their name from the Scots Gaelic word for song, ORAN was formed in 1983 out of a mutual interest in Gaelic and Celtic music. As one of the first Celtic groups of its kind in New Brunswick, their early success was met with extensive travel throughout the Maritimes, most notably at the Lunenburg Folk Festival, the Festival by the Sea, as well as appearing twice at the internationally renowned Indian River Concert series in Burlington Prince Edward Island and the Miramichi Folk Festival.
They have performed nationally on Vision TV and CBC radio as well as ATV and have shared the stage with such noted performers as the Irish group Barley Bree. The Barra McNeil’s of Cape Breton and Juno aware winner James Keelaghan. ORAN has three recordings; Folk Songs of Scotland, Common Folks Digest and what Boston radio WHDH called the spectacularly beautiful; For Kith and Kin which featured former group member and now CBC Ottawa producer Laurence Wall on cello. In addition to these fine recordings, the ensemble was honoured as well by contributing to the collection of the National Archives of Canada with a compilation of Gaelic Songs for nationally recognized recording producer Kevin Herring.
Now in their 28th year of performing, ensemble musicians Doug Carter and Doug Gallant will team up with the brilliant voices of Geri Carter, Ardith Kerr and sisters Mary Anne and Margaret VanOostwaard to perform a repertoire of traditional songs and music from the British Isles as well as performances of many modern folk song favourites to provided any music fan with a wonderful and enjoyable musical experience.
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3ESTvEhbCI
http://www.youtube.com/user/orancarter#p/u/14/HuwSEmBUXws
Mark Roberts 
For the past 15 years, Mark Roberts has been promoting east coast music...on the radio. Now he's a part of that music scene. The long-time songwriter has just released a ‘rootsy’ collection of 13 original songs called "Kid From The Shore"- a tip of the hat to his childhood on the shores of the Bras D'Or lakes in Baddeck, Nova Scotia. His music is hard to put in any one category, with influences of folk, country, alt-country, rock, blues and Celtic
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gde_yvdijPQ
Jesse Ferguson
Jesse Ferguson is a folk musician from Cornwall, Ontario, who now lives in
Sydney, Cape Breton. He sings and plays several musical instruments
including: guitar, mandolin, fiddle, harmonica, and bodhran. He has
performed solo and with other musicians in festivals, highland games and
pubs in cities like Cornwall, Ottawa, Miramichi, Campbellton, Moncton,
Fredericton, and Sydney. He posts videos of traditional and contemporary
music on youtube (youtube.com/BardofCornwall) under the name The Bard of
Cornwall. His first album, *New Old Songs*, was released in 2009 and can be
purchased at www.cdbaby.com/cd/fergusonjesse.
Jesse is back by popular demand at the New Brunswick Highland Games and this year will be hosting two workshops in our series.
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/BardofCornwall
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/thebardofcornwall
Katherine Moller
Katherine Moller is one of New Brunswick’s most versatile musicians. Whether she is playing classic fiddle tunes in a crowded pub or the music of Bach on a concert stage, her love and respect for the instrument and its wide-spread appeal have brought her considerable acclaim as one of the province’s true fiddle ambassadors.
A graduate of McGill University in Montreal, Katherine studied music theory and classical music before receiving a grant from the Canada Council for the Arts to study fiddle in Ireland in pursuit of a greater understanding of Celtic fiddle styles.
She also performs regularly with Symphony NB, the Atlantic Sinfonia, Seasons Baroque Ensemble, Collegium Musicum, Different Folk, and as a solo performer. And with three recordings of her own, Take The Happy Road (2007) and By Request (2010), Bright-Eyed and Bushy-Haired (2011), Katherine is without a doubt one of New Brunswick’s most highly regarded representatives of the fiddle and its extensive versatility.
Katherine currently resides in Harvey, New Brunswick, near the birthplace of Canadian fiddle legend Don Messer.
Website: www.katherinemoller.ca
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEYITPfSgE8
The Colin Grant Band
Lingering somewhere amidst the rich, soulful roots of traditional Cape Breton music and the grooves of a thousand branches of rock and funk, Colin Grant embarks on his latest project: a dynamic and thoughtful mingling of beats and melodies from an extensive host of musical influences. Far from the awkward malaise of mohawked bag-pipers and kilted punks, the Colin Grant Band has created a kind of Celtic fusion that is as much Steely Dan and Yes as it is Ashley MacIsaac.
With a trad trio comprised of the manic Jason ”leaden-left-hand” Roach (piano, Dawn and Margie Beaton) and embarrassingly talented Darren MacMullen (bouzouki, mandolin, guitar, banjo JP Cormier) Grant hooked up with the rough and red-eyed blues/funk rhythm section of Merlin Clarke and Donnie Calabrese (Buck and Kinch, Tom Fun Orchestra). Together, the group produces a fervent yet calculated rhythm that backs an expressively diverse range of tunes, and work has already begun on a CGB album, which threatens a release in early 2011. While the lively sound never strays too distantly from its Celtic roots, the Colin Grant Band has found an open ear in everyone from indie scenesters to blue-haired bingo stampers.
Colin Grant – Fiddle
Jason Roach – Piano
Darren McMullen – Guitar/Banjo/Mandolin/Bouzouki
Donnie Calabrese – Bass
Colin Clarke – Drums/Percussion
Website: http://colingrant.ca/
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/colingrantband
David Wills
Born in Saint John, New Brunswick, Dave’s childhood was musical; his father played harmonica and loved country, western, Celtic and Maritime Canadian music; his mother played a bit of guitar and was the rock ‘n roller in the family. In elementary school Dave sang in boys’ choirs and started to learn guitar but left it behind till his late teens. Throughout the years he wrote a lot of poetry, prose and song lyrics. He picked up the guitar again at St. Thomas University in Fredericton and jammed a lot with his house mates playing variety shows, pub functions and parties. A few years later he began a trio that played folk music in Fredericton, New Brunswick, and the surrounding area. He helped to start and maintain a Fredericton based folk music aggregation that lasted about a decade and whose members performed at many civic events and fundraisers.
Dave performed solo gigs as well within New Brunswick and honed his craft as a musician, songwriter and performer. He joined with the quartet Pendragon which put out the traditional music album The May Morning Dew. Dave co-founded two traditional folk music duos; each with an amazingly talented fiddle player and performed in the Atlantic Canadian provinces, New England and Florida. These performances included pubs, conventions, weddings, and Highland Games.
While pursuing a life in music, Dave finished an arts degree at the University of New Brunswick as well as to earn some official looking provincial accreditations in professional cooking. As satisfying as these accomplishments were, they were not his first love and so the next group was a trio with two very talented singers, one of whom inspired Dave to write more and move into a decidedly folk-rock direction.
Several years and dozens of shows and songs later Dave released his first solo album of original songs entitled, Milestone. This album is that step over that Dave had dreamed of for years. It draws on rockabilly, folk-rock, blues, jazz and Christian influences in Dave’s life and music. The backing musicians who helped to make this album cannot be profusely thanked enough.
Today, Dave plays music full time and enjoys life headquartered in the stunningly beautiful little city of Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada.
Website: http://www.davidwills.ca/index.html
Different Folk
Different Folk is formed of Kim Moller (vocals and bodhran), Will Toner (vocals and guitar) and Katherine Moller (fiddle). An upbeat group, they perform a mix of maritime and folk-rock with a blend of beautiful vocal harmonies and lively fiddling.
HATBand 
A great Maritime sound rising from the roots and strengths of its members, the HATBand plays a bouncy mix of traditional Celtic and Maritime fiddle tunes, original songs and ballads and even a little rock and roll. They have been together for seven years but, individually, they have been entertaining and honing their skills for decades.
