Mickey Joe Hartes Christmas song called on Christmas day music video made by Ciaran and Dhamodar Productions from Strabane!
For further info: www.myspace.com/mickeyharte
Email: handonharte@gmail.com
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Care to get a feel for what life was like in 17th Century Edinburgh? Perhaps even a touch of paranormal contact with a “being” of Olde Edinburgh? Well then, Mary King’s Close is the place to be!
Mary King’s Close is a very real address on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. But, it’s one of those that time forgot. Until recently that is. For those of you who hadn’t known, a “close” is the original term for the narrow streets with houses on either side, some of which stretched up 7 stories during their time. In the 1600s, Mary Kings Close was one of many such bustling narrow streets so typical of Edinburgh in that era.
What’s most interesting about this place is that it’s entirely underground, having been trapped
by a 1750s-vintage urban renewal program. At that time, a new Royal Exchange (now City Chambers) building complex went up, wherein the tops of the old buildings were sheared off leaving the bottoms to serve as foundations. These old buildings were “rediscovered” and reopened in 2003 with all their centuries of dankness and mystery revealed. That’s the Mary King’s Close Experience.
A visit to Mary Kings’ is both an eerie and moving experience. One can see and feel how folks lived back in the 16th and 17th century. Why, you might even meet a folk or two. Visitors can also learn about the affects of The Black Plague in Edinburgh. Perhaps even more than they’d ever want to know!
For those participating in the Albannach/Ross Homecoming Tour in March 2010, we’ll be offering the Experience opportunity. Presently, this is planned as an “optional” event on the itinerary and we’d appreciate hearing from you with your interest. And, for anyone interested, in any way in Mary King’s Close, here are a few links:
http://www.realmarykingsclose.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_King%27s_Close
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6s6-N2a5eU (copywrite Antix Productions)
The Real Mary King’s Close is funded by the City of Edinburgh Council and operated by Heritage, part of Continuum.
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Posted in The Celtic Force, Trips | 
Celtic Music, ghost hunting, mary king's close, paranormal, Scotland, Tours | 
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Through our work as Celtic Force, we often meet interesting people. Sometimes, we have the rare chance to know someone very special. Consider Irish singer/songwriter Mickey Harte as one of those rare ones.
For those not already knowing, Mickey Harte is a bit of a star in the Irish music world. Quadruple platinum record sales tend to engender avid attention and he’s garnered both. Mickey is indeed a very talented musical artist. He also just happens to be a really genuine and affable guy. So much so that we want to share with you a bit about Mickey Harte.
The meteoric arc of Mickey Harte’s professional career began with a win of the Eurovision 2003 song contest. For us Americans, that would be the European equivalent of being an “American Idol.” Today, Mickey is often on Irish television, hobnobs with celebrities, is asked to headline charity gigs, and even provides musical scoring for popular programming.
Mickey Harte hails from Lifford, County Donegal, Ireland and, from an early age, pursued his dream of becoming a professional singer/songwriter. He grew up listening to a wide range of music from Glen Miller Orchestra to AC/DC, Christy Moore, Rolling Stones, The Police etc. Family and friends always encouraged him to express his passion for music. From his teens onward, Mickey played in various “garage” bands as well as solo work. Ever evolving, his style today could be described as contemporary with elements of rock, folk, and even some blues. Mickey writes and performs both electrically and acoustically.
In addition to his own composition work, one of Mickey’s particular passions is in mentoring young people to foster and cultivate their own musical proficiencies. He is one of the driving forces behind Musicool Europe, an educational and fun program for aspiring young performers and musicians between the ages of 13 and 19. Musicool works to encourage the participants to express their talent, develop their playing techniques, song-writing and creative abilities, and help instill confidence in their personal performance. 
Along with everything else, Mickey is working on a new album and has been touring Ireland and Europe promoting previous works. His ambition is to bring his songs and music to as many countries as possible and touch the lives of people with his words and sound.
Mickey has long-considered prospects for gaining wider audience in North America. Hint… stay tuned. Chances are, you just might have more opportunities to get to know Mickey.
For sounds, sights, and more, go to: www.myspace.com/mickeyharte and http://www.musicooleurope.com/
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Posted in Celtic Music, celtic rock, The Celtic Force | Celtic Music, ireland, irish music, mickey harte, The Celtic Force | Leave a comment
The Forget-Me-Nots have thrilled listeners at festivals, concerts, house parties, weddings, and fund-raisers throughout North Carolina and Tennessee. Their music ranges from energetic reels and soulful airs to great works from the classical repertoire.
The Celtic Force has presented The Forget-Me-Nots at both Christmas in July & The Grandfather Mountain Highland Games. This past May, group member Maura Shawn Scanlin was a special guest performer at Oak Hill Academy and perfomed with Coyote Run, a favorite Celtic band.
The Forget-Me-Nots are now the Friday night house band for the Mast Farm Inn! We will be playing Friday nights in the Parlor at the Mast Farm Inn from about 5:15 – 6:15 P.M.
For more information, please visit: http://www.theforgetmenots.com
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Source: ifest.org
Originally formed in 1996, The Killdares have come to be known as one of the hottest, cutting edge bands in music today – Celtic or otherwise. World-class musicians from all over the U.S., they have come together in Texas to create and perform a brand new version of hard-driving, alternative Celtic rock music.
Blending traditional Celtic playing skills, power-pop accessibility, and straight up rock n’ roll hooks, The Killdares have created a fresh new sound that’s blended with enough commercial edge to be instantly recognizable, always engaging, and appealing to fans of all ages. Their live shows are filled with an infectious energy so powerful that it has been known to move people to tears. Even die-hard fans of purely traditional Celtic music have embraced the band’s powerful genre-bending sound.
Expanding the definition of “Celtic”, the band uses the unconventional pairing of screaming, fire-driven fiddle and bagpipes with the wail of electric guitar, bass and drums to create brilliant arrangements of traditional tunes and original compositions. This distinctive sound combined with the band’s incredible stage presence is nothing short of awesome.
”I love the idea of combining something as beautiful and melodic as a traditional fiddle or bagpipe with crunchy American rock n’ roll guitar, and having it work,” says founding member Tim Smith.
Joining the likes of Don Henley (The Eagles), Phil Collins (Genesis) and Fred LeBlanc (Cowboy Mouth), Dallas native Tim Smith handles lead vocals and drums with amazing nonchalance, locking in with Jim Dawson’s energetic and “in-the-groove” bass playing and the beautifully expressive electric and acoustic guitar stylings of Brek Lancaster.
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Mother Grove has enjoyed great success and critical acclaim with their self-proclaimed “Kilt Rock” sounds. Mother Grove has performed all over the country and has been chosen to perform with such Celtic rock powerhouses as Seven Nations, Black 47 and Young Dubliners as well as mainstream groups such as the Violent Femmes, Blue Oyster Cult and Berlin. They have released 5 CDs; their debut disc, “Listen to Your Mother”, “Mother May I” (which contains 6 live tracks), “TRÍ”, “Live At The Dublin Pub” and “Mother Grove’s Fifth”.
Mother Grove blends original rock music with traditional and not-so traditional Celtic instruments to create a sound that is unique, fresh yet timeless.
Mother Grove is influenced by such Celtic Rock style bands as Flogging Molly, Seven Nations, Bad Haggis and The Pogues to name a few, as well as classic, alternative and progressive rock artists such as Dave Matthews Band, Jethro Tull, Ben Harper and others.
Mother Grove truly shines live. With unstoppable grooves and multi-layered rhythms, the music dares you stand still. The band has a professionalism indicative of their many collective years as musicians. They interact with the crowd to such an extent, by the end of the evening you feel as if you are a part of the band. Lyrically, Mother Grove draws from many sources; historical, traditional, spiritual and personal. The words are then entwined with memorable melodies and beautiful harmonies. The band stops short of calling themselves a “Celtic Rock” band, for they are much, much more.
From Mother Grove: The new CD entitled, “By Request” is finished and available for purchase. This CD is special in many ways; First of all, our first 2 CDs have been out of print for quite some time. And we’ve been playing these songs live with the current lineup for over 4 years. We get so many requests for songs from the first 2 CDs that we decided to take some of the most requested songs from those CDs and record them the way we’ve been playing them live with Laura, John and Jim. And we also have special guest John Cataldo on harmonica! Many of you know John from his impromptu jamming at Alma, Michigan and again in Dayton, Ohio. We actually brought a laptop and a microphone and recorded his parts in the board room of the Crowne Plaza in Dayton, Ohio! Ya gotta love digital audio!
This disc is a tribute to our fans who have supported us for so many years and deserve to have the songs they’ve been requesting on CD.
For more information, please visit: http://www.mothergrove.com/
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Posted in Artists, Celtic Music, The Celtic Force | Celtic Music, jim malcolm, river house inn, scottish music | Leave a comment
By: Donovan Murray
Last March Eric & I had the privilege of visiting Chris (Christine Macleod) at the Weavers Cottage in Scotland. We hope to have this as a stop on the upcoming tour in March. Chris is the person that made the Wallace tartan that is worn by David R Ross. She picked the plants and made the dyes from places associated with William Wallace and used to weave this one of a kind garment on the loom featured in the piece. Cool, hey?
CLICK HERE to learn more and to watch a video about the cottage.
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Posted in Celtic Traditions, Scotland, The Celtic Force | celtic force, Scotland, scotland tours, tartans, weavers cottage | Leave a comment![albawsf09[1]](http://thecelticforce.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/albawsf091-300x198.jpg "albawsf09[1]")
By: Donovan Murray
www.TheCelticForce.com
The sounds from the stage this weekend at the Williamsburg Scottish Festival matched the turnout. It was GREAT! This is the second year Celtic Force has handled the entertainment for the festival, now into its third decade, and the combination of styles and personalities of the performers left those attending with wonderful memories. The weather turned out to be fantastic (no rain, a little warm) and the full moon that delivered its smile on Saturday night topped off a perfect evening. Seems that a new attendance record was set as well. Those performing not only complimented each other but there were several times during the weekend that different artists joined others on stage for a once in a lifetime jam.
As usual the power and sound of pipes and drums delivered by Albannach had everyone moving to the primal tunes and screaming loud enough to reach Richmond. Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas wowed the audience with their blend of fiddle and cello that delivered listeners the passion and intensity of instruments that have left their marks on Celtic music history. Coyote Run, normally a long way from home, were pumped to be playing in their own backyard with sets that demonstrated their unique abilities, highlighted by tight harmonies and theatrical presentations, that took the audience to new places in the Celtic music experience. And when you consider that Williamsburg honors the military during their weekend, it was fitting to have the Air Force Heritage Aire Celtic Ensemble, based out of Langley, playing traditional and lighthearted tunes that showcased those individual musicians’ talents.
You know you have a good blend of talent when you see members of Coyote Run, along with Alasdair Fraser, join the Air Force Ensemble for a tune. To see the crowd on its feet getting dance step instructions from Alasdair so that everyone knows how to do a Scottish reel adds a special something to the day. Having local musicians such as So’loch & a group based out of the Green Oak Pub in Virginia Beach add their talents to the mix. And then Albannach invites Coyote Run & Graham Smith to join them on the final song of the weekend to end with a bang. That’s special!
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Posted in Events, Festivals, The Celtic Force | alasdair fraser, celtic festivals, Celtic Music, coyote run | Leave a comment
The Blessed Blend composes and performs music, blending Native American and Celtic sounds creating a harmony of tribal music from these two ancient and still thriving indigenous cultures. Through music, they share a deep love for the drum, flutes, dance, language, culture and stories passed down from ancient times. When the Scots and Irish immigrated into these Appalachian mountain lands they found a kindred people. During the 17th century the Scots coined the term “Blessed Blend” to describe the marriage union between a Celt and a Native. The same term was applied to the children who were born of these unions; carrying in their bloodlines the beauty of both. Experience something special that touches on a little known part of history.
For more info, please visit: www.TheBlessedBlend.com
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