Troy has been nominated for three Music Nova Scotia awards including: Instrumental Album of the Year (for 'Eleven'), Music Educator of the Year and Musician of the Year. Thank you to all for your support and consideration and best of luck to all the nominees!

Troy MacGillivray & Sabra MacGillivray invite you to Lakevale, Antigonish County for a mid-August taste of live Celtic music! Join them at the Comhla Cruinn (A Gaelic word meaning Gathered Together) on Thursday August 17th at 7:30pm.

The MacGillivray's were raised on Route 337 and Tony MacGillivray, their father, is from Lakevale. A tight community with a strong Scottish heritage, the Harbour Road is a neighbourhood oozing with Scottish music. 

Musical guests include: Andrea Beaton, Brad Davidge and Allan Dewar!

Comhla Cruinn will get underway at 7:30 pm on August 17th at the Mini Trail Community Centre, Route 337, Antigonish County. Admission price of $15.00 is payable at the door.

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Take advantage of the great weather and take in the TD Canada Trust Atlantic Canada Jazz Festival in Halifax at Spring Garden & Brunswick.... especially on Thursday July 20 at noon when Troy will share the stage with Daniel Oore (saxophone), Andrew Downing (bass) and John Gzowski (guitar). Its a unique show of jazz meets Celtic that is guaranteed to get your toes tapping and is being recorded for future play on CBC Radio!

So bring along your lunch and take in some great noon-time entertainment under the tent! For more infoirmation on the TD Canada Trust Atlantic Canada Jazz Festival, please visit www.jazzeast.com

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The Summer Sounds of Nova Scotia opens tonight at the deCoste Centre tonight with a blend of traditional Maritime music.  The Summer Sounds run every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 8 p.m. all
summer long and feature traditional musicians, singers and dancers from across the region.

Performers will include Dave Gunning, Troy MacGillivary, Ardyth and Jennifer, Terry Kelly, Teresa Doyle, Allie Bennett plus many more.

The ceilidhs are hosted by Jimmy Sweeney, John 'Spyder' Macdonald and Fleur Mainville.

This week musical host Macdonald welcomes to the stage fiddler Mainville, guitarist and singer Ross MacVicar, and multi-instrumentalist Mark Haines. The series runs all summer with different performers each week.

Tickets are $15.50, $7.50 for students and are on sale at the deCoste Centre box office and at the door. Call the box office at 485-8848 for further information.

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Global stars of traditional and progressive folk music, as well as a host of local legends and up-and-coming performers, are on tap for the 10th anniversary of Cape Breton’s Celtic Colours International Festival, taking place Oct. 6 to 14.

Multi-Grammy Award-winning modern banjo whiz Bela Fleck, Scottish guitar prodigy Anna Massie, Spanish bagpipe virtuoso Carlos Nunez, stirring singer-songwriter Karine Polwart, balladeer Archie Fisher and the Danish duos Haugaard & Hoirup and Karen + Helene are just a few of the headlining acts that will  drawlisteners from across the country and around the world to the rainbow-hued splendour of Cape Breton in the fall.

The festival kicks off on Friday, Oct. 6 with the gala concert Natalie MacMaster: Bringing the World Home at the Port Hawkesbury Civic Centre. Featuring the famed Troy fiddler, the show will also include Fleck, Nunez and New Zealand talent Hayley Westenra. Across the island over the next nine days there will be 40 concerts and over 100 workshops, including a collaboration between artists in residence Glendale’s Mary Jane Lamond and Scottish Gaelic singer Mairi MacInnes, tributes to Cape Breton fiddlers Carl MacKenzie and Dr. Winnie Chafe, and the musical blend of the all-star The Unusual Suspects project.

Other international visitors include British quartet Flook, Scottish trio Bachué, U.S. string trio Ferintosh, the unique Welsh ensemble Crasdant, the Irish-American duo Liz Carroll and John Doyle, the Irish team of Brian OhEadhra and Nuala Kennedy and the irrepressible Scottish duo of longtime festival friend accordionist Phil Cunningham and fiddler Aly Bain.

As always, Celtic Colours serves as a prime showcase for Cape Breton talent, with a lineup of artists that ranges from familiar faces like Jerry Holland, J.P. Cormier and Hilda Chiasson Cormier, Gordie Sampson, Howie MacDonald, Beolach, Buddy MacMaster and the Barra MacNeils to young acts like Dawn and Margie Beaton, multi-instrumentalist Krysta MacKinnon and fiddler Meagan Burke.

From off the island come performers like P.E.I. singer-songwriter Lennie Gallant, Antigonish pianist/fiddler Troy MacGillivray, Newfoundland’s A Crowd of Bold Sharemen, Vancouver stringmaster Daniel Lapp, and Nova Scotian guitarist extraordinaire Dave MacIsaac.

Tickets for Celtic Colours’ 10th Anniversary season go on sale on July 10. They can be purchased by phone locally at 567-3000 or toll-free at 1-888-355-7744.

For more information, call 562-6700 or toll-free at 1-877-285-321 or visit www.celtic-colours.com
for details about artists and events. For accommodation

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The Canadian Deep Roots Music Festival, slated for Sept. 15 to 17 in Wolfville, blends the music of the cultures that settled the Annapolis Valley region - Mi'kmaq, Acadian, African Nova Scotian, and the British Isles, with modern roots music from across North America and around the world.

Two of last year's most popular acts return for 2006. Jay Ungar and Molly Mason, are returning for a third year and this time will expand into a quintet, as Jay and Molly's Family Band, featuring Jay's daughter Ruth Ungar, Michael Merenda and Jacob Silver (who together form the core of the fantastic "nouveau- folk" group The Mammals).

Rushad Eggleston and the Wild Band of Snee, last year's audience's "favourite performers," are coming back to present material from their new recording which is to be released this summer.

Stephen Fearing and Tom Wilson, regular collaborators as co-leaders of the super-group Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, will be performing at the festival. Fearing's appearance follows the recent release of his eighth solo recording Yellowjacket, while Tom Wilson and Bob Lanois (Daniel's brother) will perform material from their critically acclaimed release, The Shack Recordings.

French roots will be highlighted with performances by multiple Juno nominees Matapat, from Quebec, and by Chuck and Albert Arsenault, from P.E.I. Chuck and Albert, who were the front-men of Barachois, will host the Saturday evening concert and present their blend of music, dance and comedy.

Celtic roots will be reflected with performances by Mary-Jane Lamond, a multiple award-winner, and the 2006 ECMA female artist of the year and by Troy MacGillivray, on fiddle, piano, and stepdancing. Versatile musician Dani Oore is also on the bill.

Deep Roots will present Women and Their Roots, a multi-disciplinary collaboration bringing together the region's founding cultures, through the artistic voices of Nova Scotian women. Lamond, spoken word artist Shauntay
Grant, Acadian poet-dancer Georgette Leblanc, Mi'kmaq ensemble We'koqma'q Women and songwriters- usicians Sara, Kamila and Ariana Nasr will present their work separately and collectively throughout the festival.

This year, Deep Roots will feature new expressions of European culture, with performances by Gypsophilia and El Viento Flamenco.

Deep Roots will also feature ECMA winner Scott Parsons, multiple ECMA nominee Amelia Curran, Valley- ased, Nashville-bound bluegrass artists The Spinney Brothers, banjo player Old Man Luedeke, Montreal songwriter Rob Lutes, and The Hupman Brothers.

Deep Roots Music Festival presents main concerts in three indoor venues as well as a variety of workshops for the whole family. The Saturday Rhythm Parade makes its way through Main Street with musicians, dancers and giant puppets, culminating in a free concert. New this year, the mainstage evening concerts will be followed by late-night programming in a variety of venues.

Early bird ticket prices are in effect until June 30.
Visit www.deeprootsmusic.ca for more information.

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What: Troy MacGillivray and Kimberley Fraser
When: Wednesday, March 22, 8 p.m.
Where: Duncan Garage Showroom
Tickets: $12, $15 door. Call 748-7246

Gaelic musical traditions are alive and thriving inside Troy MacGillivray. The 25-year-old fiddler, pianist and step dancer from northeastern Nova Scotia totes his duo show with Cape Breton fiddler-step dancer  Kimberley Fraser to the Duncan Garage Showroom Wednesday.

Host Longevity John Falkner advises Gaelic fans to be there.

"If Scottish jigs and reels are what you want, these are the players you have to hear."

MacGillivray is likely to perform tunes from his third CD Eleven, including the playful innocence of Teetotalers, haunting mysticism of Dream at Dawn, uproarious Road To Erroigie, and traditional purity of Hughie.

"Troy can turn any venue into a traditional East Coast party," raved the Orangeville Banner.

MacGillivray followed his family's musical lineage by starting to step dance at age six, then teaching piano at 13 in the Gaelic College of Celtic Arts & Crafts.

Later years saw him slide onto the fiddle, viola and bass. His famous grandfather, Hugh MacDonald, is a member of the Nova Scotia Country Hall of Fame.

MacGillivray's 2003 album, Boomerang, returned impressive reviews and won the 2004 Auleen Theriault Young Traditions Award from the Goderich Celtic Roots festival. It was also the 2005 Danny Kyle stage  winner at the U.K.'s Celtic Connections Festival. Boomerang and his 2001 platter, Musical Ties, both roped East Coast Music Award nods.

His talented sidekick, Fraser, 23, began step dancing at age three then shifted to fiddle and piano. Her violin skills are heard on Fraser's Y2K debut disc Heart Behind The Bow, the same year she performed for the Governor General of Canada.  She holds the Tic Butler Memorial Award for contributions to Cape Breton culture.

Appearances in the Celtic Colours International Festival, and on the CBC-PBS show Sweet is The Melody gave Fraser further exposure as part of the Celtic renaissance.

Her ivory prowess was heard during fiddler Graham's B.C. tour in 2003, and during a Swedish swing with Ireland's Cherish The Ladies band.

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Here are highlights of Celtic Fest Vancouver 2006 and a few facts, too:

Celtic Fest runs to Sunday, with activities at 12 indoor venues and two outdoor stages.

The St. Patrick's Day parade starts at 11 a.m. Sunday on Granville Street at Davie and ends at Dunsmuir. It will be led by B.C. Finance Minister Carole Taylor. Highlights include the B.C. Regiment Irish Pipe and Drum Band, a 12-horse drill team, antique fire trucks, unicycles and all sorts of other moving  apparatus. Keep aneye out for Irish wolfhounds and the Black Sheep Morris dancers who do traditional Welsh dancing.

The parade will be followed by a ceremony at Georgia and Granville and a performance by Nova Scotia fiddler Troy MacGillivray.

Tickets for paid events are available on line at www.celticfestivalvancouver.com and at Tom Lee Music, 929 Granville St.

Included are the Biggest and Best St. Paddy's Night Out at the Commodore on Friday featuring the Paperboys, who happen to be local boys, dancers, poets and a smattering of musicians. Shona Le Mottee performs with Tim Readman Friday at the Commodore, and Saturday at the TD Plaza Stage and at Tom Lee Music.

For your Celtic palate, there are two events -- Whisky Kiss, a scotch-tasting event, and a Brewmaster's dinner.

For cinema buffs, CeltFest presents three films from Ireland: When Hockey Came to Belfast, If I Should Fall From Grace: The Shane MacGowan Story, and Raise the Roof.

Celtic street market: Saturday and Sunday in the 900 block of Granville Street. Here you will find everything from kilts and knots to crafts and jewelry. Kids can make simple magic wands and other Celtic creations and hear Celtic tales, both true and far-fetched. Festival beer patios will be open.

Celtic Fest KidsZone: Sunday on Granville Street. New this year. Featuring lots for kids. Watch for Cirkids (kids performing circus acts) and an interactive story tent featuring Brigit's Magical Cauldron. 

Celtic Fest programs are available free at most 7-Eleven stores, festival venues, community centres and public libraries in the Lower Mainland.

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Troy MacGillivray's sisters played the fiddle. His mother played the fiddle. His father played the fiddle. His grandfather played the fiddle all the way to the Nova Scotia Country Music Hall of Fame.

It's not a surprise that MacGillivray is also a fiddler.

"It just was a natural thing to do, I guess," says the soft-spoken MacGillivray. "It's comforting in a way because I always heard the music growing up as a kid when I was one and two years old. It's sort of going  back to what I know."

MacGillivray learned to play the piano at age seven and picked up a fiddle at age 10. He's now 24 and has released three albums. "For a while, I was a piano player. Then for a little bit I was a fiddler," he says. "I'm sort of getting back to a lot of piano stuff."

Family is at the heart of his music. "For me, it's important to keep it alive. My grandfather, so I hear, was one of the first in Canada to put fiddle music on record. So it's kind of a family thing to keep going."

His music is rooted in traditional songs from Antigonish County on the mainland of Nova Scotia. "On most of the East Coast, a lot of the people are the same," says MacGillivray. "They're very down to earth and love  fiddle music. It's everywhere."

"The settlers who came from Scotland brought it over. They brought the music, the tunes, the instruments­ hey brought it with them and they set up shop here. They kept it going. It's a way of life."

And MacGillivray has kept the tradition alive, touring from Nova Scotia to Victoria to Iqaluit, and overseas to Denmark and the U.K.­all within the last year. While he says the hectic scheduling is tiring at times, he likes  the fast pace.

"Right now, it's good. My mother passed away, the end of the last six months, so it was really hard at first. But it seems to be good to keep really busy."

MacGillivray's fiddle, given to him by his grandfather's cousin and appraised at $10,000, is a constant source of comfort. "I don't go anywhere without it," he says. "So if I do something where I don't need it and I don't take it, I feel like I'm missing something. It just becomes a part of you."

The Nova Scotian and his fiddle are no strangers to Victoria, returning for a fifth visit. "People on the West Coast really know a lot about the East Coast music, and vice versa," he says. "There's a lot of fiddling both in  B.C. and [in Nova Scotia]. So it's always a lot of fun to play in the West. I really like it."

MacGillivray hits Esquimalt for an intimate show at Pondside Music, which is actually the house of Juliana and Douglas McCorison, an Esquimalt couple. It was custom-designed for concerts, and their venue seats around 
40 people.

Kimberly Fraser, a step dancer, will be joining MacGillivray. The 23-year-old also plays piano and fiddle. "When I play fiddle, she'll play piano. Then we'll switch up," explains MacGillivray.

"It'll be a fairly traditional performance this time. Just fiddle and piano."

MacGillivray will also be teaching a workshop for intermediate and advanced fiddlers at Daniel Lapp's House of Music.

"I usually take some tunes, older style tunes, like tunes that were brought here from Scotland. I talk about them, teach them different bowings­basically how the style out here is achieved."

Still, the fiddler allows some non-traditional facets into his music. "I incorporate some of my own influences," MacGillivray says. "I listen to a lot of different stuff too. I love Dave Matthews."

MacGillivray's blend of traditional fiddling and modern influences should make for a rousing and uncommon performance. "It's fun to play for people . . . their reactions and hearing their feet dancing on the floor­it's a lot of fun."

Troy MacGillivray's workshop takes place at Daniel Lapp's House of Music, 538 Fraser St. (Esquimalt) on March 21 @ 7 p.m. The cost per person is $30

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The Harrison Festival Society presents a St. Patrick's Day Party, Nova Scotia style! Antigonish, Nova Scotia's own Troy MacGillivray is one of the most exciting, young Celtic pianists and fiddlers in the country today and appears at the Harrison Memorial Hall on Friday, March 17 at 8:00pm. MacGillivray will be accompanied by Cape Breton fiddler/piano player/step dancer Kimberley Fraser.

Only in his mid-twenties, Troy MacGillivray has released two award winning, critically acclaimed recordings and has developed a large, international following through his dynamic live performances. MacGillivray's musical prowess can be attributed to an especially rare combination of commitment and  bloodline. Hisgrandfather, fiddler Hugh A. MacDonald, is a member of the Nova Scotia Country Hall of Fame - anhonour bestowed for his contribution to the Gaelic culture of Nova Scotia. His parents are well-known local musicians, his sister Kendra is a two time ECMA winning Celtic fiddler and his sister Sabra is an accomplished dancer and percussionist.

By the age of 6, MacGillivray was already impressing audiences with his step dancing skills. By age 13, Troy was teaching piano at the renowned Gaelic College of Celtic Arts and Crafts in St. Anne's, Cape Breton. He completed grade seven of the Toronto Conservatory of Music and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in music from the number one undergraduate university in Canada, St.Francis Xavier University. In 2001, at the age of 21, he released his first recording, Musical Ties. His blending of contemporary and original compositions with two-hundred-year-old melodies earned him his first East Coast Music Award and Music Industry Association of Nova Scotia nominations. Troy followed with Boomerang in 2003, and once again, he was honoured with ECMA and MIANS nominations.

Troy is accompanied by Kimberley Fraser, a 23 year old native of Sydney Mines, Cape Breton, who has been step dancing ever since she can remember. She started fiddling at age 6 and at age 9 she began taking lessons in piano accompaniment. During the 2000 Celtic Colours International Festival, Kimberley was presented with an award for significant contribution to Cape Breton culture. Later that year, she released her debut CD entitled, Heart Behind the Bow. In 2002, Kimberley appeared on CBC in Canada and PBS in the United States. Kimberley has toured Sweden with Cherish The Ladies in May 2004. In August 2005 she performed at Trnder Festival in Denmark with Patrick Gillis and Troy MacGillivray.

For tickets and information call 604-796-3664 or check the web at  www.harrisonfestival.com. Tickets are $18.00 and are also available at the Valley School of Beauty (9222 Young Rd. Chwk) and the Agassiz Pharmasave.

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Fiddler/pianist Troy MacGillivray is known for playing old-time, traditional Celtic music. But that doesn't mean he doesn't switch on MTV or hit an HMV record shop once in awhile.

"For sure I do," MacGillivray said. "I usually listen to everything. I've always got lots of CDs with me when I'm traveling around. I'm really into the Dave Matthews Band right now. Jack Johnson, Coldplay - I do find that there are little things and tunes from that music that also show up in my work. It just kind of comes out of you."

MacGillivray will stop in Victoria as part of the Pondside Music house concert, at 426 Kilver St. in Esquimalt, this coming Monday. He will also teach a fiddle/piano workshop the following day in Victoria.
The Cape Breton native said it's always a blast to travel to Canada's other coast.

"It's always great to come out the West Coast. The people are so great," he said. "Especially the Island - I really like the scene out here."

His family heritage has a huge influence on his style of music as his descendants are well-known practitioners of the Gaelic tradition in North Eastern Nova Scotia. MacGillivray's grandfather Hugh A. MacDonald, is a member of the Nova Scotia Country Hall of Fame, an honour bestowed for his contributions to the Gaelic culture of Nova Scotia.

MacGillivray also has talented musicians in his immediate family, such as sister, Kendra, a two-time East Coast Music Award winning Celtic fiddler. His other sister, Sabra, is an accomplished dancer and percussionist. Needless to say, MacGillivray doesn't have to look far to find inspiration for his music.

"It's also the kind of thing where it's in your blood as well," he said. "So sometimes I find a phrase that my grandfather once said to me finding a way into my music." He describes his music as "carefree and positive," as was the music that prevailed when Celtic tunes were mainstream, way back when.

"A lot of it is fairly basic music, so to say," he said. "It's scaled back, you know. It's just a fiddle and a piano or one of each. I think a lot of it goes back to the fact that these tunes were played during simpler times like 80 to 100 years ago when life wasn't so hectic."

He has been experimenting with some new sounds, however, such as recording tracks with a six-piece jazz band while performing fiddle songs on a piano.

Since the tender age of 13 when MacGillivray was teaching - yes, teaching - piano at the renowned Gaelic College of Celtic Arts and Crafts in St. Anne's, Cape Breton, the young musician has lived and breathed the traditional sound. So what would life be like if he got into something completely different, outside of the whole musical scene?

"I went to university and did a bit of computer science and I also really enjoyed geography. So I think I may have gone in that direction. But that's the thing about it - you never know because I never actually went down that road. I'm pretty sure I'll always stick with what I'm doing."

Even if he branches out into the jazz scene with his band, MacGillivray said he will always come back to the music that's in his blood.

"I always feel as if I'll go back to it. I think I just do it because I love to do it. I'm the most happy and calm when I'm playing. And it seems like it's the only time when my head's not really spinning."

MacGillivray plays the Pondside Music house concert this coming Monday, March 20. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. Call 361-1830 or send an e-mail to juliana@pondsidemusic.com for more information.
For details about his workshop, call 472-0999 or e-mail marie@abachand.ca.

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Troy MacGillivray is in the middle of a sound check when his cell phone rings.

The Cape Breton fiddler/step dancer and pianist is tuning up his skills for a string of performances that will bring him to, among other venues, the Harrison Memorial Hall on March 17.

MacGillivray is no stranger to B.C.'s Lower Mainland. He performed in Harrison two years ago and since then has spent time performing at festivals and concerts across the country. He's also released a CD entitled Eleven.

The disc was released in the fall of 2005 and MacGillivray says it's in honour of his grandfather and his mother-the latter who passed away last summer.

The word Eleven is poignant for several reasons. MacGillivray says his grandfather's nickname was Hugh A. Number Eleven and when his ancestors first moved from Scotland they were given land lot number Eleven. The CD, which will serve as much of the fodder for his local concert, is full of MacGillivray's personal favourites-some of which he's been playing for the last 10 years.

"There are newer tunes on it but basically they are familiar. Most of them have not been recorded before, they are traditional old tunes and there are a few on there that I wrote," he said.

In his career and at the age of 24, MacGillivray has produced three CDs. For each he's been nominated for an East Coast Music Award, although he's never won. Despite his short recording history MacGillivray has come by his skill through hard work and years of practice. By the age of six he was impressing audiences with his step dancing skills. At 13, he was teaching piano at the Gaelic College of Celtic Arts and Crafts.

On his most recent album, MacGillivray delivers with fiddle, piano, viola and bass while an international cast of musician accentuates his work with flute, cello, guitar and bodhran. MacGillivray is equally happy in the studio or on stage. He enjoys people's reactions to his music as well as the hard work that goes into a day of
recording.

"I really like being in the studio, but it's hard work. It's a long day and you don't get that reaction from people like you do when you are playing live," he said.

In Harrison the audience will see MacGillivray pair up with Kimberley Fraser, a 23-year-old native of Sydney Mines, who is both a pianist and a fiddler. As well, MacGillivray says his dad may be convinced to come up on stage and play the guitar.

MacGillivray and Fraser will be on stage at the Harrison Memorial Hall March 17 at 8 p.m. Tickets are available for $18 from the Harrison Festival Office, Agassiz Pharmasave, Valle School of Beauty
or by calling 604-796-3664.

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MacGillivray's first two recordings both received East Coast Music Award nominations as well as Music Industry Association of Nova Scotia nominations. Boomerang (2003) is a demonstration of the piano and fiddle played in the purist traditional stylings. Musical Ties (2001) is a blend of contemporary and original compositions with two hundred year old melodies played on the piano and fiddle. A collection of uplifting strathspeys, jigs and reels are complimented by the graceful presence of two beautiful Gaelic airs.
 
At the age of 24, he was the 2004 recipient of the "Auleen Theriault Young Tradition Award" from the Goderich Celtic Roots Festival in Goderich, Ont. Other performance highlights include Celtic Connections 2005 in Glasgow, the 2005 East Coast Music Awards, the 2005 Tonder Festival in Denmark, Celtic Colours International Festival in Cape Breton, and the Edinburgh Fiddle Festival-not to mention numerous dances, concerts and ceilidhs throughout Canada and the United Kingdom.

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Halifax, NS -- Halifax Play Hard, the host committee for the 2006 JUNO Awards, will be holding a noon hour concert series in anticipation of the nation's premier awards show. Music fans of multiple genres will have access to free performances in their own area of town.

The Tunes at Noon series, presented by FACTOR, will feature 13 talented Nova Scotian artists and run throughout the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) at publicly accessible locations during the month of March. The venues will include a selection of HRM libraries and four major malls, including Sunnyside Mall, Mic Mac Mall, Halifax Shopping Centre and Scotia Square. The shows will run from 12 to 1:00pm.

On March 3rd, Tunes at Noon will kick off at Halifax North Memorial Public Library with a performance by Jordan Croucher. Showcases will be held every Friday in March, along with daily concerts from March 27th to 31st building up to the Juno weekend. (Artists performing at Tunes at Noon are listed at the end of this release.)

In addition to great tunes at lunch, those who attend this concert series will have the opportunity to win two tickets to the 2006 JUNO Awards to be broadcast nationally on CTV. Concert-goers may enter a ballot at each venue they attend, for more chances to win, with the draw to be held on March 31st.

“We wanted to ensure the public had the opportunity to enjoy live music in anticipation of this exciting event. With free noon concerts, the general public, the business community and students will enjoy some of the finest Nova Scotia artists in our lead up to the 2006 JUNO Awards. We feel strongly about ensuring our Nova Scotia performers get as much exposure as possible throughout this event,” commented Stuart Jolliffe, Chair of Halifax Play Hard.

For more information, visit www.halifaxplayhard.com 

List of Artists and venues for Tunes at Noon:

Fri Mar 3 – Jordan Croucher – Halifax North Memorial Public Library
Fri Mar 10 – Ian Sherwood – Sunnyside Mall, Bedford
Fri Mar 10 – Universal Soul – Dartmouth North Public Library
Fri Mar 17 – Ardyth & Jennifer – Mic Mac Mall, Dartmouth
Fri Mar 17 – Bob Sutherby – Spring Garden Road Memorial Public Library
Fri Mar 24 – Shimon Walt and Jennifer King – Alderney Gate Public Library
Fri Mar 24 – Mitchell Hunter – Halifax Shopping Centre
Mon Mar 27 – Museum Pieces – Keshen Goodman Public Library, Park West
Tues Mar 28 – Spesh K – Cole Harbour Public Library
Wed Mar 29 – JD Clarke – Captain William Spry Public Library, Spryfield
Thurs Mar 30 – Birch Mountain Bluegrass Band – Scotia Square, Halifax
Thurs Mar 30 – King Konqueror – Alderney Landing Theatre, Dartmouth
Fri Mar 31 – Troy MacGillivray – Sunnyside Mall, Bedford

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Vancouver, BC - What do Celts and kilts have in common with Banghra dancers, the Queen of Sambalada, a clown troupe, a 12-horse drill team, three dozen baton twirlers, 30 young unicyclists, stilt walkers & jugglers, antique fire trucks, flatbeds, motorcycle maneuvers, musicians galore... and several thousand people from a very diverse range of music, dance, civic and community groups - all andering down the street together on a Sunday morning in March?

Why... what else could it be but Vancouver's exceptionally eclectic, and appropriately multi-cultural version of a St. Patrick's Day Parade? To the delight of an expected 100,000 watchers, CelticFest Vancouver 2006 is taking over Granville Street for its third parade.

On Sunday, March 19th at 11 am, Vancouver's proudly grassroots 3rd Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade starts marching north on Granville Street at Davie, ending at Dunsmuir by about 1:30 pm. Last year's parade was  chosen "Best Special Event" by the Vancouver Board of Trade's Spirit of Vancouver.

Parade Grand Marshall, organizer Steve McVittie, already has more participants registered to march in the parade than last year. He expects still more - and is delighted. "People love this parade. It is such a community event ­ a chance for small businesses and community groups to get out and show their civic pride to 100,000 of their neighbours and customers. What could be better.. and a great time?" McVittie says it may  be Vancouver's least expensive parade to enter, at just $50 for community groups and $500 for businesses. "We don't even require a float - people can walk if they like. Our rules are about safety and order. Audience approval can pretty much take care of the rest."

This year's Honorary Parade Marshall is the Hon. Carole Taylor, MLA Vancouver-Langara and ProvincialMinister of Finance, who is delighted by the popularity of the festivities and the opportunity it provides to showcase "the rich cultural heritage and traditions of BC's Celtic community."

Immediately after the parade, Ms. Taylor will be the keynote speaker at the Festival's Official Ceremony, at TD Plaza at Georgia and Granville, followed by an electrifying performance by Troy MacGillivray, a multi-talented fiddler from Nova Scotia, currently nominated for Best Instrumental Recording of the Year at the East Coast Music Awards, accompanied by our own North Shore Celtic Ensemble.

The St. Patrick's Day Parade is sponsored by Western Union, who will give free balloons to the first 4,000 kids. For information about CelticFest Vancouver, please visit the festivals' website

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Whether playing piano or fiddle, or showcasing his stepdancing talents, Troy MacGillivray displays intense commitment to the Celtic heritage he inherited from his Highland ancestors. Troy's bloodline is equally as impressive. The Lanark MacGillivarys and MacDonalds have lived in Gaelic traditions in  northeastern Nova Scotia for generations.

In the late Eighteenth Century, the Bogainn MacDonald siblings emigrated to Nova Scotia from the Isle of Eigg in Scotland, bringing with them a rich tradition of music, folklore, language and culture.

Some settled in Inverness County, Cape Breton, while two chose to make their homes in Cape George, Antigonish County. This bloodline proved to be quite strong as many of the contemporary fiddlers from North Eastern Nova Scotia and Cape Breton descended from this one family.

Troy's mother, Janice Anne, was not only dedicated to her family but also to her culture which she nurtured and passed on to her family. She was a big part of Troy's career and of his recording project for his CD, Eleven.

Sadly she passed away last July, before Troy had the chance to record this album. "I've played these tunes with her many times," Troy said, "so I know she approved of them. I've done my best to play piano on her cuts, but she can never be replaced."

When Troy was trying to decide on a title for the CD, he turned to two of the most important elements in his life - family and tradition. His grandfather, fiddling pioneer Hugh A. MacDonald, was known by the name 'Hughie No. 11'.

With so many MacDonalds in the area, this nickname identified him as a MacDonald from lot No. 11 in Lanark, Antigonish County where Troy's ancestors first settled when they emigrated from Scotland. Plus, this is also Troy's eleventh album release.

There are 15 tracks on Eleven and listening to the album is like taking a musical train trip - there are highs and lows, valleys and turns, as the train gathers speed with the reels. All the while, the listener is absorbing the  culture and scenery of beautiful Nova Scotia.

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A cheerful work of traditional genius, every note on Eleven swings the way only a Nova Scotian fiddler can. The third release from Antigonish's Troy MacGillivray is traditional yet innovative without any drum-machine or spoken- word crap.

Jazzy guitar playing from the likes of Great Britain's Tim Edey and Anna Massie and the groovy cello of Natalie Haas compliment nicely Troy's expert piano and fiddle playing. Eleven also features Nuala Kennedy on Irish flute, Troy on viola for a tune, and a duo with sister Kendra. Recorded at studios in Cape Breton, Scotland, and New York.

Eleven is both an international and local affair. Liner notes give insight into Troy's personal relationship with each tune. Like a bouquet of wild flowers in an antique vase, Eleven is sweet, fresh and truly delightful, and certainly one of the most heartfelt, well-recorded traditional albums I've heard in a long time.

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Troy MacGillivray, a 2006 ECMA nominee for instrumental album of the year plays the Cape Breton Charitable Association's monthly adult dance on Saturday, from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. at St. Lawrence Parish Hall
on Dutch Village Road.

Admission is $8.

Those attending must be 19 years and over.
By the age of six, MacGillivray was impressing audiences with his step dancing skills.

By 13, he was teaching piano at the renowned Gaelic College of Celtic Arts and Crafts.

On his most recent album, Eleven, MacGillivray plays fiddle, piano, viola, and bass while an international cast of musicians accentuates his artistry with flute, cello, guitar and bodhran. His first two recordings, Boomerang (2003) and Musical Ties (2001) both received East Coast Music Award nominations as well as Music Industry
Association of Nova Scotia nominations.

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2005 may have been a humdrum year in many aspects, but East Coast music was not one of them.

From the indie firebrands to Celtic mainstays, some stellar work was released on all fronts, and should make for some interesting selections when the East Coast Music Award nominations come down on Wednesday.

Trying to narrow down a list of 10 favourites from the past year was a difficult process, and I’m sure there are some names I’ve left off, but here in alphabetical order are a decalogue of discs from 2005 I’ll be spinning for years to come.

Troy MacGillvray Eleven (Trolleymac Music) Nova Scotia’s traditional community upped the ante with several choice CDs this year, from Mary Jane Lamond’s luxurious Storas to the expanded Barra MacNeils’ wonderfully homey All at Once, but I picked Eleven by Antigonish’s Troy MacGillivray as my favourite for his innovative arrangements (including cello) and varied collaborations with locals like guitarist Dave MacIsaac and sisters Kendra and Sabra, and overseas guests like Nuala Kennedy and Anna Massi.

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Troy has been chosen to perform a showcase in the Roots Room at the 2006 East Coast Music Awards. The ECMA's take place February 23-27, 2006 in Charlottetown, PEI. For more information, please visit www.ecma.ca

I wonder if Nova Scotian traditional instrumentalists silently curse Antigonish native Troy MacGillivray under their breath for his talent at both keyboard and fiddle, his composing abilities, and the fact that the size of his ego seems inversely proportional to the weight of his abilities.

That last one probably just makes them feel worse for even thinking bad thoughts.

But with his third CD Eleven (Trolleymac Music), he proves once again he is a Mac of all trades, and also a master of them all (but oddly enough, not a MacMaster), with a spirited and diverse set of tunes and a host of special guests who will set Celtic fans' spines to tingling.

Like his sisters Kendra (fiddle) and Sabra (bodhran, dancing and, recently, piano), Troy MacGillivray has a knack for being able to effortlessly convey a broad range of emotion through his instrumental playing, whether it's the slow build from a bright strathspey to a joyous hornpipe on the Hey Johnny! set (with guitarist Dave MacIsaac) or the darker tone of Knittin' & Drinkin', which includes the tune Trolley's Reel, written for MacGillivray by Sydney's Colin Grant after "a sketchy St. Patrick's Day performance in Halifax." From the sounds of it, MacGillivray's completely recovered, and the tune reaffirms the notion that every cloud has a silver-lined song waiting inside.

MacGillivray fills the record with autobiographical detail, including the fact that the disc is titled Eleven because its the 11th album he's performed on, and his reknowned fiddler grandfather Hughie A. MacDonald was named Hughie No. 11, after the number of his lot in Lanark, Antigonish County.

Then there are moments like the opening track, Stirling Castle, which he first played publicly 14 years ago during his debut on the fiddle, when he got so nervous he fled the stage. But on this version he commands it with a driving bow and sharp cuts, and the warm texture of Natalie Haas's cello enriching the sound considerably. They duet again on The Eternal Rig, this time with MacGillivray playing viola, which sounds so brilliant you wonder why it isn't used more often.

Then there are those moments of pure fun, like the trio of MacGillivray, Celtic guitarist Tim Edey and Irish flutist Nuala Kennedy (Fine Friday/Harem Scarem) tearing through a set called The Teetotaler, which I'm sure gets a lot of laughs when they announce it at the after-hours Festival Club during Celtic  Colours in Cape Breton.

The record wouldn't be complete without a family track, especially since Eleven is dedicated to the MacGillivray's mother Janice who passed away this year. Using tunes taken from old family party tapes, Smash the Windows is a lovely one, with Troy doing triple duty on fiddle, keyboard and bass - through the magic of multitrack - with Kendra on fiddle, Sabra on bodhran and father Tony playing guitar. The difference in fiddle sounds is plain - Kendra's notes always seem to have smiles on them - and the blend is the right mix of sweet and tart.

If I had a complaint to make about Eleven, it would be that MacGillivray's stellar piano playing takes a back seat to the fiddle here, but as the cover graphic shows, it's very much a fiddle record, compared to his previous CD Boomerang. There are still moments though, like the old Gaelic air Crodh Chailein (Colin's Castle), a simple elegaic tune with fiddle and keyboard that closes the disc with a fit pairing of MacGillivray's two musical loves.

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The treasured Gaelic fiddle music runs through Troy MacGillivray as sure as the Atlantic tide rolls past his hometown Lanark into Antigonish Harbour. The 25-year-old musician recently released a sparkling new album of traditional Celtic music, in tribute to the spirit of his fiddler grandfather Hughie (No. 11) MacDonald and his beloved mother Janice, who died this last summer.

"I wanted to keep his memory and my mom's memory alive," said MacGillivray, "and say thanks for their contribution to what I'm doing musically."

MacGillivray has long played at the side of his ECMA-winning sister Kendra. But with this ambitious self-produced album, Troy steps out as one of the pre-eminent young Celtic musicians of his generation.

The generous disc (15 groups of tunes more than 65 minutes) is a polished collection of old and new material, all impeccably played. MacGillivray trades off on fiddle, viola, piano and bass, and features several musical guests including New York cellist Natalie Haas and Irish flautist Nuala Kennedy.

Among the highlights are a couple of duets with Haas (who plays with Mark O'Connor and Alasdair Fraser), including a clever group called The Eternal Rig, where Haas shows her impressive jigging bowhand on a set of reels and jigs.

MacGillivray says the challenge in recording traditional material is finding tunes which are familiar to the listener but rarely recorded.

"For this project, I picked a lot of tunes my grandfather played in the house or at parties but never released on record. I try to use acoustic instruments and do something differently, while staying true to what fiddle music is."

Hughie No. 11 (nick-named for the ancestral land deed in Lanark) died in 1976, four years before Troy was born. But his mother's careful notations in the family music books tipped the young fiddler his grandfather's favourite pieces.

MacGillivray launched his new CD in Halifax with a performance tomorrow at the Halifax Curling Club, beginning at 7pm. He'll play a showcase set at 8pm, then be joined by singer Patricia Murray, pianist/fiddler Kimberley Fraser and dancer/percussionist Sabra MacGillivray for a Celtic Christmas Concert.

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Musical brother and sister Troy and Sabra MacGillivray will be joined by singer Patricia Murray and fiddler Kimberly Fraser for a seasonal open house at the Halifax Curling Club on Friday.

The event will also be a mini-CD launch for pianist/fiddler Troy MacGillivray's latest album, Eleven.

Titled "It's Scot to be Christmas", the concert starts at 8 p.m., with a welcoming reception at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 and available in advance or at the door. The Halifax Curling Club is located at 948 South Bland St.

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The Fiddlerstickers have scheduled an appearance with Kimberley Holmes, Christy Hodder, The Annapolis Valley Highland Dancers and special guest Troy MacGillivray, from Antigonish.

It will take place Friday, Dec. 2 at the Al Whittle Theatre in Wolfville at 7pm.

MacGillivray is a fiddler, pianist and stepdancer who was the Danny Kyle Stage Winner at the British Celtic Connections Festival this year in the United Kingdom. He also won the 2004 young musician of the year title at the Goderich Celtic Roots Festival. He has already picked up two ECMA nominations.

Coming from a musical family, MacGillivray's grandfather is in the Nova Scotia Country Hall of Fame. The 25-year-old's parents and two sisters are all talented. He's currently studying recording engineering.

Admission for this concert is $10 and advance tickets are available at the theatre or by calling Hodder at 542-3416.

All concert proceeds go toward a scholarship fund for sending Valley students to study music at the Gaelic College in Cape Breton.

Troy is teaching workshops the next day in both fiddle and piano. Phone 542-3416 to register or check out these websites: www.lochabermusic.com or www.troymacgillivray.com

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Troy MacGillivray will hold a hometown release for his new CD Eleven on Sunday from 2 to 6 p.m. at Piper's Pub in Antigonish.

It is MacGillivray's third solo album. His previous two recordings, Musical Ties (2000) and Boomerang (2002), each received nominations from the East Coast Music Awards and the Music Industry Association of Nova Scotia.

This latest release is a tribute to his Highland heritage, and is named in recognition of the nickname given to his grandfather, fiddling pioneer Hugh A. MacDonald - Hughie No. 11. With so many MacDonalds in the Antigonish area, this nickname identified him as a MacDonald from lot number 11 in Lanark, Antigonish  County, where Troy's ancestors first settled when they emigrated from Scotland. Additionally, this album marks the 11th recording on which MacGillivray has appeared.

On the CD, MacGillivray plays fiddle, piano, viola and bass with an international cast of musicians playing flute, cello, guitar and bodhran. Joining him are his two older sisters, two-time ECMA award-winning fiddler Kendra MacGillivray and acclaimed percussionist and dancer, Sabra MacGillivray, along with their guitar-wielding father Tony MacGillivray. Guitarists Brent Chaisson from Prince Edward Island, Anna Massie from Scotland, Jason Murdock from Pictou County and local favourite Dave MacIsaac, also join in as does Tim Edey, an English guitarist who performs with the band Session A9. Juilliard School of Music graduate Natalie Haas, from New York, plays cello and Scotland's Nuala Kennedy, who plays flute with bands Fine Friday and Harem Scarem.

MacGillivray is the 2005 winner of the Danny Kyle Stage from the Celtic Connections Festival in Glasgow, Scotland and the 2004 Auleen Theriault Young Tradition Award winner from the Goderich Celtic Roots Festival in Goderich, Ont., an award given to an artist that shows outstanding talent and love for traditional and roots- ased music.

The Inverness Arts Centre will host a release party on Nov. 6, 2005

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October has proven to be a busy month for Celtic music fans. During the past couple of weeks there was a virtual smorgasbord of Celtic Colours concerts to choose from all over Cape Breton Island. Last week, we heard news of an upcoming CD release party for Foot Cape fiddler Ian MacDougall's Before You Arrived. October also marked a new CD release from the multi-talented Troy MacGillivray. The new CD, his third to date, is titled Eleven and follows the young musician's previous two CD releases: Boomerang (2003) and Musical Ties (2001).

For the few who may not already know, Troy is another of the talented MacGillivray siblings which include Kendra (fiddle) and Sabra (bodhran, piano, and Highland dancing and stepdancing). The MacGillivrays often perform as a group or along with a number of other performers. Their parents encouraged their musical talents, and Troy's grandfather, Hugh A. MacDonald, was one of the first acclaimed fiddlers to record on Celtic music labels. Hugh A. MacDonald also became a member of the Nova Scotia Country Hall of Fame.

Troy is a recent graduate of the St. F.X. University music program. He has toured extensively in Canada and the United States, and he has also made appearances at festivals and concerts in the  U.K., both as a solo performer and as an accompanist for many other talented musicians such as: Dave Gunning, Andrea Beaton, Anna Massie and Patricia Murray, and others. Troy is very much in demand as an accompanist, and he has also appeared on many recordings by other Atlantic Canadian musicians.

Troy's first two CDs were both nominated for Music Industry of Nova Scotia (MIANS) awards as well as East Coast Music Awards.

Some guests appearing on Eleven include: Kendra (fiddle), Sabra (bodhran), and Tony MacGillivray (guitar), Dave MacIsaac (guitar), Anna Massie (guitar), and Nuala Kennedy (flute).

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For generations the MacGillivray family has entertained Nova Scotia and Canada with their extreme talent in Celtic music. Hugh A MacDonald, grandfather to Kendra and Troy MacGillivray, was a well-known recording artist who was a recipient of the ECMA Stompin' Tom Award. He was also inducted into the Nova Scotia Country Hall of Fame. Antigonish, Nova Scotia is where Kendra and Troy MacGillivray get some of their nspiration for the music they perform from different artists such as Neil Gow, The Rankin Family, and of course, their grandfather. In this performance, Kendra and Troy MacGillivray not only entertained us, they made their grandfather proud. It was a wonderful evening of music and dance. Kendra and Troy haveperformed together for over 15 years, and throughout the evening, it was clear that they were comfortable performing together.

The venue was the Fairfield United Church; it was small, cozy and intimate. I felt like I was sitting in a living room somewhere, a rather large living room, of course, listening to people playing music. It was great. A large armchair instead of a wooden pew would have been more comfortable however.

Throughout the concert both Kendra and Troy addressed the audience in a friendly manner that only increased the comfort level. They played a mixture of jigs, reels, and laments, all of which were excellent. Several, however, deserve to be noted.

"Jackson's Fancy Medley," a group of pieces that incorporated jigs and reels, set all of our toes tapping. It was spirited and fun, and echoed the many celebrations experienced throughout the years by Celtic people on two continents. "The Old Gray Goose" was also a wonderful piece.

"Neil Gow's Lament for the Death of His Second Wife" was poignant and beautiful; a very fitting lament for a loved one. The tune was very suited to the piano, its keys giving it a delicacy that was required for a lament.
Near the end of the first set, they played some of the pieces their grandfather had played like "Polka No. 3 Medley." These pieces were more raw and earthy in sound, but overall they had a charm that obviously lives on.
Also near the end of the set, as his sister fiddled, Troy did some step dancing and showed us his moves. It brought something extra to the fiddling and also continued the theme of the cozy, intimate party. I was tempted to join him, but would have looked extremely clumsy in comparison.

In the second set, Kendra also step-danced for us and showed us that both she and Troy have trained long for their talents. It was a fun addition to the evening.

"Arisaig Mist" was a piece played by Kendra on the fiddle and it was absolutely amazing. She prefaced her playing by tellingus a story of the mist that lowers along the ocean on the coast of Nova Scotia and that this piece was an echo of that imagery. I would have to say that this was my favourite piece of the evening. The tune brought tears to my eyes. It was very beautiful.

The rest of the evening was more of the same - solid, excellent playing that was highly entertaining. I was impressed as they switched instruments and played well at anything they attempted. I enjoyed their step-dancing immensely.

Troy and Kendra have several albums available. Kendra has put out three recordings: "Over the Waves," "Clear the Track" and "Antigonish's Own." Troy has recorded two albums: "Boomerang," and "Musical Ties." I would suggest that they would all be well worth purchasing.

Both Troy and Kendra have been the recipients of several awards over the past couple of years. Kendra was the 2002 ECMA "Female Artist of the Year" and "Instrumental Artist of the Year." Troy was the 2004 recipient of the "Auleen Theriault Young Tradition Award" from the Goderich Celtic Roots Festival. It is clear from their performance that they both have embraced tradition and their roots in their musical journey and I look forward to watching the rest of their careers. It will be memorable.

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Kendra and Troy MacGillivray will bring a little Celtic inspiration to the stage when they perform at the Creekside Theatre July 11.

Celtic Fiddler Kendra MacGillivray is the 2002 ECMA Female Artist of the Year and Instrumental Artist of the Year. She has performed at festivals and events around the world.

From a square dance or Scottish concert in Cape Breton to a mainstage performance at the Glengarry Highland Games or Harrison Festival of the Arts to a corporate event in Japan or Barbados, MacGillivray plays the music of her Scottish ancestors with energy and passion.

In the past year MacGillivray has performed with Phillip Glass and Friends in concert at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, Symphony Nova Scotia in the Maritime Pops Series, Atlantic Scene Festival in Ottawa, Villa Montalvo in California and was a featured performer in DRUM!, the musical in Halifax.

She was also awarded the Young Almuna of the Year from her alma mater, St.Francis Xavier University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration in 1995. MacGillivray has been a guest lecturer at the university's business of music course because she has been managing her own career up to the present.

Musically, she was influenced from the very beginning by her grandfather's fiddle music. Hugh. A. MacDonald, a pioneer recording artist and recipient of the ECMA Stompin' Tom Award and a Nova Scotia Country Hall of Fame Induction. Although she was much too young to learn fiddle tunes from him while he was living, she danced to his music at every chance and his playing has inspired the music she plays today.

MacGillivray started taking highland dance lessons at the age of six, followed by classical piano lessons, fiddle lessons and then classical violin lessons. She has three recordings, Over the Waves, Clear the Track and Antigonish's Own.

She is currently in the process of selecting, arranging and composing tunes for a new 2005 recording. At the same time she continues to perform her most requested selections, ranging from lively jigs, to slow airs and rousing sets of reels.

Troy MacGillivray's musical prowess can be attributed to an especially rare combination of commitment and bloodline. By the age of six, he was already impressing audiences with his step dancing skills. By 13 he was teaching piano at the renowned Gaelic College of Celtic Arts and Crafts in St. Anne's, Cape Breton. He has completed grade seven of the Toronto Conservatory of Music for classical piano, has spent four years in a stringed orchestra and has earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in music from St. Francis Xavier University.

Troy's two recordings, Boomerang and Musical Ties, both received ECMA nominations as well as Music Industry Association of Nova Scotia nominations. Musical Ties is a blend of contemporary and original compositions with 200 year old melodies played on the piano and fiddle. A collection of uplifting strathspeys, jigs and reels are complied by the graceful presence of tow beautiful Gaelic airs. Troy is joined on the recording by his parents and sisters as well as other noteworthy performers such as John Allan Cameron, Gordie Sampson, Dave MacIsaac and Tracey Dares. Boomerang is a demonstration of the piano and fiddle played in the purist stylings.

2004 was a busy year for Troy. At the age of 24 he was the recipient of the Auleen Theriault Young Tradition Award from the Goderic Celtic Roots Festival in Goderich, Ont. This award is given to an artist who shows outstanding talent and love for traditional and roots music.

He also embarked on a tour impressive for an independent artist. The tour started in Toronto, took him as far west as Victoria and Back east to the Maritimes.

Other performance highlights include Celtic Connections 2004 in Glasgow, the 2004 ECMAs, Celtic Colours International festival n Cape Breton.

Troy will perform along with sister Kendra, July 11 at the Creekside Theatre in Lake Country. Tickets are $18 for adults, and $16 for students and seniors.

Advance tickets are available from Lake Country Municipal Office or by calling 250-766-9309. Tickets are also available at the door.

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Canadian Celtic performers and siblings Kendra and Troy MacGillivray will return to the Okanagan this year for a July 11 concert in Lake Country.

Blending Celtic fiddle and piano, the pair will perform at 7:30 p.m. at the B.C. Creekside Theatre.

Kendra - who is the 2002 East Coast Music Awards (ECMA) Female and Instrumental Artist of the Year - has played gigs around the world, from the Glengarry Highland Games to corporate events in Japan and Barbados.

She was featured in a CBS movie called Heart of a Stranger starring Jane Seymour and was a presentor at the 2003 East Coast Music Awards.

Having managed her own music career, Kendra has been a guest lecturer at her alma mater, St. Francis Xavier University, for its Business of Music course.

Kendra has released three recordings and is currently working on her fourth.

With a family of musicians, younger brother Troy began teaching piano at Gaelic College of Celtic Art at age 13.

He has recorded two CDs and performed at Celtic Connections 2004 in Glascow, the 2004 ECMAs and Edinburgh Fiddle Festival, to name a few.

Tickets for Kendra and Troy MacGillivray's July 11 show are available at Lake Country Municipal Office by calling
(250)766-9309. Tickets will also be available at the door.

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Nova Scotia fiddler and step-dancer Troy MacGillivray was a hit when he played the London region last year. MacGillivray was the 2004 recipient of the Auleen Theriault Young Tradition Award from the Goderich Celtic Roots Festival. The award is given to an artist who shows outstanding talent and love for traditional and roots-based music.

MacGillivray, of Antigonish, N.S., returns to the area tomorrow when he plays a Cuckoo's Nest series concert at a downtown London pub, Chaucer's.

MacGillivray is continuing a long family tradition in music. The Lanark MacGillivrays and MacDonalds have been proprietors of the Gaelic tradition in northeastern Nova Scotia for generations. MacGillivray's grandfather, Hugh MacDonald, is a member of the Nova Scotia Country Hall of Fame. The honour was bestowed for his contribution to the Gaelic culture of Nova Scotia.

The performer's parents, Tony and Janice, are talented musicians who sometimes make stage and studio appearances with their son. His sister, Kendra, is a two-time East Coast Music Award winning fiddler. His sister Sabra, is an accomplished dancer and percussionist.

By the age of six, MacGillivray was already impressing audiences with his step-dancing skills. By 13, he was teaching piano at the renowned Gaelic College of Celtic Arts and Crafts at St. Anne's, Cape Breton. He has earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in music from St. Francis Xavier University.

His two recordings, Boomerang (2003) and Musical Ties (2001) both received East Coast Music Award nominations as well as Music Industry Association of Nova Scotia nominations.

Boomerang is a demonstration of the piano and fiddle played in the purist traditional stylings. Troy is joined on the album by former Londoner Paul Mills. The album was also engineered by Mills, who is known for his work with the CBC, Stan Rogers, Rita MacNeil and Sharon, Lois & Bram.

Joining MacGillivray tomorrow night are guitarist and vocalist Timothy Chaisson and pianist Ward MacDonald.

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Troy MacGillivray can turn any venue into a traditional East Coast party. Whether fiddling the sounds of his Celtic heritage, or stepdancing his way across a stage, the Nova Scotia-born musician excites audiences with his impressive, authentic performances.

Even more exciting for the audience at his April 15 Orangeville show is that they will be the first to hear MacGillivray's newest material.

"I'll be trying out some of the new stuff," he says. "I really like the feedback -- when they enjoy it it makes me feel good."

MacGillivray's Ontario tour will come to a close soon so he can concentrate on his next project. The young musician says he's about halfway to finishing his third album, which will be released this year.

"What I have isn't like what I've put out yet. It's not Celtic rock or anything; it's very acoustic still, but it's a little different."

His last album, 2003's Boomerang, garnered rave reviews and won the 2004 Auleen Theriault Young Tradition Award from the Goderich Celtic Roots Festival in Goderich, ON and the 2005 Danny Kyle Stage winner at The Celtic Connections Festival, U.K.

It also received an East Coast Music Award nomination and a Music Industry Association of Nova Scotia nomination.

"It's done very well," MacGillivray says of Boomerang and his international tour in support of the album. "It was geared toward an audience interested in very traditional fiddle music -- old-style, stripped-down music."

At age 24, MacGillivray has successfully broken into the music industry with an instrument that is gaining momentum.

He attributes the work of Ashley MacIssac and Natalie McMaster to the growing popularity of fiddle music -- especially among a younger generation.

"I'd say Ashley and Natalie brought it to a younger audience," he says. "Now that people get to hear it more, its awareness is growing."

As for the upcoming show at Baba Ganoush, he says the audience can expect lots of variety. Joining him on stage will be 18-year-old Timothy Chaisson and Ward MacDonald.

"I love playing with those guys, it's always a lot of fun," says MacGillivray. "I just really enjoy performing."

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Troy MacGillivray * Messer Medley * Boomerang *CAN
Moody, Penner & Swain * Reuben's Train *Southbound* CAN
Children Of Celebrity * Chocolate Jesus * Middle Age Wasteland * CAN
Melisa Devost * Bring It * Click * CAN
Ambiance * Mon Amie * CAN
Matt Masters * Come Back Salmon * The Alberta Reporter * CAN
David Essig * There But For * Stone In My Pocket * CAN
Raghu Loganathan * Everywhere I've Ever Been * Everywhere I've Ever Been * CAN
Yael Wand * Trouble * Antinomy * CAN
Heather Griffin & Goodwood * Nothin' New * Warts n' All * CAN
Angie Nussey * I Used To * Paint And Turpentine * CAN
Po' Girl * City Song * Po' Girl * CAN
Redbird * Patience * Brenda McMorrow * How Do You Know? * CAN(London)

"For The Folk" can be listened to on Wednesday nights from 8:30 to 10pm on CHRW 94.9fm in London or over the internet at www.chrwradio.com. 

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March 28, 2005
Newsletter #1

Show Dates April 2005

For a complete list of tour dates, go to www.troymacgillivray.com/gigs.htm.
Troy will be accompanied on this tour by Tim Chaisson of Souris, Prince Edward Island who will be playing guitar and singing a few of his original songs and Ward MacDonald of Bangor, Prince Edward Island on piano.

Apr 09 - Detroit, MI - The Gaelic League (Troy & Kendra MacGillivray)
Apr 13 - Wakefield, QC - The Black Sheep Inn (753 Riverside Drive)
Apr 14 - Thornton, ON - Dance at Thornton Lions Hall (Hwy 27 South)
Apr 15 - Orangeville, ON - Baba Ganoush Restaurant (232 Broadway)
Apr 16 - Owen Sound, ON - OSCVI Auditorium (1550 - 8th St East)
Apr 17 - London, ON - Chaucer's Pub (122 Carling St.)
Apr 19 - Hamilton, ON - Staircase Cafe Theatre (27 Dundurn Street N)
Apr 20 - Toronto, ON - Bow and Arrow (1954 Yonge St. at Davisville)

Media & Interview Dates

Apr 10 - Ottawa, ON - CKCU FM
Apr 12 - Ottawa, ON - The NewRO
Apr 18 - London, ON - NewPL's "Breakfast Time"
Apr 18 - London, ON - Rogers TV's "Daytime" at 11:00 am
Apr 29 - Halifax, NS - Breakfast Television on ASN

Newsletter

Welcome to the very first edition of the Troy MacGillivray Newsletter!

As 2005 begins, so , too, do new events, new traditions and new resolutions. This newsletter is one of those new things we hope will help to make your 2005 that much more enjoyable! Troy earned awards and accolades while increasing his fan base from coast to coast. Yet he still found the time to add his tremendous talents to various fundraising activities throughout the year. Let's take a look back at 2004.

Troy began 2004 playing many dances and concerts with musicians such as his sister Kendra MacGillivray, Mac Morin, Brenda Stubbert, Andrea Beaton, Cheryl Smith and Glenn Graham, among others. A quick trip to Scotland saw him performing at the Celtic Connections Festival in Glasgow and in various venues throughout the United Kingdom, often with BBC award winning guitarist and fiddler Anna Massie. Back home to Nova Scotia in time for the East Coast Music Awards (where he was nominated for Instrumental Recording of the Year), Troy performed in two showcases: One, an acoustic showcase in the Roots Room that featured folk, bluegrass, country, vocal and instrumental music; and the socond where he performed with his sister Kendra, which featured 'electrified' Roots music where the flavour was distinctively traditional - distinctively East Coast. He also performed live on the Awards Show with Havanafax - a fusion of Afro-Cuban and Celtic music that was very well received.

Troy's Cross-Canada tour in support of his most recent recording, Boomerang, started out in Toronto, took him to various locations throughout Ontario, as far west as Victoria and back East to the Maritimes. He even made his way to Iqaluit to perform in the East Coast Ceilidh with his sisters Kendra MacGillivray and Sabra MacGillivray as well as Dave Gunning. Troy managed to find time to fit Bridgetown, Barbados in to his very busy schedule, where he performed at the Barbodos Celtic Festival. For the month of June he was kept busy performing throughout Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island with Patricia Murray, Andrea Beaton, Howie MacDonald, and Dave MacIsaac. With the weather heating up in July 2004, so , too, did Troy's schedule. Playing the New Bedford Summerfolk Festival with Kendra MacGillivray and Greg Simm, in Massachusetts, a celebrity golf tournament in Ingonish, and several dances and Ceilidhs throughout Cape Breton, Troy was only getting started. Troy performed at the Antigonish Highland Games, with Kendra, Sabra, and Patricia Murray, and he finished off the month of July by taping a program for Bravo Television which is called "Steps with Sabra" and will air in April......

Troy was the recipient of the "Auleen Theriault Young Tradition Award for 2004" at the Goderich Celtic Roots Festival in Goderich, Ontario on August 7. Troy is the sixth person to receive this award. Last year's winner was Celine Donnohue of Glasgow, Scotland. The award is given to an artist that shows outstanding talent and love for traditional and roots based music.

A quick trip to British Columbia with sisters, Kendra and Sabra, saw Troy perform in various locales before heading back to the East Coast for some end of summer fun. He played at the Baddeck Gathering Ceilidh, The Festival of the Tartans, The Victoria by the Sea Concert series and even made a stop at the National Folk Festival in Bangor, Maine.

After a whirlwind year, Troy took some much needed time off in September. The R&R enabled Troy to finish out the year at top speed. When Celtic Colours came to Cape Breton, Troy didn't miss a beat. From Mabou to New Waterford and all Cape Breton points in between, Troy's presence was fully appreciated. He played at the Cape Breton Fiddler's Association concert, 'Wind on the Water', 'Pianos du Jour', 'Celtic Connections' and even performed in the Celtic Women concert with Anna Massie (those in the audience that evening will forever remember the one and only Troyella!).

Before 'crossing the pond', Troy found time to play at a College of Piping gala concert at the Confederation Center of the Arts and at the Bankhead Pub in Inverness with Glenn Graham. Ireland and Scotland were treated to several weeks of Troy's talent in October and November. He performed at the Feile Le Cheille in Derry, Ireland, embarked on a Youth School Tour with Anna Massie and entertained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama as well as at the Edinburgh Fiddle Festival. Well, there's no rest for the wicked, or in this case for the talented, two days after returning to Nova Scotia, Troy was westward bound on a Dave Gunning tour of Western Canada.

In December, Troy returned home to spend the holidays with family and friends. He managed to find time to do some recording and to donate his time and talents to a fundraising concert at Bethany which raised $1500.00 for local World Youth Day pilgrims. This concert also featured his sister Kendra, his parents Tony and Janice, as well as Brian England, Stan Chapman, Dara Smith and more.

Racing the first big snowfall of the season, Troy spent Boxing Day at the Bankhead Pub with Andrea Beaton, then New Year's Eve in Creignish with Kimberley Fraser and the band Pogue.

So far this year Troy has done some recording, performed on two continents and shared his talents at the ECMAs in Sydney. Look for his stories from Scotland and Ireland elsewhere on this page!

If you're looking to see Troy live in the near future, make sure to check out the tour dates and info he has posted in this newsletter.

Keep checking out www.troymacgillivray.com where you can find out just about everything you want to know about Troy - including soon to be added performances. We'll send out this newsletter once a month - we'll share information about performances, have a contest or two (where you'll be able to win Troy MacGillivray CDs and more) and basically keep each other up to date on the career of this very talented young musician.

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Celtic Connections - by Troy MacGillivray
January 2005

Most people if they leave the snowy East Coast in January try to escape to a cozy, warm and sunny villa in the south of France or the white, sandy beaches of the Caribbean. However being a fan and consumed by the Gaelic music and culture of my ancestors, the 'old country' has drawn me the past two Januarys for one of the biggest and important music festivals celebrating Scottish and Irish culture: The Celtic Connections International Festival.

I left Halifax, NS in January of 2004 during a snow storm not knowing what was ahead. I always assumed that Scotland was colder than home, figuring there would be much more snow! It was quite the opposite. After missing my flight to Glasgow on my scheduled departure day because of a snow storm, it was a bit of a messy start. I managed to make my way through Heathrow Airport in London and who do you think I met? If you are one who knows the enigma, that is Burton MacIntyre, you will understand how I was both surprised and not surprised by the sight of him at the end of the hallway!

Things perked up quickly and we boarded our plane to Glasgow - we were now on the same flight. We laughed pretty hard about this for quite a while afterwards, and until to this day! Burton would be my tour guide for the next two weeks. We landed in beautiful Scotland where the grass was green and temperatures were like an early May morning in Nova Scotia.

Burton, of course, had an entourage waiting for him at the airport in Glasgow and off we headed for the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. I had been to the city a few times, but not for two weeks on my own, so the addition of Burton to my trip was welcomed!

I checked into my hotel and went to sleep - much needed after 20-some hours of travel. I heard a knock at the door and it was my call to go play. I slept in and was late for my spot at the festival stage...

I was off and running! The start of the 2 weeks at Celtic Connections - late nights, meeting new people, great stories and tons of new music. The event was special in 2004, even though not everyone had known why. It would be the last time Celtic Connections would be hosted by the Quality Central Hotel in downtown Glasgow - a dilapidated building, hundreds of years old that saw many festivals, parties, tunes, laughs, and introduced to the world many of today's biggest stars in music. There was no question that I would be back for 2005 Celtic Connections.....

12:45pm, January 12, 05: my plane hit the runway again in Glasgow. The weather is warmer again this year than at home - always a plus! I was on site for the opening ceremonies and a busy weekend of gigs. I was asked to play the festival as a solo artist and with Meaghan McCarrel who was a 2004 Danny Kyle Stage winner. I met up with lots of cool people and friends - you know who you all are! At the new venue at the Holiday Inn in Glasgow. It's a very nice hotel and the rooms were awesome. I remember my shower from last year was a copper pipe sticking out of the wall with a slight dribble to wash my hair! lol. Anyhow, that was all fun but the new rooms were deluxe!

It would be a huge Canadian explosion in Scotland this year with myself and Meaghan, Beolach, Daniel Lapp, Le Vente Du Nord, The Barra MacNeils and Gordie Sampson. We all got together for a concert named after Celtic Colours International with Joella Foulds and Max MacDonald hosting - and not to mention the 30 some volunteers from Celtic Colours that took over the Holiday Inn for one week! It was tons of fun for sure!

The trip was very successful and one of the highlights, oddly enough, was being part of the guitar summit, even though I am not a guitarist! I was able to play (fiddle) alongside my good friend Anna Massie, who continues to shock me every time I hear her amazing music! She is a great talent and she knows where the best fish and chips in Glasgow can be found! And, boy did I find them - I love fish and chips! She was the 2004 BBC Young Musician of the Year and can pretty much play anything.

After a hectic seven days of shows, interviews, and meetings, I relaxed and got to practicing. I went to the studio to begin my next project, a new CD. Those involved were Donald Shaw from Capercaillie at the controls and Nuala Kennedy, an awesome flutist from the band, Fine Friday, and Tim Edey on guitar - one of the most exciting musicians coming out of England and the UK right now, presently plays with Lunasa, and had many shows with Sharon Shannon. I was very pleased with the results and I am not going to say anything else, you will hear it all soon enough!

My Celtic Connections experience came to an end for 2005. I boarded a plane headed for Dublin, Ireland for a couple of days rest and some workshops, performances, and a festival. I was playing with my buddies from PEI, Brent Chaisson and Mylene Oulette, and of course Burton MacIntyre, who is everywhere! We started the trip in Dublin and had a wonderful time there. We began to make our way across Ireland to the West, and after the rain, fog, some curbs, and a few lamp posts, we slowly but surely made it to Limerick in spite of Burton's superb UK driving skills......

My phone rang on the last night of my Ireland portion of the tour, which also happened to be the last night of the Celtic Connections festival. It was a friend from Glasgow who called to congratulate me on my win at the "Danny Kyle Stage 2005," which would confirm shows in the 2006 Celtic Connections Festival...

4:45pm Feb. 1/05 and I awoke as the wheels of the plane hit the runway in Halifax, NS... home again...

:: Click here to download a PDF of the March 28, 2005 Newsletter

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