Outside Track to finish up U.S. tour in Maine Oct. 5 & 6

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New England Celtic Arts in partnership with The Franco American Heritage Center will present Scotland’s hot traditional band “Outside Track” at the Franco American Heritage Center in Lewiston on Tuesday, Oct. 5 and at Skye Theatre Performing Arts Center in South Carthage on Wednesday, Oct. 6. Curtain is at 7 p.m. There is a pre-show jam session 45 minutes prior to curtain at all three venues. Audience members are encouraged to bring their instruments and jam with the artists for a few minutes.

A stunning synthesis of virtuosity and energy, The Outside Track’s marriage of Canadian, Scottish and Irish music and song has been rapturously received around the world. Hailing from Scotland, Ireland, Cape Breton and Vancouver, its five members are united by a love of traditional music and a commitment to creating new music on its foundation. Using fiddle, accordion, harp, guitar, flute, step-dance and vocals these five virtuosos blend boundless energy with unmistakable joie de vivre.

Each player within The Outside Track is a master of their chosen instrument with the band stacking up an impressive amount of international awards. This amount of talent alone would be enough to recommend the band but in this case the end result is so much greater than the sum of the parts.

The line up comprises Norah Rendell In 2005, Norah was awarded a grant from the Canada Council for Performing Arts to travel to Ireland to study traditional flute and singing. She has an MA in Irish traditional music from the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance where she was a lecturer in music theory, ear training, voice and flute. Norah has given guest lectures and workshops at University College Cork in the Irish song tradition.

Kimberley Fraser has shared the stage with the finest acts in Celtic music, such as Alasdair Fraser, Martin Hayes and Lunasa. Kimberley is also in demand for her piano skills, accompanying musicians at home and abroad. Kimberley holds a degree in Violin performance from Berklee College of Music and in Celtic Studies from St Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia. Education is important to her, reflected in Kimberley’s dedication to teaching Cape Breton music both at home and abroad. A master at the trio of fiddling, step dancing and piano, Kimberley is a much sought after teacher for all three. Her reputation as a teacher has brought her to conduct workshops at many camps and festivals, including Alasdair Fraser’s Valley of the Moon Fiddle Camp, the Swannanoa Gathering in Asheville, North Carolina, and The American Festival of Fiddle Tunes in Port Townsend, Washington to name a few. Kimberley also has experience giving workshops to string orchestras demonstrating how traditional music can be arranged for classical ensembles.



Ailie Robertson Ailie Robertson from Edinburgh is widely regarded as one of Scotland’s leading young traditional musicians. She is a musician in the broadest sense: composer, arranger, teacher, improviser and harp virtuoso. Her accomplishment on the clarsach is such that leading Irish flautist Niall Keegan said: “Ailie’s synthesis of Irish, Scottish and contemporary harping technique into an individual style represents the realisation of otherwise unimagined possibilities for the Celtic harp.”

Fiona Black From the Highland village of Evanton, Fiona developed a love of music and dance from a young age. The feisean movement provided her the opportunity to nurture her passion through learning to play the piano accordion. She went on to attend the National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music where she honed her skills as an accordionist and gained valuable experience arranging, performing, composing and recording. Being a Highland girl who is always up for a challenge and a new adventure, Fiona set off for Limerick in 2005 where she completed a BA with Honours in Irish Music and Dance. During this degree, Fiona further developed her skills while traveling to Cape Breton during her third year of studies.

Cillian O’Dalaigh Born In Hamburg, Germany to a German mother and an Irish father, Cillian O’Dálaigh has been surrounded by Irish music from day one. Cillian’s father played with Irish band, Cromlach and Cillian learned from him – and learned well. Performing on stage with Trazz since he was fourteen, Cillian has toured extensively in Ireland, Germany, France and the UK as both a guitarist and flute player. Cillian has recently graduated with a BA in Irish Music and Dance from the University of Limerick.

The band has enjoyed 5 years of extensive touring in the UK, Europe, Canada and the USA, including appearances at Celtic Connections, Celtic Colours, Goderich, Mission, Memoire et Racines, Sidmouth, and Whitby Festivals.

The Franco American Heritage Center is located on 46 Cedar Street in Lewiston. Skye Theater is located 3 miles West of East Dixfield village at 2 Highland Drive off Winter Hill Rd and US RT. 2 in South Carthage.  For reservations at the theater you wish to attend call: FAHC at (207)-689-2000, Skye Theatre at (207) 562-4445. Tickets are $12 at FAHC and $10.00 at Skye.
More information is available at: http://www.necelticarts.com

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