Cape Breton fiddler Andrea Beaton sent a friend of hers our way, and now we have the opportunity to host this four-member band from the Maritimes! Should be a great way to kick off a holiday weekend if you're in town. Read on for the details.
House Concert with Ben Miller and Anita MacDonald and friends
Scottish Border pipes, Cape Breton fiddle, Gaelic song, piano, guitar
Friday, July 1, 7:00 pm, potluck dinner at 6:00
2809 North St., East Montpelier, VT
Reservations are highly encouraged as space is limited.
For reservations and/or directions, contact Tracy at taloysen@aol.com or 802-223-1234.
Combining the fiery edge of the Scottish Border pipes with the rich sounds of the Cape Breton fiddle, Ben Miller and Anita MacDonald join together, merging traditional influences from Cape Breton and Prince Edward Island, as well as the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. This fresh, talented duo pairs driving dance-tunes with expressive Gaelic airs and songs. Their unique blend of lively dance-music transcends boundaries – equally at home at a kitchen ceilidh, or on a late night festival stage.
Ben Miller is an American-born player of Scottish bagpipes, currently living in Cape Breton, NS. His interest in traditional music stems from his exposure to the pipes at a young age, in his hometown of Queensbury, New York, as well as his family’s strong connections to its Scottish and Irish roots, through both his American mother and Canadian father. He began studying the Highland Bagpipes around age eight, but by twelve he began to shift his focus to the bellows-blown Scottish smallpipes and Border pipes. Ben is also an academic, holding an undergraduate degree in Music, as well as a Master's degree in Scottish Ethnology, from the University of Edinburgh's School of Scottish Studies. His repertoire and style draw mainly on the Gaelic traditions of Western Scotland and the Canadian Maritimes, blended with a healthy dash of Irish tunes for good measure.
Anita MacDonald is an accomplished musician, dancer, and Gaelic singer from Little Narrows, Cape Breton.
She began stepdancing in the family kitchen at the tender age of four, and picked up the fiddle a few short years later, at age eight. Anita has been wowing audiences with her impeccable timing and neatly choreographed steps ever since. Anita’s fiddle playing has a distinctive sound, influenced by the deep roots of her musical family and her teachers throughout the years. Her energetic style has put her in demand as a performer and teacher, across Cape Breton and beyond. She has been a featured artist in the Celtic Colours International Festival, and has toured throughout New England with the Cape Breton folk trio, The Goin’s On. Anita is also the recipient of the Frank “Big Sampie” Sampson Award, nominated by the Festival Volunteer Drive’ers Association. Following this award, Anita released her debut album, “Stepping Stone,” during the 2011 Celtic Colours International Festival.
This new and exciting duo emerged after a chance meeting at the Celtic Colours Festival in 2013. Anita then joined Ben for his latest recording project, an EP titled “On Home Ground”, which was released only a few months later, in January 2014. In August 2015, Ben and Anita launched their full-length debut album, titled “A Day at the Lake”. They are currently touring across North America, the United Kingdom, and further afield to promote this fresh, new release. Tempering the sharp edge of the pipes and fiddle, Ben and Anita are joined by friends from the Maritimes and beyond. They perform regularly as a three or four-piece band, blending in subtle and sympathetic rhythm guitar, the lush, ethereal sounds of the Scottish harp, or the driving groove of Cape Breton-style piano accompaniment, to create a full and well rounded sound.
To hear a sample from their new album, visit their website at http://www.benandanita.com.
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