Artists

BOXWOOD CANADA 2010

The Boxwood Festival and Workshop, July 25-31, 2010 in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, brings together an exciting line-up of artists from across the spectrum of traditional folk, baroque, renaissance and dance for a week of classes, performances, sessions and social dances. The deep connections between these oral traditions will be explored in a nurturing and dynamic setting. Social dance, step dance, song and instrumental music will be at the heart of our program this summer as musicians, dancers and singers alike experience and discover the fire that connects their traditions.

The following artists will be presenting classes for all levels and will be featured in concert during the week.

Rev Gary Hastings - Irish flute

Gary Hastings is a passionate enthusiast and supporter of Irish culture. Well known and highly respected as a traditional musician and fluteplayer, he has researched the Orange musical tradition of Lambeg Drumming and Fifing and has lectured widely on that topic. He is also keenly interested in the connections between music and politics, and music and spirituality. Together with Fr Séamus Quinn he brought out a CD in 2002, Slán le Loch Éirne, and he has also appeared on CD's with Frankie Gavin and the Chieftains. Gary is presently Church of Ireland [Episcopalian] Rector of Galway and Kilcummin, and Archdeacon of Tuam.

Paddy KEENAN - Uillean pipes & whistle

Paddy Keenan was born in Trim, Co. Meath, to John Keenan, Sr. of Westmeath and the former Mary Bravender of Co. Cavan. The Keenans were a Travelling family steeped in traditional music; both Paddy's father and grandfather were uilleann pipers. Paddy himself took up the pipes at the age of ten, playing his first major concert at the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin, when he was 14. He later played with the rest of his family in a group called The Pavees.

Paddy's flowing, open-fingered style of playing can be traced directly from the style of such great Travelling pipers as Johnny Doran; both Paddy's father and grandfather played in the same style. Although often compared to Doran, Paddy was 19 or 20 when he first heard a tape of Doran's playing; his own style is a direct result of his father's tutelage and influence.
 
Paddy's style has continued to mature in the intervening years since the break-up of The Bothy Band as he has pursued a solo career. Recently he has played at several festivals and weekends, including Gaelic Roots I and II at Boston College; the 1995 Eigse na Laoi at University College, Cork; Green Linnet's Irish Music Party of the Year; and twice at the Washington Irish Folk Festival at Wolf Trap, including a concert performance there in 1995 with accordion player James Keane and guitarist John Doyle which was videotaped and has been broadcast worldwide. He has played the Stonehill College Festival in Boston and the Philadelphia Ceili Group’s Irish Music and Dance Festival, as well as various concerts, benefits and tionals (piping festivals) around the US, in Canada and in Ireland, and even plays an occasional ceili (dance). Generally acknowledged as the most accomplished uilleann piper performing today, Paddy is certainly one of the most brilliant musicians of his generation. He can rightfully claim his place alongside such open-style legends as pipers John Cash and Johnny Doran.

Jean-Christophe MAILLARD - French baroque musette de cour, baroque flute, bombarde

Jean-Christophe Maillard is one of the world's foremost performers and scholars in the realm of pastoral French baroque music and traditional Breton music. He is the premier exponent of the musette de cour having rescued this extraordinary instrument and its music from oblivion after almost 200 years of silence. He studied musicology at the Sorbonne earning a master's and PhD while pursuing a teaching and performing career on the transverse flute and playing and studying traditional bagpipes and the Breton Bombarde.

Jean-Christophe teaches musicology and ethnomusicology at the University of Toulouse-le Mirail, and leads the only musette class in France at the early music department  of the Toulouse conservatory. Thanks to his scholarship and artristry, one can hear the important repertoire for this instrument (sonatas, concertos, cantatas, opera scenes) interpretated on early instruments. He is a frequent concert artist appearing in Europe, North America, Asia (China, Japan) and Morroco (Fès sacred music festival) with various and famous ensembles, such as Les Arts Florissants (William Christie), L’orchestre du XVIIIe siècle (Frans Brüggen), La Capilla Real (Jordi Savall), Les Musiciens du Louvre (Marc Minkowski), Le Concert Spirituel (Hervé Niquet), Stradivaria (Daniel Cuiller), Elyma (Gabriel Garrido), Le Concert d’Astrée (Emmanuelle Haïm), and L’ensemble baroque de Limoges (Christophe Coin). He also directs his own groups and participates to theatrical experiences (La Péniche Opéra, Côté Jardin), as well as folk, rock and world music productions (Lo Jai, Beautés Vulgaires, Moultaqa Salam).

Jean-Christophe continues his musicological and ethnomusicological research in French baroque music and its survival in the actual oral tradition: inventory of the musical patrimony of the public collections (libraries, museums) in South west of France, religious traditional polyphonies from the Pyrenees, etc. His seminal work has revealed the powerful connections between the art music, folk music, dance and song of 18th century France.

Chris NORMAN - director, traditional & baroque flutes, pipes

Born in Halifax, NS into a music loving family, Chris' influential work as a performer, composer, recording artist and teacher has done much to bring the simple wooden flute to the forefront as an alternative voice to the modern orchestral instrument and redefined the flute in traditional Canadian & Scottish traditional music. His busy performing schedule includes solo engagements and concerts with a variety of ensembles, appearing frequently as soloist with orchestra and touring with his own Chris Norman Ensemble. In years past Chris has also appeared worldwide as a member of the international folk trio, Helicon, the all-star Celtic fusion group, Skyedance, the acclaimed early music group, The Baltimore Consort and across Europe with Concerto Caledonia.

Norman's flute playing can be heard featured on the Oscar winning soundtrack of Titanic and other Hollywood films including, Soldier, and the Stone of Destiny. His solo CD releases have received unanimous praise from critics and audiences alike and appeared on Billboard's crossover charts. He has produced documentary programs for Inside the Music broadcast nationally on CBC Radio One in Canada and is also active as a composer and arranger. Chris' most significant contribution may be his work as founder and artistic director of the Boxwood Festivals and Workshops taking place in Canada, New Zealand, Europe, and Asia which have inspired thousands of musicians of all ages.

Rod GARNETT - improvisation, song, accompaniment, Peruvian and Balinese flute ensembles, tone development

Rod Garnett teaches classes in the anthropology of music and flute at the University of Wyoming and serves as coordinator and assistant instructor for the Wyoming Gamelan Chandra Wyoga and Sikuris de Wyoming. He has studied music with communities of musicians in Indonesia, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, and most recently Moldova. He performs extensively at the University, regionally with classical guitarist Alex Komodore, and nationally with the folk ensemble Colcannon. His classes at Boxwood reflect his broad interests and love for sounds of flutes from many cultural settings.

James KELLY - Irish fiddle

James Kelly, a native of Ireland, is one of the greatest Irish traditional fiddlers alive today. He learned his music from his father John Kelly, the renowned fiddle and concertina player from County Clare. After years of careful study and practice, James began his recording and touring career at age sixteen. That year he won first place in the prestigious "Fiddler of the Year" competition and recorded his first album, a duet with his brother John. Since that time, James has toured Europe, the US, Canada and South America, and was a member of several influential Irish groups, including "Patrick Street" and the legendary folk group "Planxty." He was a presenter of the "Pure Drop" series for Irish TV and has appeared several times with the Grammy award winning Irish group, "The Chieftains." In the US, James has performed several times on Garrison Keillor's national radio show, "A Prairie Home Companion." In recent years he received the prestigious "Florida Folk Heritage Award" as well as the "Florida Individual Artist Fellowship in Folk Arts Award." James is currently the TG4 Irish traditional musician of the year, having been awarded the "Gradam Ceoil TG4 2006 Irish Musician of the Year" award in recognition of his outstanding musicianship and contributions to Irish music (TG4 is Ireland's Irish-language TV station). He has 18 albums to his credit and recently released his latest recording, "Melodic Journeys." He is currently working on a teaching DVD for fiddle students, as well as compiling his over 800 compositions for publication. He continues to tour with some of Irish music's leading accompanists.

David GREENBERG - Cape Breton violin, Baroque violin

David Greenberg's double career as both a baroque violinist and traditional fiddler began at an early age. David studied baroque violin with Stanley Ritchie at Indiana University's Early Music Institute, and moved to Canada in 1988 to join the Toronto-based baroque orchestra Tafelmusik. With Tafelmusik for 10 years, David performed orchestral, chamber, and solo roles in North America, Europe, and the Far East, and on more than forty recordings. David also plays the vielle (medieval fiddle). He won first prize at the Erwin Bodky International Early Music Competition in 1988 with the Medieval Quintet, and he recorded vielle soundtracks for Atom Egoyan's film The Sweet Hereafter. David has gained the reputation in Cape Breton music circles as being one of the few people from outside the Nova Scotia island to have achieved a fluent command of the Cape Breton music idiom. With his wife, Kate Dunlay, he published Traditional Celtic Violin Music of Cape Breton, The DunGreen Collection.

David McGUINNESS - harpsichord, piano, listening

David McGuinness is one of the UK’s most versatile keyboard players, working in early music, traditional music, rock and classical. He was the youngest ever graduate of the University of York, and was awarded a PhD at the University of Glasgow for his studies in 16th century English music. He is the director of eclectic early music group Concerto Caledonia, recording seven CDs of Scottish repertoire, and collaborating with artists as diverse as Mark Padmore, the Tiger Lillies, and Daniel Johnston.

David’s regular recital partners include the violinist/fiddler David Greenberg, sopranos Lisa Milne and Katharine Fuge, and the cellist Alison McGillivray. He has recorded two albums of Acadian folk songs with Suzie LeBlanc’s ensemble in Montréal, and is a guest artist with the Chris Norman Ensemble in the US. He has appeared as a harpsichord soloist with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.

His reconstruction of Allan Ramsay’s ballad opera The Gentle Shepherd was performed at the Edinburgh International Festival, and he provided the string arrangements for the album I Trawl the Megahertz by Paddy McAloon, voted by Mojo Magazine one of the 50 most 'out there' albums of all time. He was the featured piano soloist on the soundtrack of Mira Nair’s Vanity Fair, playing the fortepiano apparently played in the movie by Reese Witherspoon, and was recently heard playing Debussy on a 1920s Steinway as the soundtrack to an episode of Channel 4's teen drama Skins.

David is a contributor to Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, a guest lecturer at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, and has given masterclasses at many universities in the US and the UK. In 2007 he produced John Purser’s 50-part history of Scottish music for BBC Radio Scotland, and co-ordinated the station's observance of No Music Day with Bill Drummond. He currently holds a Wingate Scholarship as Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Edinburgh and has accepted a professorship at the University of Glasgow beginning in Fall of 2010.

Bill COULTER - guitar

William Coulter has been performing and recording traditional music for over 20 years. His most recent recording, The Road Home, is a critically acclaimed solo project on the Gourd Music label. In 2005 he was awarded a Grammy for his contribution to The Pink Guitar, a collection of solo guitar arrangements of the music of Henry Mancini.

Musical collaborations have been a mainstay of his career and have included many tours and recordings. Song for Our Ancestors, with the great classical guitar virtuoso Benjamin Verdery, Time to Sail and One Sweet Kiss, with Kerry-born Irish singer Eilis Kennedy, Simple Gifts - Music of the Shakers, with cellist Barry Phillips, Emma's Waltz with mountain dulcimer-guru Neal Hellman, and Celtic Requiem, with Irish singer Mary McLaughlin. Since 1997, he has acted as musical director and toured nationally with A Celtic Christmas, a popular holiday show featuring the native Irish story telling of Limerick-born Tomaseen Foley. Going back to the 80's finds William playing with Isle of Skye and Orison - followed by tours with The Coulter/Phillips Ensemble, featuring Barry and Shelley Phillips and Deby Benton Grosjean. Musical travels have taken him to places far and wide including Taiwan, England, Portugal, New York, Nova Scotia, Toronto, Oregon, Hawaii and even an occasional gig in his home town of Santa Cruz, CA.

As a teacher William maintains a classical guitar studio at the University of California at Santa Cruz, holds regular 'DADGAD Days,' and is busy in the summer at camps such as the Puget Sound Guitar Workshop, The National Guitar Workshop, Chris Norman's Boxwood Flute Camp, and the Rocky Mt. Fiddle Camp. His book of transcriptions Celtic Crossing, is published by Mel Bay and includes all of the music from his Gourd Music recording of the same name. Production credits include recordings for Windham Hill Records and Gourd Music and his recordings have appeared on compilations produced by the Narada label and Hearts of Space.
William earned his BA in music from UC Santa Cruz and a Master of Music degree from the San Francisco Conservatory. During his classical studies he was always drawn to traditional Irish and American folk music. This led to a second Master's degree from UCSC, earned in 1994, in ethnomusicology with an emphasis on traditional Irish music, language and song.
Upcoming projects include Jefferson's Fiddle - Music from the Time of Thomas Jefferson, a second CD with Benjamin Verdery called Happy Here. and a new book of transcriptions and guitar instruction featuring his most requested arrangements.

Edmund BROWNLESS - voice

Edmund was born in Norwich, England and sang as chorister in the choir of Hereford Cathedral. After emigrating to Nova Scotia he studied music at McGill University in Montréal, where he received B. Mus. and M. Mus. degrees in voice. Later, he studied at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Switzerland and had lessons with Cornelius L. Reid in New York. As a soloist he has performed throughout Europe and North America and sings on many recordings, notably with the Bach Ensemble (Joshua Rifkin), Sequentia Köln, Ensemble Gilles Binchois (Dominique Vellard), and the Clemencic Consort (René Clemencic). He teaches voice (Early Music) at Dr. Hoch's Konservatorium in Frankfurt am Main and is the director of Das Consort Franckfort.

Jonathon SROUR - modern Irish step dance

Jonathon Srour has achieved World Championship level status in his Irish step dance pursuits, and has danced with The Chieftains at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. as well as with Cherish the Ladies, the Eileen Ivers Band, and Solas.  Jonathon currently ranks 6th in the world and recently won the prestigious North American Senior Belt for the second time in a row. This competition features the very best dancers throughout the continent of both genders over the age of 17.  He's spent the last year touring with the most popular dance show in the world, “Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance”, throughout North America, Taiwan, and Israel.  This past December, he performed on stage with Michael Flatley himself in the 100 – person show, “Feet of Flames” to sold out crowds of 30,000 every single night.  Jonathon is an in-demand teacher at noted summer schools such as the Catskills Irish Arts Week and has served as a teaching assistant to Sheila Ryan at Camp Rince Ceol  In addition, Jonathon is an avid Irish flute player and recently qualified to compete in the All-Ireland Fleadh, held in Tullamore, County Offally.

Elizabeth MacDONALD - sean-nos step dance and social dancing

Elizabeth has been teaching people to dance for more than 30 years.
Originally a professional Highland dancer and instructor, Elizabeth
discovered Irish set and ceili dancing while living in Toronto in the late
1980s. She has taught traditional Irish social dance in Halifax since 1992
(except for a four-year overseas sojourn, where she taught set dancing in
Brussels) and counts among her mentors set dance master Pat Murphy.
Elizabeth has led workshops and called ceilis throughout the Maritime
provinces, northern France and Belgium. Her contribution to Irish dance in
Canada was recognized by Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann (CCE) with her
induction into the Canadian Eastern Region Music Hall of Fame.

David & Nina SHOREY - historical flute scholars, conservators, dealers

David and Nina have spent thirty years researching, restoring and dealing in antique flutes having found new homes for over 800 instruments. Their passion and interest in the great French flutes of the 19th century is unparalleled giving them a unique perspective on modern flutemaking as well as flutes from earlier times. David was formerly the curator of the Dayton C. Miller collection at the Library of Congress in the US. They are presently authoring "A Field Guide to Antique Flutes" set for publication in late 2010 or early 2011.