Crossroads Music presents:
CAPERCAILLIE
"The most vibrant and exciting band in Celtic music today." -- Billboard
Wednesday, October 1, 2003 at 7:30 pm
Calvary United Methodist Church
48th Street and Baltimore Avenue, Philadelphia
A Root and Branch concert
$15 standard admission; $10 for kids, students, seniors, and other limited income; $20 for special supporters. Advance tickets (available at www.crossroads.calvary-center.org) are recommended.
Capercaillie’s elegant fusion of traditional Scottish music and contemporary rhythms has made them one of the most dynamic bands to emerge from Scotland in the last 15 years. The eight-member band alternates between energetic dance tunes and haunting Gaelic songs, updating ancient Celtic traditions and traditional instruments with worldbeat percussion and a touch of contemporary electronic music. Lead singer Karen Matheson, who learned much of the band’s repertoire from her Hebridean grandmother and has been called the finest Gaelic singer alive today, is backed by some of the best Scottish and Irish instrumentalists around.
Since the band's first innovative recordings of 1984, they have toured in 30 countries across the world (including South America, the Middle East and North Africa), released 8 award-winning albums (notching up a million sales world-wide), performed and appeared in the United Artists movie 'Rob Roy' starring Liam Neeson and Jessica Lange, and had the first Gaelic top 40 single, 'Coisich a Ruin'.
Capercaillie includes some of the finest musicians on the scene: Manus Lunny on bouzouki, Charlie McKerron on fiddle and Donald Shaw on keyboards and accordion. While touring the band have Ewen Vernal on bass (ex-Deacon Blue), and the ubiquitous Michael McGoldrick , former BBC Young Musician of the Year, on flute and pipes, David Robertson on percussion and the glorious drumming of Che Beresford.
Capercaillie released their first album, Crosswinds, in 1987 on Green Linnet. Their first major breakthrough was in 1988, when their soundtrack for a television documentary about the Gaelic Scots, called "The Blood is Strong," was awarded a Scottish Record Industry (SRI) Platinum disc, and in 1989 the album Sidewaulk won the North American Trade Organization ‘s"Best Celtic Recording" award. Boasting a breathtaking range of material and innovation, Delirium (1991) was awarded another SRI platinum when "Coisich a Ruin" became the first Gaelic song ever to hit the UK top 40. Following the success of their 1995 release, Secret People , Capercaillie appeared both on screen and on the soundtrack of the feature film Rob Roy , starring Liam Neeson and Jessica Lange. They also provided music for the documentary "Highlander," narrated by Sean Connery, who described Karen as having "a throat surely touched by God."
In 1997, their recording To The Moon was released in the US after spending twelve weeks in the UK Top 20 Indie charts and rising to number 41 in the album charts. Beautiful Wasteland , released in October 1997, drew deeply on the bands Gaelic roots for the songs, continuing its quest to stretch the boundaries of traditional and Celtic music; one of the highlights of the album was the collaboration with Sibeba, a vocal duo from Guinea, Africa. Released in September 2000, Capercaillie's Nadurra (Naturally) finds the group returning to the roots of their Gaelic heritage. In 2002, the group released their first live album, recorded at the famous Celtic Connections festival in Glascow.
Capercaillie’s latest album, Choice Language, reinforces both the band’s long-standing links with Gaelic tradition and its trademark modern interpretations. Samples, loops, and strong grooves join the familiar mix of fiddle, whistle, and uilleann pipes and Karen Matheson’s mesmerizing voice.
Crossroads Music is Philadelphia's newest venue for traditional, ethnic, international, and related non-commercial music. In September of 2003, three established presenters—the Calvary Center for Culture and Community, the Cherry Tree Music Co-op, and the Folklife Center (formerly the International House Folklife Center)—will come together under one roof, presenting approximately thirty concerts each year.
Crossroads events fall into three groups. Philadelphia Crossroads continues the original Crossroads Music Series, which presented contrasting but related music from two different Philadelphia communities on the second Saturday of each month. Beginning in October, Root and Branch concerts will continue the Cherry Tree's series of concerts by nationally-known touring artists. Finally, the Folklife Center's Nada Brahma (Sanskrit for "The World is Sound") events will present locally-based and national and international touring artists from culturally-specific traditions around the world.
All events take place at 7:30 pm in the historic Calvary United Methodist Church. Oak paneling, red carpets, and a horseshoe balcony make the room feel more like an intimate theater than a church. Seating is in comfortable chairs (not pews) and no seat is more than 35 feet from the stage.
Calvary Center is located at 48th Street and Baltimore Avenue. The 34 subway-surface trolley stops at the door, and a free, well-lit, and city-maintained parking lot is located on the block. Dinner and refreshments are available at the concerts and at excellent restaurants nearby.
For advance tickets, directions, or other information, please visit our website at www.crossroads.calvary-center.org or call 215-729-1028 (215-724-1702 after 5:00 on concert nights).
