November CB Session Events with Dara Smith-MacDonald and Adam Young

Cape Breton artists bring the sounds of the east coast, and a new album to Ottawa.

A little bit of Cape Breton's famous Celtic Colours International festival can be found in Ottawa over the Nov. 10-12 weekend as fiddler Dara Smith-MacDonald and Adam Young bring their music and their newly released album, The Lake Sessions, to the area.

Ottawa is home to a large community of Nova Scotians, and other Maritimers who work hard to preserve their original Scottish/Irish culture and traditions, and share them with the local community at regular biweekly events as well as special concert and dance events. This weekend celebration will have something for everyone, whether you like it loud and lively, quiet and intimate, or educational.

The Cape Breton square dance is the mainstay of summer fun on the east coast, Dara and Adam will recreate that at the Montgomery Legion Hall on Friday Nov. 10. Cape Breton square sets aren't actually square and they're not complicated. As long as you know your right hand from your left and can count as high as four you'll have a grand time, and there's always someone willing to help you stay on course.

Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door for adults, kids/youth $10 anytime. 

For those who prefer a quieter listening atmosphere Dara and Adam will perform at two house concerts, in Kanata and east central Ottawa. Dara and Adam are both sought after instructors in the Gaelic arts and will also be teaching fiddle, piano and dance workshops at various skill levels over the weekend.

More information about the events, and online ticket purchase is available at www.cbsession.com or www.ocbs.brownpapertickets.com.

The Lake Sessions is Dara's second release following the success of her debut album Connections in 2011. For this recording she teamed up with local Cape Breton piano and entertainment veteran Adam Young and PEI sound engineer and musician Brent Chaisson. The result is a nice cross-section of old and new tunes and styles, with an interesting mix of traditional and contemporary composers. This includes tunes from both Dara and Adam, mixed generously with writers such as Kinnon and Andrea Beaton, Paul Cranford, Dan Hughie MacEachern, Ewen Henderson, Wendy MacIsaac and Glenn Graham.

Dara Smith-MacDonald, born and raised in Antigonish, has been playing the fiddle for more than 20 years and now resides in Port Hawkesbury. With deep family roots in Inverness, she very quickly began to develop a style that is strong, lively and traditional. Dara has played for concerts, ceilidhs, and dances throughout Cape Breton, mainland Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Ontario and the USA. Dara can often be found on stage with Adam Young, a sought after piano player from Marion Bridge. Dara and Adam released their first CD together, The Lake Sessions, in June.

Adam Young is a sought-after pianist from the tiny community of French Road. His unique style adds depth, solidity, and a joyful forward motion to the music, and a certain joy is evident on his face. Adam created and directed the Louisbourg Playhouse's popular music and comedy revue, Cape Breton Lyrics & Laughter, which has seen more than 350 performances since it began 15 years ago. He regularly plays at concerts, ceilidhs, square dances and sessions throughout Cape Breton, and has showcased his talents in Scotland and Ireland, across Canada and in the United States.