Barra MacNeils to bring sounds of East Coast Christmas to Weyburn
The Cape Breton-based household group returns to Weyburn for his or her nationwide Christmas present tour
WEYBURN – A protracted-standing Canadian favorite, the Barra MacNeils will carry the distinctive sounds of Christmas music from the Maritimes to the Cugnet Centre stage in Weyburn as the subsequent installment of the Weyburn Live performance Collection on Monday, Nov. 28.
The household music group has been in Weyburn earlier than, however they haven’t carried out right here since they headlined the “World’s Greatest Fowl Supper” occasion to lift cash for what’s now the Cugnet Centre.
With 38 concert events over simply 36 days, the tour started on Vancouver Island, B.C., on Nov, 17, and can wrap up on Nova Scotia’s East coast Dec. 22, touching down in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and at last their dwelling province of Nova Scotia.
The live performance includes a extremely entertaining mixture of conventional seasonal repertoire together with entertaining new musical twists, all stamped with their lush harmonies and complex instrumental stylings.
Followers can stay up for basic favourites together with O Holy Night time, Ave Maria, Christmas in Killarney and Auld Lang Syne, in addition to seasonal tales, music, singing, dance and recollections that can lengthen past the season and final a lifetime.
As band member Stewart MacNeil famous, there weren’t very many concert events to do throughout COVID, aside from some digital reveals, after which final yr they started a tour in Ontario however was shut down earlier than they might make it again to the Maritimes.
“That is the primary yr we’re again within the West for a very long time,” he mentioned of the group, primarily based in Cape Breton Island.
“We’ve been doing our Christmas tour for over 20 years now. It’s change into a convention for lots of people who attempt to make the present yearly,” mentioned MacNeil, noting they draw on the music from their three Christmas albums.
The group is thought for his or her household vocals, and “a heavy arsenal of devices,” he mentioned. “It actually has change into extremely popular.”
The music consists of some Gaelic tunes, and a few very touching moments, mentioned Stewart, and specifically their efficiency of “O Holy Night time” is a extremely popular choice.
“I do know it’s a track that’s been recorded many occasions, however folks actually take pleasure in our efficiency. The present itself places folks within the temper for the season,” he mentioned, including, “There’s plenty of banter within the present, and tales about what it was like rising up and having Christmas in Cape Breton.”
He mentioned there was at all times plenty of music of their dwelling, and at their grandmother’s home, as they have been rising up.
“For us it was very constructive, the recollections of the meals, the music, and getting out to have a sport of street hockey – all of these issues that made Christmas particular. When folks come to the present, they get a way of the enjoyment of the season. It’s very a lot a pleasure for us to do that present,” mentioned Stewart.
The present will take folks musically from the “kitchen social gathering” ambiance to the sounds of a midnight mass, “and the whole lot in between,” he added.
“We’re multi-instrumentalists, and everyone is a vocalist as effectively,” mentioned Stewart, noting the group are 5 MacNeil members of the family, plus the bassist, Jamie Gatti, who has performed with the group for over 25 years and may be very a lot part of them.
“It’s one thing we’ve had plenty of enjoyable with. What I do respect in regards to the present is it’s change into a multi-generational present. It has that vary of feeling within the music,” he added.
