Maritime fiddling virtuosos Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy are tuning up for a “Celtic Family Christmas” concert tour that will stop in Surrey this fall.
The date is Monday, Nov. 26 at Bell Performing Arts Centre, and tickets go on sale Friday, June 15 at 10 a.m. via Live Nation outlets (livenation.com, 1-855-985-5000).
The show is billed as “an intimate and unique Christmas concert series you will never forget,” with the duo accompanied by “an incredible array of talented session musicians – and their entire family,” for “a true Cape Breton Christmas celebration.”
The tour will have an energy that goes beyond the duration of the show, MacMaster said in a Live Nation concert announcement Monday.
“I want it to stay with our fans throughout the holidays, and beyond,” she stated.
At the Bell, tickets for the all-ages, reserved-seating concert range in price from $35 to $55, plus service charges.
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MacMaster, a 25-year pro in the music business, has released 11 albums and won two JUNO awards. She has worked with artists as diverse as Yo-Yo Ma (on the Grammy-winning album Songs of Joy & Peace), Alison Krauss, Jesse Cook and Bela Fleck.
The high-energy Leahy, meanwhile, is the oldest brother of the acclaimed family musical group Leahy (winners of three JUNO Awards), and is widely recognized as one of the best Celtic fiddlers in the world.
MacMaster and Leahy have toured extensively over the years, both together and separately.
This time around, “through a mix of both song and dance, they will take you on a journey of virtuoso performances, telling the story of the night before Christmas in the Leahy/Macmaster household,” according to Live Nation.
“Christmas is where this whole concept started and we are excited to be travelling as a family,” Donnell stated. “It’s a perfect time to travel across Canada and bring light and happiness to families and fans across the country.”
The tour’s band features Mac Morin (piano), Ben Wittman (drums from Nov. 30 to Dec. 6), Mark Kelso (drums from Dec. 7 to 22), Elmer Ferrer (guitar) and Rémi Arsenault (bass/guitar).
