Celtic Celebration Featuring Alexis MacIsaac & Calum MacKenzie and Fraser

Join us for an evening  of Celtic Music played by some of the best in the region. There will be a concert from 8pm to 10pm, with a jam to follow, so bring your instruments and get in on the fun.

FRASER

Ernie Fraser is a professional fiddler and guitarist from Cape Breton Island. He began his musical career as a guitarist specializing in Blues, R&B and Jazz. Later, he developed a keen interest in fiddling, particularly that of Cape Breton.

Ernie was a top ten finalist for the 2021 Canadian Grand Masters’ Fiddling Competition. He was heavily involved with the Ottawa Traditional Fiddling and Folk Art Society for many years. Ernie is a sought after performer to play for local Cape Breton dances, typically hosted by the Cape Breton Club of Ottawa and Watson’s Mill in Manotick. His CD, entitled Cape Breton Tributes, is distributed by a number of organizations. Ernie’s website is https://erniefraser.ca.

Ernie is joined by Marietta Fraser, a multi-instrumentalist (piano, guitar, fiddle and banjo), and by Diane Fraser on bodhran and vocals. Together, they are called FRASER, and they have performed around the Ottawa and Gatineau area; most recently at Hogman-Eh! 2024 and Robbie Burns Day events hosted by the Scottish Society of Ottawa, the Almonte Celtfest (2018 and 2022), and St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, as well as private events.

Alexis MacIsaac and Calum MacKenzie are a wife and husband duo who have established a unique musical partnership that combines Cape Breton piano playing with a modern approach to Celtic fiddle. While Calum’s musical approach has been heavily influenced by his Hebridean roots and his native Cape Breton culture, Alexis’ playing is a multi-faceted harmonization of Irish, Scottish, and Cape Breton styles.

Though their respective approaches to music are distinct, together they create a clean and seamless sound that is nonetheless grounded in tradition. As a fiddle player, Alexis has performed throughout North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the United Arab Emirates with acts such as Riverdance, The High Kings, and The Paperboys, while Calum has been fortunate to play with, and accompany, many local Cape Breton artists and international musicians both at home and abroad in the Caribbean and in Scotland on piano and fiddle.

Their debut album, The Bay Street Sessions, is a compilation of original and traditional compositions and arrangements, and secured them a 2017 Canadian Folk Music Award nomination for traditional instrumental group of the year and a 2018 East Coast Music Awards Nomination for Roots/Traditional Recording of the Year. The album is infused with centuries-old feeling and contemporary flair: their mutual love for music articulated in each note and phrase from bow to key.