At the heart of the connection between Mairi Rankin (Canada), Eric Wright (USA) and Tim Edey (UK) lies the music of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada. Considered by some to be Canada’s best-kept secret, Cape Breton has become something of a prime tourism destination, recently ranked as the number one Island in North America (Condé Nast Traveller Reader’s Choice Awards, 2021). It also has a unique music tradition that connects it with Scotland. During the 18th and 19th centuries, mass emigration from the Highlands and Islands of Scotland to North America saw upwards of 30,000 Scots settling in Cape Breton. Bringing their fiddle and bagpipe music, song, dance and Gaelic language with them, these settlers maintained their culture and traditions for generations on this remote, isolated island.
Eric Wright's own band, The Fretless, is a new approach to folk music that has been gaining high acclaim around the world. This unique band is taking string music to fascinating places as it transforms fiddle tunes and folk melodies into intricate, beautiful, and high-energy arrangements. Eric is bringing this same unique style forth into this Music Network tour.
For the past 12 years, Mairi has been part of the internationally renowned celtic group The Outside Track, whose marriage of celtic music, song and dance has been rapturously received around the world and won the band many awards. Hailing from Scotland, Ireland and Cape Breton, their music is a blend of boundless energy and unmistakable joie de vivre.
Originally from Broadstairs in Kent but of Irish descent, Tim honed his style learning from his father Richard. Ireland was never far away in his childhood home, and he was twelve when he first saw The Chieftains in concert. Tim tells the story of being asked to tour with them years later: 'I had a phonecall around 12 years ago from the chief himself who needed a guitarist for a UK tour. What followed were many tours around the world with the band as a session guitarist. I will be eternally grateful for Paddy Moloney’s kindness, encouragement and inspiration.'
And lastly, come along for the atmosphere! This trio cannot wait to play together on the Irish stage. As Mairi Rankin says, “it’s about being excited about making music, it’s about feel, it’s about curiosity – seeing where we go with this. It’s about creativity, collaboration, connection.”