BRATTLEBORO-The 18th annual Northern Roots Traditional Music Festival, directed by Keith Murphy, returns the weekend of Jan. 24–26 to the Brattleboro Music Center.
The Festival opens Friday, Jan. 24, with a special French Canadian Soirée, sponsored in part by Délégation du Québec à Boston. This concert, set for 7:30 p.m., will feature some of the best-known names in the French-Canadian music world, including accordionist Sabin Jacques, pianist Rachel Aucoin, fiddler Pascal Gemme, guitarist and singer Yann Falquet, in addition to Murphy.
The Saturday workshop schedule includes a range of topics, from work songs of Northern New England to Bal Folk dance, from ergonomics for fiddlers to Irish tunes from County Mayo.
While most workshops are designed to be participatory, all are welcome to attend. A complete list of events and workshop leaders can be found at bmcvt.org/northern-roots.
The Saturday Concert, set for 7:30 p.m. at the BMC, will revisit the French-Canadian repertoire, but will also feature Paul McDonnell, Irish accordion; Bennett Konesni, guitar and voice; Benjamin Foss, New England fiddle; Deirdre and Sean Murtha, traditional song; and Traddleboro 2025.
This year's Traddleboro, which highlights a different local ensemble each year, will consist of members of the young musician group Fiddleheads Brattleboro, a program of Vermont Folklife, led by Laurel Swift and currently hosted at the BMC.
The Festival wraps up Sunday, Jan. 26, with a 1 p.m. Pub Sing, a 2:30 p.m. Irish tune session, and a French-Canadian session from 4 to 5:30 p.m. These will be held at the American Legion Hall, 32 Linden Street, Brattleboro - musicians and audience are all welcome.
First held in 2007, the Northern Roots Traditional Music Festival explores the traditions that have contributed to this region's rich musical heritage: Irish, English, Scottish, French Canadian, Scandinavian, and New England roots share the spotlight at this annual gathering.
Tickets for the Friday concert are $25 general admission. Saturday Festival tickets are $35 Adult Day, $25 Adult Evening, and $50 Adult Combo (for day workshops and Saturday evening concert). Youth tickets are $10 Day, $10 Evening, and $15 Combo. Sunday sessions are by donation. Concert seats are limited, and advance purchase is strongly advised.
To reserve your tickets, visit bmcvt.org, call the BMC at 802-257-4523, or email [email protected].
This Arts item was submitted to The Commons.