What’s happening

April 8, 2024

Sea Shanty, anyone? Join us at the Fundy Sea Shanty Festival!

New Brunswickers can head to St. Martins this summer for the third annual Fundy Sea Shanty Festival. Sea shanties were work songs sung by sailors dating back to the 1400s. They were meant to keep time while pulling on ropes for the sails and to relieve the boredom of long, repetitive tasks. More than 15 solo artists and groups from across Canada will perform from August 9 to 11, such as the MacNeil Siblings from Sydney, N.S, Sean Dagher of Montreal, and Moncton’s RCMP Pipe & Drums Band.

January 25, 2024

We’ll be seeing you at the Smokey Sessions!

We look forward to seeing you at Ingonish Beach for the Smokey Sessions “Highland Echoes” on August 3. Tickets go on sale shortly, and include some purchase options that will get you access to all the great shows that are on the calendar. Select dates include free gondola rides!

December 15, 2023

Give some vinyl for Christmas!

Gift the recently-released vinyl version of the Barra MacNeils Christmas Album. This album has become a classic in many households and captures the heart of the Christmas season, in the inimitable Barra MacNeils style!

December 13, 2023

Chatting with the Barra MacNeils just in time for Christmas

Shaylynn Hayes of the Maritime Anchor talks with Stewart about the history of professional musicians and amateur players and singers in Atlantic Canada.

East Coast Christmas tour highlights

“Amidst this festive setting, for those of us who embarked on the Centre’s bus excursion on December 6, The Barra-MacNeils “An East Coast Christmas” concert stood as a beacon of musical delight. The melodious strains of traditional carols and contemporary holiday tunes filled the air, transporting us into a realm of pure auditory bliss. The skilled musicians with their fiddles, harp, storytelling, and melodic voices, created a harmonious cultural tapestry of Christmas traditions. The resonance of their instruments, coupled with the heartfelt lyrics, evoked a sense of nostalgia and unity, bringing people together in the spirit of the season. The journey itself became an integral part of the Christmas experience, a shared adventure that amplified the joy and wonder of the season.” – Arlene Ling, Cornwall Standard-Freeholder

November 9, 2023

The 2023 “An East Coast Christmas” tour is selling out quickly – don’t wait!

Give yourself (or others) a special treat! Sponsored by Cape Breton University.

November 15, 2023

Calgary Herald interview

11 Nov / Shelley Boettcher – As a child growing up on Nova Scotia’s Cape Breton Island, Stewart MacNeil recalls plenty of family time and a lot of music. “We did a lot of family stuff, and there was a lot of music around, for sure. It was always a very joyous time for us,” says MacNeil, a member of the musical family that makes up the group the Barra MacNeils. “There were always people dropping in, people in good cheer, lots of food and laughs and road hockey. We played a lot of road hockey growing up, too.”

August 9, 2023

It may seem a bit early…

…but it’s already time to add the 2023 East Coast Christmas Tour to your calendar! Get ahead of the game by booking your tickets now.

May 2, 2023

Over 1000 kids sing their hearts out at Music Monday

IAN NATHANSON/CAPE BRETON POST – More than 1,000 schoolkids from 30 schools across the Cape Breton-Victoria Regional Centre for Education took part at a Music Monday event held at Open Hearth Park, the first major in-person, school-related music festivity since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Read the full article here