Sunday 10th January 2016, BBC Two Northern Ireland,10pm
Enjoy Ulster-Scots music at its best in The Castle Session, a one-hour musical celebration featuring local artists and invited guests from Canada and Scotland.
The show is hosted by Lurgan born musician Mark Wilson and recorded at Lurgan Castle where the artists spent two days under Mark’s Musical Direction, producing special arrangements for the show.
Performers include Field Marshal Montgomery member and Champion Solo Piper, Andrew Carlisle (pictured with fellow performer Gino Lupari). Originally from Ballygowan, Andrew is now Director of Piping at Carnegie Mellon University in Philadelphia.
Andrew and the house band provide backing for other artists including Rachel McLeister who is a member of the Grade 1 Cullybackey Pipe Band, but on this occasion she will be using her singing talent.
Also joining Andrew on stage is Ireland’s most famous Highland Piper ever, Killyleagh’s Richard Parkes. The Pipe Major of 10 times World Champion Pipe Band, joins Andrew and the house band in a set of famous Field Marshal Montgomery reels. In another set of jigs and reels, Andrew joins with fiddle players Diane McCullough and Emma Smith from Ballymena.
Those musicians from foreign shores include Madison Violet, an award winning Canadian music duo comprising singer-songwriters Brenley MacEachern and Lisa MacIsaac, and Scotland’s Ailie Roberston, a traditional harpist who was a Scottish Traditional Musician of the Year finalist and recognised for her fusion of Scottish, Irish and contemporary styles.
Also appearing are We Banjo 3, a 4 piece virtuoso band from Galway who play music with old-time American and bluegrass influences, which has its roots in the traditional tunes brought down the Appalachian Trail in America by the Ulster-Scots.
