Canton Festival Ready for Action

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Canton Festival Ready for Action

September 4, 2008

From the Hob by Paul Keating

THE calendar and, hopefully, the weather will allow the upcoming ICONS: Irish Music and Arts Festival to finish out the summer festival season with one large blast over the weekend of September 12-14 up on the Canton campus of the Irish Cultural Center of New England.

For many years it was known as the Stonehill Festival, whose main purpose was to raise funds to purchase and build an Irish center in the Boston area that befitted the most Irish state in the nation. It did so, and now an already successful operation exists on 46 acres 30 miles south of Boston that encompasses cultural activities, including the arts and sports, and where the festival has resided since 2005.

It has grown so much that now it extends to all New England and is about to be expanded even further thanks to the generous infusion of cash from the Irish government ($350,000) to assist that outreach to the American diaspora through the coordination of activities throughout the region.

As impressive as that is organizationally –- and a role model to other Irish groups seeking to build or maintain an Irish center — they have also managed to stay out in front in programming smart and diverse entertainment at this premier U.S. festival on the East Coast that has tinkered not only with timing, but the entertainment mix presenting quality fare for all ages.

Under the directorship of Corkman Brian O’Donovan, the ICONS Festival has become more sophisticated –- and risky if you take last’s year efforts at bridging the generational divide musically –- while being provocative and fresh.

In keeping with the increasing trend around the globe to allow Celtic music to express itself without borders, the ICONS Festival is moving into that cutting edge frontier we usually associate with Celtic Connections in Glasgow, Celtic Colours in Cape Breton Island and at times the Milwaukee Irish Fest, high powered operations where Celtic music movers and shakers gravitate to network and learn from one another.

One glance at the lineup and you can tell that a thoughtful programmer made the key decisions bolstered by savvy folks who ensured that the best regional performers were also on the slate to reflect and attract local interest and relevance.

That is the case this year as it is a blockbuster weekend presenting some of the top names and acts in Irish music today from the opening Friday night (7 p.m.) to close on Sunday (8 p.m.-ish).

Liam Clancy (an icon if there ever was one), Lunasa, Solas, Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill, Crooked Still, Beoga, Tony McManus, Sean Keane (from Galway), Cara Dillon, Clancy Legacy (Robbie O’Connell, Aoife Clancy and Donal Clancy), David Munnelly Band, Footworks, Le Vent Du Nord, Liadan, Chulrua, Annalivia with John Whelan, Tannahill Weavers, Jerry Holland and John Doyle, Crooked Still, Boston Kiltics (Cape Breton music), Grainne Hambly and Billy Jackson, Alison Brown, Harpapalooza, Boston Celtic Music Fest folks and the Boston Edge otherwise known as Joe Derrane, Seamus Connolly and John McGann.

That’s just the featured entertainment on the main stages (Compass, The Point and the Burren venues) all weekend.

However, one of the charms of this festival are the other well-designed cultural venues, including a regulation-size pitch for Gaelic games in front of the ICCNE building itself, the Ghaeltacht cottage stage alongside the authentic thatched Irish cottage will showcase the Irish language and more intimate music and dance acts led by the Mna A Ti: Bridget Fitzgerald and Mairin ui Cheide, along with the Abbey Theatre and Harpapalooza tents.

Social dancing under the Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann tent will be non-stop all weekend as usual led by Larry Reynolds and his stalwart musicians and Sally Harney with dance instructions, plus visits by the Boston Urban Ceilidh ensemble on Friday night and Ceol Tradishiunta on Sunday.

Helping to create the family atmosphere of this event is a cleverly-run section dubbed “Tir na nOg” for the wee ones, complete with amusement rides and cultural activities that will help the younger set enjoy themselves on the outing to Canton.

One exciting new feature this year adding to O’Donovan’s duties is a live broadcast on WGBH-89.7 FM radio (www.wgbh.org) from the Compass stage on Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. O’Donovan’s weekly show Celtic Sojourn is usually heard in the 12-3 p.m., zone so it is expanded and captured live with Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill, Liadan, Cara Dillon, Crooked Still, Tony McManus and the Allison Brown Quartet slated to perform.

It will be archived there for later listening as well and that will help recreate the atmosphere for music fans unable to attend. Also Boston’s WROL will be broadcasting live from the festival as well with Seamus Mulligan et al on scene Saturday and Sunday.

One can expect the usual array of food vendors and craft areas for this festival that will draw the close connections with Ireland and New England. The festival hours are Friday 7-11:30 p.m.; Saturday 12 -11:30 p.m. and Sunday 12-8 p.m. on the campus of the Irish Cultural Centre of New England (www.irishculture.org), 200 New Boston Drive, Canton, Massachusetts.

Full details and ticket info available at www.iconsfestival.com or 781-821-8291.

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