Puirt a Baroque (pronounced poorsht-a-baroque) is an ensemble
that celebrates the music of Cape Breton and of the Baroque era
whence it came. The name is a play on puirt a beul, Gaelic for
"mouth music" or (literally) "tunes from the mouth," highland
Scottish fiddle tunes sung with lyrics. Thus, Puirt a Baroque
becomes "Tunes from the Baroque."
David Greenberg, fluent in both the baroque and Cape Breton violin
styles, leads Puirt a Baroque in a
crossover musical venture that brings normally tame baroque music
audiences to their feet and has them dancing in the aisles! Greenberg,
a member and frequent soloist with the world-class baroque orchestra
Tafelmusik, is described by The Mail-Star music critic Stephen
Pedersen in Halifax as "the best baroque violin soloist in Canada
if not in North America." Add to that the fact that he is widely
praised within Cape Breton circles as a master of their elusive
style, and you get a performer you do not want to miss.
Greenberg is joined by Scott Macmillan and David Sandall, who
specialize in the performance of Cape Breton music and Baroque
music, respectively. Macmillan has enjoyed an acclaimed career
encompassing several styles of music and has many recordings to
his credit, including his original Celtic Mass for the Sea, now
a fast-selling CD. Sandall's harpsichord playing is described
by Pedersen as "flawlessly executed with a full sound and well-paced
phrasing," and the combination of fiddle, guitar, and harpsichord
"such a happy one--mellow, sweet, smoothly textured--there's got
to be a CD in it somewhere." Whether offering the elegance and
sparkle of the Baroque, the driving rhythms and soulful melodies
of Cape Breton, or daring to join them together, Puirt a Baroque
makes a very real connection with people.
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"Toe tapping entertainment that defies description"
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- Walt Grealis, RPM Magazine Fall 1996.
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Newly formed in 1994, Puirt a Baroque immediately attracted the
attention of the CBC, which broadcast one of the trio's first
concerts. This recording, in turn, won them the offer of an extensive
tour of the Atlantic Provinces as well as a national broadcast
under the auspices of Debut Atlantic, taking place in March 1996.
They are recorded their first CD in Halifax in September 1995.
Contact: David Greenberg
65 Troy Street
Mississauga, Ontario L5G 1S6
telephone: (905) 271-5425
fax (c/o Tafelmusik Orchestra): (416) 964-2782
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"Successful melding of high, folk cultures"
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- Ron Foley Macdonald; Daily News; May 1996.
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BIOGRAPHIES OF THE PERFORMERS
DAVID GREENBERG, one of Canada's foremost early musicians, has established a
distinguished career as a baroque violinist, vielle player, and
Cape Breton violinist. Originally from Maryland, he studied baroque
violin with Stanley Ritchie at the Early Music Institute of Indiana
University. Mr. Greenberg is a frequent soloist and full-time
member with the baroque orchestra Tafelmusik, and a member of
the early music ensembles Les Coucous Bénévoles, Seattle Baroque
Orchestra, Ben Trobar, and The Medieval Quintet, which won first
prize at the Erwin Bodky International Early Music Competition
in 1988. He has performed extensively on three continents and
has participated in numerous international festivals.
In Cape Breton, Mr. Greenberg is known for being one of the few
outsiders to have mastered the Cape Breton violin technique, especially
the elusive "old-style" sound of the legendary Mary Beaton MacDonald.
He has recorded baroque/classical repertoire for Sony Classical,
BMG, and the CBC, medieval repertoire for Focus, and Cape Breton
repertoire for Cranford Publications
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"Music is fresh and strikingly original"
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- Mail Star; March 1996.
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As a composer, conductor, instrumentalist, producer and arranger,
Nova Scotia artist SCOTT MACMILLAN and has enjoyed an acclaimed career which has encompassed classical,
pop, jazz, blues, and celtic music. He has many recordings to
his credit, including his original Celtic Mass for the Sea, Guitar
Souls with David MacIsaac, and Songs for the Cape with Octet.
Mr. Macmillan is also on two of Rita MacNeil's recordings both
as an instrumentalist and arranger.
Born in Halifax, he studied composition and arranging at Toronto's
Humber College before returning to Halifax to pursue his musical
career. His original music has taken him from the Montreal Jazz
Festival to frequent performances with Symphony Nova Scotia and
among the diverse cultural communities in Nova Scotia. Many of
his works and performances have been broadcast live on the CBC
nationally.
DAVID SANDALL began his interest in early music at a young age. In 1978 he
entered Dalhousie University where he had the opportunity to study
harpsichord and the performance of early music. After continuing
his studies at McGill University with John Grew he traveled to
Amsterdam to study with the master Gustav Leonhardt. Since the
he has been active as a harpsichordist in Canada. He is a member
of the duo L'Intemporel and has been playing with Puirt a Baroque
since its formation in 1994.
Born in Montreal in 1959, DAVID SANDALL studied harpsichord at
Dalhousie University with Melva Graham and at McGill University
with John Grew. In 1990 he studied with Gustav Leonhardt at the
Sweelinck Conservatorium in Amsterdam. He has performed often
in Montreal in Pollack Hall and Redpath Hall, as well as in the
Maison d'Alcan. He is well known to audiences in Nova Scotia through
his many recitals and tours for Musique Royale. In 1991 he toured
Holland and Belgium as soloist with the Barok Ensemble Voorschoten.
Now living in Halifax, he is an active harpsichordist, church
organist and teaches for the Maritime Conservatory of Music.
Puirt a Baroque CD Program order
1 Suite Sonata
1 [Moderato:] Sweet is the Lass that Dwells Among the Heather
(trad.)
2 [Vivace:] The Carle He Came O'er the Craft (Lord McDonald)
3 [Adagio:] Peggie I Must Love Thee (trad.)
4 [Giga:] The Honourable Mrs. Drummond of Perth's Delight (trad.)
2. The Lass Blast
5 The Lass of Pettie's Mill air/march (trad., set by Adam Craig);
Rabbit Teeth reel (David
Greenberg); Minnie Adams' House reel (Scott Macmillan); A Reel
for Kate (Greenberg); The High Street Hornpipe (Macmillan)
3. Pinkie House Medley
6 Pinkie House air/march; Sir Archibald Grant [of Monymusk] strathspey
(Daniel Dow); The Duke
of Gordon's Birthday strathspey (William Marshall); Isla Reel
(trad.); Mrs. Grant's Reel (= The Strathbogie Toast by Marshall);
Colonel Macbean's Reel (trad.); Johnny's Made a Wadding O't reel
(trad.)
4. E-bee Jigs
7 Meeting John Hartford (Jerry Holland); Lord McPherson of Drumochter(Angus
Graham); Sgian
Dubh [The Black Knife]
5. Purcell And Then Some
Suite from Ayres for the Theatre by Henry Purcell, with a Cape
Breton "chaser"
8 First Music--Second Music: Hornpipe
9 Second Music: Air
10 Canaries
11 Song Tune
12 Hornpipe (Purcell); The Lads of Leith (trad., set by James
Oswald); Sodger Lad jig (trad.)
6. Chaconne
13 Chaconne Upon the Sarabanda Theme from Corelli's Violin Sonata
Opus 5 No. 7
(attributed to Francesco Geminiani)
7. Music from the Mabou Coal Mines
14 Trip to Mabou Ridge march (Dan Hughie MacEachern); Traditional
Mabou Strathspey; Angus
Ronald Beaton strathspey (Donald Angus Beaton); Traditional Reel
; Lochiel's Rant reel (trad.); Carl Beaton's Reel (D.A. Beaton)
8. Fy Gar Guitar
15 Fy Gar Rub Her O'er With Straw (trad., set by Robert Bremner);
Miss Lyall reel (Simon Fraser);
Muileann Dubh [The Black Mill] reel (trad.,); Miss Wedderburn
reel (trad.)
9. Niel Gow's Lament
16 Niel Gow's Lament for the Death of his Second Wife slow air
(Niel Gow)
10. Bach Meets Cape Breton
17 Medley of Baroque dance movements and Cape Breton reels
Gavotte en Rondeau--Bourrée (J.S. Bach); Calum Fhionnalaidh [Malcolm
Finlay] reel (trad.); Johnnie Sullivan's reel (trad.); Prince
Charlie reel (trad.); Reel Made with Hilda (Hilda Chiasson/Jerry
Holland)
11. The Farewell
18 The Farewell air/march (William Marshall)
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