The North Texas Irish Festival is pleased to announce the regional performers for the 2003 Festival. 
They include:

• Amberhawke
• Beyond the Pale
• Bigger Dogs
• Bounds Street
• Brothers 3
• Cavan
• Cluan
• Constant Billy
• Cor Gaeilge
• the Corsairs
• the Irish Rogues
• Jed Marum
• Jiggernaut
• Jigsaw
• Jim Flanagan
• Legacy
• Lone Star Ceili Band
• Michael Harrison
• North Texas Caledonian Pipes & Drums 
• Poor Man's Fortune
• Seamus Stout
• Smithfield Fair
• Spot & Albert
• Threadneedle Street
• Wyndnwyre

Amberhawke returns with a fresh line-up that features even more of the solid vocal harmonies that fans have loved over the years. From Gaelic sean-nos song, stirring Scots ballads, old-time gospel, and even Irish punk, Amberhawke covers all corners of the Celtic song repertoire. The vocal arrangements as intricately woven as Celtic knotwork over a fabric of gorgeous instrumentation, creating music of uncommon beauty and depth.

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Amberhawke

Beyond the Pale have been featured performers at numerous traditional music festivals and concert performances since 1995. This quintet has generated quite a stir with fans and media alike. Beyond The Pale weaves the traditional dance tunes and folk songs of Ireland and Scotland with original and contemporary musical influences from around the world to create a colorful tapestry of fiery reels, jigs and haunting airs and ballads, with a dash of the unexpected. The band has developed their unique sound by blending their distinctive vocal styles with fiddle , bagpipes, flute, accordion guitar and a wide array of other instruments.

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Beyond the Pale

Just when you thought you'd seen it all, along comes Bigger Dogs. The bands is new, but the musicians are no strangers to NTIF. With their own unique Celtic sound Bigger Dogs makes their debut at this years festival.

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Bigger Dogs

Jackson-based Bounds Street is listed on the Mississippi Arts Commission Touring Roster and has performed at the North Texas Irish Festival, Mississippi's CelticFest, Jackson's Highland Games, Roots Reunion on WUSM, Jubilee Jam, the Performing Arts Tour in Apalachicola, Florida, and the Jasper Highland Games in Jasper, Alabama.

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Bounds Street

Brothers 3 is an exciting band which performs the songs and melodies from European folk tradition in contemporary musical settings. With special emphasis on the rich musical resources of the British Isles, Brothers 3 seamlessly integrates the old and the new by blending traditional songs, poetry, and instrumental tunes with Jazz, Pop, Rock, and World Beat harmonies and rhythms.

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Brothers 3

Cavan performs an astonishing variety of music drawn from and inspired by the ancient Celtic traditions of Ireland, Scotland, Brittany, and Galicia, to which they add a little spice from the Middle East. Their concerts combine the compelling Celtic dance rhythms: Jigs, Reels, Waltzes, and Strathspeys, with songs telling stories from past and present. Since three of the members are composers, they perform an unusual number of original songs and tunes for a Celtic band.

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Cavan

A common place name in many Irish villages, Cluan is a derivitave of the Irish Gaelic word for meadow. Cluan is Austin's high energy Celtic band, specializing in "pure drop" traditional Irish tunes and songs.

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Cluan

A new day has dawned. There's a new band in the neighborhood, Constant Billy. Take the traditional music of Britain and Ireland. Shake and stir in Rock, Classical and Swing using a staggering array of string and woodwind instruments. Mix in the vocals of probably the best all-around folk a-cappella singers. Add a dash of hilarious between-songs banter and you have a band that will leave you reeling. Constant Billy is Today’s Trad.

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Constant Billy

The Gaelic Chorus of Texas - performs a wide range of Irish and Scottish Gaelic songs in the traditional, unaccompanied style. Organized in 1997, the group has performed at ceilithe (ceilis), benefits, and festivals, including the West Belfast, Northern Ireland Feile an Phobail in 1998. Cor Gaeilge performs a diverse range of songs - from hymns to drinking songs, and marches to lullabies.

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Cór Gaeilge Texais

A very popular 6-member a cappella male group of pirates singing nautical songs and sea shanteys. 

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the Corsairs

The premier pub band in Dallas, the Rogues have been together for 21 years, entertaining crowds with their infectious style and good humor. Besides regular gigs at The Tipperary Inn, the Rogues can be found at fests and clubs all over the area at one time or another. With their ever-present song books, and their good time charm, the Rogues never fail to draw a sing-along crowd.

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the Irish Rogues

With musical influences ranging from Celtic Folk and Blue Grass to Traditional American Folk and Blues, Jed Marum artfully renders an eclectic mix of tunes through his guitar, voice, and songwriting. This Dallas Texas based performer appears regularly in North Texas venues and makes several tours yearly throughout the US to festivals and Celtic, Folk clubs. Jed has a number of recent CD releases including Into the West, distributed by the SCMA and The Soul of a Wanderer distributed by Boston Road Records.

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Jed Marum

Many bands have tried to bind the heart of Celtic music to the soul of rock and roll, but none so successfully as the new band Jiggernaut. A group founded on contradiction, their sound is a rich mixture of old and new, traditional and contemporary. Fueled by white-hot piping, smoking accordion, fiery vocals, and an irresistible groove, they are setting out to redefine Celtic music for the 21st century.

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Jiggernaut

Formerly Waifs & Strays, members Kevin Alewine and Peggy and Ken Fleming formed a new band in the fall of 1999 with a new sound called JIGSAW. Their spirited performance of traditional Irish music is still their mainstay but, with the addition of new instrumentation and new melodies, they have breathed new life into their music. Having played together as a trio for over 13 years, Kevin, Peggy and Ken are accomplished performers and considered among the best traditional players in the region.

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Jigsaw

From sean nós (old style) to contemporary, from historical ballads to today's social issues, Jim interweaves his singing and guitar performances with humor and tales, tall and otherwise, of his youth in Ireland.

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Jim Flanagan

Legacy has drawn the enthusiastic attention of Irish traditional music fanatics all across the South and Southwest. Their skill is undeniable, their arrangements are complex and challenging, and their performances are tight and energetic.

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Legacy

The Lone Star Ceili Band is one of Texas' respected custodians of traditional Irish music. The ensemble gives a worthy representation of traditional "ceili" bands as found in Ireland. When the LSCB plays for dances, the language of Irish music causes "hearts and feet to dance at the joy of it.

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Lone Star Ceili Band

Michael Harrison is a veteran Dallas folksinger of American, Irish, Scottish and Canadian folksongs that appeal to hearts from both sides of the pond. Michael cut his music teeth in the seventies in Detroit as a singing drummer for a folk-rock band named "Juarez," headlined by legendary singer/songwriter Michael Smith ("The Dutchman"). Michael has been performing solo since the fall of 1998. Michael Harrison has performed at the North Texas Irish Festival and the Celtic Heritage Festival over the past four years and at various venues he has been the opening act for such well known touring Celtic bands as Seven Nations, Brother, and Scotland’s own – Battlefield Band. Michael also partnered with Jed Marum on the highly acclaimed Into the West.

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Michael Harrison

The North Texas Caledonian Pipes & Drums is a recognized leader among pipe bands in the Southwest and a major competitor throughout the United States and Canada. The Band has established this standard of excellence in performance and competition under the skillful leadership of a number of dedicated Pipe Majors; most recently that of Pipe Major Don Shannon.

Founded in the mid 1970’s, the North Texas Caledonian Pipes & Drums is dedicated to furthering the great traditions of Scottish music and culture through education and demonstration. The Band routinely performs for civic, private, and commercial groups, adding a unique flair to these functions.

Over the years, the Band has established a unique standard of excellence in competition. The Band’s titles have included 1st place finishes in many competitions throughout the Southwest.

The Band proudly wears the distinctive "hunting" tartan of Clan Robertson and is pleased to promote their distinctive Scottish heritage.

The Band has an ongoing student orientation, dedicated to promoting programs for pipers and invites experienced drummers to audition for the corps. There are competition units in both Grades IV and V.

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North Texas Caledonian
Pipes & Drums  

At the core of Poor Man's Fortune is a profound understanding and love of Celtic music as well as decades of musical experience. Add to this the fact that they've never tasted green beer nor played "When Irish Eyes are Smiling" in public, and the secret of their success unfolds.

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Poor Man's Fortune

A pub band with a Cajun fiddler and a champion piper. Seamus Stout may be new to the Celtic scene but they have already drawn a strong following for their fast paced rythms and energetic music.

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Seamus Stout

Since 1989, this husband/wife/nephew concert act has presented Scotland's living traditions, especially the songs and stories of the Highlands, at festivals, Hogmanay celebrations, Bums suppers, pubs, on film, live radio and television, and in educational forums. Singing in Scots Gaelic, Broad Scots and English, the trio brings a contemporary freshness to traditional material without sacrificing the intent and cultural aspects of the music. Critics consistently commend Smithfield Fair's original works, written along traditional lines, as a perfectly seamless complement to their traditional repertoire. Listeners enjoy the blend of old and new with the unique quality that is the "Smithfield" sound. As an outward and recognizable sign of their passion for Scottish culture and heritage, Smithfield Fair wears the Maclabhruinn (McLaurin) tartan on stage, as they are McLaurins of Appin.

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Smithfield Fair

Despite the fact that he once had blue hair, this man with the odd name is a highly skilled musician, as well as a veteran of the bands Poor Man's Fortune and Crazy Jane & the Bishop. He is currently helmsman for a fully electric trio called DeLorean Mechanics, which pounds traditional reels & jigs into hot-rodded meditations. "Celtic Serf Music" anyone?

Spot is accompanied by that veteran of the North Texas Irish Festival, the man Mick Moloney dubbed "The Celtic-Cuban Connection" Albert Alfonso. Albert has been a performer at the NTIF every year, and has also played at the Milwaukee Irish Fest, the Walnut Valley Festival, and the Kerrville Folk Festival.

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Spot     Albert

Threadneedle Street is one of Texas' most exciting bands. It have been performing throughout Texas for ten years, but it's members have over 100 years of professional musical experience behind them. Threadneedle Street performs traditional dance music and songs of Ireland, Wales, Scotland and England. They combine a high level of musicianship with a warm personal style on stage to create an entertaining performance, which their audiences respon to to enthusiastically. 

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Threadneedle Street

Wyndnwyre performs traditional instrumental and vocal music from the Celtic countries of Ireland, Scotland and Wales.  The band performs at festivals and concerts throughout the Southwest. Bill Klecka on Hammered Dulcimer, Guitar, Cittern, Bozouki, Mandolin and Vocals has been performing Bluegrass and Celtic music in Houston for the past 30 years. Mark Johnson on Irish Flute, Low Whistle, Tin Whistles, Guitar, Percussion and Vocals has been with the band since 1985. Therese Honey on Celtic Harp and music history has performed at the Carolan Harp Festival in Keadue, Co. Roscommon, Ireland, the Milwaukee Irish Festival, and most recently with the Chieftains at Bass Hall in Fort Worth.

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Wyndnwyre

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