Cape Breton’s Kitchen Party with Andrea Beaton and Troy MacGillivray and Sabra MacGillivray

Hi, Friends,

This is our last show for the season, so I hope you will turn out and support these wonderful artists from the Maritimes. Andrea Beaton comes from a long line of Beaton and MacMaster musicians, which explains why her music is her own and deeply rooted in the Cape Breton tradition. Like her father and grandfather, she is a composer, adding fine new music to the island’s repertoire. She tours internationally and is in great demand as a teacher at music camps. Her passion for Cape Breton fiddle, piano, step dancing, and comical stories are sure to delight any crowd. In 2007, Andrea and her family were featured by the Smithsonian Folkways Recordings series on an album called “The Beaton Family of Mabou.”

Troy MacGillivray is from Lanark, a small community on the north-eastern shore of Nova Scotia. Troy’s commitment to music has spanned 30 years and includes both practical and academic accomplishments – most recently an M.A. in Ethnomusicology from the University of Limerick in Ireland. From as young as six years old, Troy was impressing audiences with step dancing and soon after, fiddle and piano skills. His roots-centered approach has the power to inspire audiences and comes from a family of proud Scottish heritage where fiddle playing and Gaelic traditions runs in the bloodline. His first paid gig was at 9 years old and was teaching by the age of 13 at the Gaelic College in St. Ann’s Cape Breton. Troy is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal for contributions to culture in Canada.

Separately they have strong careers that has brought them around the world playing and teaching from the North Pole to the Middle East. Solo recordings by both artists have been acknowledged with East Coast Music awards and nominations, as well as Canadian Folk Music Awards. Together, they share a musical ancestry – they are distant cousins where many of their relatives are excellent and prolific musicians! These two accomplished solo artists offer a taste of Nova Scotia’s best traditional music. Andrea and Troy will captivate and enchant the audience with contemporary tunes fused with the music of their Highland ancestry.