The ‘Boro Sessions presents Celtic and Old-Time All-Stars in Concert

Celtic, Scandinavian, and Appalachian Music will be performed by this powerful and exciting North Carolina string band. Four amazing musicians known as the “Celtic and Old-Time Allstars” are known for their musical twists and turns, leading listeners on a journey through exotic places like Scandinavia (harbinger fiddle), maybe Brazil, time traveling to the 17th Century (Turlough O’Carolan, George Philipp Telemann), and rooting in good old solid tunes of the Appalachian mountains, Ireland, and Scotland. With Fiddlin’ Al McCanless (new Deal String Band, Bluegrass Experience, Hindsight Bluegrass) on fiddle, banjo, and vocals; Claudine Langille (Touchstone, Gypsy Reel, Fiddletree) on mandolin, tenor banjo, and vocals; Bob Vasile (Pratie Heads, Trapezoid, Freyda and the AttaBoys) on bouzouki, guitar, and vocals; and Jack Herrick (songwriter & artistic director for the Red Clay Ramblers for 40+ years, composer for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and most recently The Guthrie Theater).

FIDDLIN’ AL MCCANLESS: Al has been a regional favorite for over 50 years. Starting on harmonica and guitar in high school, Al took up fiddle as a sophomore at the UNC School of Pharmacy. He was a founding member of the legendary “New Deal String Band” and was a member of the Bluegrass Experience off and on for 50 years. Al spent years learning Irish-Celtic fiddle tunes and has made two recordings with his group “Celtic Jam.” He appeared on the first Red Clay Rambler Folkways recording, “The Red Clay Ramblers with Fiddlin’ Al McCanless”.

JACK HERRICK: Jack’s been a performer, songwriter and artistic director with the Red Clay Ramblers for the past 40+ years, performing around the world, recording at least 15 albums, and co-creating musicals, dance pieces, and shows including the Tony award winning “Fool Moon.” For the past few years, Jack has been a composer for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and most recently The Guthrie Theater.

BOB VASILE: Bob Vasile – a NC favorite for over 40 years, playing with Pratie Heads, Freya and Atta Boys, and many others over the years. He’s an ArtsCenter staple! Bob presents the Summer and Winter Solstice shows at The ArtsCenter each year to sold out crowds.

CLAUDINE LANGILLE: Claudine was first noted in Chapel Hill during the early 80s when the popular international band TOUCHSTONE was based out of the area and played around the globe. Claudine’s full bio here: https://claudinelangille.com/bio

Claudine is best known for her tenor banjo and mandolin playing with Touchstone, Triona NiDhomhnaill's highly acclaimed Irish-Appalachian fusion band based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina in the 80's. Touchstone recorded two award-winning albums on Green Linnet, The New Land and Jealousy. "The band's prime asset must be Claudine Langille-surely one of the great voices in folk."- Leicester Mercury, England "Claudine's playing was one of Touchstone's identifiers." - Folk Roots. She has been picking melodious tunes on mandolin for almost 30 years. While living in Galway, Ireland, she learned the exciting Irish flat-picked tenor banjo style from Charlie Piggott of De Danann. Claudine has led workshops at folk festivals in the US (Philly, Catskills, Pittsburgh, Kerrville, North Carolina), Canada (Winnipeg, Lunenburg) and England (Bracknell, Fylde). She currently performs with the Vermont based band Gypsy Reel, who have recorded six cds in Claudine's Mount Hollywood Studio, and have been recipients of a National Endowment for the Arts award for touring artists. "Ms. Langille possesses an arresting resonant lower range voice which has a nice flinty edge to it, self-trained through several years work in both American and Irish traditions." Charleston, West Virginia Daily Mail. She enjoys teaching privately, and at the Connecticut Academy of irish Music and at the Celtic Music Academy of Massachusetts.