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Formed in 2001, this group of musicians concentrates their talents playing American traditional dance tunes as well as music from the Anglo & Celtic heritages. In addition, the Connection also plays a variety of International dance tunes. A musical experience most often includes old-time fiddle favorites and a variety of Irish reels, jigs, and waltzes. The ensemble has developed its own unique, recognizable style while keeping firm touch with the essence of traditional Appalachian and Celtic music.
Colerain Connection has gained regional reputation as a popular Irish-American band, but the group greatly enjoys those performances that are highly integrated and represent a broad spectrum of music in America. Fusing old and new, the Consort favors itself as an eclectic folk ensemble with more than a few unexpected surprises.
Colerain Connection Consort is comprised of four core members and several peripheral performers. Many ensemble participants have completed undergraduate studies in the field of music education; some have studied and toured abroad, while others are grass roots traditional artists.
Colerain Connection members are active volunteers in school music programs and learning centers throughout the Ohio Valley. The ensemble also leads traditional dance, song, and storytelling workshops for children and families. In addition to local gatherings and festival performances, the band has accompanied regional square dances and worked in association with nationally recognized contra dance callers.
"We are fervent music readers with varied backgrounds; thus our performance repertoire is extremely broad and diverse. Our professional training has deemed us critical listeners, driving us to create tunes with intensity of spirit and the highest levels of musicality."
Engagements have included: The Algonquin Mill Festival, Artworks Around Town, Barnesville Summer Series, Belmont County Bicentennial Celebrations, Civil War Reenactments, Harrison County Heritage Festival, Morgan's Raid Festival, Mountaineer Gaming Resort, Oglebay Park Summer Music Series, The Ohio Valley Mall, West Virginia Independence Hall, Wilson Lodge, regional square dances, and in association with the Wheeling Heritage Dance Foundation and the Wheeling Celtic Society. Presentations may simply enhance a formal banquet or gathering , or engage a crowd with hot and highly danceable Celtic reels and jigs.
THE REAL "COLERAINE" CONNECTION....Coleraine is a town in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland at the mouth of the River Bann. The familiar name traveled to America, with many municipalities and townships dropping the final "e". Colerain Connection rehearses locally in Colerain, Ohio with many of the band members having strong ties to that Belmont County region.
In the years leading up to the American Revolution, nearly a quarter million Scots-Irish came to the hills of Appalachia, bringing with them, music for dancing and for pleasure. Many tunes that would commonly be considered "old-time American fiddle favorites" are still played in Ireland and Scotland today. While the bagpipes and harp were not well suited for frontier life, the fiddle and whistle became the principal unifying instruments bridging the hills of Ireland and our own rural mountain communities.
"We comfortably transition from semi-formal attire to jeans and T's. Colerain Connection adheres strictly to acoustical instruments throughout performance. "
"Folk arts, specifically folk music and dance, embody fundamental values of great worth to our culture, our nation, and our children. There is no better way to share time together as families and friends. Our job is to preserve the joyful tunes we've inherited from our ancestors and to pass them on to others."
"Colerain Connection is quite dedicated to the dissemination and preservation of traditional folk arts. It is very important to see musical artists performing on instruments they have hand crafted, or playing vibrant melodies from their grandfather's fiddle. We are all about preserving history and tradition."
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Colerain Connection proudly features Appalachian Lap Dulcimers
Designed and crafted by Gordon Nagy.
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Costumed Performances: Circa – Antebellum – 1864
American Civil War Era
Celebrate Traditional American and Celtic Carols
with Special Holiday Performances.
Colerain Connection is available for a variety of entertainment needs including introductions to recreational folk dance and children's rhythm and song workshops. Contact Colerain Connection at (740) 633-9732 or drkkr@juno.com.
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