Media Contact: Lori N. Jones, ljones@fairfield.edu, 203-254-4000 x2975

FAIRFIELD, Conn.—Kick off the holiday season with award-winning fiddle virtuosos Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy in A Celtic Family Christmas — an unforgettable evening of music, dance and storytelling for the entire family.

This special holiday performance by husband-and-wife duo Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy — and their children — will take place at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts at Fairfield University on Thursday, December 5 at 8 p.m.

Accompanied by an incredible array of talented musicians, the performance will include a lineup of familiar Christmas songs intermingled with classic Celtic tunes from the MacMaster-Leahy family’s 2016 album, A Celtic Family Christmas.

Natalie MacMaster has released 11 albums, won two JUNO Awards (Canada), 11 East Coast Music Awards, and has been nominated for a Grammy Award.  She has collaborated with artists including Yo-Yo Ma, Jesse Cook, Alison Krauss, and more.

Donnell Leahy is widely recognized as one of the best Celtic fiddlers in the world and is known for his high-energy playing style. In contrast to MacMaster’s roots in folk dance, Leahy’s style draws more on instrumental virtuosity and incorporates formal dance forms, such as polkas and waltzes. He is a three-time JUNO Award-winner with the internationally acclaimed musical group, Leahy.

MacMaster and Leahy’s first recorded collaboration,  One (2015), was followed the next year by A Celtic Family Christmas, confirming they are as dynamic working together as they are working apart.
 
Their seven musically talented children (one is too young to currently perform) have previously appeared on NBC’s  Little Big Shots and are the centerpiece of the performance. “Christmas is where this whole concept started, and we are excited to be travelling as a family,” said Leahy. “It’s a perfect time to travel with the children and bring light and happiness to families and fans across the country,” he added.

“This tour is going to have an energy that goes beyond the duration of the show,” explained MacMaster. “I want it to stay with our fans throughout the holidays, and beyond.”

The MacMaster-Leahy family is accompanied by an excellent quartet featuring guitarists Ferrer and Rémi Arsenault, drummer Eric Breton, and pianist Mac Morin.

A Celtic Family Christmas is generously sponsored by Abbey Tent & Party Rentals, The Chelsea, The Westport Inn, and WSHU Public Radio.

Tickets for this holiday performance are $60 and $50 | $40 for Quick Members.  For more information or to reserve your seat, visit www.quickcenter.com or call the box office at 203-254-4010 or toll free at 1-877-ARTS-396.

Posted On: November 28, 2019

Volume: 52 Number: 47

Fairfield University is a modern Jesuit Catholic university rooted in one of the world’s oldest intellectual and spiritual traditions. More than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students from the U.S. and across the globe are pursuing degrees in the University’s five schools. Fairfield embraces a liberal humanistic approach to education, encouraging critical thinking, cultivating free and open inquiry, and fostering ethical and religious values. The University is located on a stunning 200-acre campus on the scenic Connecticut coast just an hour from New York City.