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December 17, 2023
Each week listeners join award-winning host Fiona Ritchie to explore the evolving Celtic musical traditions of Europe and North America. In addition to well-known artists and selections, Ritchie introduces curious listeners to Celtic influences in World and contemporary music and investigates other…
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January 15, 2021
Discover the contemporary appeal of verses written over 200 years ago. Host Fiona Ritchie is not alone in her belief that the songs of Scotland’s National Bard are as relevant and popular today as they were when they were first written. Interpreted by the fresh \ voices of today’s singers, it’s…
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January 08, 2021
Having finally left 2020 behind us, let’s get 2021 off to a good musical start with some brilliant fresh sounds. Host Fiona Ritchie has selected an hour’s worth of great music from Celtic roots for you to discover. The Thistle and Shamrock airs Saturdays at 11:00 am on KRCB-FM Radio 91 / streaming…
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January 01, 2021
International best-selling author Alexander McCall Smith collaborated with the composer James Ross on their song cycle “These Are The Hands”. The writer and composer met with Fiona Ritchie to chat about the process of telling their stories and combining lyrics with musical arrangements. Singers…
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December 04, 2020
Enjoy music from Antoni O’Bresky, Kathryn Tickell & Corrina Hewat, Parsons, Lunasa, Bonnie Riedeout, Karen Matheson, and more! Support KRCB FM NorCal Public Media during our Holiday Fundraiser! Visit norcalpublicmedia.org/donate and select a level of support that works for you! We have a variety of…
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November 27, 2020
Karine Polwart performs live at the Birnam Book Festival and sings her well-known song “Follow the Heron”, also “Lark in the Clear Air” from Wind Resistance. Plus, songs by The Waterboys, Deacon Blue, and Spell Songs. The Thistle and Shamrock airs Saturdays at 11:00 am on KRCB-FM Radio 91 /…
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Jul 24, 2020
This week, you’ll hear live recordings of music from Celtic roots in classic tracks and more recent music. Artists include Eileen Ivers, Solas,…
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Jul 17, 2020
Scottish singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and former Battlefield Band member Brian McNeill visited Traditional Song Week at the Swannanoa…
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Aug 16, 2019
We remember one of Ireland’s most influential artists in the music he recorded and produced over three decades. Host Fiona Ritchie features legendary…
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Aug 06, 2019
It's a bit like browsing through a photo album where the memories are captured in sounds, not images. Join Fiona Ritchie as she delves into her…
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Jul 30, 2019
This week, join Fiona Ritchie as she features new music from both sides of the pond, with Skipinnish, Suzy Bogguss and a brand new release of a 1982…
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Jul 16, 2019
Hear the music and learn about the short life of 18th century poet Robert Tannahill, who wrote in the style of Robert Burns and composed well-loved…
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Jul 09, 2019
The instrumental links and song streams that connect musical traditions in far-flung lands are often invisible. Join host Fiona Ritchie to discover…
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Jul 02, 2019
Scottish singer, songwriter and former Battlefield Band member Alan Reid visits Traditional Song Week at the Swannanoa Gathering. We hear highlights…
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Jun 25, 2019
This week's show features music from Karine Polwart's theatrical event Wind Resistance and from fiddler Duncan Chisholm's Sandwood, named for the…
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Jun 18, 2019
Step into summer by tuning into some of the fresh new music recently arrived at The Thistle & Shamrock offices in the U.S. and Scotland.
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Jun 11, 2019
Traditional and folk songs often lend themselves to carefully crafted, multi-layered singing, with some arrangements creating remarkably beautiful,…
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Jun 04, 2019
Host Fiona Ritchie is joined by the well-loved singer of Scottish traditional and contemporary songs, Christine Kydd. Featuring songs from…
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May 29, 2019
Spring is in the airs... and in the jigs, reels, and songs as we put out a musical welcome mat for the first signs of the season. Artists featured in…
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May 21, 2019
Settle into an hour of soothing voices and soaring instrumentals that all go to prove this roots music business needn't always be high-energy.…
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May 07, 2019
Celebrate the coming of summer, the fertility of the season and the greening of the earth as Fiona Ritchie invites you to gather around the fires of…
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Apr 30, 2019
Follow the historic migration from Scotland through Ulster into Pennsylvania and on down the Great Wagon Road to a final destination in the Southern…
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Apr 23, 2019
Fiona Ritchie presents an hour of music to ferry you across the Atlantic bridge from Old World to new, with fiddle melodies and Gaelic airs from…
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Apr 09, 2019
Join us to hear some early field recordings of Irish master musicians who inspire players to this day, including Liz Carroll and Eileen…
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Apr 09, 2019
Join us to hear some early field recordings of Irish master musicians who inspire players to this day, including Liz Carroll and Eileen…
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Apr 02, 2019
Circumnavigate the world of Celtic music as we listen to progressive, crossover Celtic roots recordings influenced by Latin, Balkan and African music…
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Mar 26, 2019
Karine Polwart reflects on Carnegie Hall's Migrations: The Making of America festival with music including songs from her Laws of Motion…
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Mar 05, 2019
Fiona Ritchie talks with Chris Thile about his varied musical career and involvement in Carnegie Hall's Migrations: The Making of America festival,…
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Jan 22, 2019
Hear insights on song and novel writing, and unique projects uncovering Scottish connections in North America and Europe as Fiona Ritchie chats with…
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Jan 15, 2019
Get the New Year off to a good musical start as Fiona Ritchie features some brilliant new sounds from Birichin, Kevin Burke and John…
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Jan 08, 2019
The sun, moon, stars and planets have fueled artists' imaginations by day and night. Drift through this hour of music with Fiona Ritchie and you'll…
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Dec 30, 2018
Celebrate the dawn of the New Year with host Fiona Ritchie and the music of Bachue, Altan, Cathie Ryan, and Eddi Reader.Copyright 2018 NPR. To see…
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Dec 25, 2018
Join Fiona Ritchie as she shares reflections on the season of joy with old carols and dance tunes with Cherish the Ladies, Al Petteway and Amy White,…
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Dec 04, 2018
Settle into the season by tuning into some fresh new music recently arrived at The Thistle & Shamrock offices in the U.S. and Scotland. Fiona Ritchie…
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Nov 27, 2018
A treasure trove of music is the legacy some families pass along across the generations. Join Fiona Ritchie and Mary Ann Kennedy to hear one family's…
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Nov 20, 2018
This week, hear some stunning acoustic and electric bass players, including Riccardo Del Fra and Alain Genty.Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit…
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Nov 07, 2018
In Mairi Campbell's "Pulse" and Kathryn Tickell's "Northumbrian Voices," each artist has created music that brings her home. Fiona Ritchie features…
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Oct 30, 2018
You're invited to embark on a musical journey through myth, legend, and mystery, featuring Malinky, Old Blind Dogs, Nuala Kennedy and Jim Malcolm.…
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Oct 23, 2018
Settle into the season by tuning into some fresh new music recently arrived at The Thistle & Shamrock offices in the U.S. and Scotland. Fiona Ritchie…
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Sep 25, 2018
Join Fiona Ritchie for a chance to explore more highlights from the past decade of radio shows. This week, we feature music and interviews with…
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Sep 18, 2018
Join Fiona Ritchie for a chance to explore highlights from the past decade of radio shows, with great musicians and other individuals involved in the…
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Sep 13, 2018
If you've been listening to Thistle for some years, perhaps you'll remember two unforgettable extended medleys of tunes; one from Breton harper and…
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Sep 05, 2018
This week, join host Fiona Ritchie for more new recordings that have arrived through the summer months, just waiting for an hour of your time. Some…
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Aug 28, 2018
When the Celtic rhythms go quiet on your radio, you can always stream great songs and tunes through the night and day on ThistleRadio. Hear some of…
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Aug 28, 2018
Scottish singer-songwriter Dougie MacLean has been a Thistle favorite for decades. Join us as Fiona Ritchie talks with her old friend about his…
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Aug 07, 2018
Meet Len Graham, the legendary singer and songwriter from Northern Ireland who carries an equal number of songs and stories in his heart. Fiona…
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Jan 16, 2018
Lift your winter spirits and warm your heart with the New Year's brand new releases, with artists including Anna & Elizabeth, Open the Door for…
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Jan 09, 2018
This week we explore the evolving sounds of Celtic music inspired by jazz and classical music, with artists including Solas, Kila and…
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Jan 02, 2018
This special radio hour features Pete Seeger's music throughout his career, plus an interview during a visit to his home, where he shared his…
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Dec 12, 2017
Whether you're looking for gift ideas or simply looking for an hour of fine music, we have the perfect blend, featuring Cherish the Ladies, Nicola…
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Dec 05, 2017
Join host Fiona Ritchie as she uncovers the deep roots across several generations that run under a family tree of songs from the British Isles and…
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Nov 14, 2017
From the "chant de marin," or sea shanties, of Brittany to the songs of the voyageurs of the Canadian fur trade, enjoy the French songs that extend…
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Nov 01, 2017
Host Fiona Ritchie takes you back to the mystical ancient times as she uncovers folklore, legends and eerie tales in ballads old and new. She…
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Oct 19, 2017
New music is always in season, but autumn brings with it a special skew in our tastes. So for this episode of The Thistle and Shamrock, host Fiona…
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Oct 10, 2017
From dance tunes to Gaelic airs, the musical links between old world and new come alive with Scotland's Alasdair Fraser, Cape Breton's Dougie…
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Oct 03, 2017
Join host Fiona Ritchie and Irish singer Cathy Jordan of the band Dervish as they share conversation and music at the Swannanoa Gathering in the…
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Sep 12, 2017
Join Fiona and guests as they explore selections from the American Folklife Center's collection of about half a million sound recordings, including…
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Sep 05, 2017
In this episode, we remember Mícheál Ó Domhnaill, one of Ireland's most influential artists, with the music he recorded and produced over three…
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Aug 29, 2017
Tune into more of the great new sounds, from both sides of the Atlantic, that artists and their record labels are launching during the music festival…
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Aug 23, 2017
Virtuoso players on both sides of the Atlantic are raising the bar for roots-inspired Celtic guitar music. Hear from Sarah McQuaid, Tony McManus,…
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Aug 08, 2017
This week's show features music inspired by the rolling hills and moorland of the border country between Scotland and England, a landscape of…
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Aug 01, 2017
Tune into the great new sounds — from both sides of the Atlantic — that artists are launching during the summer music festival season.Copyright 2017…
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Jul 18, 2017
From The Chieftains' vintage collection The Very Best Of The Claddagh Years to Dusk Till Dawn, which telescopes the long and successful career of…
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Jul 11, 2017
Travel from the 1920s, with legendary fiddlers Michael Coleman and James Morrison, to the thriving 1970s session scene and hear the evolving sound of…
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Jun 27, 2017
Kick back with some soothing voices and free-spirited instrumentals in an episode featuring Dougie MacLean, Maire Brenan, Karen Matheson and Davy…
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Jun 20, 2017
Revisit host Fiona Ritchie's time with legendary singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer and broadcaster Archie Fisher. This episode of The Thistle &…
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Jun 13, 2017
Tune into the great new sounds that are kicking off this year's music-festival season on both sides of the Atlantic. In this show, you'll hear new…
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Jun 06, 2017
Explore the songs of 17th-century "weaver poet" Robert Tannahill, who wrote verses in the style of Robert Burns. Tannahill's work is still widely…
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May 31, 2017
From instrumental commissions to new works by singer-songwriters, hear a wealth of recently composed gems by Maggie MacInnes, Wendy Weatherby, Bill…
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May 09, 2017
Music commemorates the landmarks that span our landscapes — and is its own bridge across time and place. Cross all forms of bridges this week with…
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May 04, 2017
Music marks the landmarks that span our landscapes and is its own bridge across time and place.
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May 02, 2017
The talented songwriters featured in this week's show take us on a tour around the landscapes that inspire their music. Hear music by Battlefield…
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Apr 25, 2017
The new spring shoots of music from Celtic roots are ready for broadcast. Hear new songs from Eamon Friel, Molly's Revenge, Runa and more.Copyright…
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Apr 04, 2017
Hear music from and inspired by the National Theatre of Scotland show that has won acclaim over the past five years, including during its recent run…
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Mar 21, 2017
Relive some great sets of Irish music, including years of performances presented by host Fiona Ritchie and featuring The Chieftains, Cherish the…
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Mar 14, 2017
Hear some of the recently added tracks that have grown our playlist to more than 1,000 tracks on ThistleRadio, The Thistle & Shamrock's popular…
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Mar 07, 2017
This week, The Thistle & Shamrock host Fiona Ritchie presents acoustic roots music from Wales with Cerys Matthews, Robin Huw Bowen, Julie Murphy, Rag…
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Feb 21, 2017
Hear some of the classic tracks that form the bedrock of the playlist for ThistleRadio, The Thistle & Shamrock's popular 'round-the-clock Celtic…
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Feb 14, 2017
We've heard a lot about romantic love recently. Now, hear of a bond with landscape, language and the natural world, all in the finest Celtic-rooted…
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Feb 07, 2017
Listen to the sounds of musicians making their first appearances on Thistle & Shamrock. Artists featured on the show come from both sides of the…
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Jan 31, 2017
Hear a variety of artists in the intoxicating thrall of the songs — timeless and thriving — of Robert Burns, Scotland's National Bard.Copyright 2017…
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Oct 09, 2016
Listen in this week and before you know it you’ll be on the deck of a full rigged ship, tiller in hand, navigating the ocean waves.
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Oct 02, 2016
Next time on The Thistle & Shamrock... Gaelic Voices. The choice of listening through recordings of Gaelic singing voices was runner up in a…
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Aug 18, 2016
When host Fiona Ritchie first traveled to the US in the early 1980s, she discovered the connections that tie her world to the music of the Southern…
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Aug 06, 2016
This week on the Thistle & Shamrock ... Brittany. Like most resilient musical traditions, there’s a lot of activity around the music of Brittany.
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Jun 29, 2016
We catch up on some more recent releases this week. Host Fiona Ritchie says it’s always fun to do this since the mood and feel of these hours of…
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Apr 06, 2016
On this week's episode of The Thistle & Shamrock, host Fiona Ritchie handpicks more of the best new sounds from rising artists, along with the latest…
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Jun 30, 2015
Join host Fiona Ritchie at the Swannanoa Gathering in the mountains of North Carolina for a conversational, musical encounter with singer (and banjo…
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Jan 01, 2015
Travel into the traditions of midwinter through some spellbinding music of the season. You'll hear a number of selections appropriate for this…
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Dec 23, 2014
Enter the spirit of a traditional Scottish, Irish and Welsh Yuletide this week with Fiona Ritchie and special guest Cerys Matthews. The Welsh…
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Dec 18, 2014
Three decades after her journey into national radio started, host Fiona Ritchie meets up with the man who was her very first interview: Alan Reid,…
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Nov 30, 2014
The rhythms of Celtic music work their way down into your feet; before you know it, you're dancing. Limber up and tune into this hour of music…
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Nov 20, 2014
From Shetland and Orkney to the Hebrides, the Isle of Man and Rathlin Island, this week's diverse choice of music is far from insular.Copyright 2014…
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Nov 05, 2014
Intoxicating melodies from Brittany fill the air this week, with Breton bands Kornog and Skolvan, vocalist Annie Ebrel and the father of contemporary…
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Oct 30, 2014
Hear music for the season and spine-chilling Scottish tales, narrated by host Fiona Ritchie.Copyright 2014 NPR. To see more, visit…
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Oct 23, 2014
Join Thistle & Shamrock host Fiona Ritchie as she explores the latest batch of releases, showcasing what's new from established artists and emerging…
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Oct 09, 2014
From shipyards and farmlands to mills and mining villages, the Scottish Lowlands have been a hive of activity for centuries. Tour the musical…
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Oct 05, 2014
Travel to Cape Breton, Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Quebec and on into the west to hear the authentic Celtic-rooted music of Canada.Copyright…
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Oct 05, 2014
Few musical sounds make a more honest and direct statement than duos in the Irish tradition. Enjoy them combining their voices, guitars, fiddles,…
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Sep 10, 2014
We revel in the joyous sounds of multi-instrumental line-ups this week, shamelessly embracing anarchy in determining "what-goes-with-what."Copyright…
Live Radio
Each week listeners join award-winning host Fiona Ritchie to explore the evolving Celtic musical traditions of Europe and North America. In addition to well-known artists and selections, Ritchie introduces curious listeners to Celtic influences in World and contemporary music and investigates other distant landscapes and genres.
