December 2019 final December

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D o w n t o w n A s h e v i l l e
Jamie Laval’s ‘Celtic Christmas’ returns with a few new additions
BY STAFF REPORTS • DOWNTOWN ASHEVILLE
Each year since the show’s inception a
decade ago, Jamie Laval has continually
honed and refined his atmospheric
production of songs, storytelling, and
step dancing.
Jamie Laval’s Celtic Christmas pays
homage to the holiday traditions associated
with the Midwinter, emphasizing
the less-known music from Scotland,
Ireland, Brittany, and Galicia that Laval
has collected during his travels abroad.
The troupe of performers is augmented
this year with the addition of
Rachel Clemente, the young, virtuoso
harpist from Brattleboro, VT, and Franklin
Returning members include vocalist
Megan McConnell, multi-instrumentalist
Rosalind Buda (both from Asheville),
step dancer, and multi-instrumentalist
Claire Shirey (Atlanta), and influential
Irish-style guitarist Eamon Sefton
(Boston).
This season sees the much-anticipated
release of a new album by the
same name. Two years in the making,
the recording and postproduction
commenced in multiple cities throughout
the U.S. and Great Britain. Many
Jamie Laval’s ‘Celtic Christmas’ pays homage to the holiday traditions associated with the
Midwinter, emphasizing the less-known music from Scotland, Ireland, Brittany, and Galicia.
of the same performers in the live show
Keel, the inventive cello whiz from Asheville.
collaborated on the album, as well as
several others who were recorded remotely. CDs
are due to ship by mid-December and will be
available at the show.
Jamie Laval’s Celtic Christmas
Saturday, December 28, 8 pm
Asheville Community Theatre
35 E Walnut St, Asheville • (828) 254-1320
INFO
16 |RAPIDRIVERMAGAZINE.COM | RAPID RIVER’S ARTS & CULTURE | VOL. 23, NO. 4 DECEMBER 2019