Celtic Band Fellswater, Supported by Elizabeth and Ben Anderson, to inaugurate the Eliot Street Coffeehouse’s 2013 Fall Season

Celtic Band Fellswater, Supported by Elizabeth and Ben Anderson, to inaugurate the Eliot Street Coffeehouse’s 2013 Fall Season

CD Release Party for Fellswater’s "Thursday Night"

Jamaica Plain music patrons embrace all genres, from classical to experimental and everything in between. Starting in November residents will have the opportunity to attend three presentations by the new Eliot Street Coffeehouse at the First Church in Jamaica Plain, Unitarian-Universalist, located at 6 Eliot Street. The coffeehouse is the result of a merger of First Church’s own “Eliot Street Soirée” series, and Jeff Boudreau’s not-for-profit “notloB Parlour Concerts,” presented since 2006 across the monument at the Loring-Greenough House. Fellswater, a veteran of both series, will be the coffeehouse’s first offering.

“Fellswater is a natural choice, having performed for the two parent series,” explained Boudreau. “There is an even deeper history – Fellswater’s small-piper Matt Phelps performed three years ago for notloB in JP as part of Doug Lamey’s band Tri. Doug’s grandfather and family patriarch Bill Lamey was a champion fiddler from Cape Breton, maintaining a residence for many years on Greenough Street. “It’s always good to have continuity.”

Fellswater is Boston's dynamic instrumental Celtic music ensemble, playing a wide range of music from traditional to modern compositions that draw from the heritage of all the Celtic nations, especially Scotland, Ireland, Brittany and Canada. Fellswater's instrumentation changes depending on the musical selection and includes whistle, flute, guitar, mandolin, bouzouki, violin and smallpipes. The ensemble has released two well- received albums, "Fellswater" (2010) and "Thursday Night" (2013).  

This concert will be a "Thursday Night" CD release party. Of the album Tim Larkin, host of Celtic Stew on 89.3 WUMD (UMass Dartmouth) writes “Celtic music fans rejoice for there is no sophomore slump here! Fellswater's latest release is full of tight tunes and lush melodies that are sure to get you toes tapping! If not, you should check your pulse!”

Supporting act: Elizabeth and Ben Anderson, a brother/sister Scottish fiddle duo, is an up and coming new band in Boston's thriving Celtic music scene. Blending Scottish and Irish tunes with lively rhythms and innovative harmonies, they create a sound rooted in tradition, inspired by the contemporary, and completely original. Elizabeth, a Classically-trained violinist and fiddle student of Hanneke Cassel, is a three-time New England Junior Scottish fiddle champion. She studies at Berklee College of Music. Ben studies cello with Ari Friedman and is also an accomplished fiddle player. He attends Westborough High School. The duo has been well-received at performances at local venues and festivals in their hometown of Westborough, MA and beyond, and they recently released their first recording, a 4-track self-titled EP.

Friday, November 1 – Fellswater with Elizabeth and Ben Anderson
Event - https://www.facebook.com/events/335079686627918/

Doors 7:30, concert 8:00.

$10 students, seniors and the unemployed; $13 in advance; $15 at the door.
Tickets are available at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/459031

The Eliot Street Coffeehouse, a co-production of the Eliot Street Soiree and notloB Parlour Concerts, is presented in the handsome and acoustically sound parish hall of Jamaica Plain’s First Church, located at 6 Eliot Street (near Centre and South).

First Church of Jamaica Plain UU - http://firstchurchjp.org/, 617-524-1634
Coffeehouse - http://www.firstchurchjp.org/eliotstreetcoffeehouse/

Future concerts:
Friday, November 22 - THE BOMBADILS  w/ Cat and the Moon 
Saturday, December 7 - BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSIC STRING QUARTETS (tba), orchestrated by Darol Anger

After that? Watch Eliot Street’s Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/6EliotStreet and website http://www.firstchurchjp.org/eliotstreetcoffeehouse/

Fellswater Musicians

Betsy Ketudat, Fiddle
Betsy Ketudat graduated from Fredonia State University with a degree in Violin Performance. Betsy has since played in many chamber groups throughout the Boston area was a member of the Middlesex County Volunteers Fifes and Drums for 10 years, playing both violin and fife. In 2005 she was featured violin soloist at the Yshalle Tattoo in Basel, Switzerland. As a fifer with MCV, Betsy has performed throughout England, France and Switzerland, at the 2007 Edinburgh Military Tattoo, the 2010 Edinburgh Military Tattoo's Salute to Australia, and in concert with the Boston Pops. Betsy appears on four MCV albums, playing both violin and fife.

Jim MacConduibh, Guitar/Bouzouki
Jim MacConduibh has been active in the Boston music scene since 1982---as a drummer. As an antidote to the constant din of rock'n'roll, circus and military drums, he and wife Sarah MacConduibh became interested in the new-Celtic movement of the mid-1990's, playing with the likes of Skip Healy, Matt Glover, and the New Hampshire Strathspey & Reel Society. He is the survivor of myriad international tours, including Baghdad in 2007 , the 2010 Edinburgh Military Tattoo Salute to Australia in Sydney and 2012 Basel Tattoo. Longtime Director of Middlesex County Volunteers Fifes & Drums, Jim resides in West Medford with Sarah and five cats and a dog. Jim plays guitar, bouzouki and mandolin with Fellswater.

Sarah MacConduibh, Flute/Whistle
Sarah MacConduibh has been a fifer with the Middlesex County Volunteers Fifes & Drums (MCV) since 1984 . Sarah’s extensive performance resume with MCV has included recording eight full-length albums, tours to England, France, Ireland and Switzerland and local performances too numerous to list here. 2007 featured performances with the Boston Pops as well as a run at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo. 2010 featured performances at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo's Salute to Australia in Sydney and four performances with the Boston Pops and 2012 found her in Switzerland for the Basel Tattoo. Sarah has played with several folk groups over the years on a variety of instruments, ranging from fiddle, flute, whistle and fife. Sarah plays whistle and flute with Fellswater.

Matthew Phelps, Smallpipes
Matthew Phelps began piping at the age of eight under the instruction of Pipe Major Thomas Shearer of Connecticut and had additional instruction at the Gaelic College of Celtic Arts and Crafts in Nova Scotia. Matthew competes at the Professional level and has also competed over the years in the U.S., Canada and Scotland with the following bands: Trumbull and District Pipe Band of Connecticut, Gaelic College Pipe Band of Nova Scotia, Saint Andrews College Pipe Band of North Carolina, Tulach Ard Pipe Band and Stuart Highlanders of Massachusetts, and Halifax Regional Police Pipes & Drums of Nova Scotia. Matt led the Stuart Highlanders Pipe Band at the 2012 Basel Tattoo. Matthew currently works as a full time piping instructor and performer; he has opened concerts for Niamh Parsons, John Whelan, and J. P. Cormier. Matt plays smallpipes and border pipes with Fellswater.

Website - http://www.firstchurchjp.org/eliotstreetcoffeehouse/

Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/6EliotStreet/

Tickets are available through Brown Paper Tickets - http://www.brownpapertickets.com/

The community, especially those interested in volunteering, is invited to send inquiries by email to eliotstreetcoffeehouse@gmail.com