Home Schedule Tickets Getting Here History Links      The Highland Evening The George Watson's College Pipes & Drums are performing a Free Concert before the event at 7:30pm. Thursday July 7, 2011, 8:30pm Molson Ceilidh Stage, Columbus Field Tickets $10 Available at the Door This is a liscensed event for those 19 and over.   Howie MacDonald Howie MacDonald is a well-respected fiddler from Westmount, Cape Breton County. He has released nine albums of his own and has spent many years touring and recording with the Rankin Family. Howie has expanded his talents and gained popularity as a comedian recently for his roles in musical comedy revues Island Mania, Howie's Celtic Brew and The Dance Last Night. Howie is also very much in demand for dances, concerts, ceilidhs and recording sessions and can be expected to pop up in the most unexpected musical circumstances.       Brenda Stubbart Brenda Stubbert is an extraordinary fiddler, pianist, and composer from Cape Breton, one of the very finest musicians the island has ever produced. Deeply rooted in the distinctive music of Cape Breton's Northside, she grew up surrounded by wonderful musicians. Her father, Robert, is a highly respected fiddler and composer, strongly influenced by the Irish tradition. The family home in Port Aconi, a small fishing community near Sydney Mines, was alive with music. Legendary fiddlers Winston Scotty Fitzgerald, Johnny Wilmot, Joe Confiant, and many others came by regularly, infusing the house with music. At five, Brenda was step dancing and playing the piano. At eight, she was playing the fiddle. After that, she never looked back; music was the center of her life. Brenda Stubbert is also one of Cape Breton's leading composers. Two books of her compositions are in print, and her tunes are in repertoires everywhere Celtic fiddle music can be heard. Her tune, "Rannie MacLellan's Reel", named for a fine traditional fiddler and friend, is widely recorded. And she's a great teacher of the music, having taught for twelve years at Cape Breton's influential Ceilidh Trail School, as well as at the Gaelic College and other venues on and off the island. Brenda is in constant demand throughout Cape Breton. Since 1986, Brenda has released six albums, the most recent being Endless Memories (2008).     Dave MacIsaac Internationally recognized as a master of stringed instruments, Dave MacIsaac is a maritime musician and is widely admired as such. He plays traditional fiddle tunes with fiery passion, and his stunning guitar playing, whether solo or as accompaniment, is an industry legend. Dave has been features on countless albums of all genres of music and has an uncanny ability to extract beautiful aspects of different styles of music and then combine those qualities into new sounds. Always interested in expanding his knowledge of Celtic music, Dave has thousands of recordings of Cape Breton traditional music. He also possesses an archival knowledge of tunes, and is often called upon to name that tune for recording, as well as being in high demand for session work.     George Watson's College Pipes & Drums George Watson's College Pipes and Drums have three bands of varying ability under the leadership of Pipe Majors Iain Simpson, Ross Harvey and Drum Majors Mick O'Neill and Jim Clark. They are assisted by two part time teachers. There are currently over 200 children being taught either piping or drumming at Watson's. Competing all over the UK at Juvenile and Novice Juvenile level, the Pipes and Drums are now one of the most successful teaching establishments in the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association. Their Juvenile band won the World Championships in 2002, 2007 and 2009. The Novice band also won the World Championships in 2009. Both bands have won the Scottish, British, European and Cowal on numerous occasions. The Pipes and Drums perform mainly at school functions however are in huge demand to play at other events including The Great Scottish Walk, Concerts and other Corporate Events. The bands have performed for the Royal Family on many occasions including the world famous Braemar Gathering where they were presented with the trophy for best band by Her Majesty The Queen. They have also performed in Japan, Belgium, and Russia where they were extremely well received.