CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Ceilidh in the City’s final show of September promises to be one filled with a true down-east music.
The crew will see the Sept. 25 show taking a journey back to its traditional Maritime roots with special musical guests the Chaisson Trio.
The Chaisson Trio will be joining the weekly hosts of the Ceilidh in the City, Kendall Docherty, Peter Burke, Brian Blacquiere, Heartz Godkin and Brian Knox. The ceilidh will get underway at the Jack Blanchard Family Centre, 7 Pond St., Charlottetown, 7:30 p.m. The doors will open for general admission at 6:30 p.m. There will be a 50/50 draw in support of the Ceilidh Gives Back Fund, which supports various Island charities and families in need.
When one thinks of traditional music on P.E.I. the Chaisson family name is certainly top of mind. In the beginning, the Chaisson Trio consisted of brothers Peter and Kevin Chaisson of Bear River and cousin Lemmie Chaisson. They played music together for over 40 years under various names, including The Chiassons, The Chaisson's Orchestra and finally The Chaisson Trio.
With Lem's death in 2013, it was time to pass the torch to Lem's daughter, Louise MacKinnon, who became the singer/guitar player for The Chaisson Trio.
In 2015 another blow hit the group with the passing of Peter, and after much consideration it was decided to open the group to a new fiddler. That is when Rannie MacLellan became part of the trio.
Kevin grew up in a very musical home, where he learned to play the piano so he could to play along with the tunes his father, "Joe Pete", taught him. They were mostly Scottish traditional tunes by fiddlers like Winston Scotty Fitzgerald, Buddy McMaster and others.
MacLellan also grew up in a musical home. His father was a fiddle player, and many of his relatives are Cape Breton musicians. He started playing the fiddle at age 12, after his mom showed him how to play a relatively simple tune. He just kept learning tunes from then on by himself.
MacKinnon is the daughter of the late Lemmie and Judy Chaisson from Rollo Bay, was raised in a musical home and comes from a long line of musician/singers. She was brought up on great, eclectic music that her parents listened to over the years - anything from The Beatles to Hank Snow, The Everly Brothers to Patsy Cline. She started playing guitar at age 11, and her teacher was her dad, of course. She played many songs of John Denver, Simon and Garfunkle and Gordon Lightfoot.
The Chaissons have been a major contributor to promoting fiddle music on Prince Edward Island, and through their children this legacy continues.
A canteen and bar service will also be offered by the catering staff at Jack Blanchard Centre with all kinds of treats available.
Reservations are accepted for those traveling in large groups or with special medical or mobility needs, by calling Knox at 902-569-3327 or Docherty at 902-569-1133.
Ceilidhs continue into November.
Additional information is also available online at facebook.com/CeilidhInTheCity.
