CANTRIP Concert in Worcester, MA
About WCUW
WCUW 91.3fm in Worcester, MA is celebrating it's 50th year as a non-profit, Community Radio Station. Originally founded in 1923 by Robert H. Goddard, the Father of Modern Rocketry while at Clark University the station became independent from Clark U. in 1973 and is run by the community. WCUW is proufd to offer three weekend programs featuring music of Ireland, or Scotland or the Celtic Nations. The Sounds of Scotia, on noon Saturdays is celebrating 50 years on WCUW and the title of longest running Scottish music program on the FM dial.
To celebrate WCUW's and the Sounds of Scotia's 50th Anniversaries, Sounds of Scotia Productions will sponsor a concert featuring the renowned Scottish supergroup CANTRIP on Friday, 8pm, August 9th, 2024 at the Hibernian Cultural Central at 19 Temple St in Worcester. It will be an exciting evening of high energy folk and traditional music from Scotland and Ireland. Gather your friends for a unique evening of energetic music and support this fund raiser concert for WCUW 91.3fm Worcester.
CANTRIP in Concert
The name Cantrip is an Old Scots word meaning a charm, magic spell or piece of mischief and it aptly describes the unexpected twists and turns in their musical arrangements, likewise the compelling potency of their musicianship. Swirling border pipes, raging fiddle, thunderous guitar and three rich voices blend to create a sound energetic enough to tear the roof off. Echoes can be heard of trad music from the 1960s and 70s, but the years have slowly infested their music with the sounds of funk, metal, bluegrass, swing, and even klezmer. Cantrip sprung from a local session in Edinburgh nearly twenty years ago. Their driving music immediately caught the attention of the masses, and they were quickly signed to the Foot Stompin' label. With their first album "Silver" (2001) in hand, Cantrip made its way across the water to the United States, where they were received with roars and shouts (of enjoyment). After years of significant touring, the band parted ways with Foot Stompin' and began producing albums on their own. Two albums later ("Boneshaker" in 2005 and "Piping the Fish" in 2008), Cantrip had cemented itself as a perennial figure. After a period of hiatus in which children were born and continents were left for new ones, Cantrip redefined its sound. The band tightened its arrangements while expanding its influence. New inspirations began creeping into the sound, complementing the traditional foundation of the band. This more mature sound debuted on "The Crossing" (2016), to high acclaim. In 2019, the band gathered 50 of its closest friends and fans and returned to its roots, re-recording Silver in a live format (Cantrip Live), re-arranged yet with a more youthful sound than the original. The process inspired a new approach for the band, which they implemented for their fifth studio album "Undark". In late 2019, they spent a week in their original home of Edinburgh creating and recording new music. All of the tracks on this album were captured live in one take by engineer and longtime friend of the band Reuben Taylor. This seminal album shows a new, darker side of the group while preserving the elements that audiences have come to know and love. After 20 years of touring, Cantrip has found a character like no other. Dan Houghton, Jon Bews, Alasdair White and Eric McDonald stir the elements in a witches' cauldron, slowly coalescing into chaotic order.
The members of Cantrip have a pedigree that includes associations with: Battlefield Band, Alan Kelly Project, Daimh, Shooglenifty, Salsa Celtica, Doolin, Prydein and a Parcel of Rogues, Kathleen MacInnis, Julie Fowlis, Eddie Reader, Allan MacDonald, Manus Lunny, Nuala Kennedy, and Arnaud Ciapolino, Mike Katz, Loud Weather, James Yorkston, Mikel Urdangarin, Ranarim, Deaf Mutes and Samling.