About

Musique Royale presents Yuletide, A Ceremony of Midwinter featuring singer and violinist Janelle Lucyk, and tenor and lutenist Kerry Bursey. Delve into the historical roots of Yule with duo Ménestrel, as the performers weave together the threads of Yuletide traditions, in a wintertime immersion that illuminates the customs and symbols still present in beloved Christmas carols. This program blends early song and folk dance music, celebrating the ancient magic of midwinter, in an exploration of the Winter Solstice festival and its ties to Christmas traditions. Ménestrel produces alternative early music programs mixing ancient repertoire with oral folk traditions. Concerts run from December 8-11 in New Germany, Antigonish, Baddeck and Arichat.

About Ménestrel

Ménestrel is an alternative early music group co-founded by Janelle Lucyk and Kerry Bursey, mixing ancient repertoire with oral folk traditions. Janelle Lucyk is a singer and producer among an emerging generation of Canadian artists specializing in old music and historically informed performance, taking ideas from conception to the stage. Kerry Bursey is a tenor and plucked string instrumentalist whose voice is appreciated for its luminous quality and as a sought-after lutenist, is also invested in the rare practice of self-accompaniment, in early and folk music of northwestern traditions.

Beyond traditional venues, Ménestrel is committed to bringing the transformative magic of music to unexpected places. Their concerts aim to demystify early music, juxtaposing it next to folk songs, which are songs of the people. Ménestrel has been active across Canada since 2019. Ménestrel has also recently been producing “Messiah-on-the-go!”, a production congregating emerging performers from across Canada to be featured in historic Nova Scotian venues. This year Ménestrel took to the road, for performances and collaborations with singers and choirs across Canada, and will close 2024 having given performances in all the 13 provinces and northern territories. Through the summer, they were in residency in France and Spain for concerts, workshops and recording.