About

Each year, a new roster of musicians are featured in the Best of Boxwood concert tour, with performances across Nova Scotia part of Musique Royale’s Summer Festival. This tour celebrates the energetic, traditional dance music of Maritimes Canada, Scotland, Ireland and more. Taking place annually in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, the Boxwood Festival is renowned for its inspiring, multi-generational environment of workshops and concerts centered around traditional music and early music, with experts and amateurs providing an immersive artistic experience. The Best of Boxwood tour showcases the fruits of these collaborations across Nova Scotia.

This edition features an extraordinary ensemble of traditional musicians: Québec fiddler Alexis Chartrand, percussive dancer Nic Gareiss, Scottish harper Màiri Chaimbeul, Irish concertina player and singer Brenda Castles, multi-instrumentalist Rennie Pearson, and flutist and piper Chris Norman. The tour is a vibrant celebration of the living musical traditions of Scotland, Ireland, Québec, featured at historic venues in Marshy Cove, River Denys Mountain, Blandford, Wolfville, Digby and Margaretsville from August 1-6.

About the Artists

The Best of Boxwood Tour brings together six internationally acclaimed artists whose work represents some of the finest traditions of Celtic, Québécois, and folk music. Québec fiddler Alexis Chartrand is celebrated for his innovative interpretations of traditional Québécois repertoire, blending folk and Baroque performance practice, and is the recipient of a 2024 Prix Opus for Traditional Album of the Year. American percussive dancer Nic Gareiss, named one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch,” has captivated audiences in seventeen countries with a style that unites Irish, Appalachian, and other step-dance traditions as a powerful form of live music-making. Scottish harper and composer Màiri Chaimbeul, from the Isle of Skye, has earned international acclaim for her distinctive fusion of Gaelic tradition, improvisation, and contemporary composition.

Irish concertina player and singer Brenda Castles is an All-Ireland champion whose performances have taken her from Hong Kong to Reykjavík, and whose award-winning recordings showcase the richness of the Irish tradition. New Zealand multi-instrumentalist Rennie Pearson has performed and taught traditional music throughout the world, appearing with renowned artists including Yo-Yo Ma, while Chris Norman—one of the world’s foremost performers on traditional flutes and pipes—is the founder and artistic director of the Boxwood Festival. A celebrated performer, composer, teacher, and flute maker, Chris has appeared on more than forty recordings, contributed to numerous film soundtracks, and has been honoured with both the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and an honorary Doctor of Laws for his outstanding contributions to traditional music. Together, these exceptional artists offer a vibrant program that celebrates the living traditions of Scotland, Ireland, Québec, and beyond through instrumental virtuosity, song, and dance.