By Meredith Mackeen

“Let nature soothe your soul, let music feed your imagination.”

That is the theme of this year’s Celtic Harmonies International Festival in Knowlton and Waterloo. The annual festival will feature singers and instrumentalists from Ireland, USA, Quebec, Brittany and Prince Edward Island performing nine concerts from October 4 to 14.

Celtic music has its roots in Celtic nations, such as Ireland, Scotland and France, and ranges from very traditional singing, piping and fiddling to more contemporary folk, fusion and jazz.

Opening Concert on October 4

Opening the Festival on October 4 at Theatre Lac Brome will be Cathy Jordon, singer of the year in the 2025 Gradam Ceoil awards, backed by a uilleann piper, pianist and a step dance team.

Festival Highlights

Over the week, festival goers will be delighted by shanties, ballads and songs performed by singers, flutists, fiddlers, guitarists, bodhrán drummers, harpists, and low whistlers at venues such as the Lakeview Hotel, Theatre Lac Brome and the Maison de la culture de Waterloo.

The festival is held a week before Canada’s largest Celtic festival in Nova Scotia. The Knowlton-Waterloo festival is organized by April O’Donoughue as a labour of love. Many years ago, while visiting in Cape Breton, she fell in love with Celtic music and decided to celebrate it here in Quebec.

“The festival is an opportunity for people of different backgrounds to come together sharing music, stories, and volunteering,” O’Donoughue says.

The festival began in 2000, with many individual concerts also taking place at other times of the year.

Dates : 4 – 12 octobre
Opening concert : October 4th at Theatre Lac Brome
Info : www.harmoniesceltiques.ca