Cantrip: Free Concert at the Folklife Center

On Thursday, September 7th, Cantrip will be performing a free concert at The Folklife Center at Crandall Library! Doors open at 6:30 PM music begins at 7:00 PM. The Folklife Center is a place to hear live music from world-class bands in an intimate setting. The concerts are free to the public due to funding from the Friends of Crandall Public Library and the New York State Council on the Arts: Folk Arts Program.

Cantrip formed nearly twenty years ago in Edinburgh, Scotland. The name Cantrip is an old Scots word meaning a charm, magic spell or piece of mischief… This name aptly describes the unexpected twists and turns in their musical arrangements! Swirling border pipes, raging fiddle, thunderous guitar and rich vocals create an energetic sound. The music that Cantrip performs has its roots in 1960’s and 1970’s traditional music, but over the years, influences of funk music, metal, blue grass, and swing have shaped their sound. 

This high energy Celtic music comes from a group of friends – Dan Houghton, Jon Bews, Alasdair White and Eric McDonald. Dan Houghton began his career playing bagpipes, and plays the flute, bouzouki, and DADGAD guitar… Jon Bews is a veteran fiddle player… Alasdair White plays the fiddle, and Eric McDonald studied the mandolin and guitar at Berklee College of Music.

Cantrip signed to the Foot Stompin’ label and created their first album “Silver” in 2001. Over the years the band has done significant touring, and later began producing their own records, “Boneshaker” in 2005 and “Piping the Fish” in 2008, and critically acclaimed “The Crossing” in 2016.

For more information, please visit cantrip-music.com