We have big, happy news for 2012!  The Burning Bridget Cleary band lineup is once again complete.

Please allow us to introduce to you . . .

the lovely and talented . . .  Kat Watson. 

So, enough of the formalities, already!  Let’s get acquainted . . .

 Kat lived most of her young life in Texas, growing up surrounded by Celtic music. Her Dad is a native Scot – yes, the Texas Watsons’ still make their traditional family shortbread – only now it’s in the shape of armadillos!

At the age of ten, Kat began studying classical violin, adding in fiddle lessons the next year. During high school, her family moved to the mountains of central California where she continued playing both classical and fiddle styles as she studied with Mischa Lefkowitz of the L.A. Philharmonic and played with the Tehachapi Symphony Orchestra.  

Fiddle teachers included Andy Stein (Prairie Home Companion), Sandy MacIntyre (Cape Breton), Natalie Haas (cello), and Alasdair Fraser (Scottish fiddle).

After graduating with a B.S. in Accounting in 2009, Kat landed a job and moved to Harrisburg, PA. Finding few Celtic musicians in the area, Kat played with several rock groups, polishing her audience skills and developing an exceptional, high-energy performance style.

Kat is excited to return to her Celtic roots and BBC looks forward to exploring new directions with her. 

FYI, Kat's given name is Katherin (kath-AIR-in), but she's happy to let us shorten it to “Kat”.  What’s her philosophy?  She comments,

 “The quote that I have lived by since I was little is,

Always believe in yourself and the rest is easy.   -Sara Hickman

That idea got me through moving from state to state, music competitions, concerts, bad break ups, hockey games, exams, the Tough Mudder challenge, and everything else that life has thrown at me, good or bad”.

We love her attitude.  It’s a pleasure and an honor to welcome Kat into the fold.  We know you are going to love her, too.

Here's the scoop!  Burning Bridget Cleary is now accepting performance dates beginning in early March.  We have already heard from some of our favorite festivals (including the Celtic Classic and Buffalo Irish Fest) and some exciting new venues, too.  Our crystal ball pictures us in a Sellersville Theater co-bill (now confirmed on May 11th) with our friend, the mighty (mighty hilarious!) Seamus Kennedy  in the near future!  Booking inquiries, please call McShane Glover at Noteworthy Productions: 410-268-8232.

Stay tuned and keep an eye on the website over the coming weeks.  We will soon begin posting some sample music and behind-the-scenes rehearsal videos so you can get a sneak peak at what BBC is up to.  A new recording is in the works! 

 As always, thanks to all of you for your encouragement and support.  We received so many heartwarming messages and helpful suggestions over the past couple of months.  We truly appreciate every word and are inspired by your kindness.

We wish you all a healthy 2012, full of fun and Celtic music!

Love and cheer,

Rose, Kat, Lou, and Pete

http://burningbridgetcleary.com

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See you in Europe!

We thought you should know that our dear friend and band mate, Genevieve Gillespie, has chosen a new path on her life's journey.  Genevieve has decided to focus on her studies abroad and will be leaving the band after their 2011 season.  This will mark the first lineup change since Pete joined as our drummer in 2008.

This talented young woman has grown up in our midst, contributing so much to BBC’s growth and development.  She will be missed dearly by all of us.  We wish her every possible success.  Genevieve will be with BBC to perform at their last three shows of 2011.

 November 20^th, 2011

Space Mountain House Concert Series – SOLD OUT

Coopersburg, PA

 Sunday, December 4^th, 2011

A Celtic Christmas Concert for St. Malachy’s Parish

Showtime: 4 PM

76 St. Malachy Rd.
Cochranville Pennsylvania 19330
Tickets:  610-383-5068

Ticket Price: $20

Benefit Concert for the preservation of St. Malachy Parish Church. On a high hill of Doe Run Valley, St. Malachy Church is visible for miles around. Its establishment in the 18th century in this remote area of Chester County is an indication of early Irish Catholic settlement, a rarity in Penn's original counties.

This concert features a co-bill with the heavenly sounds of the The Jameson Sisters!  Come on out for a festive holiday treat!

 Saturday, December 10^th, 2011

Steel City Coffeehouse

Showtime: 9 PM

203 Bridge St
Phoenixville Pennsylvania 19460
Phone: 610-933-4043

 General Admission: $15 advance/$18 day of show
Advance Reserved Seating: $21
Advance Reserved Seating with Dinner Entree: $26

Doors Open for Dinner by 7:00 PM

 Our fourth year!  This event has become a tradition and we love it. Please join us once again for a magical night, celebrating the winter solstice at the Firebird Festival in downtown Phoenixville, PA.

 Tour News:  The “Burning Bridget Cleary France/Ireland Tour” is in the final stages of planning, with dates and details expected by week’s end.  This musical tour will include 5 nights each in France and Ireland, with an overnight ferry between the two countries.  If you have not already signed up to receive information, please send an e-mail to info@burningbridgetcleary.com with “European Tour” in the subject line. We'll be e-mailing all the exciting details within days.  Please consider joining us for another fantastic journey  ! 

 As always, our thanks go out to you, our fans, for the love and support you have shown throughout our beginning years as a band.  Going forward, we will continue to expand our signature sound, and to share musical joy and good humor in every one of our performances and recordings.  After a short hiatus for auditions, we plan to have the band back to playing and touring by March. We look forward to seeing each and every one of you.  Stay tuned! 

  Warm thanks to all our friends, old and new, who made the time to come by and see us at the:

•  Annapolis Irish Fest,


• The Great American Irish Festival in Utica, and


• Bethlehem Musikfest

 It's been one humdinger of a summer so far. And POW . . .  the season has just shifted into high gear! 

 We have two festivals coming up this weekend . . .

First, a historic event: 

   Friday and Saturday, August 19-20^th

   The 50^th Annual Philadelphia Folk Festival

  BBC's Friday Performance:  3 PM on the Lobby Stage

   Immediately followed by a CD Signing at the Merchandise Tent

CD signing immediately followed by a group musical number on the Main Stage with Birdie Busch (We'll be running, Folks)!

   BBC's Saturday Performance: 12 PM Fiddle Workshop on the Tank Stage

  Featuring Burning Bridget Cleary, Chris Brashear, Matt Combs, Tomoko Omura, Donna Hebert, Jane Rothfield

This year's theme:  "Musical Collaboration"

If you have never been to the Philly Folk Fest, then this is THE YEAR to make the scene! It just wouldn't be Folk Fest without a little mud and a lot of sun, so come prepared . . . appropriate footwear, tie-dye duds, sunscreen, bug spray, hat, sunglasses, tarp or low chair are suggested.  The one essential element . . . have your smiles ready!  

Then we're moving on to . . .

Sunday, August 21st

 The International Celtic Festival

   Hunter Mountain, NY (Catskills Region)

BBC Performances: 1:45 and 5:00 on the Mountain Stage 

This is our debut appearance at the International Celtic Festival.  We have heard great things about this fest and we are looking forward to a SUPER summer Sunday! Come on out, New Yorkers!

 Sunday features a Bagpipe Competition, followed by the spectacular Mass March as hundreds of pipers and drummers march down the mountain in unison. After the Mass March, the entire procession will play as one at the base of the mountain creating a

    spine-tingling sight and sound that is not to be missed.

  **BBC Radio News**

  BBC with Gene Shay and his Crew at WXPN

 Did you happen to catch Burning Bridget Cleary on WXPN or WXLV last week?

• On Sunday, August 7^th, Gene Shay invited us to be the featured live band on his "Philly Folk Festival Preview Show."  What an honor! We worked up a new song, too . . . a blue-grassy number that we broke out on his show for the first time. Gene has truly been a pal, inviting us multiple times to play on his show.  (This year will also be Gene's 50th Folk Fest anniversary as acting emcee)!
  


• 
  
   The next morning, we headed up to WXLV 90.3 FM in the Lehigh Valley and spent a hilarious hour with Maureen McGrath on her morning drive-time program, ”Reenie’s Adventures in Radio”, heard Mondays through Fridays from 6-9 AM.  We squeezed around one mic that morning, because the Musikfest had rounded up all the available equipment in town; but for our next visit, Reenie has promised us a real live performance from their state-of-the-art broadcast studio. Stay tuned, Stupid Babies!  (Don't blame us, Reenie taught us that).
  
  
  


•  This Thursday (8/18), "Down Jersey Jim" Albertson will play an extended 20 minute set of our music on his show on WVLT from 9-10 PM.  You can tune in to 92.1 FM in the South Jersey/Philadelphia/Wilmington region, or stream it from your computer.  Jim has been playing BBC every week for the past month, leading up to the Philly Folk Fest!  Thanks, Jim!  (The show is also archived for "anytime" listening).

 Get more frequent band updates by finding us on Facebook.

 Hope to see you all soon!

 Love and Cheer,

 Rose, Genevieve, Lou and Peter

 Ireland is now a beautiful dream! Back in May, we travelled from Dublin through Tipperary to Kinsale, Killarney, Galway City and Bunratty, playing at seven different venues, meeting new friends, and enjoying the gorgeous land and seascapes along the way. Our sightseeing was embellished by almost every type of weather, including gale force winds, soaking rains, and brilliant sunshine, often within the space of a day.

We especially want to thank our travelling companions, who put up with our shenanigans , cheered us on at our shows, and are forever a treasured part of the BBC family.

 One of the tour highlights was visiting the 19th Century home of Bridget Cleary. As many of you know, we had made contact with the private owners of the "Fairy Cottage" as it is locally known, back in 2007, when we left a copy of our first CD, Catharsis, for them to discover behind a boarded-up window.

The cottage has since been renovated by the new owners, John and Catherine, who graciously invited the band to come see their home, taking off a day of work, and personally driving us from the village of Cloneen. Their generous Irish hospitality even extended to the rest of the tour group, who were provided a homemade lunch at the local pub, just across the road from the cemetery where Bridget Cleary was laid to rest.

Another high point of our week was a visit to an ancient fairy fort. However, we were not allowed to step one foot around the ring without agreeing to strict rules, followed by a serious admonishment from Tom, our tour driver,

 "If anything bad happens to me in my life, I'll know who to come to"!

This was his warning about the risk of rule breaking! Before we left the fort, we all held hands while he said a blessing in Gaelic to keep us protected. At that moment, the wind kicked up so strong that his words were carried away.  Afterwards, the bus ride was hushed indeed for the next portion of our journey. We learned that the majority of the Irish people share his view that "it's not worth the risk" to disturb the fairy places.

The musical experiences in Ireland were equally extraordinary! In every town, at every venue, BBC was appreciated and welcomed with open arms. Rose and Genevieve made new Irish musician friends, who are touring around the USA, circling back this week to visit the girls a second time. Their band is called Portherhead and you will surely be hearing more from them in the near future. Check them out on You Tube!

 Photos from our adventure can be found on the photo page of this website.

 

 Burning Bridget Cleary, the award winning Celtic band from SE Pennsylvania, will be touring Ireland beginning this Sunday, May 22^nd through May 28^th.  

With a bus load of fans in tow, the high-spirited foursome will begin their tour in Dublin, with stops in Kinsale, Killarney, Galway City, and Bunratty.

Burning Bridget Cleary has made some recent additions to their Ireland musical itinerary.  Venues now include:

5/22: Taylors Three Rock in Dublin, 8 pm(S)

5/24: McSorley's Nightclub in Killarney,  8 pm (S)

5/25: Paudie's Bar in Dingle,  2 pm (P)

5/25: O'Donoghues Public House in Killarney,  8:30 pm (P)

5/26: Monroe's Tavern in Galway City,  8 pm (S)

5/28: Bunratty Folk Park in Bunratty,  2 pm (S)

5/28: Durty Nelly's in Bunratty, 8:30 pm (P)

 S = Formal Show with sound system

P = Pub session

 During their tour, they will travel through County Tipperary and visit sites related to the life and death of their namesake, Bridget Cleary, who is remembered as “the last witch burned in Ireland”.  The tour, arranged by Ameranall Travel, also includes: 4 star city-center hotels, the National Stud and Japanese Gardens, the Rock of Cashel, the Blarney Castle, the Dingle Peninsula, the Cliffs of Moher, the Aran Islands, Connemara Celtic Crystal, Bunratty Castle and Medieval Dinner, and more. 

 In the middle, during the lead-up to the wedding, listen for an excerpt from "Where's Pete"?  The end is a longer music montage set to "The Elfin Knight".  What a hoot!

Here's the link:  http://dreamweddingspa.com/.

Here is the link to find out where the show will be airing:  http://www.folkproject.org/tv/TVbroadcast.php#2

•  March 12^th at the classic folk venue, Godfrey Daniels Listening Room in Bethlehem, PA


• March 17^th at World Café Live in Philadelphia

 This CD release has been timed to celebrate “Burning Bridget Cleary’s” fifth anniversary as a working band on St. Patty’s Day, 2011.  It is being mixed and mastered at Cambridge Sound Studios in Newtown, PA.

A third CD Release Party has been added:

• Friday, April 15th at Cambridge Sound Studios.  8 PM performance.

 Called “the Allman Brothers of Celtic fiddle bands, only prettier” (Mike Weekly, Pottstown Mercury), Burning Bridget Cleary was founded by Genevieve Gillespie and Rose Baldino, who lead the band with esprit and tightly woven harmonies in both fiddle and vocals. The driving rhythm and bass end is supplied by veteran Philadelphia guitarist, Lou Baldino, and Canadian native, Peter Trezzi, on djembe.  Since 2006, BBC has played hundreds of performances along the East Coast, and produced two CDs.  Their second production, “Everything is Alright” was named “2009 Album of the Year” by Boston-based CelticRadio.net.  Additionally, they placed first in two individual categories: “Contemporary” and “Jigs and Reels”.  Their highly anticipated third CD is scheduled for release in March.  Infamous for their captivating sound and merry stage presence, Burning Bridget Cleary has become one of the hottest young bands on the Celtic and folk circuits.