Biography
A swirling reverie of Scots song; flute; whistles; fiddles; guitar; bouzouki; piano; and Irish dance, HAWP is a Celtic ensemble that combines ancient traditions with modern musical approaches to create a sound truly representative of Celtic culture in the 21st century.
A fortunate meeting of some of the highest calibre and experienced Celtic musicians and dancers living in Canada, the HAWP lineup includes Scotsman Andy Webster, who has toured three continents with various acts including Scottish folk icon, Dougie MacLean; Jennifer Melvin, a fantastic young fiddler currently taking a break from her music studies at the Toronto Conservatory; and Tess Wingate from England, whose background includes a lot of time spent playing at the major folk festivals of her home country.
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Niamh Webster, Andy’s lovely wife, is HAWP’s lead dancer. In addition to having danced with the likes of Ashley MacIsaac, Dervish and Altan, she has been director of the Tir Na nOg Irish Dance Academy for over 15 years.
Described as “great music and great entertainment” by CBC’s “Fuse” producer Caitlin Crockard, HAWP’s aim is to create a modern spectacle both inspiring and intriguing by taking the best of Canadian, Scottish and Irish culture and blending them into a mixture of high energy music and dance.
The band’s debut album, “Storm & Calm”,was released in October 2009 and is now available from most outlets and online music stores. About Hawp’s brand new album, “Storm and Calm”, Frank Leahy of Canadian Celtic Supergroup, Leahy says:
"This music speaks to me of Scotland, its people and the tradition that inspired much of the music I grew up with. Each listen takes me home." The album also features past All-Ireland champion, Martin O’Neill guesting on bodhran (Irish drum) and percussion.
To find out more about the band and its happenings, visit them online at www.hawp.ca.
Biography text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.