Name: Skye Consort & Emma Björling
Start: 2026-02-28T15:00:00
Location: Blackstone River Theatre

Get ready to embark on a musical journey celebrating the richness of global folk traditions with a series of captivating performances at the Blackstone River Theatre. This upcoming season, the theatre hosts an array of talented artists who blend traditional sounds with modern influences, offering a diverse lineup that spans Irish, Celtic, Scandinavian, Tuvan, and Québécois music. From the legendary Irish band Lúnasa to the unique throat singing of Alash, these events promise to bring the world to your doorstep through the universal language of music.

Celebrating Global Folk Traditions: A Journey Through Music at Blackstone River Theatre

Emma Björling

Amanda Keesmaat

Seán Dagher

Simon Alexandre

Skye Consort

Blackstone River Theatre

Skye Consort & Emma Björling return to perform trans-Atlantic arrangements of songs and tunes from Sweden, Norway, Ireland, Scotland, England, and Québec, as well as original compositions. They find enchanting stories and melodies, then bring them into the 21st century with worldly chamber-folk settings. Each musician brings their own individual interpretation to these traditions to create this extraordinary collaboration, consisting of voices, fiddle, nyckelharpa, cello, bouzouki, banjo, and percussion. Collectively, the band present an assortment of whirling polskas, groovy reels, passionate love songs, beautiful hymns, and original compositions. Emma Björling (lead vocal, percussion) is an award-winning Swedish singer, composer, arranger, active in the renowned Scandinavian bands Kongero and Lyy. Both bands have toured the world and are active in the European folk-trad scene. Joining Emma is Simon Alexandre (nyckelharpa, fiddle, voice), Amanda Keesmaat (cello, vocals), the principal cellist of Arion Baroque orchestra, and Seán Dagher (bouzouki, banjo, lead vocals), an active performer, arranger, and composer of music from various folk and classical music traditions. Skye Consort was formed in 1999, has performed and toured extensively, and has 8 full-length albums. In late 2018, Skye Consort, in collaboration with Emma Björling, created a new repertoire grown from Scandinavian, Québecois and Celtic roots. Their self-titled debut album, “Skye Consort & Emma Björling,” won the OPUS (QC, Canada) award for best world music album 2020. The 2nd collaborative recording between Skye Consort and Emma Björling is entitled “Ode & Ballade.” The musicians sing in three languages (Swedish, French, English), and create a sound that is unique among folk artists and classical chamber ensembles.

Skye Consort & Emma Björling

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