Le Vent du Nord

This weekend Paul is away in Washington state for the wedding of James and Sarah Bauler. I've been left to my own devices for the past 4 days, and today I went to Leesburg, VA for the Potomac Celtic Festival. Can I just say that Celtic music kicks ass? I was delighted to find four tents with constant loveliness emanating from fiddles, dulcimers, guitars, harps, accordions, mandolins, and even a hurdy-gurdy. Celtic clansfolk in traditional garb. Old Irish story-tellers and poets. Meat on a stick. Men in kilts with long beards, thick socks, and laced-up boots. Young girls dancing with their arms motionless.

I'm a sucker for outdoor concerts, so I knew I'd enjoy it. But perhaps the best part was a band from Quebec called Le Vent du Nord (the northern wind). I'm no expert on Celtic music, so I wasn't surprised that I'd never heard of them, but I was a bit surprised that they were from Quebec. Four extremely talented young men, each playing several intruments, Irish dancing during the show, singing in French, and getting the audience extremely involved. I was glad that they had 2 sets. Of course I stayed for both...and bought their CD :)