DALE SMITH of COIG.
The Chocolate Church hosted Coig, a Celtic band from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, on Friday, December 5. The lively young musicians — Chrissy Crowley on fiddle and viola, Colin Grant on fiddle, the “Swiss Army Knife” Darren McMullen on guitar, mandolin, mandola, banjo, bouzouki, baritone guitar, flute, whistles, and vocals, Rachel Davis on fiddle, viola, and vocals, and Jason Roach on keyboard — play independently the majority of the time, so a Coig appearance is very rare.
Bath was very fortunate indeed to be able to have the group, whose foot-stomping jigs, reels and strathspeys in the Scottish style, as well as moving Gaelic and Irish songs kept the audience on the edge of their seat for the whole of the concert, if not actually dancing in the aisles. Coig is indeed a musical treat for every person who hears them.
Some of their music was original, but much of it was adapted to reels and jigs based on music already existing. Because it was a Christmas concert, the group adapted a few carols — the Sussex carol, “Un flambeau, Jeanette, Isabelle”, and “I saw three ships come sailing in”— into a set that was reworked into a jig. “Who knew there were Christmas jigs?” Rachel Davis asked.
Well, no one knew. But the songs worked so well together that the group is considering creating their own Christmas CD for next year, to join their first CD, “Five”, which has just come out and is available on their website, www.coig.ca, for those not lucky enough to have seen this concert and bought the CD in person. There are also samples of the music on the website.
We were intrigued that a band that gets together so infrequently would have the tightness of sound that this band has. Their bright, brilliant sound, and their infectious energy, will make them a welcome addition to the Chocolate Church’s lineup if we are fortunate enough to have them return again next year.
ghamilton@timesrecord.com
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