Folker Magazine article

March/April 2007 Edition of Folker Magazine

Germany’s Folk Music Magazine

“Now lay thine ear against this golden sand and thou shall hear the music of the sea”

That’s how the ‘Celtic Mass for the Sea’ written by Scott Macmillan begins.  In the beginning it is already noticeable that Macmillan combined pre-Christian and celtic elements with typical forms of a divine service, not only in the music but also in the lyrics, which shows, that his work is not a normal mass.

This Irish-celtic folklore with massive rhythm is different than most of the typical masses and is a completely new event for the audiences.

This contemporary mass combines celtic classical and choral music traditions by using a choir, stringed instruments and more traditional instruments like Uileann pipes, Irish flute, guitar, mandolin and fiddle.

The Celtic Mass for the Sea with a libretto by Jennyfer celebrates the reverence of the ancient peoples for the sea’s majesty, ferocity and vitality and takes a stand on the destruction of the environment.

Scott Macmillan lives in Halifax and composed the ‘Celtic Mass for the Sea’ in 1988.  In 2002 the  “Celtic Mass was performed at Carnegie Hall in New York, a premier.  Since then it is performed every year in Canada or the United States and is already know as a Classic Mass in the choir Literature.

For the performance of the ‘Celtic Mass’ for the Sea and to play one of the two guitar parts, Scott Macmillan will travel form Canada to Germany.

The ‘Celtic Mass for the Sea’ equates Scott Macmillan with the stars like Bill Whelan and Shawn Davey…. “A celtic classical composer par excellence” (John O’Regan, broadcaster, Limerick Ireland, 1997)

About 50 singers of the ‘Osnabrück Vocalvieharmonie’, eleven strings from ‘Orchestra Pro Musica’ from Osnabrück, a folk trio, Johannes Schiefner, Uillean pipes, Franziska Urton, fiddle, Jens Kommnick, guitar, a harpist, Irina Zerilkly and Scott Macmillan, guitar are going to perform this unusual Celtic Mass and are going to offer an intense choir event for the audience.