Caledonian Club of San Francisco Presents the 150th Highland Games - Largest North American Games Feature Celtic Bands Albannach and Brother

The Caledonian Club of San Francisco's Scottish Highland Gathering and Games have taken place every year since 1866.

Today, the Caledonian Club of San Francisco's Scottish Highland Gathering and Games are the largest in the USA. This year’s 150th Games is a 2-day event that will take place on September 5-6 at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton. It features the World Heavy Events Championships, the US Drum Major Championships, the Western U.S. Open Highland Dancing Championships and various grades of Pipe Band Competitions. Other competitive events include the Kilted Mile Race and Soccer, Shinty and Rugby competitions. Visitors to the Games can enjoy Scottish Country Dancers, the San Francisco Scottish Fiddlers and other traditional entertainment on the Celtic Heritage stages. Other events include Birds of Prey and Archery exhibitions, historical re-enactments, historic British cars and motorcycles, sheep dog trials, Clan Glen with over 100 Clans, Children’s Glen, Clydesdale horses and Highland cattle. In addition, there’s more entertainment in the Irish Pavilion, Traditional and Celtic Rock Bands on the Entertainment Stages and whisky tasting and master classes with ‘Whisky Live’. Finally, each day, the Games Grandstand Show features the ceremony, competition and entertainment of the Games including the hugely impressive March of the Massed Bands with over 600 pipers and drummers. The Sesquicentennial Scottish Highland Gathering and Games are produced entirely by volunteers from the Caledonian Club of San Francisco. (from the Festival Web Page - linked below)

This year’s entertainment includes Albannach who are electrifying performers with a combustible combination of Pipes and Drums and have become a dominant presence on the Celtic Festival entertainment circuit who tour extensively in North America.  This band has a growing and loyal fan base.   Albannach's leader, Jamesie Johnston, views the band as Ambassadors of Celtic Culture and sees the growth of Celtic festivals in America as important in keeping the culture alive.  The band is based in Glasgow and all members were born in Scotland.  In a March 23, 2013 Transceltic article, "Albannach: Scottish-Celtic Culture Warriors, Johnston in response to the question, “Do you consider Albannach to be ambassadors of Celtic culture", stated: “Yes – When people watch us perform they are experiencing Celtic culture and I see that as the takeaway from our performance, that the audience is experiencing Celtic culture when they attend our performance.”

Appearing with Albannach is the Celtic band Brother who bring their unique Celtic Stamp on indigenous Australian music. Brother has been described as fusing signature vocals and the deep pulse of the didgeridoo with the soaring highs of bagpipes and tribal percussion.  Brother’s lead singer Angus Richardson is a steady hand that guides this energetic performance. The bands Piper makes it seem the most natural thing in the world to have the Pipes soaring into the air whilst being dogged by the didgeridoo, a wind instrument developed by indigenous Australians about 1500 years ago.  Filling the bill with Albannach and Brother are  the Browne Sisters & Cavanaugh, fiddler Michael Mullen, Molly’s Revenge, Neil O’Neill, Peter Daldry, Steve McDonald and Tempest.

  • 150 Scottish Gathering & Games - The Caledonian Club of San Franscisco

    • When: September 5 - 6, 2015
    • Where: Alameda County Fairgrounds, Pleasonton/Dublin Station, BART
    • Website: www.thescottishgames.com

http://www.thescottishgames.com/index.php

http://www.transceltic.com/scottish/albannach-scottish-celtic-culture-wa...

Official Caledonian Club of San Francisco Tartan

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