Skye Consort & Emma Bjrling

Skye Consort & Emma Bjrling is a collective of renowned musicians from Canada and Sweden who make marvelous music together. They're mixing trad music from Scandinavia, Ireland and the British Isles, French-Canada, and tunes of their own devising. They find enchanting stories and melodies, then bring them into the 21st century with worldly chamber-folk settings. "Lots of groups play those styles. None of them do it like Skye Consort." - David Noel EdwardsVoices, fiddle, nyckelharpa, cello, bouzouki, banjo, and percussion riffing on whirling polskas, groovy reels, passionate love songs, breathtaking hymns, and original compositions.Skye Consort and Emma met during a La Nef project in Montral in October 2017. At the end of the project, just as Emma was preparing to return to Sweden, a HUGE storm in Iceland cancelled all of the flights from North America to Europe. Emma and the members of Skye consort spent the next several days listening to tunes, jamming, and joking about starting a band. By the time Emma went home, the BAND had actually been STARTED!Emma Bjrling (lead voice, percussion & shruti box) is an award-winning Swedish singer, composer, and arranger, active in the renowned Scandinavian bands Kongero, Kongero/WR-Songbooks, and Lyy. She has toured the world with numerous bands and stays busy on the European folk/trad scene. Emma is a board member of NASC (North Atlantic Song Community), teaches at Framns Collage, and conducts workshops all over the world.Sen Dagher (lead voice, Irish bouzouki & banjo) is an active performer, arranger, and composer of music from various folk and classical music traditions. He plays with The Swindlers, The Reese Witherspoons, and Gairloch, and is co-artistic director of La Nef. Sen has provided music for video games including the Assassin's Creed series. You might have heard him singing on Black Flag and the others. Or maybe you saw him perform with 'The Longest Johns'.Amanda Keesmaat (cello & vocals) is a vibrant presence in the Montral early music community. She has recorded and performed with many prominent singers, instrumental soloists, and renowned ensembles. She is the founder of Space Time Continuo and a regular collaborator with La Nef. She has toured extensively in North and South America and in Europe.With:
Alex Kehler (fiddle, nyckelharpa & vocals) is a member of Triton, La Nef, Soulwood, Kehler-Williams duo, and Les Siffleurs de nuits. Alex is one of the leading nyckelharpa players in Canada, is a much-coveted teacher at camps and courses, and is a ubiquitous presence playing for dances around Qubec and New England.
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Simon Alexandre (fiddle, nyckelharpa & vocals) is an accomplished chamber musician and orchestral violinist. He plays with the Ximenez String Quartet and is a member of the Orchestre Philharmonique du Qubec. At age 17, he moved to Sweden to study nyckelharpa. He plays in the violin, nyckelharpa, and Hardanger fiddle in the folk duo La Traverse.