The Wandering Minstrels take their name from the respected musicians of 17th and 18th century Ireland and Scotland who made their livings by traveling the countryside playing and composing for the gentry. The most famous among these include harpers Turlough O'Carolan and Rory Dall O'Cathain in Ireland and harper Rory Dall Morrison and the fiddle-playing Gow family in Scotland all of whose compositions are included in our repetoires. For hundreds of years the bagpipe was king of instruments at dances and festivities, and especially at weddings. In Scotland and northern England, every major town employed a piper whose job it was to pipe the curfew through town at dawn and at dusk.

Continuing in this tradition, the musicians contracted by The Wandering Minstrels are all extremely well respected in their individual skills and most of them are musicians by occupation. All of them are professional.

Our musicians have performed for Queen Elizabeth II, the Queen Mother, Prince Charles and Lady Diana, Prime Ministers of Canada, Nelson Mandela and others. They have played with Garnet Rogers and Jane Siberry, as well as recognized traditional musicians throughout Canada, the United States, Britain and Ireland. Some of our musicians are recording artists in their own right and have also appeared as guests on countless other releases. They have appeared on CBC radio and television and performed at innumerable folk festivals across Canada and beyond.

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