 |
|
 |
|
The genesis of Edsall Road occurred during the summer of 1996 in Halifax, Nova Scotia,
Canada. Matt Tourville and Billy White were there, performing in the Nova Scotia
International Military Tattoo with the Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps. While
there, they discovered a similar interest in traditional Scots/Irish music. By the end
of their trip to Nova Scotia, Matt and Billy were spending their days on the streets of
Nova Scotia playing flute and bodhrán for crowds of passers-by. After returning to
Northern VA, Matt and Billy enlisted Charles White to form a trio. Initially, Bill White,
Sr. (more commonly known as "Dad") would occasionally sit in when his schedule
allowed. Eventually, he joined the band full time and his fiddle, octave mandolin and
repertoire of great songs round out the band's sound.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Currently Edsall Road calls The Auld Shebeen in Fairfax, VA home, but
the band has performed all over Northern VA and D.C. including stints at Brigadoons in Georgetown, Ireland's Four
Provinces, Pat Troy's in Alexandria, Kate's Irish Pub, Ireland's Four Courts , Sine's, Sullivan's Irish Pub and The
Colonial Tavern in Fredericksburg and Molly's Irish Pub in Warrenton.
In addition to playing the local pubs, Edsall Road headlined numerous concerts including
the St. Thomas Music Festival in McLean VA, the Williamsburg Regional Library annual concert series and regular
appearances at the annual "Occasion for the Arts" Festival in Williamsburg VA. Edsall Road has even done "educational
programming" as part of the Hennage Auditorium concert series. This series, at the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts
Gallery in Williamsburg, VA hosts educational concerts and programs designed to entertain and inform the audience.
Twice in 2004 Edsall Road was asked to appear at the Hennage Auditorium to share its music and explain the origins and
importance of Celtic Music. Additionally, music from "a long time coming...", the band's debut CD, was featured in a
2001 Colonial Williamsburg Video Production.
The band is also very community minded, performing a number of benefit concerts
including events to support cancer and diabetes research, the Special Olympics, Fine
Arts funding in the public schools and most recently, American Red Cross disaster relief in Haiti.
Regardless of the venue or medium, Edsall Road remains a fun and lively band committed
to performing the traditional music of Scotland and Ireland as well as some of the best contemporary celtic folk and
their own original compositions.
|
|
|
|
|
