The Camden Opera House will welcome folk duo Castlebay to its intimate Blue Café on Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 7:30 p.m., for an evening of music, poetry, stories and Celtic lore celebrating Samhain, the ancient Celtic festival marking the end of summer and the beginning of the darker half of the year.

 

Known as Halloween, Samhain has long been associated with harvest, remembrance, transformation and the mysterious boundary between the natural and supernatural worlds, according to a Camden Opera House news release. Castlebay’s special program will explore these themes through traditional and contemporary songs, poetry and stories drawn from the rich mythology of the Celtic lands.

 

For ancient Celtic communities, autumn was a time of harvest and preparation for the winter months ahead, according to the news release. Samhain represented both an ending and a beginning—a time to honor the past, remember ancestors and gather the wisdom needed for the next cycle of life. Celtic tradition held that at this time of year, the boundary between the ordinary world and the “otherworld” grew thin, allowing the past and future to mingle with the present.

 

The music and poetry of the Celtic tradition are filled with the imagery and symbolism of this mysterious season.

 

"Audiences can expect an entrancing evening exploring the myths, magic and traditions surrounding Samhain, including tales of the Cailleach, the 'Old Crone of Winter,' and the ancient belief that this was a time when the unseen world could draw close," said the Opera House

 

Castlebay’s Julia Lane and Fred Gosbee have spent decades sharing the music and lore of the Celtic lands and Maine. Both accomplished vocalists and multi-instrumentalists, Lane and Gosbee weave songs and stories together with guitar, fiddle, tin whistle and Celtic harp.

 

Castlebay has released 26 recordings of traditional and original music and has published Bygone Ballads of Maine: Songs of Ships and Sailors, the first in a planned series of books documenting Maine's musical heritage.

 

The Blue Café performance offers audiences a chance to experience Castlebay's music and storytelling in the Camden Opera House's intimate third-floor listening room.

 

Admission is free, and all are welcome. Seating in the Blue Café is limited; doors open at 7 p.m. Donations to the Camden Opera House Community Arts Fund are welcomed and help support free and reduced-price arts programming throughout the year.

 

For more information about Castlebay, visit www.castlebay.net.

 

For information about the Camden Opera House and upcoming performances, visit camdenoperahouse.com.