Ottawa Cape Breton Session

Sessions and Events

Sun. Apr 5 - Pub Session - 2pm to 5pm Easter Sunday 🐰🐣 AND Tartan Day celebrations.  Bring your fiddles, guitars, mandolins, accordions, and songs and join us at Barley Mow Merivale (1541 Merivale Rd.) for some Cape Breton musical fun. Wear your tartans, or your bunny suits...

Sun Apr 5 - Kanata House Concerts presents Beaton-Plasse! Two accomplished and energetic fiddlers - Andrea Beaton and Véronique Plasse - combine forces fusing music from Québec and Cape Breton, adding original compositions to the mix. Doors open 6:30, concert 7:00 to 9:00. Reservations required (mailto:KanataHouseConcerts@gmail.com). Suggested donation $30 required in advance. Address and parking information provided when donation has been received.  Musicians receive 100% of donations.

Sun. Apr 19 - Pub Session - 2pm to 5pm Open jam featuring Cape Breton jigs, reels, strathspeys and marches. Join us at the Barley Mow Merivale (1541 Merivale Rd.)! We'd love to have you clap along with our East Coast Kitchen Party, or bring an instrument and join in the fun.

Sun. May 03 - Pub Session - 2pm to 5pm

Sun. May 17 - Pub Session - 2pm to 5pm Victoria Day 🎆👑long weekend jam session. 

Sessions, sessions, sessions - there are lots of Celtic sessions going on in the National Capital Area that include a nice mix of Irish, Scottish, Cape Breton and French Canadian tunes. Check out our Google calendar below  for dates and locations. 

Connect

Join our Facebook community to find links to online videos, music resources and other Cape Breton goodness. To see videos from past sessions check out our YouTube channel. Join the email list below:

Sat. Apr 18 - Myles Davidson with Harold Davidson House Concert Suggested donation: $25 Reservations required: CapeBretonInOttawa@gmail.com. Doors open 6:30 for 7pm concert. BYOB. Bring instruments for a post concert jam session. 

Myles Davidson  hails from St. Peter’s, Nova Scotia. His music can be characterized as a blend of folk, country, and rock, infused with stylistic elements of both traditional and contemporary music. Beginning to play music at the age of four, it was Myles' goal to carry on the musical legacy built by his family. He is the grandson of Estwood Davidson, the long-time accompanist for the legendary Cape Breton fiddler Winston "Scotty" Fitzgerald, and the son of Harold Davidson, the long-time bassist for the Halifax-based powerfolk group Brakin' Tradition. To date, Myles has released two studio albums, with a third on the way, and has charted three #1 radio singles. He is a seasoned performer in the Maritime music scene, having collaborated with the likes of J.P. Cormier and Dave Gunning, and having played festivals such as the Celtic Colours International Festival, KitchenFest, and the East Coast Music Awards. Above all, Myles prides himself on his ability to tell stories and paint vivid pictures through his songwriting. In 2024, Myles moved to Ottawa to pursue a Ph.D. in forensic psychology at Carleton University and has since become an active member in Ottawa’s local music scene. 

Harold Davidson is an accomplished professional musician hailing from River Bourgeois, Nova Scotia. He has been a mainstay of Nova Scotia’s music scene for over 50 years, first starting to play bass alongside his father, Estwood, in the 1970s. Together, they accompanied many Cape Breton fiddlers including Winston “Scotty” Fitzgerald, Buddy MacMaster, Gordon and Dwayne Côté, and Carl MacKenzie. In 1990, alongside Cyril MacPhee and Roger Stone, Harold co-founded the Halifax-based powerfolk group Brakin’ Tradition, serving as their bassist for the next 30 years.

Tunes

Cape Breton fiddle music is best learned by ear. Although detailed sheet music and sound files are provided here for learning the basics of a tune , be aware that the tune may sound different when played live. The best way to really learn these tunes is to come out and play along with us at either a house or pub session. You would be more than welcome! The Tunes page contains tunes and sets you are likely to hear at one of our sessions. 

Scenes from some of our past pub sessions - always a great time!

Pub Sessions

Sunday afternoon pub sessions are generally at a pretty fast pace. It is mostly group/session playing with occasional songs or solos.  Everyone is welcome to join, with fiddle, guitar, mandolin, accordion or even a cello! Sessions  are led by Aylene, Brian, or sometimes other folks. Let her, or the pianist know if you have something special to share with the group.   

If you don't play, but love to hear Maritime and Cape Breton music live you're more than welcome to come down to the pub sessions and have some fun. It's always a big and friendly group of folks, a great place to meet old friends and make new ones too. You'll meet lots of other Maritimers in the crowd. Jam ouverte avec concentration sur le pieces de l’ile du Cap Breton, de l’Écosse et de Glengarry. Apportez un instrument ou venez partager une chanson avec nous. Ou, venez savourez la musique et notre plaisir. On ne sait jamais qui s’y présentera, mais c’est certainement toujours un groupe avec un accueil amical avec qui passer l’après-midi.