Grosse Isle
Grosse Isle is one of a few Celtic bands that features the uilleann pipes - often called the Union pipes or Irish pipes - a complex set of bellows, reeds, a chanter, drones and regulators. Uilleann pipes are quieter than other pipes, and usually played sitting down. The drones found in haunting Irish melodies often originate from uilleann pipes. Grosse Isle sings and play a wide variety of instruments. We welcome them to the Ten Pound Fiddle.
Grosse Isle is a trio of traditional musicians from Québec and Ireland. Their fifth studio album Homérique tells the stories of legendary characters from the folklore of Ireland and Québec through music, and through original and traditional songs in Irish, French and English. The name Grosse Isle refers to the story of the mass immigration of Irish through Grosse Île in the St. Lawrence River, as they fled the Great Hunger, which resulted in an important encounter between two cultures.
The trio is made up of All Ireland Champion uilleann piper Fiachra O’Regan, sublime fiddler, singer and composer Sophie Lavoie, and Aldor Emerging Artist Award winning guitarist François-Félix Roy, and this collaboration brings the artistry of all three to the fore. Grosse Isle have performed extensively in Québec, Canada, USA and further afield, with notable appearances at Scotland’s Celtic Connections (2022 & 2023), WOMEX in Portugal (2021), Milwaukee Irish Fest (2023) and the Canada games (2022).
Their music has been praised by traditional and folk music critics worldwide and they have received numerous nominations at The Canadian Folk Music Awards, ADISQ and GAMIQ. In album reviews, Un Canadien Errant (2016) was described as “splendid stuff” by Songlines magazine, UK. Portraits (2018) was described as “One of the downright most enjoyable albums to have come this way for a considerable time” by Froots, UK. The Bonesetter (2021) was described as “Nothing short of fantastic” by Roots Music Canada.
Grosse Isle is a trio of traditional musicians from Québec and Ireland. Their fifth studio album Homérique tells the stories of legendary characters from the folklore of Ireland and Québec through music, and through original and traditional songs in Irish, French and English. The name Grosse Isle refers to the story of the mass immigration of Irish through Grosse Île in the St. Lawrence River, as they fled the Great Hunger, which resulted in an important encounter between two cultures.
The trio is made up of All Ireland Champion uilleann piper Fiachra O’Regan, sublime fiddler, singer and composer Sophie Lavoie, and Aldor Emerging Artist Award winning guitarist François-Félix Roy, and this collaboration brings the artistry of all three to the fore. Grosse Isle have performed extensively in Québec, Canada, USA and further afield, with notable appearances at Scotland’s Celtic Connections (2022 & 2023), WOMEX in Portugal (2021), Milwaukee Irish Fest (2023) and the Canada games (2022).
Their music has been praised by traditional and folk music critics worldwide and they have received numerous nominations at The Canadian Folk Music Awards, ADISQ and GAMIQ. In album reviews, Un Canadien Errant (2016) was described as “splendid stuff” by Songlines magazine, UK. Portraits (2018) was described as “One of the downright most enjoyable albums to have come this way for a considerable time” by Froots, UK. The Bonesetter (2021) was described as “Nothing short of fantastic” by Roots Music Canada.