A Celtic Family Christmas
This Christmas, Celtic music superstars and parents Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy and their seven children are opening their doors and inviting us to be a part of their holiday celebration. It’s an unforgettable evening of Christmas music, dance and storytelling, as well as a window on the world of this talented family. An evening that celebrates the Celtic Christmas tradition of opening doors and welcoming family, friends and neighbours to share the hearth, the music, and the warmth of family.
This year was extra special, as Natalie, Donnell and their six older children (aged 3-12) also celebrated the arrival of a new baby girl, Maria. This will be Maria’s first Christmas. And although they’ve immersed themselves in music and travelled the world playing sold-out shows, the whole family will be showing Maria, and us, what is most important to them at Christmas time – their family.
The special features an intimate concert setting, with an audience surrounding the stage. As the audience settles, the family is doing their final preparations. Last minute tuning, good luck kisses, and a huddled family prayer for a fun show. The lights go dim, the theatre is hushed and out walks 7-year-old Julia Leahy with an enthusiastic “It’s Christmas time!”. Then on stage the family share some their original music as well as favorite traditional holiday classics, such as Angels We Have Heard on High, Little Drummer Boy and Silent Night. Some songs are larger production numbers featuring guest fiddlers, drummers, pipers and dancers that are part of this extended multigenerational family – this is certainly the hottest place on a cold winter night.
The evening will also include special guest appearances from Jackie Evancho, who has released a string of platinum and gold albums and has had 6 consecutive number 1’s on the Billboard Classical charts. And Shawn Hook who also has a list of international hit songs and studied piano through the Royal Conservatory at age 4 and was the first artist/songwriter to sign to ABC Studios in Los Angeles in 2008.
A Celtic Family Christmas will be full of extraordinary dancing, beautiful singing and mind-blowing fiddling that will definitely put audiences in the Christmas spirit. And before you know it, the evening is over. But not before one final message from Natalie and Donnell – “Thank you for the visit and being a part of our family. From our family to yours, have a Merry Christmas”.
Episodes: 1 x 60’
Category: Kids & Family
Sub Category: Unscripted
Year: 2018
Partners: Shaw Rocket Fund, BYUTV, YesTV, Vision, NTV, CHEK
