07/23/2026
This Lùnasa, internationally acclaimed Scottish smallpipes player Brìghde Chaimbeul comes to Unama’ki for two immersive performances connecting the island’s eastern and western shores through living Gàidhlig tradition and experimental sound.
Lùnasa marks the beginning of the harvest season, a time of gathering, blessing and giving thanks for the first fruits of the land. From sunset on the west coast in Inverness to the stone walls of St. Patrick’s in Sydney, these gatherings carry ancient sounds into new terrain, shaped by two places whose histories are bound to land, labour and migration.
Opening both evenings is PIT PONY, a collaboration between local musicians Devon Morrison and Bradley Murphy, blending tape, noise, Gàidhlig traditional song and field recordings into a sound shaped by cultural resilience in a post-industrial community.
“The idea for PIT PONY came from a Gaelic song titled ‘Òran A’ Mhèinneadair’ (Song of the Miner) sung by Dan MacNeil of Benacadie Pond and held in the collections of the Beaton Institute. The song is written from the perspective of the pit pony, whose heart is heavy hauling coal,” said Murphy.
“It is common in Gaelic song tradition to give voice to animals, helping us to better empathize with them. Many of the steel workers and coal miners who laboured in Cape Breton were Gaels. Their language is part of the bedrock of our island’s musical pulse. PIT PONY is unearthing the songs, bringing them into the light, and reclaiming them after generations of colonial cultural suppression.”
As New Dawn marks 50 years, these gatherings honour what has been carried through generations and carry them with us into what comes next.
TUESDAY, JULY 28
Inverness County Centre for the Arts
16080 Nova Scotia Trunk 19, Inverness
Doors: 6:30 p.m.
PIT PONY: 7:15 p.m.
Brìghde Chaimbeul: approximately 8 p.m., aligned with sunset
Rain or shine. Bring a lawn chair or blanket. All ages welcome. Licensed bar for adults 19+. Donations support the Inverness County Centre for the Arts.
Inverness tickets:
https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/2m7h597
THURSDAY, JULY 30
St. Patrick’s Church Museum
87 Esplanade, Sydney
Show: 8 p.m.
An intimate performance accompanied by immersive sound and interior projections. The performance includes loud sounds. General admission seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets do not guarantee a seat.
Tickets for St. Patrick’s in Sydney are limited and running low.
Sydney tickets:
https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/e7by269
Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door, subject to availability.
Presented by Eltuek Arts Centre and the Wild Lots event series, in partnership with the Inverness County Centre for the Arts, as part of New Dawn’s 50th anniversary celebrations.
These performances are made possible with support from New Dawn Enterprises, Arts Nova Scotia, Destination Cape Breton Association, and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.
Photo: © Monika Ruman
