Chrissy Crowley

February 17, 2007:
Archie Neil Chisholm’s granddaughter looking to impress at ECMAs
By Laura Jean Grant, the Cape Breton Post

HALIFAX — Chrissy Crowley is aiming to impress the East Coast Music Awards crowd this weekend. And the 17-year-old fiddler from Margaree will have lots of opportunities to do just that with several scheduled performances including a coveted spot on the Roots Room showcase stage, Friday night at Casino Nova Scotia in Halifax.

“I really want to impress people,” she said, before taking the stage for a sound check.

Crowley’s manager, Lisa Butchart, founder of Offshore Gael Music, an independent production, artist development and promotion company based in Ontario, said it’s appropriate that Crowley is getting her first big break at the ECMAs this weekend.

Butchart explained that while in Sydney for the 2005 ECMAs she suggested Crowley as a fill-in when another fiddler she was helping was unable to do a spot at the 72-Hour Jam.

“That was actually the first time I ever saw Chrissy perform was at the 72-Hour Jam. I think it was eight in the morning on a Saturday,” she recalled. “But I was really impressed with her poise and her ability and right then and there decided to help her with a demo.”

The granddaughter of one of Cape Breton’s most legendary fiddlers, Archie Neil Chisholm, Crowley actually didn’t pick up the fiddle until she was 12 years old after hearing a performance by New Brunswick fiddler Mike Hall.

“I just fell in love with it and I started playing the next day and I played for hours and hours every day,” said the Grade 11 student at Cape Breton Highlands Academy, noting she taught herself how to play.

Crowley recently released her self-titled debut album which features some of the region’s biggest names in the music industry.

“I have the best musicians on it.I have Gordie Sampson, Ryan MacNeil, Troy MacGillivray, Timothy Chaisson, Patty Gillis, Pius MacIsaac, and Brian Doyle,” she said.

As for the future, Crowley said she’s taking her career in the music industry one day at a time. She said she’s not necessarily looking to be the next Natalie MacMaster adding with a laugh “but that would be nice.”

“I want to have fun with it, that’s for sure,” she said.

Crowley will perform during the 72-Hour Jam this afternoon and at The Old Triangle Pub tonight as part of Inverness County at the ECMAs, presented by the Strathspey Place.


- The Cape Breton Post

Chrissy Crowley from Margaree Cape Breton will be another one to watch as she is very much at home with the likes of Jerry Holland and Raymond Ellis of Inverness, both older and more accomplished fiddlers. And not much wonder they say with the likes of Archie Neil Chisholm and Angus Chisholm in her genes! ---
Anne McPhee, Sept 2006 - The Island Fiddler

Here’s a new name in Cape Breton fiddling. Chrissy comes from the Margaree area, one of the most vibrant centres for this wonderful Scots/Irish derived music. She has fiddlers on both sides of her family going back to at least to her great-grandparents. If the expectation would be thtat she would play the fiddle, it would bit might not have been expected that she would play this good--- and this is exciting dance music by any standard. There is no attempt to make this anything other than straightforward traditional music for dancing; strathspeys, reels and jigs all played at appropriate dancing tempo and mainly to that heavily syncopated piano accompaniment that characterises Cape Breton dance music and if some of her repertoire is quite familiar then we can concentrate on the tremendous flair and technique of her playing.

And here’s a big cultural difference...From the cover photo, we can see clearly that here is a very young musician, yet nowhere in the booklet or on her website is there a reference to her age. It took a trawl through reviews on Canadian newspaper websites to reveal the fact that she is only seventeen. Imagine the hype in Britain that would surround a musician of this age producing an album of this quality! Somehow in Cape Breton it’s “Well she’s the granddaughter of Bill Crowley on one side and of Archie Neil Chisholm on the other side; so of course she is good!”

Vic Smith
- fRoots Magazine

Juliette and Ben Chisholm-Broomfield: " Wonderful Fiddle Player up there with
the best".

The Clan Chisholm Society:" Brilliant Musican we are looking for more from
Chrissy"....."Chrissy performed at our International Clan Chisholm Gathering
in July 2006 in Inverness, Scotland.
- Clan Chisholm newsletter

Chrissy Crowley

Offshore Gael Music

Here comes the latest young Celtic musician to emerge from Cape Breton, NS. Chrissy Crowley’s credentials are impeccable, being the granddaughter of Newfoundland fiddler Bill Crowley and Cape Breton fiddler Archie Neil Chisholm. She is actively involved in the music of the island at all sorts of levels: playing, learning, teaching and performing, and is rapidly gaining a fearsome reputation among the cognoscenti of Celtic fiddling. Her playing is fiery and has a distinctly mischievous personality. She has soaked up the influences of her Newfoundland-Scottish heritage and is now pouring out music like there’s no tomorrow. Her accompanying musicians include Gordie Sampson on guitar and Troy MacGillivray on piano. What do they feed them on out there in Margaree, Cape Breton? Whatever it is, I want some!

– By Tim Readman


- CD Review-Penguin Eggs Summer Issue No. 34.

Chrissy Crowley

After several years spent visiting the Canadian Maritimes and soaking up the rich fiddle tradition there, you come to know the names of power that summon an immediate impression of musical excellence. Look for MacMaster, MacIsaac, Fraser, MacDonald, Chisholm, MacGillivray, Rankin and -- well, the list does go on a bit. I'm pleased to add a new one to the list: Crowley.

Christine Crowley is a young Margaree fiddler who, until now, has escaped my notice. Where have you been hiding, Chrissy? She certainly has the fiddling gene that is typically passed down through generations of Maritimes natives; in this case, from her Cape Breton grandfather Archie Neil Chisholm and her Newfoundland grandfather Bill Crowley. Astonishingly enough, this 17-year-old fiddler is largely self-taught, observing local fiddlers and listening to home recordings of her formidable ancestors at play before availing herself of the ample opportunities for instruction throughout Cape Breton.

This self-titled CD is a shining example of the heart and backbone of the East Coast tradition. That means the tune sets are drawn primarily from Scottish and Irish sources, with local compositions standing proudly among them. The arrangements feature Chrissy's deft hand on fiddle, with support from the standard backing duo of piano and guitar. And, if it's possible to judge a musician by the people who surround and support her, Chrissy has a long and rich career ahead of her; produced by local music legend Fred Lavery, the recording boasts the musical talents of Troy MacGillivray and Ryan MacNeil on piano and Patrick Gillis, Tim Chaisson, Gordie Sampson, Brian Doyle and Pius MacIsaac on guitar. It's a "Who's Who" of grand Cape Breton proportions.

The nine instrumental tracks are expertly played, without the bells and whistles dominating so many young performers' music these days. As such, it's an immensely satisfying package.

I'll be back in Cape Breton in the not-too-distant future. Perhaps I should spend a bit more time in Margaree.

by Tom Knapp
Rambles.NET
9 June 200

- Rambles Magazine

by Catherine L. Tully

Artist: Chrissy Crowley
Album: "Chrissy Crowley"
Year produced: 2007

If you love a terrific fiddle and are looking for a fresh face, check out this self-titled debut album by the talented Canadian musician Chrissy Crowley. At 9 tracks, it almost seems too short, but she manages to pack each song full of sound, so it does leave one fairly satisfied, if a bit hungry for more.

Evidently the fact that Chrissy became a fiddler was not much of a shock to her family, as she had grandparents that created recordings of their playing which both inspired and instructed the young lady in the finer points of this musical instrument. When you listen to her you'd be pretty shocked to find out that she is a member of the "under 20" set, as she has studied hard and become quite good in a short amount of time; and she is primarily self-taught too.

The fiddle is the star of the show here and other instruments are only around to support Crowley's play--which is a good way to go. Tracks such as "Dodging Potholes" show off this lady's skill as she executes some pretty difficult moves with her bow; a pleasure to hear her soar through. Should be interesting to see what is next for her--good to begin with--she can only get better from here! There's nothing like new talent on the horizon...

- Celtic MP3 Music Magazine

The Chisholm family of Margaree Forks, Inverness County is legendary in Cape Breton music circles. Angus Chisholm was one of the most influencial fiddlers of his generation. His brother Archie Neil was a wealth of Cape Breton history and storytelling and a well-known dance fiddler who changed from left-hand to right-hand playing after damaging the finger on his left hand. In the next generation, Maybelle Chisholm has been an innovative and sought after piano player. Cameron Chisholm, although reclusive, is revereed in Inverness County fiddling circles, as is his sister Margaret, who put on the most memorable display of Cape Breton fiddling that I've ever witnessed at Glendale in 1977. Maybelle's son Brian Doyle is one of Cape Breton's finest guitar players. Into this storied genealogy comes Chrissy Crowley, granddaughter of Archie Neil Chisholm and Newfoundland/Irish fiddler Billy Crowley.
On her self-titled debut recording this Margaree teenager has lived up to her lineage. She presents a selection of fiddle medleys that touch on the Cape Breton and Irish traditions and she includes some of her compositions as well as tunes by John Morris Rankin, Brenda Stubbert and Gordon Duncan. Her playing is strong and melodic and although I may be committing Cape Breton heresy, I believe leans a touch more to the Irish side than to the sound of the Chisholm family. I must say I don't find anything wrong with that.
This talented young player is joined on her debut effort by Ryan MacNeil and Troy MacGillivray on piano and Gordie Sampson, Patrick Gillis, Timothy Chaisson, Brian Doyle, and Pius MacIsaac on guitar. The CD was produced by Fred Lavery in Lakewind Sound. Chrissy Crowley has already performed in Scotland and the United States, and should enjoy success as one of the phalanx of young musicians emerging from the Cape Breton scene.
-John Ferguson May 2007 - Celtic Heritage Magazine

Chrissy Crowley, is a young celtic fiddler from Margaree, Cape Breton, emerging on the music scene. She is a traditional fiddler and recording artist who has recently released her self-titled debut album in February 2007. Chrissy is one of the new generation of fiddlers, those who are inspired by the traditions of artists who have gone before. She has embraced the music of her celtic roots and has made it her own. She is the grandaughter of fiddlers Bill Browley and Archie Neil Chisolm and her large extnded family has always greatly valued the traditions of of their Scottish forebears and their Newfoundland/Irish ancestors.

As a young girl, her desire was to become a fiddler and listened intently to her family's home recordings of the vibrant sessions in which legendary musicians participated, including her great uncle, Angus Chisholm and cousins Cameron Chisholm and Margaret (Chisholm) MacDonald. Chrissy remains a largely self-taught artist, absorbing the rich musical culture of the Margaree area of Nova Scotia in which she lives by listening to the local players and learning by observation.

As Chrissy emerged on the music scene, she was honoured as a young musician, to receive an outstanding piano student award in Cape Breton. As a result, she extended her scholarship opportunities and took advanced fiddle instructionfrom master artists of Cape Breton, Ireland and Scotland. She remains in demand at the various traditional music venues throughout Nova Scotia. She performed at various festivals such as in Cape Cod, Ontario and PEI. She played for a command performance at the Clan Gathering for the Chisholm Clan Chief in Scotland.

Her music is heard on radio in Atlantic Canada and performed on a CBC TV special. Chrissy won a showcase at ECMA 2007 in Halifax and performed in several events during the week-end event in Febuary. Her 2007 performing schedule is now filling up, including The Cape Cod Celtic Festival in June and the Crowley Clan Gathering in Cloankilty, Ireland in Sept. 2007. Rave reviews have been received from various media outlets for Chrissy's outstanding fiddle playing and she is definitely a star in the making. For more information regarding Chrissy and her music, refer to her website, address posted above.


Profile By: John Gavin


- Atlantic Seabreeze

The Chisholm family of Margaree Forks, Inverness County is legendary in Cape Breton music circles. Angus Chisholm was one of the most influencial fiddlers of his generation. His brother Archie Neil was a wealth of Cape Breton history and storytelling and a well-known dance fiddler who changed from left-hand to right-hand playing after damaging the finger on his left hand. In the next generation, Maybelle Chisholm has been an innovative and sought after piano player. Cameron Chisholm, although reclusive, is revereed in Inverness County fiddling circles, as is his sister Margaret, who put on the most memorable display of Cape Breton fiddling that I've ever witnessed at Glendale in 1977. Maybelle's son Brian Doyle is one of Cape Breton's finest guitar players. Into this storied genealogy comes Chrissy Crowley, granddaughter of Archie Neil Chisholm and Newfoundland/Irish fiddler Billy Crowley.
On her self-titled debut recording this Margaree teenager has lived up to her lineage. She presents a selection of fiddle medleys that touch on the Cape Breton and Irish traditions and she includes some of her compositions as well as tunes by John Morris Rankin, Brenda Stubbert and Gordon Duncan. Her playing is strong and melodic and although I may be committing Cape Breton heresy, I believe leans a touch more to the Irish side than to the sound of the Chisholm family. I must say I don't find anything wrong with that.
This talented young player is joined on her debut effort by Ryan MacNeil and Troy MacGillivray on piano and Gordie Sampson, Patrick Gillis, Timothy Chaisson, Brian Doyle, and Pius MacIsaac on guitar. The CD was produced by Fred Lavery in Lakewind Sound. Chrissy Crowley has already performed in Scotland and the United States, and should enjoy success as one of the phalanx of young musicians emerging from the Cape Breton scene.
-John Ferguson May 2007 - Celtic Heritage Magazine

CHRISSY CROWLEY
Offshore Gael Music OGCD06
9 tracks, 41 minutes
The latest in a long line of young fiddle stars from Cape Breton, Miss Crowley is largely self-taught from observing family fiddlers. She plays the music of Atlantic Canada and 19th-century Scotland, and she plays it straight: fiddle, piano, good old tunes and not much else. Reels are plentiful, classics like Toss the Feathers and Elizabeth's Big Coat, modern masterpieces like Michael Rankin's and Gordon Duncan's Upside Down in Eden Court. Jigs are abundant too, mainly Irish: Belfast Linen, East at Glendart and The Lilting Banshee, all old favourites. The Irish connection extends to reels such as Drowsy Maggie, The Silver Spear, The Kylebrack Rambler, and Master Crowley's, all nicely turned by Mistress Crowley. Chrissy contributes a reel and a jig of her own, Big Brook Reel and Lisa's Jig, which hold their own in this good company. The jigs are perhaps a weak point: sometimes she doesn't quite get the lift. Chrissy Crowley's reels are great, though, as are her hornpipes and strathspeys. Crossing the Minch is driven in fine style, Hey Johnny Lad likewise.

By Nova Scotian standards, this is a short album: nine tracks, and only one of them over six minutes. Tribute to Papa, a march, strathspey and reel medley of seven tunes, has all the hallmarks of great Cape Breton music. Starting with Archie Neil Chisholm, a grand anthem by Brenda Stubbert, the lively strathspey Hey Johnny Lad drops into Scott Skinner's powerful Gladstone Reel, then The Grey Bob and Over the Isles to America from the Gaelic fiddle tradition, and finally the challenging Timour the Tartar which Chrissy takes in her stride. Other highlights are the Cawdor Fair medley, and the Slip Into Jigs set which features the only slow piece here, a luxuriant version of the slip-jig Boys of Ballisodare. Chrissy Crowley is surely one to watch. You can listen to her too, online at www.chrissycrowley.com or in your favourite music shop.

Alex Monaghan
- Living Tradition Magazine

CHRISSY CROWLEY
Offshore Gael Music OGCD06
9 tracks, 41 minutes
The latest in a long line of young fiddle stars from Cape Breton, Miss Crowley is largely self-taught from observing family fiddlers. She plays the music of Atlantic Canada and 19th-century Scotland, and she plays it straight: fiddle, piano, good old tunes and not much else. Reels are plentiful, classics like Toss the Feathers and Elizabeth's Big Coat, modern masterpieces like Michael Rankin's and Gordon Duncan's Upside Down in Eden Court. Jigs are abundant too, mainly Irish: Belfast Linen, East at Glendart and The Lilting Banshee, all old favourites. The Irish connection extends to reels such as Drowsy Maggie, The Silver Spear, The Kylebrack Rambler, and Master Crowley's, all nicely turned by Mistress Crowley. Chrissy contributes a reel and a jig of her own, Big Brook Reel and Lisa's Jig, which hold their own in this good company. The jigs are perhaps a weak point: sometimes she doesn't quite get the lift. Chrissy Crowley's reels are great, though, as are her hornpipes and strathspeys. Crossing the Minch is driven in fine style, Hey Johnny Lad likewise.

By Nova Scotian standards, this is a short album: nine tracks, and only one of them over six minutes. Tribute to Papa, a march, strathspey and reel medley of seven tunes, has all the hallmarks of great Cape Breton music. Starting with Archie Neil Chisholm, a grand anthem by Brenda Stubbert, the lively strathspey Hey Johnny Lad drops into Scott Skinner's powerful Gladstone Reel, then The Grey Bob and Over the Isles to America from the Gaelic fiddle tradition, and finally the challenging Timour the Tartar which Chrissy takes in her stride. Other highlights are the Cawdor Fair medley, and the Slip Into Jigs set which features the only slow piece here, a luxuriant version of the slip-jig Boys of Ballisodare. Chrissy Crowley is surely one to watch. You can listen to her too, online at www.chrissycrowley.com or in your favourite music shop.

Alex Monaghan
- Living Tradition Magazine