The Paperboys: Friday 7 pm, Ceilidh Stage. Saturday: 1:30 & 4 pm: Ceilidh Stage
The BC Highland Games is thrilled to welcome The Paperboys as the headline act at our Games in 2019.
The Paperboys under the direction of well-known BC musician Tom Landa are celebrating their 25th anniversary in 2019. And what better place to kick-off their summer touring season than at the BC Highland Games & Scottish Festival. The band performs for a free concert on the Ceilidh Stage on Friday evening, and then again on Saturday afternoon on the Ceilidh Stage on the Lew Ross Heavy Event Field.
The Paperboys are an eight-piece ensemble which includes singers, fiddle, penny whistle and more. Their freewheeling blend of influences of Celtic, bluegrass, Mexican and Canadian music has been lighting up stages worldwide for a quarter century. The Juno award winning band has released nine albums, including their latest "Score". The band formed in the early 1990's and was influenced by a wave of Celtic-influenced folk rock bands such as Ashley MacIsaac, Great Big Sea, Leahy, The Rankins and The Duhks. Being a west coast Celtic band, The Paperboys bring a different approach to playing Celtic music than the east coast bands. You can be the judge. They'll be on stage Friday evening for a free concert, and then again on Saturday afternoon.
Cookeilidh
Cookeilidh: Ceilidh Stage: 12:30pm & 2:45pm
Cookeilidh (cook-kay-lee) is a Victoria based ensemble of 12-string guitar, electric bass, Irish flute, fiddle, bodhran and vocals. For the past nine-years, the band has been playing their high energy traditional and modernized Celtic tunes from Scotland, Ireland, the Maritimes and folk. The band plays for concerts, festivals, highland games, Christmas events and coffee houses around Vancouver Island.
Michael Viens Traditional Stage, starting at 1pm 
Michael was first introduced to Celtic music when he joined Blackthorn, Vancouver’s longest-running Celtic band, in 1995. He has since become a stalwart member of the local Celtic music scene. With Blackthorn, he has recorded four CD's and performed at concerts, Celtic festivals, Scottish highland games and Irish and Scottish ceilidhs throughout the Pacific Northwest. Michael co-hosts weekly traditional Irish music sessions Sunday and Wednesday nights at Johnnie Fox’s Irish Snug in Vancouver. He teaches guitar and bodhran at Celtic Traditions and is one of the hosts of “In the Claddagh Ring” that airs Friday evenings on Vancouver Co-op Radio CFRO 100.5 FM. This year he will be the host of our new Traditional Stage, joined by his friends from the Celtic music scene on the stage in Oaktree Alley. A Highland games first.
Bob Collins Main Stage and Beer Garden Stage: 12 noon & 2:15 pm
Bob Collins originally hails from St. John's, Newfoundland & Labrador where he began playing guitar and singing at age eight. Now, a few years later, he is retired from his day job and plays music full time. He performs around Vancouver as a solo act and as part of two duos, Chapter 11 and Lucky Penny’s and can often be found at the Wolf & Hound Pub in Vancouver. Bob Collins is no stranger to Scottish ceilidh’s, Burns suppers, highland games, St Patrick's Day celebrations and Irish pubs. Bob has spent many years at the BC Highland Games and in the past few years has spent time on the main stage and the beer garden entertaining and delighting crowds with his music and singing. He's back this year with more of his east coast music and charm. 12 noon on the Main Stage and 2:15 pm on the Ceilidh Stage (beer garden)
Strictly Scottish: Main Stage 2:45 pm
Strictly Scottish dance team displays the colourful social dancing of Scotland, a happy, healthy, recreational workout for both mind and body. The Team was established some 50 years ago and represents the Vancouver Branch of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society. It is directed today by Kay Sutherland of Deep Cove and performs year round for private and public functions.
Kilbirnie Station - Main Stage, 11 am
Kilbirnie Station
Kilbirnie Station is a Scottish music ensemble based in Vancouver. The band is made up of Janet Wright on double bass, Kevin Hamilton on guitar and Janice Hamilton on fiddle. Kilbirnie Station was formed to provide live music and accompaniment for classes and performances of the Scottish Step Dance group, Cranachan. The band often expands to include Cathrine Conings (piano) and Natalie Thompson (fiddle) to provide music for weddings, ceilidhs and small concert venues. All have played together for many years in the Vancouver Fiddle Orchestra. This is their first appearance at the BC Highland Games.
2019 Games Official Opening Ceremony - Main Stage, 12 noon.
This "Official" part of the Games includes recognition of the Chieftain-of-the-Games, our patrons, our supporters, and the various groups who work together to make this event a success each year; as well as Bob Collins singing the national anthems of our countries, and a 'Lament' in honour of past participants' who are no longer with us. The ceremony ends with the Declaration of the Opening of the Games and the firing of a cannon salute by the 78th Fraser Highlanders.
JJ Lavelee: Main Stage 3:15 PM and Traditional Stage, 1:30 PM
Born and raised in St. Ambroise, Manitoba, JJ Lavalee was destined to become a musician from a young age. His grandparents had 20 children, and almost all of them sang or played an instrument. JJ took up the fiddle which led to a number of musical nominations and three awards. Now, he has returned to his original instrument, the guitar, and become a singer/songwriter. His writing is said to come straight from the heart and his spirit. His performances range from the far north of Canada, to the east and west coasts. He has appeared on two national television series and recently in an NFB film “The Road Forward to Raise Awareness”. JJ’s first appeared at the BC Highland Games & Scottish Festival in 2018 and was so popular we had to bring him back. This year he's coming with some friends to wow the crowd on the Main Stage at 3:15 pm or catch him on the Trad Stage with Michael Viens and friends at 1 pm.
Barry Shears - East Coast Bagpiper Traditional Stage 2pm; Cultural Workshop Tent: 3:15 PM
Barry Shears is a native of Glace Bay on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. He has been playing the pipes for more than 50-years. Barry started collecting and composing music for the Highland bagpipes, and has become an acknowledged expert on the history of traditional bagpiping in Nova Scotia and its intrinsic connection to the Gaelic language, music and culture of Nova Scotia. He has published six books of bagpipe music and history, the most recent being a large two volume collection of Highland music and culture from N.S. Barry retired and now lives on the west coast, spending his time lecturing, playing and teaching the unique pipes styles of Cape Breton. He will perform on the Traditional Stage with Michael Viens and friends, plus deliver a lecture on the east coast style of piping in the Games cultural tent at 3:15 pm.
Shot of Scotch Highland Dancers, Vancouver. Main Stage: 4:15 pm
Shot of Scotch was first formed in February 2011 in New York City as a venue for experienced premier level competitive Scottish Highland dancers to continue to dance with the high level of precision they have trained for so many years to achieve. Under the Artistic Direction of Susan Nase, Shot of Scotch Vancouver strives to create new, exciting, contemporary dance pieces while maintaining a high standard of technique, but also remaining true to the deep Scottish roots of the centuries old art form of Highland dance
SKUD Zavicaj Serbian Dancers
Zavicaj is a professional Serbian cultural dance ensemble based in Burnaby that introduces its students to the diverse dance, costumes and languages of Serbia. Zavicaj has three age groups of dancers along with a recreational group of 25-65 year olds. The language is taught through singing.
Highland Serbian Fusion: Main track: 4:30 pm. Sponsored by :
For two years, a choreographed dance fusing Scottish highland dancing and Punjabi Bhangra dancing thrilled crowds at the BC Highland Games and around the world via more than a million views on You Tube. In 2019, the BC Highland Games is continuing to reach out to the community we live in for further inspiration. The Shot of Scotch Highland Dancers will perform another choreographed dance with the Serbian dance ensemble SKUD Zavicaj under the artistic direction of Isadora Markovic, a well known Serbian/Burnaby dance instructor.
Royal Scottish Country Dance Society
Hark to the irresistible rhythm of the music and watch the patterns unfold of the simple social dances of Scotland. No partner is required in this dance that is an unbelievably affordable way of staying fit and alert for everyone. See why Scotland promotes this wonderful activity as “Fun, Fitness and Friendship”.
An informal assembly of dancers from local area Scottish Country Dance Clubs, organized by Mary Murray, illustrates this activity for your enjoyment. All are welcome to join one of the local clubs in the Lower Mainland area.
Feel the park rumble as hundreds of pipers and drummers march onto the Main Stage together for the final soul-tingling massed pipe band performance. This event wraps up the 2019 BC Highland Games & Scottish Festival and is, for many, the highlight of their visit to the Games. Join us in the beer garden tent afterwards for the wrap-up ceilidh with the pipers, drummers, dancers and all the games officials who organized the 88th BC Highland Games.
Pipe Band Competitions Grades 2 & 1
The two top levels of pipe band competition take place on The Meadow in the center of the park. BC is fortunate to be home to some of the best pipe bands in the world, and a great system that trains some of the pipers and drummers to become world champions. Bands will march "up to the line" and then proceed into the competition circle where they are required to play a set of march, strathspey's and reels (MSR) and then when they return, a "medley" of tunes that showcases the music and pipes. Four senior judges will be on hand to adjudicate piping (2), drumming (1) and ensemble (1).