The Performing Arts Center at Rockwell Hall proudly presents Canada's first family of celtic music the Barra MacNeils, in a Barra MacNeils' Celtic Christmas on Tuesday, December 16 at 8:00pm. Their appearance at the Performing Arts Center is part of the 2003-2004 Great Performers Series, presented by M&T Bank.

Ticket prices range from $25-$15. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at the Rockwell Hall Box Office, 1300 Elmwood Ave. or by calling 716-878-3005. Box Office hours are Monday to Friday, 10am to 6pm.

The Barra MacNeils are four siblings that grew up in the heart of Celtic tradition on Nova Scotia’s Cape Breton Island. Kyle, Lucy, Sheumas, and Stewart MacNeil all sing and play a range of traditional Celtic instruments. They've been stars of the Canadian traditional music scene since 1986, but rarely venture south of the border. The Barra MacNeils are a remarkable family of musicians and a group that, like Natalie MacMaster, represents the next stage of maritime Canada’s fabulous cultural renaissance.

The Barra MacNeils take their name from the ancestral homeland on the small island of Barra in the outer Hebrides. Along with all the extracurricular activities of any normal family, the MacNeil kids learned Celtic dancing from their mother, and took the music lessons that formed the basis of their renown. Whether it be at church dances or other public outings, the music of the MacNeils, sometimes alone, sometimes together, was certain to be the focal point of the evening.

In 1986, Sheumas, Kyle, Stewart and Lucy recorded their eponymous debut album while still attending Mount Allison University, working towards their degrees in music. Two more independent releases followed: Rock in the Stream in 1989 and Timeframe in 1991. By this point, the group had solidified their standing as one of Canada's premier Celtic acts. Major record labels, long aware of the quality and sales potential of the music of the Barra MacNeils, began to pay close attention, and in 1992, the Barra MacNeils signed a contract to record for Polygram.

The first album for Polygram, titled Closer to Paradise, was just that, garnering outstanding critical reviews and earning the Barra MacNeils their first gold album in Canada. The Traditional Album followed in 1994, staying close to the roots of the Celtic music the Barras use as their foundation. The Question, released in 1995, took the Barra MacNeils in a more pop-oriented direction earning the band its biggest radio successes. Until Now, a compilation of the band's musical highlights was released independently in 1997.

The group toured heavily, headlining folk festivals across Canada, playing to sold-out audiences night after night, and serving as Canada's Celtic ambassadors in Scotland, England, Denmark, Germany and the United States. The Christmas Album was released in the autumn of 1999, and was a huge critical and sales success.

The Barra MacNeils latest album, Racket in the Attic, is a twelve song collection showcasing the Barra MacNeils at their finest: bright, uplifting and elegantly performed. Song selection includes originals, plus covers of artists as diverse as Steeleye Span and Fleetwood Mac. The group's amazing vocal abilities absolutely shine, but there are also a handful of instrumentals that allow the outstanding musical prowess of the siblings to be showcased.

The Barra MacNeils were voted Group of the Year at the East Coast Music Awards, based on their successes with Racket in the Attic. The album also earned a Juno nomination for Roots/Traditional Group of the Year.

The Great Performers Series is sponsored by M&T Bank, The Buffalo News and WBFO.