TUNES & SONGS

w/ ROSE MORRISON, BERNIE PHÁID, MÀIRI CHAIMBEUL, JUD GUNNING, & NAOMI PIERRARD

Experience an enchanting evening of music and melodies at the Little Church in Big Baddeck's Tunes & Songs, where an exceptional lineup of musicians will unite to create a symphony of captivating sounds. Join Bernie Pháid, Màiri Chaimbeul, Jud Gunning, Naomi Pierrard and Rose Morrison for an unforgettable musical journey that will touch your soul and leave you spellbound.

Rose Morrison’s music embodies the roar of the sea with a pure, delicate voice and fierce fiddle playing. Hailing from Baddeck, Nova Scotia, she has captivated audiences for nearly 25 years, collaborating with Glen Hansard, Breanndán Begley, and John McDermott. She has performed twice at Carnegie Hall, most recently in March 2024 for a tribute to Sinéad O’Connor and Shane MacGowan.

Her latest album, The River She Knows, marks a return to her Cape Breton roots, showcasing her as a songwriter with the encouragement of producer Dave Gunning. Featuring nine songs and one tune, the album explores themes of connection—to land, love, and self.

A three-time ECMA winner, Rose has toured North America, Europe, and Japan. She also curates the Little Church in Big Baddeck concert series and will release a duo album with Breanndán Begley in fall 2025.

Bernie Pháid, a bilingual singer and musician from the Dingle Peninsula, blends traditional Irish music with contemporary folk influences. Rooted in West Kerry’s rich musical and linguistic heritage, she was inspired by her community from a young age.

Her 2014 album Síol explores the connections between Irish and Appalachian music, featuring collaborations with top musicians from both traditions. With a repertoire of heartfelt ballads and lively roots-driven songs, she captivates audiences with her warm, engaging performances.

Bernie has shared the stage with Rose Morrison, Pauline Scanlon, Steve Cooney, Mary Black, Luka Bloom, and Liam Ó Maonlaí. Now based in West Wicklow, she continues to forge new musical and cultural connections while keeping her traditions alive.

Alongside her music, she is passionate about teaching the Irish language, preserving and sharing her heritage.

Màiri Chaimbeul is a Juno-nominated harp player and composer from the Isle of Skye in Scotland. A native Gaelic speaker, Màiri is known for her versatile sound, rooted in language and tradition, combined with a distinctive improvising voice and expressive rhythmic approach. Based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, after almost a decade in Boston, MA, Màiri tours regularly throughout North America, the U.K., and Europe.

Màiri can currently be heard regularly in duo with leading U.S./Scottish fiddler Jenna Moynihan, Canadian Folk Music Award-winning prog-trad group Aerialists, and the new improvised-music group Quilting. She is featured in Series 2 of Julie Fowlis and Muireann Nicamhlaoibh’s BBC Alba/TG4 television show, Port and has collaborated, recorded, and performed with a wide-range of artists including Darol Anger, Eleanor Buckland (Lula Wiles), Liz Carroll, Rose Cousins, and Bruce Molsky.

Màiri was Berklee College of Music’s lever harp and Celtic music professor from 2018-2021, and maintains a small online private teaching studio as well as regularly teaching short courses and camps internationally. Màiri is a graduate of the Berklee College of music, where she was awarded the American Roots award, before joining the college’s faculty in 2018.

Jud Gunning has a genuine love for playing music and has been making a name for himself in the Nova Scotian music scene. With performances at the Stan Rogers Folk Festival, the Pictou Lobster Carnival and the New Glasgow Jubilee under his belt, Jud has captivated live audiences across the Maritime provinces, and has only just begun. 

Dedicated to the craft of guitar playing, with an appreciation for artists such as Chet Atkins, Doc Watson, John Allan Cameron, Buddy Holly, Roger Miller, Hank Snow, Stompin’ Tom Connors  and the Delmore Brothers, Jud Gunning has been building up a strong repertoire of classic songs and instrumentals.

He looks forward to following in the footsteps of his musical heroes, and taking his talent wherever the road may lead him.

Naomi Pierrard, known by her traditional name She Flows with the Water, is a Mi’kmaw song carrier from Cape Breton. Deeply connected to her heritage, she weaves Mi’kmaw history, knowledge, and language into her music, preserving and sharing cultural traditions through song. With a voice that resonates with the spirit of her ancestors, Naomi’s performances are both powerful and heartfelt. She is dedicated to using music as a bridge between generations, carrying forward the rich storytelling traditions of the Mi’kmaq people.