Withershins

Withershins is a young Dutch folkband interpreting Irish and Scottish traditional music with a spirited playfulness. Romping with jigs, caressing a waltz or bashing their way through a reel; with a healthy respect for the tradition, but always with a wink and a good dose of rebelliousness. Traditional tunes find themselves in fine arrangements, and original tunes will lead you astray with unexpected twists and turns. Gloomy murder ballads and rowdy pubsongs round off their sound.

• WITH-ER-SHINS- / with'ər-shinz In the opposite direction; hence, in the wrong way. adv. Anti-clockwise, in the contrary direction, especially to the left or opposite to the direction of the sun.

Philip Steenbergen and Tijn Berends, both multi-instrumentalists, met at one of the sessions in the Dutch folk scene. They quickly realised their daring, innovative approach to traditional music made them a natural match. With his background in synthpop and electronic music, Erwin Tuijl uses keys and piano to add a distinctly modern flair to the ensemble. Annelies Pronk, sweet-voiced on both vocals and flute, is the crystalline flourish that ties it all together.

Withershins is contrarian. Wayward. They’ll take folk music into climes it was never meant for, bend it so much you think it might break, drag it kicking and screaming into the 21st century.. but they’ll always find their way back to the warm glow and cheerful, carefree atmosphere of an Irish pub on a rainy night.

Oncoming year, in addition to their performance at Castlefest, the musicians will be on stage as part of Celtic Sparks. The most talented Dutch musicians and dancers will join forces for this evening of music and dance. Their debut show "A Trip to Ballygonefishin" will be full of nimble-fingered playing, ear-pleasing singing, and dance that will set the stage alight.