The Appalachian Celtic Consort performs traditional Scottish and Irish music in the foothills of the Appalachian mountains of West Virginia. Our music catches the energy of the Celtic ceili, where musicians would gather just for the craic (Craic – pronounced “crack” but meaning “great fun”). We have been playing together since 1998, and regularly perform at venues in West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky. Of course, if someone wanted us to play in, say, Hawaii I think we could negotiate something!

The band currently consists of:

Patrick Wiegand - Guitar, Vocals. In addition to playing guitar with the Consort Pat is a composer, song writer, and percussionist. He regularly performs original material in Charleston area venues. When not "experimenting" with music, Pat is a research chemist.

Dewey Sanderson - Hammered Dulcimer. Dewey has been playing hammered dulcimer for over 10 years and is active in local hammered dulcimer societies. He also uses a different hammer to chip rocks -- as a professor of geology.

Mike Petersen - Concertina. Mike has had an interest in Celtic music for over 20 years. In addition to playing concertina he also plays hammered dulcimer, harp, bodhran, and has built his own bodhran and Celtic harp. Mike "cuts" time out of his regular job as a surgeon to play with ACC.

Mark Nelson - Flute, pennywhistle, bagpipes. Mark has played a plethora of instruments over the past 25 years including oboe, saxophone, recorder, guitar, and bagpipes. He has been a member of the Kanawha Valley Pipes and Drums competition unit and performed with the Presby Pickers. Oh yeah, he also has some kind of chemical engineering job during the day (no wonder he likes the bagPIPES...)

Neil Cadle - Bohdran, percussion, irish banjo. Neil has had a number of years experience playing Celtic music. Besides playing a mean bohdran, Neil constantly surprises us with creative use of other percussion, like the bones, hand drums, and wooden spoons. Currently he is doing a great job picking up irish banjo as well. In "reel" life, Neil is a geographer.

David Gladkosky - Mandolin, guitar. The newest member of the group, Dave brings some fine mandolin playing with a bit of old-time influence. He is also an accomplished guitarist and vocalist. When he "picked" his career, he chose something with a good match to his talents -- Dave is a music teacher in southern West Virginia.

Drop O' the Pure, the Consort's sophomore effort, gets down to the roots of Celtic session playing. Listening to the CD, it is easy to close your eyes and imagine yourself in a Dublin pub with the Guiness flowing freely. A wide variety of styles is represented, including energetic dance tunes, hauntingly melodic lamentations, and songs with lyrics ranging from humorous to eerie. True to session playing, most tracks consist of medleys of two or three tunes, played in a traditional manner. The tunes were chosen for their musical compatibility, but also for historical or topical significance. For example, Shamrock Shore is a song about the melancholy trip to America to escape the potato famine. It is coupled with Statten Island, representing their arrival in New York. You can even hear the ferry whistle! This is a fun CD with something for everyone.