Merry Music for Trying Times

Fortune, My Foe! takes listeners on a lively journey celebrating the friendship and community embodied by traditional music. This independent program brings songs of struggle, cheer, and hope from medieval Spain to pre-Victorian Scotland, and all the way to modern Ireland, with voices and a dazzling variety of rare woodwind instruments, supported by cittern, classical guitar and a bit of old-world percussion. Spun by the Roman goddess of fate (Fortuna), the Wheel of Fortune was a common image in medieval art, representing the unpredictable nature of life, and how the fortunes of even the rich and powerful could change in an instant. Gain strength from stories, sing-alongs, and foot-stomping instrumentals which for hundreds of years have sustained people through the darkest times. In the spirit of friends united, join this band of musicians spreading courage and cheer through music, for an uplifting and extraordinary experience. 

Members of the ensemble: 
Cameron St. Louis is a woodwind player, singer, and inventor from Seattle. He first learned to play Irish and Scottish traditional music under Laura MacKenzie while attending Carleton College, which unlocked a worldwide community of friends and fellow musicians in the Celtic genres. Cam is known for his handmade pennywhistles (Barter Loch Woodwinds), innovations in bagpipe design, driving flute style and powerful vocals. He enjoys playing with Seattle's acclaimed Scottish Gaelic band, Keltoi, and the genre-bridging rock band Ockham's Razor. 

Richard Hill has been teaching and singing in Scottish Gaelic since 1989, is a founder of Slighe nan Gàidheal and Fèis Seattle and is also well known in Seattle's early music scene. He won top honors for traditional Gaelic singing at the Mòds in Vancouver and Toronto and has taught for An Comunn Gàidhealach America and Voiceworks-Centrum, Bellingham, WA. Rich currently teaches through the Colaisde na Gaidhlig (Nova Scotia), is a Gaelic tutor for Princeton University, and is the lead singer for the celebrated Seattle Gaelic band Keltoi. 

Laura MacKenzie has learned Scottish and Irish music from many noted tradition bearers on both sides of the Atlantic. She has received numerous honors, fellowships and awards for her participation and dedication in this realm of music. Laura performs on an array of wind-powered instruments including wooden flutes, whistles, concertina, several types of bagpipes, gemshorn and voice. Enjoying a richly varied career grounded in traditional music, Laura has performed and recorded with diverse ensembles in a significant variety of contexts. 

Dave Bartley performs on guitar, cittern, mandolin and even more stringed instruments. Dave has played for social dances of many types, from ballroom and swing to international, Balkan, ceili and contra across North America and overseas. He has performed with the Seattle Symphony, toured with rock bands, and written about 400 original tunes. Along with Cam and Rich, Dave is a member of the distinguished Seattle band Keltoi, and is honored to be playing Early and Celtic music with this new ensemble. 

Fortune’s Special Guest for their 2025 Midwestern Tour, Katharine Grant has been singing to herself all her life. Songs she can sing anywhere anytime are what help her navigate through life with a sense that she is never truly alone — the ancestors have seen it all and live on as support to those alive today. In the Seattle area, Katharine performed under renowned medieval musician Margriet Tindemans along with Richard Hill, who was her entry into the Gaelic world. 

Workshops Offered 2025-2026: 
Inside the “Celtic” Sound, with Cam St. Louis & Laura MacKenzie
What’s behind that uniquely captivating aura conjured by Irish and Scottish music? Open to all melody instruments, musicians will learn key aspects of the expressive palette employed by Celtic musicians. We'll explore elements of style and share tips & tricks on rhythm, lift, ornamentation, and modal structure. Musicians of all skill levels will take home ways to make their performances more resonant and evocative of the misty isles where the music originates! 

Simple Scottish Gaelic Songs, with Richard Hill: 
In addition to epic poems, Gaidhlig culture is full of lullabies, rhythmic work songs, mouth-music (vocal dance tunes) and simple songs of the Otherworld. No prior knowledge of the language is necessary for this workshop! Rich will help everyone with pronunciation. Lyrics and simple phonetics will be provided in print. A special opportunity to learn from a teacher and singer beloved in the Gaelic community.