Brennan MacDonald, a native of Port Hood and now living outside Halifax, has played an active role in the East Coast music scene for more than 30 years. Starting young with both music and step dance, the oldest boy of Mary Janet and Cecil’s seven was often onstage dancing alongside the family. He would go on to play large roles in the Celtic band Kilt and the family collaborations of Crossfire and Company Road, all the while working on his own songwriting and raising a family of his own. A skilled accompanist as well as singer, Brennan will be playing with Mairi Rankin and in a trio with Troy MacGillivray and Allan Dewar during the festival this year.