Since being added to the Celtic Colours lineup in 2022, the L’Arche Cape Breton Gathering Place is proving to be a popular place to get together for a mid-week afternoon of music. You’ll find the venue west of Whycocomagh, just off the Trans-Canada Highway on the way to Orangedale. Today’s concert features musicians from Newfoundland, Cape Breton, and Prince Edward Island and gives a nod to the relatively informal musical gathering typically known as a session. Sessions are popular events wherever traditional music is played. They can play an important role in meeting other musicians, learning tunes, and passing on traditions, in a fun and friendly setting. The Hailee LeFort Trio came together as the result of its members meeting and playing during sessions at the Old Triangle Irish Alehouse in Charlottetown, PEI. Over the last thirty years performing as a duo, Jim Payne and Fergus O’Byrne have grown into the role of tradition-bearers of Newfoundland music and culture, and so much of this knowledge is passed on through sessions. Singer-songwriter Rob MacLean lives not far from the venue in Whycocomagh. Known for soulful, powerful vocals and intricate guitar work, Rob can often be found during Celtic Colours at the Festival Club, where he is a frequent participant in the song sessions that tend to take place late at night.