Lucy MacNeil is a singer, multi instrumentalist and step dancer from Cape Breton Island. She plays Fiddle, Celtic Harp, and Bodhran. Lucy has been performing with the Barra MacNeils for more than 36 years. They come from a long tradition of Cape Breton music and dance that has been the foundation of their creative pursuits over their musical career.
Alongside her brothers she has travelled to Europe, Scotland, England, Wales, Ireland, the United States, Barbados, throughout Canada from Fogo Island, Nfld. to Iqualuit to Vancouver island.
The Barras recorded their first self titled album in 1986 and have continued making music, touring and recording throughout the years. During the 1990’s they were signed with record label Poly Dor and Opened for Celine Dion, Kenny Rogers and were special guests on two of Rita MacNeils’ Christmas specials.
In 2015 Lucy was one of the artists in residence for the “Celtic Colours International Music Festival”. Here she was paired with Liz Doherty from Buncrana, Ireland to help select musicians and musical selections together for performances during the festival. It was a wonderful experience for both Lucy and the audiences who came to Celtic Colours and those that watched the online streaming shows.
In 2014 and 2017 Lucy was a special guest with Symphony Nova Scotia for their Rita MacNeil tribute concert with guests The Men of the Deeps. In 2021 she was invited back for the Symphony Nova Scotia Fusion sessions. For these three concerts she performed with conductor Scott MacMillan, Symphony Nova Scotia.
Lucy has also teamed up with Bette MacDonald, Jenn Sheppard and Heather Rankin as The Island Girls. They toured the Maritimes in 2022 to enthusiastic audiences and look to do more dates in the future.
During the pandemic which was a very quiet time for many Lucy started working on a solo album. Something she had wanted to do but the time never presented itself. She also felt in these uncertain times watching a world that was going through immense change and upheaval she wanted to leave something behind of herself and her lifetime attachment to traditional music and song.
In October of 2021 Lucy released her first single “Hope For One and All” and is now looking at a release date for her album,
“Angels Whisper” early this summer.