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Fantasy, magic for a Celtic Christmas concert in Coquitlam

Port Moody musician Britta Curkovic was sailing in Croatia this summer and soaking in the rays when some lyrics popped into her head.
caelestra
Caelestra is (left to right): songwriter Britta Curkovic, soprano Lambroula Maria Pappas, flautist Michelle Carlisle, Sacha Levin on percussion and cellist Janelle Ragno.

Port Moody musician Britta Curkovic was sailing in Croatia this summer and soaking in the rays when some lyrics popped into her head.

Then the chords came, fully formed.

A couple of minutes later, she struck the melody.

And then the wind picked up. "There we were, chasing across the ocean, and I was holding onto my iPhone and frantically trying to type in the verse," Curkovic recalled with a laugh. 

That was the start of Lady of Luck, an energetic jig she wrote as a Yuletide sailor song that will be performed Sunday at Coquitlam's Evergreen Cultural Centre by her ensemble, Caelestra — a Celtic folk group Curkovic founded last year.

Lady of Luck is one of about a dozen tunes Curkovic has composed since the summer and all have a Christmas feel that all harken to different styles and eras — from medieval to present day.

But what is constant about them is her signature sound that weaves fantasy and magic.

Curkovic is blessed with the gift of songwriting, sometimes penning compositions within hours. Last year, she was on such a songwriting frenzy that she vowed to slow down in 2016; however, she broke her promise half way through, writing enough music to record an entire album — something that she plans to do with Caelestra in the new year.

"I'm not sure exactly how I do it," she admitted. "I find inspiration everywhere and I have to get it down."

For Caelestra, the multi-instrumentalist is joined by her core musicians: Place des Arts faculty teachers Michelle Carlisle (flute) and Lambroula Maria Pappas (soprano). And for their Coquitlam show on Dec. 18, the trio will be joined by percussionist Sacha Levin and cellist Janelle Ragno.

As well, like with their other concerts, they will appear in their traditional 17th century garb. "We love to dress up and really take our audience back to a different time," Curkovic said. 

• For tickets to  A Caelestra Christmas at $25/$20/$16, call the box office of the Evergreen Cultural Centre (1205 Pinetree Way) at 604-927-6555 or go online at evergreenculturalcentre.ca. Caelestra's next show is at Place des Arts (1120 Brunette Ave., Coquitlam) on Feb. 18.

jcleugh@tricitynews.coms