The Chapel Arts Center is not only the residence to collections of fine art, but it is also a place for visiting exhibitions and events. On Sept. 22, the facility hosted the Franco-American Concert Project as part of the Chapel Arts Center Concert Series. Tickets were available free of charge to students and sold out quickly.

The concert is an exploration of Franco-American music, providing both students and other audience members with a chance to hear music related to the heritage of many Saint Anselm students and staff. Many of the performers have ties to Celtic, Scottish, and Irish music as well. This is because each of these cultures have ties to Brittany, the northwest region of France.

Featured performers were Rebecca Jeffreys on flute, Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki on fiddle, Janine Randall on piano, and Joe Deleault on accordion. The concert included music by composer Adrienne Albert including the premier of her new work, Acadian Dreams.

Adrienne Albert is a composer of many choral, vocal and chamber works. She has a certificate in Film Scoring from UCLA and her music has been performed around the world, including performances in the United States, Mexico, Europe, Australia, and South America.

Flutist Rebecca Jeffreys is based near Boston and works as a professor of flute at Saint Anselm College. Her career has included performances at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center, as well as a concerto performance in a private audience with Pope John Paul II.

Fiddle player Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki brings a unique energy to Celtic music, and has released multiple albums over the years. He has played in various groups, averaging over 200 shows per year, and has opened for such acts as Willie Nelson, Charlie Daniels and Uncle Kracker.

Pianist Janine Randall specializes in Scottish and Irish music, drawing from the culture of Cape Breton Island and Prince Edward Island in a traditional ‘Highland Gaelic’ style. Randall has been playing this style of music all her life and has accompanied many musicians at regional events including house parties and a performance last year at the Boston Concert Hall.

Accordion player Joe Deleault performed music at the Franco-American Concert from his latest CD “Native Land.”

“This is music I’ve written to preserve and continue the Franco-American culture that was made so prominent by Canadian immigrants who settled in New Hampshire a few generations ago,” says Deleault. “The music they brought with them is rich in their East Coast Canadian tradition, and I wanted to capture what it would have been like to attend a kitchen party on the West Side of Manchester a century ago.”