While Quebec’s early French settlers brought their ballads from Normandy and Bretagne, the arrival of hundreds of thousands of Irish immigrants to the province in the 19th century added a considerable Celtic flavor and cultural influence on the region’s music scene and more.

For over a quarter century, Quebec City’s Bonhomme Setter have maintained that mélange of Celtic and French-Canadian folk traditions – one that still permeates “La Belle Province” to this day.

Founding member and flautist Sylvain Laberge reflects on the origins of the group and its ongoing evolution.

“Bonhomme Setter began in 1998, and we have had many musicians come and go over the years with each of them contributing to our sound. Patrick McSweeney, from Cork, Ireland, is a former member and a guest on our latest album Colours of Time. The current members are all from Quebec City. Since the start, our goal has always been to be true to ourselves, while both challenging and respecting our musical traditions at the same time.”

That mix of past and present is apparent in the band’s music as well as their moniker, which blends twin legends derived from the province’s “deux solitudes.”

“We chose a name that would connect anglophones and francophones at the level of folklore,” explains Laberge. “It comes from the mythical ‘bogeyman’ legend in Quebec known as “Bonhomme Sept Heures” (recited to frighten children into coming home before 7pm) and its twisted translation to ‘Bone Setter’ (an itinerant medicine man who performed medical manipulations on terrified children) from English lore.”

The idea for the band was sparked by Laberge’s budding love affair with Celtic music, which began in the early 1990s.

“I was blown away by a Chieftains concert at the Quebec Summer Festival in 1993,” he recalls. “I fell in love with Celtic music and especially the Irish wooden flute. Matt Molloy (Chieftains’ flautist) pulled off this fantastic solo during one tune, and that moment was an eye-opener for me”

Bonhomme Setter’s first recording, En Tombant du Troisieme, was released in 1999. Three more albums would be released by 2014.

“Today, our sound can be described as Celtic, with classical and world music influences…”

“Some of our albums have been called ‘Celtic Chamber Music’ – a label that we felt was appropriate, given our types of arrangements. With the release of Obia (2014), we focused on orchestrating strings – something that set us apart from other trad groups.”

Obia was a turning point for the band and helped launch their first U.S. tour.

“The response was great, and we performed a lot of concerts in Quebec. We toured Maine and Massachusetts again in 2016, including a show with Irish fiddler John Carty as part of the Burren Backroom series in Boston. It was an incredible experience.”

Bonhomme Setter frequently collaborates with other musicians, resulting in a melodic mish-mashing of classic and contemporary melodies.

“We create music that reflects who we actually are, rather than trying to sound like someone else,” says Laberge, “We all have different musical backgrounds; Stephane is a well-established prog rock guitarist, and Marie-Noelle (violin, viola) and Marie-Pier (cello), are accomplished classical musicians. I am the only ”trad” member of the band, but all members have a dedicated passion for Celtic music.”

The band recently launched Colours of Time in their hometown.

“It took about two years to prepare this album, and it marks the 25th anniversary of the band, so we gathered some former members to record some tracks with us. We had eight musicians on stage at the Quebec City concert and performed one set with the new material and another set of our old songs from the early days. So far, the album has been well received, and we are planning more Quebec concerts. We are also in the process of creating an original show with a Quebec circus company, Look-up Aerial Arts and Poliquin-Simms2.”

Ironically, despite the numerous changes in the band’s line-up, and its many musical influences, Laberge continually finds himself returning to his roots.

“I listen to all kinds of music, but I always come back to Celtic – there is simply something special there that resonates with me.”

www.bonhommesetter.com