The Sound of Sleat is a pipe- centric Celtic quartet comprised of Scottish small pipes, piano, cello, and guitar. This talented group of musicians presents a unique blend of instruments, which captures the vibrancy as well as the subtlety of Scottish and Irish pipe music. The group offers a versatile program bringing in contrasting vocals with soulful cello accompaniment and other combinations of instruments. The musicians use harp, accordion, and Border pipes to add flare and excitement to their program. "Sleat" takes its name from the peninsula on the Isle of Skye. The "Sound of Sleat" refers to the body of water between the Isle of Skye and the Scottish Highlands. Sleat, (pronounced like "peat") which in Scottish Gaelic means "smooth", is very fitting for this new, great -sounding band. Their signature tune is the reel, "The Sound of Sleat". The musicians are all seasoned professionals, who bring together a blend of Scottish and Irish traditional tunes and songs. In addition to ancient Scottish piping classics and rarities, their repertoire includes tunes and sets from Cape Breton and contemporary composers. The dynamic range and variety of moods of their instruments is unexpectedly broad and rich. "The music has a maturity behind it", says J. Hurley, proprietor of O'Hurley's General Store, Shepherdstown, WVA. The music ranges from soulful airs to dance tunes, from war and peace, to the local pub and beyond. About the Musicians: Pat Egan is well known as a guitarist and singer in the Irish traditional music scene both here and overseas. He was a founding member of the Irish bands Chulrua and the Hedge Band. Pat was a nominee for a WAMA award in the category Folk – Traditional Vocalist every year from 2010 to 2013, and the 2013 WAMMIE in that category was awarded on February 16, 2014 to Pat! Tabby Finch is a talented multi-instrumentalist and long-time member of the Bogwanderers Ceili Band. She is also a founding member of Mucho Gusto, a world cafe/Latin band, Jug of Punch, The Scones, an Irish pub band, and performs in a duo with Pat Egan. Tabby’s playful and toe-tapping style is her trademark which brings a wonderful energy to The Sound of Sleat. Her versatility as a virtuoso pianist, accordion player and harpist introduces many textures that are woven into the sound of the band. Karin Loya is a well-known cellist in Celtic and other traditional music circles. Known for unique harmony lines and rhythmic and energetic accompaniments, she currently also plays in A Sheep at the Wheel and the Splendid Shilling Consort. She is in-demand for English Country Dance, community theater, and more. Two of Karin’s CDs, Almost Home (2005) with Fynesound, of which she was a long-time member, and A Sheep at the Wheel (2010) were WAMA nominees for Best Traditional Folk Recording. Robert Mitchell has over thirty years of experience performing in the Washington D.C., Baltimore areas and nationally playing the Great Highland Bagpipes, Scottish Small Pipes, and Border Pipes. Bob performed twenty years at the Maryland Renaissance Festival as the wandering piper, entertaining generations of visitors. He was also the Director and Pipe Major of Dunloggin Pipes and Drums Band for 25 years. After moving on from bagpipe band work, Bob has toured and recorded with Iona. He has also performed with Jennifer Cutting’s Ocean Orchestra. He brings an extensive repertoire of Scottish, Cape Breton and Irish tunes to The Sound of Sleat.