For more than 10 years, Raylene Rankin's voice joined those of her brothers and sisters as part of the internationally acclaimed Canadian recording act The Rankin Family.
Saturday night in Duncan Raylene takes the stage at the Cowichan Theatre in Duncan.
At the height of The Rankin Family's popularity, the group toured the world and sold more than two million albums with Raylene as "the voice" of the family's hit songs.
Raylene left her family's band in 1998 and, in the fall of 1999, music legend Carly Simon invited her and her sisters to her Martha's Vineyard studio to add their special harmonies to Simons Bedroom Tapes CD.
As a solo artist, Raylene toured Atlantic sa国际传媒 in 2004, Western sa国际传媒 in 2005 (with guest artist Archie Fisher) and was featured at the prestigious Festival D'Ete in Quebec City as well as Cape Breton's famous Celtic Colours Festival.
Raylene has now recorded her first solo effort Lambs in Spring, an acoustic recording featuring traditional tunes and two David Francey songs.
Raylene's concert is planned to be a mix of new material, Rankin family favourites and traditional Celtic songs sung in Gaelic.
Appearing with Raylene will be Mairi Rankin -- Mairi plays fiddle with the Cape Breton group Beolach, and has also performed extensively with The Rankin Family, Natalie MacMaster, Ashley MacIsaac, Mary Jane Lamond, and others.
Raylene's show also includes Mac Morin, dancer and pianist, who has also worked with Natalie and Buddy MacMaster, and Howie MacDonald of The Rankins.
Clarence Deveau, who has played with practically every traditional Cape Breton act and toured widely with The Rankin Sisters, will also be featured.
This event is a co-production of the Cowichan Folk Guild and The Pacific Institute of Piping & Celtic Performing Arts.
These non-profit groups are presenters of the Islands Folk Festival and CeltFest Vancouver Island respectively.
Partial proceeds of ticket sales will provide scholarships for the training of young Celtic musicians and dancers at CeltFest Summer School in July 2007.
Tickets are available at the Cowichan Ticket Centre 250-748-7529; they cost $26.50 for adults and $24 for seniors, students and children.