The Freels, are a group of young St. John's, Newfoundland musicians.The band demonstrates a musical maturity that belies the youth of its members.The five musicians range from 18-28 years of age, but they have been playing for many years.

Band members are:

Maria Peddle, fiddle & vocals

Fergus Brown O'Byrne, accordion & concertina

Danny Mills, flute whistle, guitar & accordion

Anthony Chafe, guitar, bodran & accordion

Andrew Fitzgerald, fiddle & vocals

The band recently released their debut CD, SELF-TITLED. The CD contains traditional Newfoundland dance tunes, a set of reels combining a traditional Irish Rel, a lively set of jigs, and a capella version of an Old Irish Ballad featuring band member Maria Peddle and a roaring set of dance tunes by Anthony Chafe.

On the CD, the band pays homage to legendary west coast fiddlers Rufus Guinchard and Emile Benoit, by including a set of tunes on the CD from each artist, that also include a set from Port Kirwan accordion player Belle Fennelly. The CD is nicely rounded out by the inclusion of songs from songwriters as diverse as Ron Hynes, Pat Byrne and Paul Simon.

With the pure and emotive singing voice of Maria Peddle and the bands clever playing the various instruments, are sure to please the listener, whether its dancing or singing and theywill be asking for more.

For more information regarding the band and their music, refer to their website, address posted above.