Meet the Band
Callanish was formed in 2001 by four members of the Scottish band Ceol Binn, based in Lemont, Pennsylvania. When the founders of Ceol Binn retired to Canada, the remaining band members re-formed, named themselves “Callanish” and expanded their repertoire to include Irish as well as Scottish music.
They quickly became regulars at the Bellefonte Victorian Christmas, Wellsboro's Laurel Festival, Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, First Night State College, where they have performed annually since 2001!
They quickly became regulars at the Bellefonte Victorian Christmas, Wellsboro's Laurel Festival, Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, First Night State College, where they have performed annually since 2001!
Patty Lambert
Patty is a founding member of Callanish! She plays wooden flute, whistle, and concertina. She was a former member of Ceol Binn, Smash the Windows, the Celtic Classic trio, and appears on all four Callanish albums, Smash the Windows' Requests the Pleasure of Your Company, Celtic Classic, and Davy Jones' She. She is also a current member of the State College Municipal Band. She has studied Irish flute with Mike Rafferty and Eliot Grasso, and has attended workshops at Catskills Irish Arts Week, Irish/Celtic Week at Augusta, Goderich Celtic Roots, and other festivals. Formerly on the faculty of the Music Academy, she now teaches privately in her home. Patty is also responsible for starting and running the State College Area Irish Music Session that has met monthly since 2002!
Betsy Gamble
Betsy plays fiddle, viola, and pipes. She originally started on the viola, and switched to fiddle in at Earlham College to play with contra and square dance bands. Over the years, she has played with Irish, New York State old time, historical museum, English, and Scottish dance bands in Washington, D.C., California, and upstate New York. She played on the recordings Sackett's Harbor with Jim Kimball and Mitzi Collins, and on Contras from the Old Country with the band Fool's Gold. She is now a piper and teacher in the Nittany Highland Pipe and Drum Band based in Central Pennsylvania.
Louisa Smith
Louisa is currently on a band maternity leave after the August 2025 birth of her daughter, Margot. A native of State College, and a 2009 graduate of the Penn State School of Theatre. The lead singer of Callanish, she is a classically trained vocalist, having studied since childhood with her mother, singer Theresa Smith, and is one of two vocalists to have won the Triolo Music Competition for young musicians. Her love of Celtic music was sparked during her two years as a part time cast member at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire. She also plays bodhran, spoons, and other percussion. She and her family live in Richmond Va.
Holly Foy
Holly plays guitar, bouzouki and occasional bodhran. She has studied with Mary Coogan, guitarist of Cherish the Ladies, Daithe Sproule of Altan, Matt Heaton, and others at festivals such as Irish/Celtic Week at Augusta, Catskills Irish Arts Week, and Goderich Celtic Roots. She also plays the hammered dulcimer in the Renaissance group Ancient Echoes and with Bruce Young and John Collins in the group, Celtic Nations. see www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=celtic%20nations
Since 2008, Holly has done the booking for Folk College, held at Juniata College each Memorial Day Weekend and coordinated booking talent for the Acoustic Brew Concert Series as well. She has visited Ireland four times, three with Callanish band mate, Patty Lambert, where they enjoy getting lost and collecting tunes and stories at pub sessions!
Substitute Singers
Since 2008, Holly has done the booking for Folk College, held at Juniata College each Memorial Day Weekend and coordinated booking talent for the Acoustic Brew Concert Series as well. She has visited Ireland four times, three with Callanish band mate, Patty Lambert, where they enjoy getting lost and collecting tunes and stories at pub sessions!
Substitute Singers
Cate Fricke is joining us during Louisa’s maternity leave during the spring of 2026. Cate is a long time fan of Celtic singing and we first met her at the State College Area Irish Sessions about 8 years ago. She is the co-founder to the Justice Singers of Centre County and you can read more about that group here:
www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61584251225563
www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61584251225563
Another substitute singer Callanish works with is our fiddling friend, Bruce Young. Bruce plays with Holly in the Celtic Nations Band, has played with Patty in the Smash the Windows Band and is a regular Contra Dance and English Country Dance Caller. Bruce played fiddle and sang for years as a cast member at the PA Renaissance Faire. Check out Bruces’ one man weekly FIDDLE FANTASTIC music performance here:
www.facebook.com/BruceYoungsFiddleFantastick
www.facebook.com/BruceYoungsFiddleFantastick