Cathy has performed with her musical husband, Bill Palmer, and with Maggie Sansone at the Maryland Renaissance Festival every year since 1986. As Cathy's and Bill's daughters became old enough to also perform musically and also became accomplished Irish step dancers they became a musical family at the festival. The Palmer family, Cathy, Bill, Christa, and Abigail have also been regulars at the Southern Maryland Celtic Festival.
These are other groups that Cathy plays in or has been a member of:
~ Whirligig! (present) playing Renaissance and Medieval music as they dance.
~ The Revelers (1986-present) music for peasant dances and the maypole at the Maryland Renaissance Festival
~ MoonFire (May, 1996-May, 2005) performed Celtic music with Elise Kress, Jody Marshall and Mary Fitzgerald/Ellen James for concerts, Celtic festivals, weddings, and other special occasions. Performed at the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage, BlackRock Center for the Arts, Strathmore, Longwood Gardens, Godfrey Daniel's, The House of Musical Traditions Concert Series, and numerous other venues.
~ Irish Shenanigan's (Sept.1997-May,1999) With Christa Palmer, Abigail Palmer, Karen Ashbrook, and Connie McKenna, Irish Shenanigan's performed Irish traditional music and dance for schools.
~ Connemara (March,1990-June,1996) With Grace Griffith, Tracie Brown/Mary Fitzgerald, Connemara performed Celtic music for concerts. festivals, weddings, and special occasions. They performed at The Birchmere, Strathmore, the Washington Folk Festival, and many other venues.
~ MacTalla (April, 1990-July, 1992) Cathy played the musical accompaniment for the Gaelic choir. They performed at Celtic festivals and in the Gaelic mod in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia where they tied for first place. Cathy later was a guest accompanist in 2005 when MacTalla performed in the Gaelic mod in Stornoway in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.
~ Lark in the Morning (Nov.1988-Aug. 1991) performed Irish, Scottish, English, and American traditional music and early music at festivals, Medieval feasts, contra dances, and English country dances.
~ Southwind (Oct.1986-Nov.1988) performed at Celtic festivals and special occassions.
