March 11 2pm
An afternoon of traditional Irish music, song and dance, fiddlers, pipers, accordion, step-dancing and more. Featuring Carraroe, Aoife Clancy, the Maureen Haley Dancers and Cape Tradition.
Admission is $20 (with children under 10 free)
The concert will present the best in traditional Irish artistry as a way of paying homage to Ireland’s beloved patron saint. “It’s exactly the time of year when everyone can enjoy the bounty of the Irish traditional experience whether they’re blessed with Irish heritage or not,” said music co-ordinator Bill Black.
Featured artists are:
Aoife Clancy, traditional singer
Seamus Connolly, fiddler
Kenny McGilvray, MC and Irish tenor
Carraroe, traditional quartet
Haley School of Irish Dance
AOIFE CLANCY brings a refreshing new voice to folk music, one that ranges from traditional Irish songs to ballads and contemporary folk. Aoife comes from the small town of Carrick-on-Suir, in Co. Tipperary, Ireland, where her musical career began at an early age. Her father Bobby Clancy – of the legendary Clancy Brothers – placed a guitar in her hands at age ten, and by age fourteen she was playing with her father in nearby pubs.
Aoife came to the US by way of Dublin, where she studied drama at the acclaimed Gaiety Theater School. On her arrival in this country, she joined the all-women traditional group “Cherish the Ladies” and toured with them for four years. She has been a featured soloist with orchestras such as the Boston Pops and Cincinnati Pops and, while performing with Cherish the Ladies, collaborated with the Boston Pops on their Grammy nominated Celtic album.
In spite of a busy tour schedule, Aoife has had time to record extensively, completing seven recordings in the last decade, Aoife has clearly established herself as one of the “divas” of Irish and contemporary Folk Music, and we are very pleased to have her as “headliner” for this year’s concert.
SEAMUS CONNOLLY is a native of the lovely town of Killaloe, County Clare, where he grew up in a house filled with music – both his parents and two brothers were musicians, so it was natural that he would be be drawn to the music that has occupied his life since beginning fiddle lessons at the age of 12. He has lived in the Boston area since 1976. He is a ten-time winner of the Irish National Fiddle Championship, a feat unequalled by any other traditional musician in recent times.
Seamus currently holds an endowed Chair at Boston College and is “Sullivan Artist-in-Residence” at the school. It was at Boston College from 1993 to 2003 that Seamus conducted the “Gaelic Roots” summer school and festival that brought so many first-class traditional musicians to the area to share their knowledge and love with local students. in 1990 he was awarded a Fellowship in Traditional Arts by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, and in 2002 he received the honor of being named “Traditional Musician of the Year” by the Irish Echo. In 1999 he was selected by Irish America Magazine as one of its “Top 100″ Irish-Americans.
Seamus has had the honor of representing Ireland on three “Masters of the Folk Violin” tours organized by the National Council for the Traditional Arts. He performs at festivals and also has extensive experience with radio and television. In addition to hosting a Gaelic Roots concert series at Boston College, he is also involved in preserving Irish tunes, with one book finished and another in progress.
There is no aspect of Irish traditional music that Seamus Connolly has not been involved in over the course of a busy and fulfilling life. We are honored to have him participate in our show.
The HALEY SCHOOL OF IRISH DANCE needs no introduction to lovers of the Irish tradition in the Southeast Mass. area. Maureen Haley, a native of Co. Galway, Ireland, has been teaching competitive Irish dancing in the New England region for almost 40 years. She started dancing at the age of six in Galway city, and spent many years competing in regional and national level competitions. Maureen moved to the United States and opened her dance school in 1974. Since then she has become an icon in the Boston Irish dance scene. Her dancers have performed all over North America, sharing the stage with Natalie MacMaster, Keith Lockhart & the Boston Pops, The Irish Tenors, and Tony Kenny, to name a few. She currently teaches classes in Whitman, Duxbury, Cape Cod and Shrewsbury, MA. Maureen’s mission as a teacher has been to instill in all of her students an appreciation and love of Irish culture and dance. When not teaching dance (which is rare), she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren– Annie, Jack & Jenna.
CARRAROE is the name of the traditional quartet who are the “host band” for this year’s show. The group consists of Mark Oien, fiddle; Torrin Ryan, uilleann pipes; Kevin Daly, accordion, and Bill Black, guitar and bouzouki. All the members are from the Southeast New England area.
The band was formed a little over a year ago at the suggestion of Black, who had played with the other members individually on many occasions and came to the conclusion that they would sound very well in a group format. Although varying in age from not-quite-able-to-drive-legally (Ryan) to social-security recipient (Black), the group is united and made strong by its great love and respect for the dance music of Ireland, the lively “jigs, reels, and hornpipes” that impart the distinctive sound to Irish traditional music.
Hopefully the group will get around to a CD at some point or another (“while I can still hold a guitar,” says Black).
KENNY McGILVRAY is the show’s MC and “resident” Irish tenor, a well-known and well-respected performer here on Cape Cod.
Saturday, February 25, 6:00 pm
