Irish Christmas in America: A Teada Christmas Concert with Karen Casey
$21.00 Discount tickets are available on-line at: concert ticket sales
"IRISH CHRISTMAS IN AMERICA" brings Ireland's top young traditional musicians and dancers to Philadelphia on Dec 9 Award-winning Irish band Téada and acclaimed vocalist Karan Casey headline holiday tour "Captivating" Irish Music Magazine "Lively and reflective...a powerful evocation of the season" Folk Wax "A celebration of family and good times at the winter season" Gather.com
Tuesday, Dec 9th, 2008 8:00 pm,
The Commodore Barry Club (The Irish Center) 6815 Emlen St, Philadelphia PA 215-248-0502, 215-843-8051. Advance tickets are available at the Commodore Barry Club.
Tickets are $25 and $23 for Ceili Group members at the door on the night of the concert
More information available at: www.philadelphiaceiligroup.org
Group tickets are available to groups of 15 or more at $20 each.
Two of Ireland's top young traditional artists, vocalist Karan Casey and award-winning band Téada, headline a lively and fascinating performance of music, dance and holiday customs in An Irish Christmas in America. Called "a powerful evocation of the season" (Folk Wax) and "captivating"(Irish Music Magazine), the fourth annual tour comes to Philadelphia's Irish Center on Tuesday, December 9th at 8:00pm. 
Irish Christmas in America takes the spirit of Christmas on a distinctively Irish journey. The family-friendly performance features beautifully sung Irish ballads and holiday carols, lively fiddle tunes and thrilling Irish dancing. The cast brings to life seasonal Irish traditions and stories both heartfelt and humorous. A stunning backdrop of evocative photographic images accompanies the show, taken by Irish photographer Ciarán McHugh, whose work features the rugged and historic landscape of the west of Ireland. Also featured in the performance is the exquisite playing of Irish harpist Gráinne Hambly, Tommy Martin of Riverdance on the Irish uillean pipes (bagpipes), and the exciting Irish dancing of newcomer Brian Cunningham, a 23-year old All-Ireland champion from Connemara, County Galway, Ireland, who specializes in sean-nos or "old-style" footwork. Téada (pronounced "tay-da," meaning "strings" in Irish) are one of Irish music's hottest young talents, preserving the timeless energy and expressive force of traditional jigs, reels and hornpipes. With three acclaimed albums out on Compass Records, Living Tradition Magazine calls Téada "brilliant young musicians who present Irish music as it really is: the joy of it, the full breadth and depth of it, the power and pace of it." Casey, an original member of Irish-American supergroup Solas, has just released her latest solo album Ships in the Forest on Compass Records. She's called "the most soulful singer to emerge in Irish traditional music in the past decade" by The Glasgow (Scotland) Herald. The show was created and produced by Téada fiddler and bandleader Oisín Mac Diarmada. The cast also includes Téada band members Damien Stenson on flute, Sean McElwain on guitar and Tristan Rosenstock on bodhrán (Irish drum) and narration. "One of the most heartfelt themes of Irish Christmas is emigration," says Mac Diarmada, an All-Ireland fiddle champion from County Sligo. "Music was a way that people stayed close to home." "Christmas is a time to spend with your family," adds vocalist Karan Casey. "Now that I've two children it makes me appreciate the holidays even more. It's really a magical time – kids are just enamored and bowled over by Christmas, and it's one of the few times in our lives that we're truly hopeful, even in today's world." "Growing up, we'd go caroling for charities," adds Casey, who hails from a small town in County Waterford. "I'll be singing some of my favorite carols, as well an Irish song or two that's older and not so well-known. I'm looking forward to working with Téada," she adds. "They have a strong sense of tradition, especially for such young musicians. They dig very deep, and get great enjoyment from the tunes in their natural form." A bright new tradition among holiday events, Irish Christmas in America is the holiday show to see this season. For more information visit www.irishchristmasinamerica.com. _________________________________________________________
