There is Traditional Irish Music going on in the greater Philadelphia area all summer long. Check out some great concerts coming up:
Celtic Old Time Fusion.
The Spring Hill House Concert Series
presents:
Albert Alfonso
John Brennan
Deb Shebish
In a rare evening, a one time event, of fiddle, guitar and bodhran
playing Irish, Scottish, and old time music.
When: Friday, July 23, 2009 at 8 pm
Where: 136 E. 3rd Street, Lansdale, Pennsylvania
Suggested donation: $15 suggested concert donation at the door (all proceeds go to the artists), children 12 & under free.
Reservations are required for concert. Please call Bob at 215-368-0525 for reservations or email bette@betteconway.com Either way, please provide BOTH a phone number AND an e-mail address, and tell us how many seats you want to reserve. If you leave a voicemail, FOR CLARITY, please spell out your e-mail address TWICE and say your phone number TWICE. Thanks! When you reserve a seat, we'll send a confirmation via e-mail.
Bring your favorite beverage to drink and finger food to share, and we will have some munchies provided. Albert promises to cook up a huge Cuban delight from our organic garden. John Brennan will have his new jewelry collection on display, and Bette will have her new Cape May rings.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Albert Alfonso is the man Mick Moloney dubbed "The Celtic-Cuban Connection." Born in New York City, he is a first generation American, son of Cuban and Haitian immigrants who moved to Miami where he grew up and his influence was mainly Cuban music. In the early 1990's, Albert beganmaking bodhrans, which can now be found in every state as well as in Canada, Ireland, England, France, Russia, and Japan. He has conducted numerous drum workshops across North America, and also at the Royal Academy of Music in London and Glasgow. He has performed and/or recorded with artists such as Solas, Altan, Liz Carroll, Roger Landes, Greenfields of America, Brian McNeill, John Doyle, Jerry Holland and J.P. Cormier.
John Brennan is a favorite of the Philadelphia traditional music scene as a fiddler and guitarist. He has studied with John Vesey and Jed Foley, and is the favored accompanist of such luminaries as Tommy Peoples, Paddy O’Neil, John Carty, and Tim Brittain. His sly and bold guitar stylings add to the lift and beat of the music, and both lead and accompany the finest of musicians. A frequent visiter to his roots in Ireland, he is both a student and a master of the art of Irish fiddle.
Deb Shebish (fiddle and vocals) began her musical career as a child, and went on to earn a degree inViolin Performance from Indiana State University, and a Master’s Degree in Scottish Ethnology from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. In addition to fiddling with iota, she also teaches for the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra, and performs freelance throughout the U.S. and abroad. She has traveled with the Irish Tenors on tour and opened for Ray Charles. Liz Carroll has invited her on stage to sit in, and she is a stylish and practiced performer, in high demand for her repretoire and energy.
And:
Sun., Aug. 1st, 8:00 PM
The Kane Sisters with Edel Fox
Admission: $15 / PCG members: $13
Sponored by The Philadelphia Ceili Group
Commodore Barry Club (The Irish Center)
6815 Emlen Street / Phila., Pa / (610) 486 2220
ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Liz and Yvonne Kane create a highly exciting and vibrant sound. These sisters come from the outskirts of Letterfrack, a village in Connemara. With a musical tradition on both sides of the family, it was only natural for the girls to play music. They began learning from their grandfather Jimmy Mullin. Along with their grandfather the recordings of the Rainey brothers, traveling fiddle players who visited Letterfrack and the surrounding areas were an influence.
Yvonne and Liz consider their style to be heavily influenced by South Sligo fiddle playing, the music of East Galway and in particular the fiddle playing and compositions of Paddy Fahey. In recent years, the sisters have been privileged to meet and play with Paddy whose music plays a central role in their repertoire. The recordings of Michael Coleman, Hughie Gillespie, Andy McGann and Kathleen Collins have also made an impact on their music.
Edel Fox is one of the most accomplished Irish musicians of her generation. She is a regular performer on Irish National Radio and has performed at festivals and in concert halls from North America all the way to Asia. In 2004, Edel was awarded one of the highest honors for a traditional musician in Ireland - the TG4 Young Musician of the Year award. In addition to being an engaging performer, Edel is an insightful and patient teacher, specializing in the repertoire of her native soil. She is on staff at the prestigious Willie Clancy Summer School in her home town, Miltown Malbay, Co. Clare. She also teaches annually at festivals in the US, including the Irish Arts Week Festival in East Durham, New York and the Elkins Irish Week in Augusta, West Virginia.
The sisters play very tightly together. In fact, rather than playing off each other and making contrasting individual statements, they choose to stay close at all times, the result being a powerful and gorgeous unison sound. Edel Fox is a former pupil of concertina master Noel Hill. Such is the musicianship of these young players that you'll find yourself listening to every little turn of phrase.
for more information regarding the Kane Sisters with Edel Fox concert go to
www.philadelphiaceiligroup.org
