On Saturday March 12th, the acclaimed Irish musicians who make up the faculty of the Friday Harbor Irish Music Camp are performing a special one-night-only event at the Lincoln Theatre in Mount Vernon. These authentic performers straight from the Emerald Isle bring classic Irish instruments and special musical surprises to the Lincoln stage.
The artists will present a variety of solo songs, duets, and group ensembles, all just in time for St Patrick’s Day. The instruments used include the button accordion, concertina, uilleann pipes, and fiddle- all standard with Irish folk music. Each year these talented musicians travel across the world to lead the Irish Music Camp in Friday Harbor. This year, they have included a stop in Mount Vernon at the conclusion of their week of teaching.
The performers consist of some of the finest Irish and American performers you will here anywhere! Scheduled to perform are:
James Kelly - fiddle
James is one of the finest fiddlers playing traditional Irish music today, with a virtuosic yet perfectly traditional style all his own. Growing up in Dublin in one of Ireland's best known musical families, he started performing as a teenager and later emigrated to the U.S. James was a member of such famous bands as Planxty and Patrick Street, and has a number of solo recordings, including the classics "Is It Yourself", "Capel Street" and more.
Antóin MacGabhann - fiddle
Co. Cavan native Antóin MacGabhann is one of Ireland's most revered fiddlers and a highly regarded teacher, who has influenced a generation of musicians in Ireland. A fluent Irish speaker, Antoin performs regularly at festivals in Ireland, often along with members of his very musical family. This is a rare opportunity to hear this master musician outside of Ireland.
Randal Bays - fiddle
Co-founder and Artistic Director of the Friday Harbor Irish Music Camp, Randal is a self-taught American fiddler who's been playing and teaching Irish fiddle for over 30 years, earning him the respect of Irish music fans around the world. Randal is also a highly regarded fingerstyle guitarist.
Marcus Hernon - flute
Marcus Hernon was born and raised in Roisín na Mainíach in Carna, the very heart of the Connemara Gaeltacht, or Irish speaking area. As Marcus puts it, he plays "by ear and by instinct", with a strong commitment to traditional style, as he heard it himself from his elders. One of Ireland's finest flute players, Marcus has won seven All-Ireland championships. He's also an excellent maker of Irish style wooden flutes.
Eliot Grasso - flute, uilleann pipes
Baltimore native Eliot Grasso has made a name for himself as one of the finest uilleann pipers in America, and is also a highly regarded flute player and teacher. He's spent considerable time in Ireland studying music and performing, and is now living in Eugene, Oregon, working towards a doctorate in musicology.
Johnny Og Connolly - button accordion
From one of Connemara's great musical families, Johnny is a master of the traditional style of playing on the button accordion, and won the All-Ireland accordion prize at the age of 12. In recent years Johnny has performed and recorded with many great musicians including Charlie Lennon, Brian McGrath, etc. His playing is lively and expressive and represents the best of the Irish accordion tradition. In Irish, "Og" means "young", and in this case it distinguishes Johnny from his father, Johnny Connolly, a famous accordion player in his own right.
Florence Fahy - concertina
Florence is a native of north Co. Clare's Newquay, just up the road from Belharbour, home to famed concertina player Chris Droney and the center of an unusually rich tradition of concertina playing in Ireland. As musician and author (and former Friday Harbor instructor) Fintan Vallely points out, Florence is among those gifted young players who are helping to sustain the older dialects of Clare music. She's taught concertina extensively at home in Ireland and in the U.S.
Davey Mathias - guitar accompaniment
Davey comes from a musical family in South Carolina, where he teaches guitar and banjo. He tours regularly with Randal Bays and has appeared at many festivals and concerts around the Southeast with the group Corner House. Davey plays in DADGAD tuning and is a highly sought after accompanist.
For more information about the Friday Harbor Irish Music Camp, visit www.fridayharborirish.com.