Arts and Entertainment
The arrival of warm weather is a time for festivals and other outdoor performances – such as the Irish Cultural Centre of New England’s Boston Irish Festival [see separate story] – that feature Irish/Celtic music. Here is a look at some events in greater... Read more
The fiddler and pianist Charlie Lennon, a celebrated musician and innovator in the Irish tradition, is known for composing numerous tunes that have become part of Irish music repertoires everywhere. He has also integrated the Irish traditional form into... Read more
The Gloaming, “Live at the NCH” • This occasional band is the union of five intriguing personalities and talents, all steeped in traditional music while very open to influences from contemporary sources: Martin Hayes, a master of the lyrical East Clare... Read more
Lydia Barnett-Mulligan has been studying and performing Shakespeare since she was 15 years old. The actor, director, and education artist got her start via the educational program at Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, MA.
She’s now a member of the... Read more
May 13 is Mother’s Day this year, but it’ll be a “Fathers and Sons Afternoon” on the Burren Backroom stage. That’s because the Backroom series will feature a concert at 4 p.m. with Boston-area bouzouki player and singer John Coyne and Seattle-based... Read more
The New England folk trio Low Lily takes its name from a flower commonly found in the region, but its musical vision evokes the arboreal: roots and branches.
Flynn Cohen (guitar, mandolin, vocals), Liz Simmons (guitar, piano, vocals), and Lissa... Read more
When she first came to the Boston area 16 years ago, Michigan native Rachel Reeds probably couldn’t have found Cape Breton Island on a map, and she certainly didn’t know anything about its distinctive Celtic music tradition.
But that was then.
Nowadays,... Read more
Spring is in the air and that means The Big Apple Circus is coming back to Boston. After a brief hiatus last season, the world renowned, one-ring wonder returns for its 40th Anniversary Tour, playing under the Big Top at Assembly Row in Somerville. ... Read more
Open the Door for Three, a trio of Irish musicians whose penchant for scholarship complements their talents for arrangement and performance, will be a featured act in the 13th annual “A St. Patrick’s Day Celtic Sojourn” production, which takes place March... Read more
The Jeremiahs, “The Femme Fatale of Maine” • As the folk revival has gone on, there has been a gradual proliferation, especially in more recent years, of bands that utilize the architecture of traditional music in presenting their original music – close... Read more
by R.J. Donovan
Frank McCourt is perhaps best known for his gripping 1996 memoir, “Angela’s Ashes.” Detailing the harshness of his upbringing in Limerick, the book remained on the New York Times bestseller list for 100 weeks and was honored with multiple... Read more
Open the Door for Three, a trio of Irish musicians whose penchant for scholarship complements their talents for arrangement and performance, will be a featured act in the 13th annual “A St. Patrick’s Day Celtic Sojourn” production, which takes place March... Read more
Lankum, “Between the Earth and Sky” • Formerly known as Lynched – a reference to co-founding brothers Ian and Daragh Lynch – this quartet of self-described “Dublin folk miscreants” has made quite the impression with its populist, gritty, infectious... Read more
Patrick Dunn is definitely a guy on the go. One day you’ll find the actor performing off-Broadway, the next he’s at Lincoln Center working with the legendary Hal Prince on a production of “Candide.” He might be playing the lead in “Jesus Christ... Read more
An immigration-themed performance event that premieres February 9-11 at the Boston Center for the Arts will feature a specially commissioned piece by Charlie Lennon – one of Ireland’s most distinguished tradition-influenced musicians/composers – and a... Read more
BY R. J. DONOVAN
SPECIAL TO THE BIR
Apollinaire Theatre Company kicks off the New Year with a production of Chekhov’s “Three Sisters,” as adapted by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tracy Letts. Directed by Danielle Fauteux Jacques, performances run... Read more
BY SEAN SMITH
SPECIAL TO THE BIR
Please, don’t call them “kids” any more.
This past year, the Cape Cod-based ensemble of school-age Irish musicians formerly known as “Keltic Kids” changed its name to “Celtic Roots.” The time was ripe, members say: When... Read more
BY SEAN SMITH
SPECIAL TO THE BIR
For this month’s column, we’re going to take a look at some recent recordings by Celtic artists with Massachusetts and New England ties.
The Press Gang, “Fortune It May Smile” • Formed in 2009 amidst the proliferating... Read more
Destination: Southeast Ireland
Featuring two nights at Dunbrody House, Wexford, and a chat with its master chef Kevin Dundon
BY ED FORRY
BIR PUBLISHER
I visited Ireland’s southeast coast late last summer, a trip that, for me, was truly an eye-opener.... Read more
THE BIR’S ARTS CALENDAR OF IRISH/CELTIC EVENTS
January 2018
The BCMFest Nightcap concert, “From Spark to Flame,” will be devoted to the stories that define the lives of musicians and singers, according to festival organizers. The concert, which takes... Read more
