Irish Band Réalta Coming at Rialto Theatre

The hot Irish group Réalta is coming in from Belfast, Ireland to perform at the Rialto Theatre in Lancaster on March 4. The concert is hosted by the Great North Woods Committee for the Arts and is a great way to get into the mood for St. Patrick’s Day month.

Réalta take a lively, exciting and respectful approach to Irish traditional music. This award winning multi-instrumentalist group has traveled extensively bringing their unique take on Irish traditional music to international audiences with an enchanting program of dance music interspersed with the occasional air and song.

While Conor Lamb and Loïc Bléjean pursue the melody on uilleann pipes and whistles, guitarist and vocalist Deirdre Galway explores the harmony and rhythms within the tunes. All-Ireland champions Dermot Mulholland and Dermot Moynagh complete the line-up with dynamic accompaniments on double bass, bouzouki, banjo, bodhrán and voice, making this one of the most exciting acts on the Irish music scene today.

Conor Lamb fell in love with the uilleann pipes and Irish traditional music when he first heard Liam O’Flynn perform at the Lorient Interceltic Festival. Now regarded as one of the leading exponents of uilleann piping, Conor is a founding member of several traditional groups including Réalta, Madagán and Music in the Glen.

Loïc Bléjean is a virtuoso uilleann piper and low whistle player from Brittany, that ancient land in the north-west of modern France. He started playing the pipes in 1989, under the tuition of Alain Le Hégarat and then traveled extensively in Ireland, where he met many wonderful musicians.

Deirdre Galway began her musical life studying and competing on piano and clarinet. After achieving distinction at Grade 8, she began experimenting with jazz, rock and Irish traditional music. Accompanying on DADGAD guitar and researching old songs, Irish music is now her passion. Deirdre is also an Irish speaker, with a first-class honors degree in Irish Language and Literature.

Multi-instrumentalist Dermot Mulholland adds his talents to Réalta on banjo, bouzouki, double bass and vocals. He is a winner of several All-Ireland titles and is a founding member of the BBC Folk Award winning band Ioscaid. Beyond Réalta, Dermot is highly sought after for various performing, teaching and recording roles.

Dermot Moynagh is one of the most influential and leading bodhrán players of his generation. His talents were highlighted when he won the prestigious All Ireland Fleadh-Cheoil championship at a young age and since then he has been in high demand as a live performer and recording artist.

The release of their second album, “Clear Skies,” has brought Réalta widespread critical acclaim, with the Irish Music Magazine summing things up by writing, “Réalta have grown bigger, bolder and braver and this is one of the best CDs to have come out of Ireland this year.”

The show on March 4 will begin at 7 p.m., admission is $18 per person. Visit the Rialto Theatre to purchase tickets in advance, or online at www.gnwca.org. For more information about this and other GNWCA shows, visit the website, find the Great North Woods Committee for the Arts on Facebook or call (603) 246-8998.

St. Kieran Arts Center Presents: Islay Mist Ceilidh

Local favorites Islay Mist Ceilidh present an evening of the music of Scotland, Ireland and Cape Breton that will have you tapping your toes and clapping along.

The group plays music from the Celtic world, including Irish and Scottish jigs, reels, strathspeys and airs, as well as tunes popularized in Cape Breton and other areas of the world where “kitchen parties” and ceilidhs” are a tradition.

Tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for 18 and under.

Tillotson Center Presents: Irish Band Connla

Connla arrives in Colebrook all the way from the Emerald Isle!

Traditional and modern Irish music.

Hailing from the cities of Armagh and Derry, Ciara McCafferty (vocals), Ciaran Carlin (Flute/Whistles), Paul Starrett (Guitar) Emer Mallon (Harp) and Conor Mallon (Uilleann Pipes/Whistles), Connla mesmerizes its audiences with a blend of traditional and modern Irish music.

Labelled as the Hottest New Group out of Northern Ireland (Chicago Irish American News), Connla has been quickly making an impact on the folk/traditional scene.

Since the release of their EP in April 2015, and album “River Waiting” in July 2016 they have received fantastic reviews at home and internationally. They have already gathered a big following in the UK, Ireland, Europe and the USA. Songlines magazine made Connla their “must see act” for the tour of the UK and stated, “A band this young shouldn’t be this good.” Their sensitive and innovative arrangements of traditional and modern folk songs and tunes have helped them create a sound which is very identifiable as Connla.

Admission: $10; $5 students

Irish Band Daymark at Medallion Opera House

Daymark is an international trio performing traditional Irish music infused with infectious energy, raw power, and Northern swagger. Fusing the talents of Will Woodson (flute, border pipes), Dan Foster (fiddle) and Eric McDonald (guitar, vocals), the group presents a classic blend of wind and string as driving flute meets virtuosic fiddle, underpinned by well-considered and expertly delivered guitar.

Each member of Daymark is well established in their own right, and collectively the three have lived and studied traditional music across Ireland, Scotland, England, America, and Canada, in the cities of Limerick, Glasgow, Newcastle, Montreal, Boston, and New York.

 

Irish Band Goitse at The Rialton

The red-hot Irish band Goitse will be appearing at the Rialto Theatre on Lancaster’s Main Street for an evening of traditional Irish music.
Named after an informal Gaelic Irish greeting meaning “come here,” Goitse (pronounced “Go-wit-cha”) is one of the most in-demand young groups to come out of the Emerald Isle today. The popular and multi-award-winning quintet Goitse was forged in the vastly creative crucible of Limerick’s Irish World Academy and was recently named Live Ireland’s “Traditional Group of the Year.”
Goitse has released four critically acclaimed recordings and maintains a year round touring schedule that includes performances throughout Ireland and the UK, Germany, France and the United States. The group’s distinctive sound lies in the quality of their own compositions interspersed with traditional tunes from the countryside of Ireland and abroad, which make each performance unique. Laying the foundations for the music are World and All-Ireland Bodhrán champion Colm Phelan and Conal O’Kane, who is fast making a name for himself as one of the finest guitarists of his generation. The gripping rhythm section sets a powerful drive for the music, while the sweet, charismatic voice of Áine McGeeney draws audiences into a song the way few performers can. Together, the quintet Goitse makes what Irish Music Magazine calls “Music that’s brimming with energy and creative zeal.”
Tickets for Goitse are $15 and can be purchased in advance at the Rialto box office on Main Street in Lancaster and at Fiddleheads on Main Street in Colebrook. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.gnwca.org or at the door.