Music & Dance
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Name That Tune!
The late, great musician and folklorist Mick Moloney, who died last summer at the age of 77, performed at the Irish Center in Philadelphia (now known as the Commodore Barry Arts and Cultural Center) many times over the last several decades. When Mick came to the Center, he typically brought along with him some of the finest musical accompanists anyone could possibly wish for or imagine. Back in April 2016, he returned to the Center […] Read More
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By Denise Foley
Song of the Week: “Ladder to the Sun” by House of Hamill
The birth of House of Hamill, a Celtic folk duo (now trio), is one of those “met cute” stories movies are made of. Rose Baldino’s band, the Harleysville-based Burning Bridget Cleary, was scheduled to perform at the 2014 Folk Alliance International Conference in Kansas City but her band members were delayed by bad weather. So she approached Brian Buchanan, front man for Canadian Celtic rock band, Enter the Haggis, who agreed to play guitar for […] Read More
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Song of the Week: “Rainbow,” sung by Raymond Coleman
Born in Ardboe, County Tyrone, folk singer Raymond Coleman has amassed a huge fan base in the Philadelphia area for both his ballads and his humor. He has appeared at festivals all over the US and Ireland and is a regular at pubs in both the Philly area and in New York and New Jersey. You can find his recordings on Apple, Bandcamp, Spotify, Soundcloud and others. This April Ray embarked on a month-long campaign […] Read More
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InBy Denise Foley
RUNA and the Choctaw Nation: A Friendship Rekindled
Photo of RUNA with members of the Choctaw Nation by Brad Joe In 1847, members of the Choctaw Nation, who had lost one-sixth of their population in the forced resettlement known as the Trail of Tears only a decade before, did a remarkable thing. It was an act of kindness that would reverberate throughout 175 years of history and create a permanent friendship between two cultures an ocean apart. Members of the indigenous tribe met […] Read More
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Song of the Week: “When You Weren’t Looking” by The Consequences
An exciting and fun new trad group, The Consequences, shared their Kickstarter video with us (there are still a few days left to contribute!). The group includes James (fiddle), Lexie Boatright (concertina/harp), Cara Wildman (bodhrán/dance), and Ryan Ward (piano/piano accordion) who create great on-stage chemistry as they take audiences from exciting dance tunes to lovely slow pieces with slick arrangements and lush harmonies. Their much anticipated debut album will be released in summer 2023. Individually, […] Read More
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InTags:
Song of the Week: RUNA
RUNA is an internationally acclaimed Celtic roots band that has its own roots in the Philadelphia area. Shannon Lambert-Ryan who “grew up at The Irish Center,” her husband, Dublin-born guitarist Fiona de Barra, and percussionist Cheryl Prashker, a Canadian who made her home in Philly for many years, are the foundation of this band whose fans around the world call themselves “Runatics.” They’ve racked up many awards over the years, including top group and top […] Read More
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John Byrne’s Songwriting Skills Take Center Stage
Standing in front of the noontime crowd at WXPN’s Free at Noon concert on this St. Patrick’s Day, John Byrne sounded almost giddy. “How are ye all?” he called to the crowd as he and his eponymous band launched into their version of the Dubliners’ “The Twang Man,” the story of a man who kills his lover’s new partner, then rolled right into “The Well Below the Valley,” an ancient tale of incest and infanticide, with […] Read More
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Song of the Week: Mary Courtney Sings “The Patriot Game”
Singer Mary Courtney appeared at the 2015 Philadelphia Ceili Group Festival. We were fortunate to have the camera running when she sang the brilliant and heartbreaking tune, “The Patriot Game.” Dominic Behan, younger brother of Brendan Behan, wrote the tune, released in 1958. The melody comes straight from a folk song called “One Morning in May,” but the lyrics could hardly be more different. “The Patriot Game” relates the story of a young Irish Republican […] Read More
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In on the Ground Floor with Ambler Celtic Strings
The musicians of Ambler Celtic Strings are assembled in the community room of the Wissahickon Valley Public Library branch in Ambler, hemmed in by lime green plastic stacking chairs, and they’re running through the set list for their first gig at Jenkintown’s MacSwiney Club. As it happens with most practices, some of the tunes are a little rough around the edges, needing a few tweaks here and there, but fiddlers Bruce Fenderson and Aine O’Sullivan, […] Read More
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Michael Londra, in Tune
The shut-ins, lockdowns and the quarantines of Covid-19 might now be in our rear view mirror, but many are still longing for opportunities for connection with others. Singer Michael Londra is happy to be making those connections again. “It’s about communication and how you are with people in the world that brings you success,” he says. “Certainly it’s as much about singing in tune as it is about being in tune with people.” In recent […] Read More