Tabor Academy will sponsor “An Evening of Irish Music” on Friday, October 23 at 7:00 pm in the Fireman Center, 235 Front Street, Marion. The concert is open to the public and free of charge. The featured performers are Gerry O’Beirne, Jay and Abby Michaels, and The Buzzards Bay Buccaneers. This concert is funded in part by the Joseph A. Tomlinson Fund for Visiting Artists at Tabor Academy.
Born in Ennis, County Clare, along Ireland’s music-rich west coast, Gerry O’Beirne is a renowned singer, songwriter and guitarist (6- and 12-string guitar, tiple, and ukulele, slide guitar among others). He grew up in Ireland and in Ghana in West Africa, and has since lived in England, California, and Mexico. He lives now near Dingle in Co Kerry. His own compositions blend the passion found in traditional music with the freshness of contemporary song.
Talented and versatile Multi-Instrumentalists Jay and Abby Michaels make up the duo The Harper and The Minstrel. Their unique sound is influenced by Celtic, Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque and Folk Music.
Abby’s angelic alto and Jay’s smokey baritone are accompanied by a variety of instruments including the Cláirseach (traditional Irish Wire-Strung Harp), the Celtic Folk Harp, Silver Flute, Divergent Flute, Irish Wooden Flute, Recorders, Penny Whistles, Bowed Psaltery, Dulcimers and Guitars.
This duo specializes in beautiful airs and ballads, the occasional jig and reel and unique arrangements of Traditional & Contemporary Celtic Music.
For the past decade, The Harper and The Minstrel have brought their music to many venues in America including Folk, Renaissance, Medieval, and Celtic Festivals, Concert Stages, Coffee Houses, Libraries, Schools and Farmer’s Markets.
The Harper and The Minstrel have been described as “Sheer uniqueness” by Dirty Linen Magazine and “Gentle, lovely music … stunning voices” by Renaissance Magazine.
The Buzzards Bay Buccaneers are the duo of Bob Littera (Irish Bouzouki) and Kelly Reed-Hathaway (autoharp and guitar). They have been playing together since 2009 at renaissance faires, colonial events, private functions and Irish sessions throughout New England. Their upbeat repertoire of jigs, reels and hornpipes as well as tunes by the great Irish composer Turlough O’Carolan, always brings smiles wherever they go. To them, Irish music is a universal language that touches all who hear it, and they truly love sharing it with everyone. They appreciate performing for so many enthusiastic people of all ages; it is a very big part of their lives and it is a blessing for which they are both grateful.