Name: Lúnasa
Start: 2026-02-22T19:00:00
Location: Blackstone River Theatre

Get ready to embark on a musical journey celebrating the richness of global folk traditions with a series of captivating performances at the Blackstone River Theatre. This upcoming season, the theatre hosts an array of talented artists who blend traditional sounds with modern influences, offering a diverse lineup that spans Irish, Celtic, Scandinavian, Tuvan, and Québécois music. From the legendary Irish band Lúnasa to the unique throat singing of Alash, these events promise to bring the world to your doorstep through the universal language of music.

Celebrating Global Folk Traditions: A Journey Through Music at Blackstone River Theatre

Cillian Vallely

Kevin Crawford

Trevor Hutchinson

Ed Boyd

Sean Smyth

Blackstone River Theatre

Lúnasa

Lily Neill has captivated audiences around the world with the dynamism and breadth of her performances, and her infectious passion for the harp. She has played for world leaders and ambassadors, luminaries in the world of music, and listeners who never dreamed they would ever hear a harp. Critics have praised her effortless technique and the uniqueness of her style, with Irish Music Magazine calling her, “…part of the new Harp revolution extolling aspects of harp music never previously heard.” Unlike many young harpists who are drawn to the orchestral pedal harp, Lily gravitated toward the the lever harp – a relatively modern type of harp that is a cross between the medieval Irish and Scottish harps and the pedal harp. Her concerts feature everything from original compositions and tangos, to Elizabethan music, ragtime, and traditional tunes from across the globe. Guitar master Clive Carroll’s unique tone and unmistakable voice as a composer have seen him become one of the world’s premier acoustic guitar players and “…arguably the most accomplished fingerstylist in the world today…” – Total Guitar Magazine. A chance meeting with English guitar legend John Renbourn proved the catalyst for Clive’s debut album, “Sixth Sense” which Renbourn deemed “a milestone in the journey of the steel-string guitar.” He subsequently took Clive on the road with him and the pair toured North America and Europe together – including a concert at Blackstone River Theatre early on! 2023 saw the release of “The Abbot – Clive Carroll plays the music of John Renbourn,” a double-album of solo works alongside ensemble interpretations, featuring 21 guest musicians and a medieval ensemble. “One of the finest fingerstyle guitarists and instructors working today. His knowledge, technique, and passion for the art form are unparalleled” – Acoustic Guitar Magazine

Lily Neill and Clive Carroll

The debut album by Macdara Yeates, “Traditional Singing from Dublin,” marks a new arrival on the Irish folkscape. Named in MOJO’s “Top 10 Folk Albums of the Year” and nominated for two RTÉ Radio One Folk Awards, the album features a rich store of old and weathered folk songs, ranging from the comic and surreal to the mournful and disconsolate. Siobhán Long of The Irish Times writes: “Raucous, bawdy, reflective and wistful in turn, ‘Traditional Singing from Dublin’ is a candid, clear-eyed snapshot from a singer who is finally stepping into the spotlight.” Born and raised in Dublin, Yeates is one of a crop of artists associated with the recent resurgence of young folk talent in the Irish capital; he previously was part of the group Skippers Alley. With a distinctive voice described as “a bracing, baleful, baritone that sounds as if it’s been dug from the deepest, most fragrant turf” (Songlines), Macdara Yeates is ploughing his furrow as a solo performer, garnering wide critical praise. This will be his Blackstone River Theatre debut as a solo artist. Sharing the evening will be Torrin Ryan and Amy Law. Attleboro, MA resident Torrin Ryan became enamored with Irish traditional music at 9 years old and has devoted the past twenty-plus years to playing, recording, and teaching the uilleann pipes, simple system flute, and tin whistle across the country and abroad. In 2009 at age 14, he was awarded an Uilleann Piping Scholarship by Na Píobairí Uilleann, Dublin. Torrin has been awarded over two dozen first place medals across several years of competing at the Mid-Atlantic Fleadh in New York and New Jersey, and won five Senior All-Ireland Fleadh medals across Derry, Ennis, and Tullamore, all before turning twenty. Amy Law, is an Irish fiddler and Sean-nós dancer from Southern California who has been playing music and dancing for over 20 years.

Macdara Yeates / Torrin Ryan & Amy Law

ALASH are masters of Tuvan throat singing (xöömei), a remarkable technique for singing multiple pitches at the same time. What distinguishes this group from earlier generations of Tuvan throat singers is the subtle infusion of modern influences into their traditional music. One can find complex harmonies, western instruments, and contemporary song forms in Alash’s music, but its overall sound and spirit remain decidedly Tuvan. Trained in traditional Tuvan music since childhood, the Alash musicians studied at Kyzyl Arts College just as Tuva was beginning to open up to the West. They formed a traditional ensemble and won multiple awards for traditional throat singing in international xöömei competitions, both as an ensemble and as individuals. At the same time, they paid close attention to new trends coming out of the West. They have borrowed newideas that mesh well with the sound and feel of traditional Tuvan music, but they have never sacrificed the integrity of their own heritage in an effort to make their music more popular. Alash first toured the U.S. under the sponsorship of the OpenWorld Leadership program of the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Arts. Since then they have returned many times, to the delight of American audiences. The Washington Post described their music as “utterly stunning,” saying that after the performance “audience members picked their jaws up off the floor.”

Alash – Masters of Tuvan throat singing

The word été in French means summer – a fitting tribute to how this trio’s original, lively take on Québec traditional music is infused with a new vitality. With lush vocal harmonies, deep groove, and rich instrumentation, É.T.É are an explosive trio on stage, transforming the nostalgia of a kitchen party into an unforgettable show experience that celebrates the joie de vivre of Québecois culture. É.T.É are Élisabeth Moquin (fiddle, step-dancing, vocals), Thierry Clouette (bouzouki, vocals), and Élisabeth Giroux (cello, vocals). Awarded the 2020 Gala GAMIQ Album of the Year award in Traditional Music, plus the OPUS prize for “Discovery of the Year 2017-2018” among many other accolades since their first album release in 2017, this trio is winning over the hearts of listeners worldwide, young and old alike.

É.T.É – Music from Quebec

If you like your Celtic music loud, this concert is for you! At long last, Blackstone River Theatre hosts the return of Tempest, celebrating 38 years of Celtic Rock music! Since forming in 1988, Tempest has delivered a globally-renowned hybrid of high-energy Folk Rock, fusing Irish reels, Scottish ballads, Norwegian influences and other world music elements. The last 30-plus years have seen the San Francisco Bay Area-based act release 18 critically acclaimed albums, and play more than 2,500 gigs. The current line-up of the band features all the original members, performing a variety of selections from the band’s extensive repertoire, sparking with vitality and energy. Hailing from Oslo, Norway, founder and lead singer/electric mandolinist, Lief Sorbye, is recognized as a driving force in the modern folk-rock movement. He started Tempest after years of touring and recording on the folk circuit. He is joined by Bay Area native Rob Wullenjohn on guitar and San Diego’s Ian Butler on bass. Rob and Ian rejoined the band after performing an impromptu reunion concert in Berkeley, California, that rekindled the original spirit of Tempest. Vermont-born fiddler Jon Berger first joined the band in 1993. He is now back, bringing his passion for Celtic and British Isles traditional music. Audience favorite, Cuban-born drummer Adolfo Lazo, thickens the band’s sound with inventive rhythms, and rock-steady drumming. After more than three decades Adolfo has never missed a Tempest gig! Tempest is regularly featured at prestigious festivals such as The Philadelphia Folk Festival, and has also appeared at Denmark’s Skagen Festival, Britain’s Cropredy Festival and The Winnipeg Folk Festival in Canada. The band is a mainstay at countless American Celtic festivals, as well.

Tempest – Celtic Rock

Twenty years on from winning the Danny Kyle Open Stage Award at Celtic Connections, Breabach remain securely ranked amongst Scotland’s most skilled & imaginative contemporary-folk acts and at the forefront of the burgeoning traditional music scene. The band unites deep roots in Highland and Island Gaelic tradition alongside progressive musical influences and have cultivated a unique sound, anchoring double bagpipes, fiddle, whistle, step-dance and song with energetic double bass and guitar accompaniment. Versatility, love of experimentation and a willingness to push the boundaries of Scottish roots music have endured as the core values of the band over the past two decades. With 8 critically acclaimed studio releases to date, an extensive global touring schedule which has seen them perform from the Sydney Opera House to Central Park NY, and having received recognition with 6 BBC ALBA Traditional Music Awards, a 2023 German Record Critic’s Award, and as “European Folk Group of the year finalists” in the prestigious Songlines Awards. Breabach are: Megan Henderson (Fiddle/Vocals/Step Dance), James Lindsay (Double Bass/Vocals), Calum MacCrimmon (Highland Bagpipe/Whistle/Bouzouki/Vocals), Conal McDonagh (Highland Bagpipe/Uilleann pipes/Whistle/Vocals), and Ewan Robertson (Guitar/Cajon/Vocals).

Breabach – Music from Scotland

With multiple Canadian Folk Music Awards, Genticorum have earned a reputation as a leading voice in the evolution of Québécois traditional music. For over twenty years, the trio has earned a place of privilege on world, traditional, folk and Celtic music stages. Known for their unbridled energy, their musicianship, and their magnetic stage presence, Pascal Gemme and Yann Falquet, the group’s two founding members, are both recognized individually as major contributors to the trad music scene in Québec. Since 2015, they have been joined by accomplished multi-instrumentalist and composer Nicholas Williams (flute, accordion). Together, they weave precise and intricate fiddle, flute, and accordion work, gorgeous vocal harmonies,and energetic foot percussion and guitar accompaniment into a high-energy musical feast. The band was named “Ensemble of the Year” at the 2024 Canadian Folk Music Awards. Pascal Gemme (fiddle, feet, voice) is widely recognized as a cultural ambassador for Québécois music. Yann Falquet is one of the most active and creative acoustic guitar players in the Québécois and New England music scenes. Since completing a bachelor’s degree in jazz, he has developed his own personal guitar style for Québec folk music. Nicholas Williams has developed a reputation as a versatile and sought-after musician in the traditional music scenes of Québec and New England. His rhythmic yet nuanced style of flute playing draws from Irish and Scottish traditions, as well as from his studies of classical North Indian music.

Genticorum

Today’s matinee concert will be presented with two sets and will feature special guest Fishel Michael Bresler! Multi-instrumentalists Cathy Clasper-Torch and Shelley Katsh bring years of music making and friendship to a virtuoso collaboration of musicianship and spirit. Their repertoire, as heard on their previous CD, “From the Inside Out” as well as on their 2024 CD “With Woven Hands” is infused with melodies ancient and contemporary – played “straight from the heart.” Clasper-Torch performs violin, cello, erhu and piano with a diverse range of RI-based bands and musicians, and has recorded on over 3 dozen albums. Cathy has also been the fiddle instructor at Blackstone River Theatre since 2006. Shelley Katsh, on piano and accordion, performed klezmer and Hassidic music with Fishel Bresler and a range of Boston-based klezmer musicians for 20 years. She currently accompanies and sings with several Rhode Island musical groups. Click link for video clip! IMG_1706 Cathy and Shelley will be joined today by Fishel Bresler on clarinet, flute, mandolin, guitar. After performing in venues from the street to Carnegie Hall in styles from bluegrass to vaudeville, Fishel studied klezmer clarinet and mandolin with recognized master Andy Statman. He has toured with mandolinist David Grisman’s ensemble, and spent thousands of hours in Chassidic communities collecting tunes and absorbing the music in its natural setting. For the past four decades, in addition to performing, he has been providing therapeutic music in settings such as Hasbro Children’s Hospital.

Cathy Clasper-Torch & Shelley Katsh

Multistyle violinist and champion fiddler Mari Black delights audiences around the world with her energetic playing, sparkling stage presence, and virtuosic fiddling. Raised on a rich blend of traditional musical styles, Mari burst onto the international stage when she became Scotland’s Glenfiddich Fiddle Champion, 2-time U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Champion, and 2-time Canadian Maritime Fiddle Champion, all within a three-year period. Ever since then, she has been spreading her love for dance-based music, performing as a featured artist at performing arts centers, Celtic festivals, Scottish Highland Games, celebrated folk venues, world music concert series, and acclaimed classical venues including Carnegie Hall. A master of diverse musical styles and winner of several major international competitions, Mari sweeps her audiences away on a spirited musical adventure celebrating tradition and exploring possibility in the dance-driven music of the Celtic regions: Scotland, Ireland, Shetland, Canada, and more. She and her dynamic band featuring Adam Hendey on guitar and Noah Harrington on bass will treat you to an unforgettable experience that will have you tapping your toes and dancing in the aisles!

Mari Black Trio

Named for an ancient Celtic harvest festival in honor of the Irish god Lugh, Lúnasa was formed in 1997 from members of some of the greatest Irish groups of the previous decade, an early review from Folk Roots magazine describing the band as an “Irish music dream team.” From the start, the band’s complex arrangements and unique sound reshaped the boundaries of traditional music and energized audiences the world over. The Irish Echo described the band as the “the hottest Irish acoustic band on the planet”; MOJO magazine named the band “the new gods of Irish music.” Having since performed over 3,000 shows across 36 countries, Lúnasa has won multiple awards and become one of the most influential bands in the history of traditional music. Inspired by the legendary Irish group The Bothy Band, Lúnasa uses melodic interweaving of wind and string instruments pairing flutes, fiddle, whistle and pipes in breathtaking arrangements. Lúnasa features Trevor Hutchinson, who achieved fame as the bassist with the The Waterboys and Sharon Shannon; piper Cillian Vallely was a member of Riverdance and recorded with Bruce Springsteen; flute player Kevin Crawford, considered one of Ireland’s greatest flute players, was a member of Moving Cloud; award-winning fiddler Sean Smyth, who performed with Donal Lunny’s legendary Coolin and accordionist Alan Kelly; and guitarist Ed Boyd made a name for himself in the UK folk scene with Flook, Kate Rusby, and Cara Dillon. Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day a few weeks early!

Lúnasa

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