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Shannon Heaton's Passion: 'To Get to Put My Sass On'

By R. J. Donovan, special to the BIR, September 1, 2009

Are you one someone who sings at the drop of a downbeat?  Aside from the social aspects of sharing a tune, would you like to explore the skills involved in traditional Irish singing?  Then the Irish Song Circle Workshop at Springstep in Medford may be for you.

Jointly taught by Shannon Heaton and Liz Simmons, the Song Circle is a six-week course touching on the techniques and emotional connections involved in the art of Irish singing. Read more

BCMFest notes

By Sean Smith, special to the BIR, September 1, 2009

Bonny "Babes" - There'll be a distinctive Caledonian feel to this month's BCMFest Celtic Music Monday concert, which features some of Greater Boston's most outstanding female musicians in the Scottish tradition. "Babes in Scotland," which takes place Sept. 14 at 8 p.m. in Harvard Square's Club Passim, will explore the new and the old in Scottish music and song, and how centuries-old traditions have joined with contemporary influences to create exciting sounds. Read more

His Music Delivers That Special Thing -- 'Pure Radiance'

By Ceol Agus Craic and Susan Gedutis Lindsay, special to the BIR, August 1, 2009

One of these mornings
You're gonna rise up singin'
You're gonna spread your wings
And fly to the sky...

-- From "Summertime," composed by George Gershwin for Porgy and Bess (1935).

Jerry Holland did just that last month: rose up singing, flew to the sky...after a two-year battle with cancer. He was 54. Read more

On Being an Irish Entertainer: Seamus Kennedy Takes Questions

By Sean Smith, special to the BIR, August 1, 2009

For more than 30 years, Seamus Kennedy has presented his distinctive blend of Irish folk songs and ballads, contemporary and popular songs, and stage patter that invariably elicits belly laughs, chuckles, groans, and the occasional "did-he-really-say-that?" gasp of disbelief from the crowd. Read more

The Passing of a Legend: Mourning Jerry Holland

By Sean Smith, special to the BIR, August 1, 2009

Local friends and fans of Jerry Holland are mourning the death last month of the Cape Breton fiddling legend, who maintained close ties to both the Greater Boston and Irish music communities.

Mr. Holland, who had been battling cancer the past two years, died on July 16 at the age of 54. A memorial service and celebration of his life was held in Bras d'Or, Nova Scotia, on July 21. Read more

Ivers Promises Some 'Rocking' at Lowell Series

By R. J. Donovan, special to the BIR, August 1, 2009

Eileen Ivers ranks as one of the world's premier Irish fiddlers.  Although born in the Bronx (her parents are from County Mayo), she spent her childhood summers in Ireland, winning nine All-Ireland Fiddle Championships. Read more

That Cape Breton Sound

By Sean Smith, special to the BIR, August 1, 2009

A column of news and updates of the Boston Celtic Music Fest (BCMFest), which celebrates the Boston area's rich heritage of Irish, Scottish, Cape Breton music and dance with a grassroots, musician-run winter music festival and other events during the year. Read more

For Childsplay, It's Very Much All in the Family

By Sean Smith, special to the BIR, July 1, 2009

Every year for the past two decades and more, Cambridge resident and violin maker Bob Childs has organized a family reunion that is unique in a few ways - including the fact that none of the participants are technically related to him. Read more

All Together Now, Again

By , special to the BIR, July 1, 2009

A column of news and updates of the Boston Celtic Music Fest (BCMFest), which celebrates the Boston area's rich heritage of Irish, Scottish, Cape Breton music and dance with a grassroots, musician-run winter music festival and other events during the year. Read more

Berklee College Forges a Program to Lure More Irish Students to Campus

By R. J. Donovan, special to the BIR, July 1, 2009

Founded in 1945, Berklee College of Music was the first school in the United States to offer formal training in jazz.  Today its reputation spans all musical genres and its student body is an international melting pot of individuals from more than 70 countries.

Berklee has long maintained a variety of connections with Ireland. Read more

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