Harry Martin Heritage Arts Studio Student Showcase

Blackstone River Theatre’s 2nd annual Harry Martin Heritage Arts Studio Student Showcase features students performing some of what they have been working on this year. Call in reservations to 401-725-9272. At this free event Blackstone River Theatre will showcase many of its students, along with their instructors, who are currently involved in classes at Blackstone River Theatre. At last year’s showcase, Blackstone River Theatre formally announce the renaming of its arts education programming as the Harry Martin Heritage Arts Studio, honoring their dear friend and enthusiastic supporter who passed away in September, 2020. Featured at this year’s event will be members of the Broad Street Fiddlers with instructor Cathy Clasper-Torch, 5-string banjo students along with instructor Ed Sweeney, ukulele students from Armand Aromin’s four classes, and more. Members of the The Broad Street Fiddlers will also perform, for the first time, the tune “Harry’s House” which was commissioned by BRT and composed by Scottish fiddler Hanneke Cassel. “Today, as you are enjoying the afternoon’s music and dance, we hope friends will join us in giving a special thank you to our dear friend, Harry Martin, for his generous estate donation which will help support Blackstone River Theatre arts education programming, says Russell Gusetti, Blackstone River Theatre executive director. “His generosity and kindness of spirit will help Blackstone River Theatre bring music and arts education to our community for many years to come as we continue to expand our learning opportunities.”

The Brigideens, a brand-new acoustic powerhouse, fiery female band came together as a group of talented musicians and singers from the Celtic and Americana traditions. The new group is led by Grammy awarded, Emmy-nominated, 9-time All-Ireland Fiddle Champion, Eileen Ivers, who formed the group to showcase the mighty dimension of talent in today’s female artists. Native New Yorkers Caitlin Maloney sings lead vocals and Hilary Hawke plays 5-string banjo, upright bass, clarinet, and background vocals. Anna Colliton, a Chicago native, is a master of the bodhran, the traditional Irish frame drum, and adds cajon/percussion. From Maryland, guitarist and vocalist Colin Forhan also plays tenor banjo and concertina. Colin performs double duty as a member of Eileen Ivers and Universal Roots.

From his beginnings as a teen prodigy, to his groundbreaking solo work with Shanachie Records, to his founding of Irish-American powerhouse band Solas, to his current work as one of the leading composers and interpreters of the tradition, Seamus Egan has inspired multiple generations of musicians and helped define the sound of Irish music today. His work as a film composer and musical director of countless live shows has allowed Egan to experience music’s unique ability to tell stories. And what season is more about stories than the season of Christmas! Tradition, ritual, and collective memory, all come together in Seamus Egan’s Good Winter: A Celtic Christmas with Moira Smiley and Yann Falquet. Songs of the season, original songs, traditional and original music, poetry and spoken word seamlessly weaving together to create an intimate story full of joy, humor, and reverie. Combining fiddle, flute, whistle, guitar, banjo, piano and piano accordion with vocals to raise the rafters in celebration, Seamus Egan’s Good Winter: A Celtic Christmas is sure to brighten the darkest midnight. We invite you to “push the old year against the wall and welcome in the new” and celebrate the holiday season with us! We are excited to have Seamus joined by Moira Smiley, an American singer, composer, and musician who performs on banjo, accordion, piano, and body percussion, as well as Blackstone River Theatre favorite Yann Falquet who plays guitar and sings with the Quebecois group, Genticorum.

We are thrilled to bring back our friends Lúnasa with their “Irish Winter Solstice Celebration” concert featuring special guest vocalist Dave Curley! Named for a Celtic harvest festival in honor of the Irish god Lugh, patron of the arts, Lúnasa is indeed a gathering of some of the top musical talents in Ireland. For more than 20 years, its members have formed the backbone of some of the greatest Irish groups of the decade. Bassist Trevor Hutchinson was a key member of The Waterboys. Kevin Crawford, considered to be among the finest flutists in Ireland, played with Moving Cloud, and piper Cillian Vallely comes from the same talented musical family as brother Niall, of the Karan Casey Band. Dynamic guitarist Patrick Doocey will be joined by the amazing fiddler, Colin Farrell. 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. They are universally acclaimed as one of the best Irish bands in the world. Dave Curley, a multi-instrumentalist, singer and dancer from Corofin, Co. Galway, has been making big waves in the Irish music scene in the last decade. After graduating from the University of Limerick’s groundbreaking Irish Music and Dance programme with 1st class honours, Dave became a creative member of award-winning bands SLIDE and RUNA.

We are thrilled to bring back our friends Lúnasa with their “Irish Winter Solstice Celebration” concert featuring special guest vocalist Dave Curley! Named for a Celtic harvest festival in honor of the Irish god Lugh, patron of the arts, Lúnasa is indeed a gathering of some of the top musical talents in Ireland. For more than 20 years, its members have formed the backbone of some of the greatest Irish groups of the decade. Bassist Trevor Hutchinson was a key member of The Waterboys. Kevin Crawford, considered to be among the finest flutists in Ireland, played with Moving Cloud, and piper Cillian Vallely comes from the same talented musical family as brother Niall, of the Karan Casey Band. Dynamic guitarist Patrick Doocey will be joined by the amazing fiddler, Colin Farrell. 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. They are universally acclaimed as one of the best Irish bands in the world. Dave Curley, a multi-instrumentalist, singer and dancer from Corofin, Co. Galway, has been making big waves in the Irish music scene in the last decade. After graduating from the University of Limerick’s groundbreaking Irish Music and Dance programme with 1st class honours, Dave became a creative member of award-winning bands SLIDE and RUNA.

SPONSORED BY NAVIGANT CREDIT UNION
The award-winning and highly acclaimed band Le Vent du Nord returns to Blackstone River Theatre! Dynamic fiddler André Brunet (Celtic Fiddle Festival, La Bottine Souriante) is joined by Simon Beaudry (vocals, bouzouki, guitar), Nicolas Boulerice (vocals, hurdy-gurdy, piano), Olivier Demers (fiddle, guitar, foot-tapping, mandolin), and Réjean Brunet (basses, accordion, jaw harp, vocals). Le Vent du Nord is a leading force in Quebec’s progressive francophone folk movement and an iconic name in Quebec’s traditional music revival. The group’s vast repertoire draws from both traditional sources and original compositions, while enhancing it’s hard-driving soulful music with a broad range of global influences. Featuring button accordion, guitar and fiddle, the band’s sound is defined by the hurdy-gurdy, which adds an earthy, rough-hewn flavor to even the most buoyant dance tunes.” — Boston Herald. Le Vent du Nord has performed well over 2,000 concerts over 4 continents and racked up several prestigious awards, including a Grand Prix du Disque Charles Cros, two Junos (Canada’s Grammys), and a Canadian Folk Music Award & “Artist of the Year” at the North American Folk Alliance Annual Gala.

SPONSORED BY NAVIGANT CREDIT UNION
Zafarán crosses time and boundaries, and incorporates musical traditions from around the Mediterranean, weaving together such diverse threads as Southern Italian chants, Sephardic love songs, Romani laments, and Turkish and Greek folk tunes. With driving rhythms, virtuosic improvisation, and the powerful voice of award-winning Italian singer Carmen Marsico, Zafarán bridges languages and cultures with their own eclectic blend of musical styles, combining deep traditions with original songs and ideas. Formed in 2020 as a border-crossing collaboration between musicians from Italy, Sweden, and the USA, this international ensemble is based in Boston and Rome. Zafarán recorded its first album in Rome in 2022, and will be releasing it in 2024. Carmen is joined by Björn Wennås, the musical director of their past band, Newpoli, on classical guitar and the 10-stringed chitarra battente, Dan Meyers on recorders, flutes and more, and Giuseppe Paradiso, an innovative Italian percussionist and singer. The word “zafarán” comes from Arabic via old Persian, meaning “yellow” or “saffron”. The most precious of all spices, saffron has been cultivated in the Mediterranean basin since ancient times. In Lucania, Carmen’s native region, the local dialect uses “zafarán” to refer to the long, sweet red peppers from Senise, famous throughout Italy and beyond.

Please come out and support future Blackstone River Theatre programming as well as area craft vendors and home-based businesses while you do your holiday shopping locally! We will have 25 vendors on site between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. and the event will also feature continuous live music with Bob Drouin, Josh Kane, Dean Robinson, Cathy Clasper-Torch, Atwater~Donnelly, The Vox Hunters, and The Broad Street Fiddlers, plus raffle prizes and a bake sale table including Welsh cakes! Door prizes will be raffled off from each vendor with the proceeds to benefit BRT’s future programming. Think out of the box (store!)

This year’s vendors include: L&N Toasty Totes (handmade pocketbooks, sling bags, wallets), Ducharme Creations in Wood (handmade wooden plaques, ornaments and more), Wooden Buttons (creative and fun crochet children’s wear), Bells on My Toes (Christmas stockings and decorations), Shelley Katsh Handmade Designs (Handcrafted Jewelry Created from Recycled Metals), Legging Crazy & More and Elk River Soap, (custom print leggings & bath and body products), BeachArt by Chrissie (handmade wood burned driftwood signs & ocean-themed ornaments: custom orders available), Little Loops Knits and Crios/Cross (Handmade accessories in natural yarns, Brigid crosses, Celtic artwork), Jack Canavan Canavan Woodworks (cutting boards and handmade home decor), Aissis Original Art (paintings and prints), The Willow Grove (aromatherapy products, ethically made), Crissy’s Kissable Lips, Judi Goudreau Studio (Handmade, expressive cat and dog ceramic figures), Saffire Moon Jewelry (sterling silver and gemstone jewelry), Little Gagnon Design (dog bags, magnetic book marks), Books by Jed Griswold, Fox in the Attic (Handmade and reimagined items for you and your home), and Pocasset Wampanoag Creations (native American artwork and jewelry). There will also be delicious Welsh Cakes from the Welsh Baker (sold in packages of 4 in many flavors.)

 

Securely ranked among Scotland’s most skilled and imaginative contemporary folk acts, Breabach unite deep roots in Highland and Island tradition with the innovative Scottish music scene. 2022 saw them release their latest studio album ‘Fàs’ and be awarded “Folk Band of the Year” at the Scots Trad Music Awards. Breabach unites the talents of Calum MacCrimmon (bagpipes, whistle, bouzouki, vocals), James Lindsay (double bass, vocals), Conal McDonagh (Highland Bagpipe/Uilleann pipes/Whistle/Vocals), Ewan Robertson (Guitar/Cajon/Vocals) and fiddler/vocalist Megan Henderson (who just had a happy, healthy baby girl so is off on maternity leave for this tour). For their October 2024 tour, Breabach will welcome renowned fiddler and vocalist Jenna Moynihan in Megan’s stead. Darol Anger says, “Jenna is the best of the best in the new generation of freestyle fiddlers, with deep roots in the Celtic style. She’s got it – the magic touch.” Fàs (a Gaelic word meaning growth, developing & sprouting) is heavily inspired by the natural environment of Scotland and sees the band showcase more progressive elements in their music than ever before. Their 18-year adventure has included live performances from Sydney Opera House to Central Park New York and they have racked up an impressive array of accolades including six ‘Scots Trad Music Awards’, nominations as ‘Best Group’ (BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards), ‘European Album of the Year’ (Songlines Music Awards) and the ‘Quarterly Critic’s Choice’ (German Record Critic’s Award 2023). This will be Breabach’s first Rhode Island appearance!

SPONSORED BY NAVIGANT CREDIT UNION
We are excited to welcome the Quebecois band Cécilia to Blackstone River Theatre for their Rhode Island debut! Widely recognized as three of Canada’s finest musicians, it is a pleasure to see how much enjoyment Timi Turmel, Erin Leahy, and Louis Schryer find in playing together. Timi Turmel, a master of the accordion, is joined by multi-award winning Canadian champion fiddler Louis Schryer (both the only 8-time Canadian Fiddle Champion and the only artist to hold the title of 4-time Grand Masters Fiddle Champion), and Canadian pianist, composer and arranger Erin Leahy of the multi-talented LEAHY family! While honoring their heritage as Cécilia, their music making has an undeniably fresh and high-spirited sound bringing the best of many musical worlds together in their explorations of traditional, Celtic and Quebecois music. Every one of their pieces is skillfully arranged and highlighted with influences from contemporary, classical, jazz and swing styles. Cécilia’s recent debut album “Accent” is an impressive offering full of vibrant rhythms and melodies, all resonating with a unique warmth and richness of expression. You’ll find yourself with a smile that lasts long after the final notes of Cécilia’s accordion, piano, and violin have melted away … join us!