MOLLYS REVENGE WITH CHRISTA BURCH & IRISH DANCERS

12th ANNUAL WINTERDANCE CELTIC CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION—

PLEASE NOTE DOORS OPEN AT 7 PM AND SHOW STARTS AT 7:30 PM

Molly’s Revenge and special guest vocalist Christa Burch with Irish dancers will present an evening of music, song and dance associated with the festive season. The performance will include Christmas songs both old and new, all played with a Celtic twist, and something new for our regulars.

Molly’s Revenge, whose lineup includes bagpipes, fiddle, whistle, guitar, mandola, and bodhran, have toured extensively in the USA as well as Australia, China and Scotland.  The band is known for its unique and infectious on-stage enthusiasm. Their arrangements of traditional jigs and reels bring these dance tunes up to date with a driving, hard-edged accent that always leaves audiences shouting for more.

The California-based group has toured since 2000 as a multi-instrumental acoustic band, releasing twelve CDs along the way. In 2014, Molly’s Revenge and Christa Burch recorded a collection of Celtic Christmas and winter-themed music at a remote windswept retreat in the redwoods of the Mendocino coast.​ This beautiful holiday album will be available at the shows.​

Guest vocalist Christa Burch possesses a singular voice: warm, supple, expressive, intimate, and instantly recognizable. Part of a vibrant new generation of American folk singers, Christa deftly marries intuitive musicianship and storytelling through song. To balance the gentle beauty of Christa’s songs, the Irish dancers will bring a percussive, joyful, and colorful exuberance to the stage.  
 
 As always, this 12th Annual Celtic Christmas Celebration will capture the traditional spirit of the season and warm the hearts of all who attend.

BAND MEMBERS

David Brewer: Highland bagpipes, border pipes, whistles, bodhran.
John Weed: Fiddle.
Stuart Mason: Guitar, mandola.

David Brewer has been playing whistle and four types of bagpipes for about 20 years. He studied in Scotland at the Ceolas Music School in South Uist under the tutelage of some of the best pipers in the world. His authentic and unique style of playing has earned him the reputation of being one of the most accomplished pipers on the West Coast. David has composed close to 200 traditional style tunes, many of which have appeared on recordings, independent films, and television.

John Weed is a classically trained violinist who has spent the last 20 years immersed in various fiddle styles. John lived in Ireland in 2000 and taught fiddle workshops at the Flowing Tide International Music School in Doonbeg, County Clare. He has honed his skills since, attending the Frankie Kennedy Winter School in Dunlewey, County Donegal where he studied with Ciaran O’Maonaigh and Dermot Mcloughlin. With an affinity for American fiddle styles, John explores the connection between Irish, Scottish, and old time fiddle.

Veteran picker Stuart Mason is known for his authentic vocals and nimble skill on guitar, mandola, and banjo. He has won awards for traditional singing (Goleta Old-Time Fiddler’s Convention), mandola (Topanga Banjo and Fiddle Contest), and songwriting (West Coast Songwriter’s Association). Stuart Mason has been collecting and performing traditional music for over 40 years. He has appeared on stage from Ireland to China performing Celtic, old time bluegrass, and his original compositions.

“They bring to the music a vital and joyous creativity that excites even the hardest of hearts.” –John Doyle, founding member of Solas.

“The instruments are traditional… but the wild passion they exhibit is thoroughly modern.” –Metro Santa Cruz (CA).

http://www.mollysrevenge.com