St. Patrick's Day arrives early in 2008 with Celtic music and festive dancing as The Chieftains bring Dublin to Detroit for one unforgettable evening. Longtime members Paddy Moloney, Sean Keane, Kevin Conneff and Matt Molloy team up with a large slate of special guest artists for the Celtic-Scottish Connection 2008 Tour hitting Motown Tuesday, February 26 at 8 p.m.
The concert takes place in Orchestra Hall at the Max M. Fisher Music Center. and is part of the Northwest Airlines World Music Series.
This year, The Chieftains' annual winter North American tour, a tradition since 1974, weaves together the common threads between the Celtic traditions from Scotland and Ireland. The Chieftains will incorporate a trio of renowned musicians from Scotland - vocalist Alyth McCormack, pianist Brian McAlpine and fiddler Jonny Hardie - with a group of unique and gifted performers including Irish harpist Triona Marshall, Canadian acrobatic dancing team of brothers Jon and Nathan Pilatzke and traditional Irish dancer Cara Butler, all adding up to a multi-cultural show that is at once rocking and culturally stimulating. "The connection between Irish and Scottish music is undeniable," said Moloney, "and I'm excited to be celebrating this with these great talents."
Honored with the official title of Ireland's Musical Ambassadors, The Chieftains are recognized for bringing Irish music to the rest of the world. Founded in 1962 by Paddy Moloney and now made up of Moloney, Martin Fay, Sean Keane, Derek Bell, Kevin Conneff and Matt Molloy, the six-time Grammy Award winners put a modern twist on centuries worth of traditional tunes from the Emerald Isle. Although their early following was purely a folk audience, the range and variation of their music has captured a broader public making them one of the best known Irish bands in the world.
Career highlights include over 40 recordings; contributions to major motion picture soundtracks such as Far and Away, Gangs of New York and Babe: Pig in the City; a Lifetime Achievement Award from BBC Radio 2; a performance during Pope John Paul II's visit to Ireland in 1979; a concert at the Capitol Building in Washington DC; and a tribute on the Late Late Show honoring their 25th anniversary. They have performed with symphony and folk orchestras worldwide and have broken musical boundaries by collaborating with some of the biggest names in rock, pop and traditional music in Ireland and around the world, including U2, Pete Townshend, Eddie Vedder, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Ry Cooder and Roger Waters. They have also remained true to their Irish roots, continuing to play spontaneous sessions in pubs and small venues.
TICKETS for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra's Northwest Airlines World Music Series performance featuring The Chieftains range in price from $19 to $50 with a limited number of box seats available for $65. -- www.detroitsymphony.com
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