St. Patrick’s Day may be the official date, but the biggest celebration in town will continue all weekend long when the Grand Rapids Symphony presents the Celtic musical powerhouse Leahy in DeVos Performance Hall on Friday, March 18, and Saturday, March 19, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, March 20, at 3 p.m.
Associate Conductor John Varineau will lead the Grammy-nominated Grand Rapids Symphony in this electrifying concert of fast-paced, fiddle-driven Celtic music, dance and vocals, augmented by keyboards and percussion. Taking the stage alongside the Symphony will be the Canadian musical phenomenon Leahy, an award-winning group of eight brothers and sisters known throughout North America for their stunning musical acrobatics.
They have won multiple awards, including Junos for Best New Group, Best Country Group and Best Instrumental Album, the most-played folk/roots song in Canada in 2004 and the Socan award for Folk/Jazz instrumentalist the following year. Their self-titled album rose to number four on the Billboard world music charts and found its way onto the soundtrack of the award-winning movie, The Hanging Garden.
Donnell Leahy, the oldest of the siblings, is the husband of fiddler and Grand Rapids Symphony audience favorite Natalie MacMaster, who appeared with the Symphony in March 2009. The concert is part of the Fox Motors Pops Series.
“This program explores the musical influence of Leahy’s Scottish and Irish roots,” Varineau said. “This is sure to be a spectacular, energetic performance that combines the extraordinary talents of both the Symphony and Leahy.”
The first half of the concert will feature original Leahy compositions, including “Wedding Day Jig,” “Mission” and “Gypsy Boy,” along with Leahy arrangements of traditional Celtic works “The King’s Dance,” Anniversary Waltz” and “McBrides.” The second half will feature Leahy originals “Skater” and “A Love Never Known,” as well as arrangements of “Seamus,” “Cape Breton Medley,” “Czardas” and “The Call to Dance.” Both halves will open with works performed by the orchestra, and the Symphony will also perform alongside Leahy on several of the pieces.
The band’s talent includes the feisty fiddling of brothers Donnell, Doug and Angus, sisters Agnes and Erin on keyboards, drummer Frank, Maria on guitar and sister Siobheann on bass. Agnes, Erin and Siobheann will also be featured on vocals as well as perform dance moves on several numbers.
The Leahys were raised on a farm in the small town of Lakefield, Ontario, Canada. Having played together all their lives, they continue to move forward as musicians and performers. Their three acclaimed CDs have gained worldwide sales of over half a million
copies. On stage Leahy brought 175 audiences to their feet when they opened for pop star Shania Twain on her inaugural world tour. Their story was the subject of an Oscar®-winning documentary, “The Leahys: Music Most of All.”
Tickets
Tickets start at $18 and are available at the Symphony office, weekdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., 300 Ottawa NW, Suite 100, (located across from the Calder), or by calling 616/454-9451, Ext. 4. (Phone orders will be charged a $2 per ticket service fee, with a $12 maximum.) Tickets are available at the DeVos Place Box Office, weekdays 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., or on the day of the concert two hours prior to the performance. Tickets may also be purchased through Ticketmaster, 800/982-2787, online at www.grsymphony.org, or in person at Ticketmaster outlets: select D&W Fresh Market, Family Fare Stores and Walmart. Tickets purchased at these locations will include a Ticketmaster service fee.
About the Grand Rapids Symphony
The Grammy-nominated Grand Rapids Symphony was officially organized in 1930 and is recognized as one of America’s leading regional orchestras. Led by Music Director David Lockington, eight concert series are presented, featuring a wide range of music and performance styles. More than 400 performances are presented each year, touching the lives of some 170,000. Nearly half of those who benefit are students, senior citizens and people with disabilities reached through extensive education and community service programs. The Symphony sponsors the Grand Rapids Symphony Chorus, Grand Rapids Youth Symphony and Classical Orchestra, Grand Rapids Symphony Youth Choruses, and also provides the orchestra for Opera Grand Rapids and the Grand Rapids Ballet Company. To learn more about the Grand Rapids Symphony, please visit www.grsymphony.org.
These concerts are made possible with support from the Michigan Council of Arts and Cultural Affairs, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.