Holiday Voices: Irish Christmas in America concerts

Sharing songs, stories, and tunes through the evening is a common thing in Ireland and Irish America. Irish band Teada along with singer Muireann nic Amhlaoibh from the west coast of Ireland, Belfast based harpist Grainne Hambly, and Ireland born American resident piper Tommy Martin give a winter holiday flavor to this idea through Irish Christmas in America, a combination of laughter, fun, music, dance, and stories which is a tradition in the making as it goes into its third year. Stops in Arizona, California, West Virginia, New York, and Washington DC are among those on the schedule. If you're thinking Riverdance, don't -- the music is every bit as good, even better, but the extravaganza factor isn't there. A well done show, indeed, but more about sharing music than performing it. They are booked at modest sized venues, too, so it is none too early to plan for tickets at many of them.

"A heartfelt theme of Irish Christmas is emigration," says Oisin MacDiarmada from Sligo, fiddle player and leader of Teada. That's a theme which runs through the the music and stories. The first year, these ranged from MacDiarmada with a tale of an emigrant writing home puzzled about the nature of tea in bags to harpist Hambly with the sorrowful and graceful instrumental Wild Geese, reflecting forced emigration at the historic flight of the earls in the 17th century and the sadness which swept Ireland at that time, to guest singer Cathie Ryan relating a bit of her own Christmas history, connecting Michigan and Kerry. While Ryan felt her parents' joy at seeing their kids loving holiday celebrations, she knew also their longing for their families back in Ireland. "Music was a way they stayed close to home, and connected to to that" she said, "and a way for us kids to stay connected to them." A connection which she illuminated by in singing in Irish Oiche Chiuin, known the world around as Silent Night. At a concert in Worcester one evening, all joined in the quiet carol, and then the musicians lifted things up to with a quick reel, leading to more tradition and more music as the evening continued.

Ryan was the guest singer in that first year, and last year there was a varied roster of male and female singers on tap. Nic Amhlaoibh, known to American audiences from her tours as the lead singer with the band Danu as well as from her solo work, will add her voice this year. She grew up in Dun Chaoin in County Kerry, "which is the farthest western part of Ireland -- of Europe, really, although I suppose the people of Iceland might have something to say about that," she said, laughing. It was a childhood filled with music and community, ideas she'll share this season. "I'm really looking forward to being out there with the lads," she said.

It's a lively show, two hours by turns warmed with faith, uplifted by music, and highlighted by laughter, especially when the men of Teada appear dressed in rags and tags and hats you have to see to believe in celebration of the day after Christmas tradition of the wren boys, when all the bachelors in a town go door to door asking for change to hunt the wren -- which nowadays people usually do down at the pub. Irish Christmas in America is a sharing of connection grounded in music, a celebration of family and good times at the winter season, whatever your tradition or national heritage.

Below, there's a tour schedule for this season.

Photographs are from the first year's gigs.

Nov 30th Peoria AZ Theater Works - Christmas Show

Dec 01st Tucson AZ Berger Performing Arts Center - Christmas Show

Dec 02nd Flagstaff AZ The Orpheum Theater - Christmas Show

Dec 04th Santa Cruz CA Kuumbwa Jazz Club - Christmas Show

Dec 05th Winters CA Palms Playhouse - Christmas Show

Dec 06th San Francisco CA United Irish Cultural Center - Christmas Show

Dec 07th Berkeley CA Freight & Salvage - Christmas Show

Dec 08th Fallon NV Barkley Theater - Christmas Show

Dec 09th Bishop CA Bishop High School Auditorium - Christmas Show

Dec 12th Lakewood NJ Strand Theater - Christmas Show

Dec 13th Washington DC National Geographic - Christmas Show

Dec 14th Washington DC National Geographic - Christmas Show

Dec 15th Philadelphia PA Commodore Barry Irish Club - Christmas Show

Dec 16th Charleston WV State Theater, West Virginia Cultural Center - Christmas Show

Dec 18th Staten Island NY The Music Hall at Snug Harbor - Christmas Show

in coming weeks. keep an eye out for holiday editions of Voices, including tips on some of the best hoilday music you've never heard, as well as some of the best music to listen to or give if holiday music isn't your thing, a behind the scenes look at the making of a Christmas album, and thoughts from those who make the music on what they listen to at this time of year.

You'll find music content from many genres and plenty of other music fans at Gather Essentials: Music. For more of Kerry Dexter's Voices columns, look here. It's published on Thursdays.

Kerry Dexter, Music Correspondent Kerry's credits include VH1, CMT, the folk music magazine Dirty Linen, Strings, The Encyclopedia of Ireland and the Americas, and The MusicHound Guides. She also writes about the arts and creative practice at Music Road and contributes to Fred Bals' Series of Tubes.