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A Christmas Celtic Sojourn's Fabulous Tale of Song and Dance

WGBH

There’s no doubt about it, Brian O’Donovan knows the true meaning of Christmas. The host of WGBH’s A Christmas Celtic Sojourn celebrates the spirit of the season each year with a live performance of the traditional music and dance of Ireland.   For the 11th year, some of the world’s best musicians, singers, and dancers have taken the stage to perform in Boston, Rockport and Worcester, Mass. as well as Derry, New Hampshire. This year’s performance featured the return of music director Seamus Egan and group of musicians known as Solas featuring Winifred Horan on fiddle, Mick McAuley from Kilkenny on accordion and guitar, Chico Huff on bass and new percussionist Steve Holloway.   An annual holiday tradition for many Bostonians, the fun-filled show also included performances by singers Moira Smiley, Maureen McMullan, Scottish harpist Maeve Gilchrist and Hardanger fiddler Mariel Vandersteel. We loved the adorable young traditional dancers from Liam Harney’s Academy of Irish Dance who danced flawlessly across the stage.   New this year was the hilarious “hambone” performance by Steve Hickman through the use of body percussion as well as an incredible ensemble by The Strause Brass Trio. The show, which encourages audience participation with sing alongs to Christmas carols, is a takeoff from Brian O’Donovan’s popular radio program, A Celtic Sojourn.   For more information visit www.wgbh.org/celtic.

Kellie Speed

Kellie Speed is a freelance writer with more than 20 years' experience writing for a variety of publications, including US Veterans magazine, DiverseAbility and BestReviews. She also contributed to Moon Metro's Boston guidebook published by Avalon Travel Publishing and can be reached at kkspeed@aol.com ...(Read More)

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