Irish fiddler, Gráinne Murphy, with accordion and piano player, Kathleen Boyle, both members of the band, Cherish the Ladies, will be on stage together on Sunday, October 14, for a 3:00 PM matinee at the Hoffman Center in Manzanita. Tickets will be available at the door for only $10, and kids under 12 are free with an accompanying parent or guardian. The duo is touring the Northwest this fall playing selections from their solo albums as well as new arrangements for their forthcoming new release.
Gráinne (pronounced Grahn-ya) was born in Boston, where she began playing Irish music from an early age. She received a fiddle at age four and began taking weekly lessons with Séamus Connolly, the renowned All-Ireland champion fiddler from Clare. She went on to win All-Ireland honors of her own.
Gráinne teaches fiddle lessons and workshops and currently resides in New York City, where she performs with many of the talented Irish musicians who comprise the rich music scene there. Her recently-released album, Short Stories, has been well-received in the U.S. and abroad. After its release, Irish Music Magazine wrote, “Gráinne has blossomed into an accomplished musician who possesses a deep understanding of and respect for the Irish tradition. Her careful approach to these tunes is a welcome departure from the too-frenetic displays of virtuosity that mar many efforts of her contemporaries. She eschews the slick and brilliant surface for quiet, deep forays into the heart of her music.”
Kathleen Boyle, “Unique”, “sensitive”, “captivating”, “compelling” are just a few words that could be used to describe the music of Kathleen Boyle: a music at once reflecting the melting pot of her Scottish upbringing whilst simultaneously paying homage to her Donegal roots. Steeped in this Donegal tradition from an early age and regularly winning All-Scotland and All-Britain titles on accordion and piano, it was predestined that Kathleen would make a life from music and a prodigious life it has been so far. With a wealth of experiences, successes and musical contributions, Kathleen’s accomplishments defy her years and would make for an impressive lifetimes list. Already Kathleen has made history as the first person in Scotland ever to gain a Degree in Traditional Music (she graduated in 1999 from the RSAMD with a BA (Scottish Music); she has performed at Holyrood Palace for HRH Prince Charles in 2002 and in 2003 for Irish President Mary McAleese; she is a member of the bands Dòchas and Cherish the Ladies and has toured the UK, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Denmark, Austria, Germany, Sweden, America, Canada and China. Dochas, who have released two albums to much critical acclaim, were voted best newcomers at the 2004 Scots Traditional Music Awards and nominated as best folk band in 2006. Kathleen’s first solo album “An Cailin Rua” or “The Red Haired Girl” was released to rave reviews in 2008.
Kathleen and Gráinne are members of the band, Cherish the Ladies, with whom they have toured around North America, Ireland and Scotland. They have also released a new album titled Country Crossroads.
Kathleen’s membership of Cherish the Ladies in particular has led to some undeniably remarkable feats; not least in the United States. In 2006 Kathleen appeared with the band on MSNBC’s Imus in the Morning show, playing for over 6 million listeners and viewers; they have performed alongside dozens of symphony orchestras, and in 2007 the band was ranked in the Top 100 Irish Americans by Irish America Magazine.
For more information, please visit www.kathleenboyle.co.uk and www.grainnemurphy.com.
Astorian singer/songwriter Daric Moore will perform an evening of original solo guitar and voice in a concert titled Renovation at the Hoffman Center at 730pm on Saturday, June 15, 2013.
