Glendale Family Performs Prior to Nuala Kennedy Band Concert at the ICHC Sept. 14

The Nuala Kennedy Band will kick off the fall concert series at the Irish Cultural and Heritage Center, 2133 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee, on Friday, Sept. 14 at 7:30 p.m. This will be the third ICHC visit for Kennedy, an Irish folk singer, composer and musician, who is touring with her Brooklyn-based band in support of her third album, Noble Stranger.

Pre-concert music will be provided in Quinlan’s Pub from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m. by the traditional family band Cuil A’Lin. The four young Bird siblings, from Glendale, are multi-talented musicians who have performed for many area events including Milwaukee Irish Fest. Fiddle/mandolin player Elly Bird was awarded the James J. Schuster Memorial Irish Fest Summer School Scholarship at this year’s fest.

Steeped in the traditional music and mythology of County Louth in the northeast corner of Ireland with its strong links to Scotland, Kennedy has received rave reviews for her eclectic combination of ancient Gaelic songs, contemporary compositions, and the infectious grooves of traditional dance music. Recognized for her exquisite musical artistry, Rhythms Magazine said that Kennedy beguiles with “a voice as luminous as her flute playing.”

Kennedy is accompanied by fiddler Dana Lyn and guitarist Kyle Sanna, who draw their musicality from strong classical and traditional music backgrounds. Lyn has had a long collaboration with Kennedy as well as vocalist Susan McKeown and Irish folklorist Mick Moloney. She has headlined at many of the world’s top Celtic music festivals and has performed at Carnegie Hall and on Saturday Night Live.

Sanna, known for his inventive and powerful guitar style, went from playing rock and roll to the formal study of jazz and music composition and then immersed himself in traditional Irish music. He has performed with numerous virtuoso musicians including cellist Yo-Yo Ma and mandolin player Chris Thile.

“A delicious mix of influences abound, without ever sacrificing musical identity.” - The Irish Times

Tickets for the show are $19 in advance and $23 on concert day. Tickets for students with ID are $10.

The second Hallamor show is The Mairtin de Cogain Project on Sat., Oct. 13 and the third is Irish Christmas in America on Sat., Dec. 1. The discounted subscription price for the three Hallamor concerts is $53. To order online, visit www.ichc.net. Tickets may also be ordered by calling (414) 345-8800.