RANGELEY — New England Celtic Arts in collaboration with Saltwater Celtic Music Festival will present the Makem & Spain Brothers in four concerts filled with tight harmonies and traditional Irish music.
Every generation has a few acts that define where a musical genre is going, performers so confident in their chosen field that they are able to completely embrace the genre and yet introduce something new to it. In Irish folk music today, that act is the Makem & Spain Brothers.
Not in the past 30 years has a group taken the international stage with such vocal power and stage presence, capturing the essence of their genre, while standing out as something truly unique. A host of various instruments and five male vocals using precise three-part harmonies blend perfectly for what many have described as a wall of sound.
The Makem & Spain Brothers are at their best onstage where their talent and enthusiasm draw in fans who have never experienced the joy of folk music.
The band of brothers who were once considered the new kids on the block, have honed their craft over nearly two decades of international performances and are now one of the truly stalwart, road-tested Irish vocal groups around. They have played before millions of people from Canada to Texas, from California to the Caribbean and over to Ireland, highlighting national PBS specials and popular Irish talk shows along the way.
The Makem Brothers, Conor and Rory, were born in Drogheda, County Louth, about an hour north of Dublin. They continue the lineage of one of Irish music’s dynasties, begun by their grandmother Sarah Makem, who was sought after by song collectors for her store of traditional Irish songs. Their father is Tommy Makem, the modern day Bard of Armagh. Now considered an icon, he helped to bring Irish music out of the corner and into the international spotlight, where it has remained ever since.
The performance schedule:
Monday, Aug. 12, at Lakeside Theater, Main Street, with the Rangeley Friends of the Arts; tickets can be purchased at the Rangeley Lakes Chamber of Commerce, 6 Park Road or at the door.
Tuesday, Aug. 13, at Mahoosuc Arts, Bingham Hall, 45 Church Street, Bethel; 207-824-3575.
Wednesday, Aug. 14, at Skye Theatre Performing Arts Center, Winter Hill Road, S. Carthage; 207-562-4445.
Curtain for all events is 7 p.m. A jam session at Skye Theatre will kick off at 6 p.m.
Tickets are $15.
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- Submitted photo The standard bearers of Irish Folk music in America, Makem & Spain Brothers will perform at four venues as part of their Western Maine tour.
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