CARTHAGE – New England Celtic Arts will host Gráinne Hambly and William Jackson, two of the foremost harpers of Ireland and Scotland, at Skye Theatre Performing Arts Center Thursday, March 19. The concert will begin at 7 p.m., with a preshow jam at 6:15 PM.
Since touring extensively throughout the United States for the past eight years, Hambly has not only garnered a following of harp enthusiasts but has managed to crossover and capture the Irish music fan with a taste for the fast, driving reels and jigs of traditional music.
Living in Galway, Hambly has not rested on the laurels of winning the senior All-Ireland titles on harp and concertina in 1994 and then the prestigious Keadue and Granard harp competitions. She released her third CD, “The Thorn Tree,” in 2006, and has also published two books of her arrangements. She tours most of the year and has appeared at most of the major harp and Irish music festivals in the United States and Europe.
Jackson, of Glasgow, has been at the forefront of Scottish traditional music for nearly 30 years. Besides his stature as one of the leading harpers and multi-instrumentalists in Scotland, he has gained an international reputation as a composer. His “Land of Light” won the international competition in 1999 as the new song for Scotland.
Jackson was a founding member and creative force of Ossian in 1976, which became one of Scotland’s best-loved traditional bands. The band toured extensively throughout the United States and Europe. Besides harp, he also plays tin whistle and bouzouki.
His latest CD release is “The New Harp,” featuring his own compositions as well as traditional pieces. He has composed music in Scotland for the BBC and Scottish television and recently directed and performed the music for “The Battle of the Clans” for the History Channel. Jackson’s performance on harp, whistle and bodhran is featured on the soundtrack of “A Shot at Glory,” starring Robert Duval and Michael Keaton, which was filmed in Scotland.
Concert tickets are $10 at the door. Reservations are required for this show. Call New England Celtic Arts at (207) 562-4445. Skye Theatre is at 2 Highland Drive off Winter Hill Road and U.S. Route. 2. For more information, visit www.necelticarts.com.
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