All posts by John Lupton

Upcoming Green Willow Concerts, Green Willow News

Alan Reid (4/27/2023)

Thursday, April 27, 2023 @ 7:00 pm

Lower Brandywine Presbyterian Church
101 Old Kennett Road
Wilmington, Delaware 19807

Advanced Reserved Tickets: $27.00
Tickets Purchased at Door: $29.00
17 & under: FREE when accompanied by paying adult

Doors open at 6:30 pm.  Cash, check or credit card accepted for payment at door. Light refreshments will be available for purchase. No alcoholic beverages permitted. Ample parking available. See below for information on obtaining reserved seats for this show.

Alan Reid

Glasgow-born Alan Reid has been taking Scottish folk music all over the world since 1975. He joined the fledgling Battlefield Band in 1969 while studying at Strathclyde University and subsequently recorded almost 30 albums with this hard-working and enduring band, in that time garnering a reputation for his playing and his singing.  His groundbreaking keyboard work helped cement the band’s reputation as one of the most influential Celtic bands of its generation. With the band Alan toured the world, bringing Scottish traditional music to audiences in five continents and playing in many prestigious music festivals and venues. Along with former Battlefield Band colleagues he was inducted into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame in November 2016 in recognition of their contribution to Scots traditional music.

​He began composing songs and tunes in the 1980s and from 1990 was the band’s principal songwriter. His songs are noted for their strong storytelling element whilst being firmly grounded in Scots history and tradition. His songbook ”Martyrs, Rogues and Worthies”, was published in 2001 and in 2009 he was nominated in the ‘Composer of the Year’ category at the Scots Traditional Music Awards. 

In recent years Alan has taught Scots Song at the prestigious annual “Swannanoa Gathering” in North Carolina, USA. He was also a guest artist in the Linn Records mammoth 12 CD recording of the songs of Robert Burns, Scotland’s beloved National Poet, whose poems, songs and music have endured over the centuries.

For more about Alan, visit https://www.alansongsreid.com

Advanced/Reserved Seating

To obtain advanced, reserved seats for this show we ask that you make advance payment in one of the following ways:

By check – mail a check for the amount of your ticket purchase ($27.00 per adult ticket) to us at Green Willow Folk Club, PO Box 350, Rockland DE 19732-0350. Please make checks payable to “Green Willow”. We recommend you include a note verifying the number of tickets you wish to purchase as well as a contact phone number and/or email address in case we need to conform any information with you. We will also use this contact info to confirm your reservation and purchase. We ask that you make sure your check arrives at our PO box no later than Monday, April 24, 2023.

By PayPal – send us payment for your reservations via PayPal. The best way to identify us on PayPal is via our email address reservations@greenwillow.org. Please include a note with your electronic payment confirming the number of tickets you are purchasing ($27.00 per adult ticket).

For questions and/or clarifications, please feel free to contact us at (610) 566-4932 or info@greenwillow.org.

Green Willow News

Tommy Sands (& Lisa Gutkin!)

Hello Friends,

A reminder that we will be presenting Tommy Sands tomorrow evening at 7:30 pm at the Blue Ball Barn – our first concert since February, 2020.

And, if Tommy isn’t enough of an attraction as it is, we learned this week that he is being joined on this tour by the fabulous fiddler Lisa Gutkin, whom no doubt many of you recall from previous appearances with us.

We have closed advance reservations for this show (and thanks to all who reserved), but there will be seats available at the door for $28.00.

For full info, visit:

http://www.greenwillow.org/2022/09/20/tommy-sands-10-27-2022/

We look forward to communing with you again,

Cheers,

Green Willow

Recent Green Willow Concerts

Tommy Sands (10/27/2022)

Thursday, October 27, 2022 @ 7:30pm

Blue Ball Barn

1914 West Park Drive, Alapocas Run State Park, Wilmington, Delaware

Advanced Reserved Tickets: $26.00
Tickets Purchased at Door: $28.00
17 & under: FREE when accompanied by paying adult

Doors open at 6:30 pm.  Cash, check or credit card accepted for payment at door. Light refreshments will be available for purchase. The Blue Ball Barn is a Delaware State Parks system facility. Park entrance fees will not be in force during the concert. Ample free parking is available at the venue. No alcoholic beverages will be permitted.

Tommy Sands

Tommy Sands, County Down’s singer, songwriter and social activist has achieved something akin to legendary status in his own lifetime.

From the pioneering days with the highly influential Sands Family, bringing Irish Music from New York’s Carnegie Hall to Moscow’s Olympic Stadium, he has developed into one of the most powerful songwriters and enchanting solo performers in Ireland today.

His songwriting, which draws the admiration of Nobel Poet Laureate Seamus Heaney and father of folk music Pete Seeger, prompts respected US magazine Sing Out! to regard him as “the most powerful songwriter in Ireland, if not the rest of the world”.

His songs, like “There were Roses”, and “Daughters and Sons”, which have been recorded by Joan Baez, Kathy Matthea, Dolores Keane, Sean Keane, Frank Patterson, Dick Gaughan, The Dubliners and many others have been translated into many languages and are currently included in the English language syllabus in German secondary schools.

In May 2002 Tommy Sands received an honorary doctorate of Letters from The University of Nevada for his outstanding work as musician and ambassador for peace and understanding and, May 18th was pronounced “Tommy Sands Day in Reno”.

“The gentle songs of a gentle man, ringing out above the tumult and the shouting. . . Through people like Tommy Sands there will be an answer. . .”
BELFAST TELEGRAPH

“Tommy Sands has achieved that difficult but wonderful balance between knowing and loving the traditions of his home and being concerned with the future of the whole world. . .”
PETE SEEGER

Green Willow News

Concert Cancellation – Tannahill Weavers, April 28, 2020

We have been notified by the Tannahill Weavers that due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic their entire upcoming US tour, including their scheduled show with us on April 28, 2020, has been cancelled. We are working with the band in the hope of rescheduling this concert.

We remain hopeful that the situation will have improved enough in a few weeks that we will be able to hold our scheduled show on May 20, 2020 featuring DuoDuo. We will update you on any and all developments relating to these shows.

IF YOU PURCHASED ADVANCE TICKETS TO OUR APRIL 28TH SHOW


Those who purchased online through Brown Paper Tickets will receive a notification from them with instructions as to how to receive a refund

If you sent a check for your tickets to our Rockland post office box, we will issue you a refund check which will be mailed to you.

WE CAN USE YOUR HELP!

This is, of course, a difficult time for all of us, not just here in the Delaware Valley, but around the world. The COVID-19 pandemic is having a severe effect not only on traveling performers in arts and music,  but also on the arts organizations that sponsor their shows – many of which – like Green Willow and our partner organization, the Grand Opera House – are non-profit entities. The Grand has likewise cancelled/postponed several of their shows, and has invited those who have purchased advance tickets to donate their purchase in lieu of a refund.

In similar fashion, Green Willow also invites you to consider donating your ticket purchase. We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and will be more than happy to send you a receipt for your contribution to helping the arts/music scene through the current crisis.

Let us know at info@greenwillow.org if you would like to do this. Or, you can go to http://www.greenwillow.org/donate-to-green-willow/. On that page you will find a button that will take you to a secure PayPal site at which you can make a donation via credit card. (A link to this site is also in the menu bar at top on our home page at greenwillow.org)

From all of us here at Green Willow, we thank you for your ongoing support, and earnestly hope that this is the last concert we will ever have to cancel. We will keep you updated as things develop.

Thanks,
Green Willow

Green Willow News

Concert Cancellation – Maire & CHris, 3/24/20

As we monitor the ongoing developments relating to the COVID-19 virus situation, we believe it is in the best interests of the safety and health of our audience, performers, volunteers and venue staff to cancel our scheduled show on March 24, 2020 featuring Maire Ni Chatasaigh and Chris Newman. We will communicate with Maire and Chris with regards to rescheduling this show for a future date.

We remain hopeful that the situation will have improved enough in a month’s time that we will be able to hold our scheduled shows on April 28, 2020 (Tannahill Weavers) and May 20, 2020 (DuoDuo). We will update you on any and all developments relating to these shows.

IF YOU PURCHASED ADVANCE TICKETS TO OUR MARCH 24TH SHOW


Those who purchased online through Brown Paper Tickets will receive a refund in the form of a credit back to the credit card you used to purchase the tickets with. This refund should arrive with 3-5 business days. Please let us know at info@greenwillow.org if you do not receive this credit by then.

If you sent a check for your tickets to our Rockland post office box, we will issue you a refund check which will be mailed to you.

WE CAN USE YOUR HELP!

This is, of course, a difficult time for all of us, not just here in the Delaware Valley, but around the world. The COVID-19 pandemic is having a severe effect not only on traveling performers in arts and music,  but also on the arts organizations that sponsor their shows – many of which – like Green Willow and our partner organization, the Grand Opera House – are non-profit entities. The Grand has likewise cancelled/postponed several of their shows, and has invited those who have purchased advance tickets to donate their purchase in lieu of a refund.

In similar fashion, Green Willow also invites you to consider donating your ticket purchase. We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and will be more than happy to send you a receipt for your contribution to helping the arts/music scene through the current crisis.

Let us know at info@greenwillow.org if you would like to do this. Or, you can go to http://www.greenwillow.org/donate-to-green-willow/. On that page you will find a button that will take you to a secure PayPal site at which you can make a donation via credit card. (A link to this site is also in the menu bar at top on our home page at greenwillow.org)

From all of us here at Green Willow, we thank you for your ongoing support, and earnestly hope that this is the last concert we will ever have to cancel. We will keep you updated as things develop.

Thanks,
Green Willow

Recent Green Willow Concerts

DuoDuo (5/20/2020)

Wednesday, May 20, 2020 – 7:30 pm

Blue Ball Barn
1914 West Park Drive
(Alapocas Run State Park)
Wilmington, Delaware 19803

Tickets:
Adult – Advance: $24.00
Adult – Door: $28.00
17 & Under: FREE when accompanied by Adult

Buy Tickets for DuoDuo now

Doors open at 6:30 pm.  Cash, check or credit card accepted for payment at door. Light refreshments will be available for purchase. The Blue Ball Barn is a Delaware State Parks system facility. Park entrance fees will not be in force during the concert. No alcoholic beverages will be permitted.

The DuoDuo quartet (duoduoquartet.com) presents an unforgettable night of music, song, and dance, spanning from the intimacy of each duo to a collaboration featuring all four of these innovators and masters of their respective traditions and instruments.

Michigan-born percussive dancer Nic Gareiss and Edinburgh harpist Maeve Gilchrist met while teaching at the Shasta Fiddle Summit in Northern California. They continued their musical relationship with spontaneous collaborations at festivals and chance meetings and later toured together as part of Darol Anger’s band, ‘The Furies,’ finally making their duo debut at the Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow, Scotland. Sharing a deep respect for traditional music and culture while drawing on contemporary elements of music, movement, rhythm and improvisation, Nic and Maeve have emerged from the vibrant new acoustic scene as innovators in their fields. The percussion and drive of Nic’s footwork, combined with Maeve’s melodic and improvisational sensibilities, make for an explosive duet sure to delight both the ears and the eyes.

Natalie Haas is one of the most sought-after cellists in Celtic music today. She and Scottish fiddler Alasdair Fraser have toured as a duo for 18 years, wowing audiences at festivals and concerts worldwide with their unique sound. She has appeared on over 50 albums, including those of Cape Breton fiddler Natalie MacMaster; Irish greats Altan, Solas, and Liz Carroll; and Americana icon Dirk Powell. A graduate of the Juilliard School, Natalie is currently based in Boston, where she is an associate professor of cello at Berklee College of Music.

Montrealer Yann Falquet is one of the most creative acoustic guitarists in today’s QuĂ©bĂ©cois music scene. Over the last 15 years, he has recorded five albums and toured the world with French Canadian power trio Genticorum. Over the years, he has developed a unique personal guitar style for QuĂ©bĂ©cois folk music, rhythmically powerful yet subtly complex.

In the last few years, this husband and wife team of Natalie Haas and Yann Falquet have been touring together as a duo, performing a mix of Québécois traditional songs and new takes on folk music from throughout Western Europe.

Recent Green Willow Concerts

HighTime (2/20/2020)

Thursday, February 20, 2020 7:30 pm

Blue Ball Barn
1914 West Park Drive
(Alapocas Run State Park)
Wilmington, Delaware 19803

Tickets:
Adult – Advance: $23.00
Adult – Door: $27.00
17 & Under: FREE when accompanied by Adult

Advance sales for this concert have ended. However, tickets will be available at the door for $27.00

Doors open at 6:30 pm.  Cash, check or credit card accepted for payment at door. Light refreshments will be available for purchase. The Blue Ball Barn is a Delaware State Parks system facility. Park entrance fees will not be in force during the concert. No alcoholic beverages will be permitted.

HighTime are an accomplished trio from the heart of Connemara on the West Coast of Ireland. Combining Irish music with an intriguing blend of modern folk influences, they produce a rich and unique sound and an electric energy onstage. This coupled with intricate three-part vocal harmonies and displays of exceptional, rhythmic step dance, have left audiences worldwide awestruck by their performances.

Hailing from the village of Ardmore on the rugged West Coast, CiarĂĄn Bolger and SĂ©amus Ó Flatharta have been immersed in the richest of Irish Culture from a very young age. Having been raised with the Irish Gaelic language as their mother-tongue in an area steeped in the Irish tradition, their knowledge, respect and appreciation of their heritage stands indisputable. Michael Coult, who grew up surrounded by some of the finest traditional musicians in the Irish diaspora of Manchester, completes the trio. A master in his field, Michael captivates audiences with his musical prowess and knowledge of his craft. HighTime have accumulated countless awards over the years, both individually and as a group.

(Video) HighTime – “The Village of Cloch Bui”

Featuring a distinctive line up of Celtic Harp, Flute, Guitar, BodhrĂĄn, Whistles and Vocals, HighTime make a youthful and energetic statement. The past two years have seen them travel extensively, performing in concert tours across the globe. The band has continued to make waves on the music scene to date. This saw them develop a very loyal following far and wide.

HighTime play with a breath-taking passion and zeal that is both effortless and drivingly soulful. Neighbours, CiarĂĄn and SĂ©amus alongside their great friend, Michael, have a unique and dynamic musical connection, through many years of performing individually and together. Their camaraderie is apparent in their performances and permeates every venue they step foot in, resulting in genuine and mutual elation in both HighTime and their audiences.

www.hightime.ie

Recent Green Willow Concerts

MĂĄire NĂ­ Chathasaigh & Chris Newman (3/24/2020) – CANCELLED

Tuesday, March 24, 2020 – 7:30pm

Blue Ball Barn
1914 West Park Drive
(Alapocas Run State Park)
Wilmington, Delaware 19803

Tickets:
Adult – Advance: $22.00
Adult – Door: $26.00
17 & Under: FREE when accompanied by Adult

THIS SHOW HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO THE ONGOING COVID-19 VIRUS CONCERNS. IF YOU PURCHASED AN ADVANCE TICKET, WE WILL CONTACT YOU REGARDING REFUND.

Doors open at 6:30 pm.  Cash, check or credit card accepted for payment at door. Light refreshments will be available for purchase. The Blue Ball Barn is a Delaware State Parks system facility. Park entrance fees will not be in force during the concert. Ample free parking is available at the venue. No alcoholic beverages will be permitted.

The celebrated virtuoso partnership of “the doyenne of Irish harpers” (SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY) MĂĄire NĂ­ Chathasaigh (MOY-ra nee HA-ha-see) and “one of the UK’s most staggering and influential acoustic guitarists” (fROOTS) Chris Newman, has by now brought its special musical vision to venues large and small – from the tiniest of historic churches in England, Germany and Italy to palaces in Kyoto and Istanbul, London’s Barbican, Sydney Town Hall and the Philharmonie in Cologne – in twenty-two countries on five continents. Their performances – described by The Irish Times as “music of fire and brilliance from the high-wire act in traditional music” – are rooted but eclectic, emotional but adventurous: a breathtaking blend of traditional Irish music, hot jazz, bluegrass and baroque, coupled with striking new compositions and Chris’s delightfully subversive wit. They’ve made many appearances on TV and radio and their busy touring schedule has brought them to twenty-one countries on five continents.

MĂĄire and Chris made their dĂ©but as a duo on the main stage at the 1987 Cambridge Folk Festival. Highlights fromtheir career since then include a 1988 tour of Australia as special guests of Siamsa TĂ­re – the Irish National `Folk Theatre – in celebration of Australia’s Bicentennial, at the invitation of Bob Hawke, then Prime Minister of Australia; a concert in the Ottoman Çırağan Palace as part of the Istanbul Harp Encounter in 2010; a concert with revered Japanese percussionist Stomu Yamashta and Ensemble Kabul in Nijo Castle (the Shogun’s Palace), Kyoto, Japan; many wonderful trips to Italy; a magical concert at the castle in Malcesine, Italy, overlooking a moonlit Lake Garda; four Irish Folk Festival tours of Germany in the late 80s and early 90s; four major tours of Australasia as part of the Guinness Celebration of Irish Music – Guinness Australia issued a special edition of their can for the Guinness Celebration of Irish Music tour of Australasia 1990, showing MĂĄire and Chris’s names and listing all the very prestigious tour venues! So many great times


maireandchris.com

Recent Green Willow Concerts

Tannahill Weavers (4/28/2020) – CANCELLED

Tuesday, April 28, 2020 – 7:30pm

Blue Ball Barn
1914 West Park Drive
(Alapocas Run State Park)
Wilmington, Delaware 19803

Tickets:
Adult – Advance: $28.00
Adult – Door: $32.00
17 & Under: FREE when accompanied by Adult

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Doors open at 6:30 pm.  Cash, check or credit card accepted for payment at door. Light refreshments will be available for purchase. The Blue Ball Barn is a Delaware State Parks system facility. Park entrance fees will not be in force during the concert. Ample free parking is available at the venue. No alcoholic beverages will be permitted.

As they enter their 51st year in 2019, the Tannahill Weavers (Roy Gullane, guitar; Phil Smillie, flutes; John Martin, fiddle; Mike Katz, pipes) are one of Scotland’s premier traditional bands. Their diverse repertoire spans the centuries with fire-driven instrumentals, topical songs, and original ballads and lullabies. Their music demonstrates to old and young alike the rich and varied musical heritage of the Celtic people. These versatile musicians have received worldwide accolades consistently over the years for their exuberant performances and outstanding recording efforts that seemingly can’t get better
yet continue to do just that.

The Tannahills have turned their acoustic excitement loose on audiences with an electrifying effect. They have that unique combination of traditional melodies, driving rhythmic accompaniment, and rich vocals that make their performances unforgettable. As the Winnipeg Free Press noted, “The Tannahill Weavers – properly harnessed – could probably power an entire city for a year on the strength of last night’s concert alone. The music may be old time Celtic, but the drive and enthusiasm are akin to straight ahead rock and roll.”

Born of a session in Paisley, Scotland and named for the town’s historic weaving industry and local poet laureate Robert Tannahill, the group has made an international name for its special brand of Scottish music, blending the beauty of traditional melodies with the power of modern rhythms. The Tannahill Weavers began to attract attention when founding members Roy Gullane and Phil Smillie added the full-sized highland bagpipes to the on-stage presentations, the first professional Scottish folk group to successfully do so. The combination of the powerful pipe solos, Roy’s driving guitar backing and lead vocals, and Phil’s ethereal flute playing breathed new life into Scotland’s vast repertoire of traditional melodies and songs.

tannahillweavers.com

Green Willow News, Blast From The Past, Video

Jim Malcolm – “Suzi Wollenberg” (3/21/2019)

Following the sudden passing of longtime Green Willow president and artistic director Suzi Wollenberg in August, 2009, Jim Malcolm wrote a tribute to her which he recorded on his 2011 album Sparkling Flash. Jim performs the song here as part of his appearance for us at the Blue Ball Barn in Wilmington, Delaware on March 21, 2019.


Please consider a donation to Green Willow (a non-profit 501(c)3 organization)

Recent Green Willow Concerts

GENTICORUM (9/19/2019)

Thursday, September 19, 2019 @ 7:30 pm

HighTime

Blue Ball Barn
1914 West Park Drive
(Alapocas Run State Park)
Wilmington, Delaware 19803

Blue Ball Barn

1914 West Park Drive, Alapocas Run State Park, Wilmington, Delaware

Adult – Advance: $23.00
Adult – Door: $27.00
17 & Under: FREE when accompanied by Adult

Doors open at 6:30 pm.  Cash, check or credit card accepted for payment at door. Light refreshments will be available for purchase. The Blue Ball Barn is a Delaware State Parks system facility. Park entrance fees will not be in force during the concert. Ample free parking is available at the venue. No alcoholic beverages will be permitted.

Genticorum (L-R): Nicholas Williams, Pascal Gemme, Yann Falquet. (Photo by Louise Bichan)

Over the past 18 years the traditional Quebec group Genticorum (“zhahn-tee-COR-um”) has become a fixture on the international world, traditional, folk and Celtic music circuit. The band’s six albums met with critical acclaim in Canada, the United States and Europe, assuring the band a brilliant future. Known for its energy and its stage presence, Genticorum has given more than 1000 concerts in more than 15 countries. Their only previous appearance for Green Willow was in October, 2006.

Firmly rooted in the soil of their native land, the energetic and original traditional ‘power trio’ also incorporates the dynamism of today’s North American and European folk cultures in their music. They weave precise and intricate fiddle, flute and accordion work, gorgeous vocal harmonies, energetic foot percussion and guitar accompaniment into a big and jubilant musical feast. Their distinctive sound, sense of humour and stage presence makes them a supreme crowd pleaser.

PASCAL GEMME
Pascal Gemme is a leading light in Quebec’s traditional music scene. Known as much for his original compositions as his fine interpretation of traditional tunes, Pascal is the fiddler, singer and arranger of the band, Genticorum, whose CDs have met with critical acclaim in several countries.

From a young age, the fiddle music and songs of his native province have captivated him.  After graduating with a degree in composition and band arrangements at Montreal’s St Laurent College, he immersed himself in the traditional music around him, playing, collecting and recording music found all over Quebec.  Pascal has developed a vast knowledge and is a leading exponent of the music.

YANN FALQUET
Yann Falquet is a very active and creative acoustic guitar player on the QuĂ©bĂ©cois music scene. He has explored many styles of music and completed a Bachelor’s degree in Jazz. Since then, he has developed a personal guitar style for QuĂ©bec folk music, inspired by the playing of the accompanists of different cultures (Brittany, Scandinavia, Ireland, North America).

His involvement in the province’s traditional music scene has brought Yann to perform on numerous recordings, and to tour regularly throughout Canada, the U.S., Europe and Australia with Genticorum but also with JUNO award-winning Celtic and world group The McDades, the Jean-François BĂ©langer Trio and with cellist Natalie Haas.

NICHOLAS WILLIAMS
Nicholas Williams has developed a reputation as a versatile and sought-after musician in the traditional music scenes of QuĂ©bec and New England.  His rhythmic yet nuanced style of flute playing draws from Irish and Scottish traditions, as well as from his studies of classical North Indian music.  After completing a BFA in world music and composition at York University, Nicholas moved to QuĂ©bec in 2000,  where he has enjoyed exploring the common ground of his own diverse musical experiences with the rich QuĂ©bĂ©cois musical tradition.  Also an accomplished accordion and piano player, he has been a member of the band Crowfoot since 2005, plays with fiddler Laura Risk, and in the Alex Kehler & Nicholas Williams duo.  

For more about the band, visit their website at www.genticorum.com

Recent Green Willow Concerts

Tommy Sands (10/10/2019)

Thursday, October 10, 2019 @ 7:30 pm

Blue Ball Barn

1914 West Park Drive, Alapocas Run State Park, Wilmington, Delaware

Advanced Reserved Tickets: $21.00
Tickets Purchased at Door: $25.00
17 & under: FREE when accompanied by paying adult

UPDATE (10/10 12:30 pm): TICKETS WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR THIS EVENING

Click HERE to order advance tickets online through Brown Paper Tickets

Doors open at 6:30 pm.  Cash, check or credit card accepted for payment at door. Light refreshments will be available for purchase. The Blue Ball Barn is a Delaware State Parks system facility. Park entrance fees will not be in force during the concert. Ample free parking is available at the venue. No alcoholic beverages will be permitted.

Tommy Sands

Tommy Sands, County Down’s singer, songwriter and social activist has achieved something akin to legendary status in his own lifetime.

From the pioneering days with the highly influential Sands Family, bringing Irish Music from New York’s Carnegie Hall to Moscow’s Olympic Stadium, he has developed into one of the most powerful songwriters and enchanting solo performers in Ireland today.

His songwriting, which draws the admiration of Nobel Poet Laureate Seamus Heaney and father of folk music Pete Seeger, prompts respected US magazine “Sing Out” to regard him as “the most powerful songwriter in Ireland, if not the rest of the world”.

His songs, like There were Roses, and Daughters and Sons, which have been recorded by Joan Baez, Kathy Matthea, Dolores Keane, Sean Keane, Frank Patterson, Dick Gaughan, The Dubliners and many others have been translated into many languages and are currently included in the English language syllabus in German secondary schools.

Although constantly performing on stages all around the world he prides in taking his music down from the lights and into the darker corners of society. One of his current projects, teaching underprivileged prisoners in Reno, Nevada to write their own song with which to defend themselves in court is currently creating a wide spread stir in the world of community art in the United States. Back home in Northern Ireland he has just completed a CD written with Protestant and Catholic schoolchildren about their own areas, in towns and villages around Northern Ireland. During the Good Friday Agreement Talks, his impromptu performance with a group of children and Lambeg drummers was described by Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Seamus Mallon as “a defining moment in the Peace Process”.

In May 2002 Tommy Sands received an honorary doctorate of Letters from The University of Nevada for his outstanding work as musician and ambassador for peace and understanding and, May 18th was pronounced “Tommy Sands Day in Reno”.

“Tommy Sands is one of the most important songwriters in Ireland if not the rest of the world. . .”
SING OUT (USA)

“The gentle songs of a gentle man, ringing out above the tumult and the shouting. . . Through people like Tommy Sands there will be an answer. . .”
BELFAST TELEGRAPH

“Most gifted songwriter…with an ability to write on serious subjects which come across as songs rather than sermons…also well able to be extremely funny in the way he puts words together. . .”
IRISH TIMES

“Tommy Sands has achieved that difficult but wonderful balance between knowing and loving the traditions of his home and being concerned with the future of the whole world. . .”
PETE SEEGER

Green Willow News, Blast From The Past

Blast From The Past – Kevin Burke (April 21, 2003)

With the approach of our show on April 25 featuring the legendary Kevin Burke, it’s time for another “Blast From The Past” from the Green Willow archives.

Following the closure of O’Friel’s Irish Pub in Wilmington in 2001, where we held our concerts for several years, we were forced to scramble among a number of small venues to hold shows. In 2003 and 2004 we held four concerts at the Buzz Ware Center in Arden, Delaware. The first of these was on April 21, 2003 when we featured Kevin in a solo performance that is to date – as near as we can tell from past records – the only time he has appeared for Green Willow. We’ve reached into the photo archive for a few shots taken at that show by current Green Willow president John Lupton.

Kevin Burke at Buzz Ware Center – 4/21/2003 (Photo by John Lupton)

It has been far too long since we’ve had the opportunity to present this master fiddler, storyteller and showman. If you don’t already have your ticket(s), you can get them directly online (with and advance discount) at burke2019.brownpapertickets.com. For more details on the show, visit greenwillow.org, send email to info@greenwillow.org, or call (610) 566-4932.

Kevin Burke at Buzz Ware Center – 4/21/2003 (Photo by John Lupton)
Recent Green Willow Concerts

Blast From The Past – Jim Malcolm (November 4, 2005)

As we prepare to welcome Jim Malcolm back to our stage on Thursday, March 21 at the Blue Ball Barn (tickets are still available!), we thought it would be fun to dive into the archives and look back to one of Jim’s previous appearances with us.

We first met Jim in the late 1990’s when he replaced Ian F. Benzie as lead vocalist for the Old Blind Dogs and made several appearances with them for us during the years we held our concerts at O’Friel’s Irish Pub on Delaware Avenue in Wilmington, Delaware. In 2002, Jim left the Dogs to pursue his solo career, appearing for us on his own for the first time at the Buzz Ware Center in Arden, Delaware in October of 2003.

From May, 2004 through March, 2006 we held most of our concerts at the 4W5 Cafe, which was located at 4 West 5th Street in Wilmington (hence the name), at the corner of 5th and Market Streets. (Sadly, the venue is no longer in existence). The photos in this post feature Jim’s performance there on November 4, 2005.

Jim Malcolm, at Green Willow – 11/4/2005

Jim has returned to our stage several more times over the years, and each time he continues to charm us with his music, stories, good nature and good humor. Whether he is to you an old friend – as he is to us – or a new face, we hope you’ll come out on March 21 to join in the fun. Visit greenwillow.org, send email to info@greenwillow.org, or call (610) 566 4932 for more details.

Jim Malcolm at Green Willow – 11/4/2005
Recent Green Willow Concerts

Kevin Burke (4/25/2019)

Thursday, April 25, 2019

Blue Ball Barn

1914 West Park Drive, Alapocas Run State Park, Wilmington, Delaware

Advance Reserved Tickets – $26.00

Tickets Purchased at Door – $30.00

ADVANCE SALES HAVE ENDED, BUT TICKETS WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR

Doors open at 6:30 pm.  Cash, check or credit card accepted for payment at door. Light refreshments will be available for purchase. The Blue Ball Barn is a Delaware State Parks system facility. Park entrance fees will not be in force during the concert. Ample free parking is available at the venue. No alcoholic beverages will be permitted.

Kevin Burke will perform a solo concert for the Green Willow on Thursday, April 25 at the Blue Ball Barn in Alapocas Run State Park near Wilmington, Delaware

Kevin Burke’s fiddle playing has been at the forefront of traditional music since the  1970’s. His far-reaching solo album, â€œIf the Cap Fits” and his work with such distinguished performers as Arlo Guthrie, Kate Bush, Christy Moore and the Bothy Band established him as a first class musician. Never one to be restricted by geography or genre, his decades long career has seen several innovative collaborations with notable musicians of differing styles – Classical, Old Time, Bluegrass, Pop and Rock as well as the Irish Traditional music for which he is so well known. Some of the eminent players he has worked with are: Grammy winner, singer and instrumentalist Tim O’Brien; Liam O Maonlai, lead singer of the Hothouse Flowers; classical violinists Gilles Apap and Greg Ewer; Old Time favourites, The Foghorn String Band; renowned Irish bands Dervish, Solas and Lunasa and his most recent recording is a collaboration with veteran Rock guitarist John Brennan(Poco, Chris Hillman Band and others). 

Kevin has earned international acclaim in both Europe and America as a solo performer, a teacher and as a member of some of folk music’s foremost groups including the exciting Celtic Fiddle Festival and Ireland’s long admired and respected Patrick Street. In 2007 he also set up his own record label, â€œLoftus Music”, which soon developed a reputation for excellence in both its musical output and its unique eco-friendly packaging. 

His contribution to music has received formal acknowledgement on both sides of the Atlantic where he has been the recipient of several awards including Ireland’s â€œGradam Ceoil” (Traditional Musician of the Year, 2016), and a National Heritage Fellowship, the USA’s highest honor for excellence in the folk and traditional arts. (Previous National Heritage Fellows include B.B. King, Doc Watson, and Bill Monroe.) Kevin has also been honoured by his adopted home state with his induction to the Oregon Music Hall of Fame .

In 1980 Kevin settled in the USA and was performing with Bothy Band colleague Micheal O Domhnaill. Their 2 albums, â€œPromenade” and â€œPortland”, became, and still are, very influential resources for many traditional musicians. 

In the mid Eighties Kevin was a founding member of two influential groups, â€œOpen House” and â€œPatrick Street”, whose recordings and performances were greeted with great acclaim both in Europe and US. In the mid Nineties Kevin was a founding member of yet another successful and enduring traditional group – â€œThe Celtic Fiddle Festival”, this time with Johnny Cunningham from Scotland and Christian Lemaitre from Brittany. 

Although Kevin has spent much of his life playing in a group context, he has never lost his love for solo fiddle music â€“ the â€œnaked fiddle” as he himself sometimes puts it.  This is very evident in his new live solo release, â€œAn Evening with Kevin Burke”, a collection of performances and stories before audiences in Ireland and US, including his home town of Portland, Oregon. 

Visit Kevin’s website