Category Archives: Green Willow News

New announcements from Green Willow

Green Willow News, Upcoming Green Willow Concerts

Rory Makem (4/25/2024)

Thursday, April 25, 2024 @ 7:00 pm

Rory Makem

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

Tickets:
$29 (Adult)
Students 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.

A seasoned performer with over 34 years on the road, Rory Makem has toured extensively with The Makem Brothers, and the Makem and Spain Brothers and for 17 years played guitar with his father, Tommy Makem. He has played sold-out venues, festivals, and theaters throughout the United States, Canada, England, Scotland and Ireland. At his best on stage, Rory captivates his audiences with charisma, passion for the songs, poetry, history, humor and skilled musicianship.

Read more at rorymakem.com

Reservations

We are currently not requiring advance purchase of tickets to reserve seats. You can make reservations for any of our upcoming concerts in either of the following ways:

  1. Send email to reservations@greenwillow.org, and be sure to include your name, which show(s) and how many seats you wish to reserve, and a contact email address and/or telephone number in case we need to contact you.
  2. Text or call our reservation line at (302) 598-6689. As above, be sure to include your name, which show(s) and how many seats you wish to reserve, and a contact email address and/or telephone number in case we need to contact you (especially if you leave a voicemail).

IMPORTANT: The number of reservations we receive for each concert is important information that helps us prepare and coordinate with the venue for the expected audience. If for any reason you find you will not be able to attend a concert for which you have reservations, please contact us at the email address or phone number shown above.

Green Willow News, Upcoming Green Willow Concerts

MĂĄire Ni Chatasaigh & Chris Newman (4/30/2024)

Tuesday, April 30, 2024 @ 7:00 pm

Maire & Chris
Blue Ball Barn

1914 West Park Drive
Alapocas Run State Park
Wilmington, Delaware 19803

Tickets:

$29.00 (Adult)
Students 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.

The award-winning virtuoso partnership of Chris Newman (“one of the UK’s greatest guitarists” – BBC RADIO 2) with MĂĄire Ni Chatasaigh (MOY-ra nee HA-ha-see), “the doyenne of Irish harpers” – SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY) has toured in twenty-three countries to venues ranging from the tiniest of village halls and historic European churches to palaces in Kyoto and Istanbul, London’s Barbican, Sydney Town Hall and Cologne’s Philharmonie; recorded nine CDs; and given TV and radio performances on five continents. Expect a breathtaking blend of traditional Irish music, hot jazz, bluegrass and baroque, spiced with striking new compositions and Chris’s “delightfully subversive wit”!

MĂĄire and Chris have made several appearances on our Green Willow stage over the past three decades, most recently in 2018.

Read more at maireandchris.com

Reservations

We are currently not requiring advance purchase of tickets to reserve seats. You can make reservations for any of our upcoming concerts in either of the following ways:

  • Send email to reservations@greenwillow.org, and be sure to include your name, which show(s) and how many seats you wish to reserve, and a contact email address and/or telephone number in case we need to contact you.
  • Text or call our reservation line at (302) 598-6689. As above, be sure to include your name, which show(s) and how many seats you wish to reserve, and a contact email address and/or telephone number in case we need to contact you (especially if you leave a voicemail).

IMPORTANT: The number of reservations we receive for each concert is important information that helps us prepare and coordinate with the venue for the expected audience. If for any reason you find you will not be able to attend a concert for which you have reservations, please contact us at the email address or phone number shown above.

Green Willow News, Upcoming Green Willow Concerts

Kalos (5/21/2024)

Tuesday, May 21, 2024 @ 7:00 pm

Kalos (photo by Winsome Bye)
Kalos (photo by Winsome Bye)

Blue Ball Barn

1914 West Park Drive
Alapocas Run State Park
Wilmington, Delaware 19803

Tickets:

$32.00 (Adult)
Students 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.

Kalos is made up of three innovative interpreters and composers of Celtic roots music: Eric McDonald, Ryan McKasson and Jeremiah McLane. They are masters of tradition who purposefully explore the dark corners floating on its edges, delivering an alluring musical complexity full of spontaneity and joyful exuberance. They set the standard for traditional repertoire with an underlying drive and pulse charged with rhythmic electricity and integrity, forging a new musical path that draws on Celtic, Breton, American and other musical traditions on accordion, guitar, fiddle, and vocals.

The title of their new album, Headland, which refers to a point where land meets sea, is a fitting analogy for the exploratory space Kalos inhabits — one that calls forth driving, heartfelt music journeying through unknown territory to seek and find its essence – the enduring, resilient experience of the human heart.

Read more at kalosband.com

Reservations

We are currently not requiring advance purchase of tickets to reserve seats. You can make reservations for any of our upcoming concerts in either of the following ways:

  • Send email to reservations@greenwillow.org, and be sure to include your name, which show(s) and how many seats you wish to reserve, and a contact email address and/or telephone number in case we need to contact you.
  • Text or call our reservation line at (302) 598-6689. As above, be sure to include your name, which show(s) and how many seats you wish to reserve, and a contact email address and/or telephone number in case we need to contact you (especially if you leave a voicemail).

IMPORTANT: The number of reservations we receive for each concert is important information that helps us prepare and coordinate with the venue for the expected audience. If for any reason you find you will not be able to attend a concert for which you have reservations, please contact us at the email address or phone number shown above.

Green Willow News, Recent Green Willow Concerts

Niamh Parsons & Graham Dunne (10/17/2023)

Tuesday, October 17, 2023 @ 7:00 pm

Blue Ball Barn

1914 West Park Drive
Alapocas Run State Park
Wilmington, Delaware 19803

Tickets:
$29.00 (Adult)
Students 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.

Niamh Parsons (pron. ‘Neeve’) has come to be known as one of the most distinctive voices in Irish music. Her voice has drawn comparisons to such venerated singers as Dolores Keane, June Tabor and Sandy Denny. The great Scottish balladeer Archie Fisher said of Niamh, ‘a songstress like her comes along once or twice in a generation.’

It has been said that while Niamh may not be the most famous Irish Balladeer, many feel she’s the best. Described in the Boston Herald as both emotionally haunting and tonally as clear as crystal, Niamh’s albums have been ‘must-have’ collector’s items for any lover of songs and singing. With 8 CDs to her name, Niamh has gathered a body of songs from many sources, both traditional and modern songwriters.

Born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1974, Graham Dunne is a multi-talented and very versatile musician. Until very recently, Graham spent a great number of years living in County Clare and while there, was very much involved in the Irish Traditional music scene, having had the pleasure of accompanying a vast array of wonderfully talented local musicians during that time.

As a professional, Graham began working with SĂ©an Tyrrell for a year back in 1998, before embarking on a career as the main accompanist to acclaimed Irish folk singer, Niamh Parsons, in 1999. Through playing with Niamh, he has been lucky enough to play with and tour with the likes of Andy Irvine, Liz Carroll, Paddy Keenan, Tommy Peoples, Dick Gaughan, Ron Kavana, and Dennis Cahill amongst others.

Read more at niamhparsonsandgrahamdunne.ie

Reservations

We are currently not requiring advance purchase of tickets to reserve seats. You can make reservations for any of our upcoming concerts in either of the following ways:

  1. Send email to reservations@greenwillow.org, and be sure to include your name, which show(s) and how many seats you wish to reserve, and a contact email address and/or telephone number in case we need to contact you.

  2. Text or call our reservation line at (302) 635-4736. As above, be sure to include your name, which show(s) and how many seats you wish to reserve, and a contact email address and/or telephone number in case we need to contact you (especially if you leave a voicemail).

IMPORTANT: The number of reservations we receive for each concert is important information that helps us prepare and coordinate with the venue for the expected audience. If for any reason you find you will not be able to attend a concert for which you have reservations, please contact us at the email address or phone number shown above.

Green Willow News, Recent Green Willow Concerts

Jim & Susie Malcolm (10/26/2023)

Thursday, October 26, 2023 @ 7:00 pm

Blue Ball Barn

1914 West Park Drive
Alapocas Run State Park
Wilmington, Delaware 19803

Tickets:
$29.00 (Adult)
Students 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.

Jim Malcolm is the ultimate Scots troubadour. Travelling the world with his guitar, harmonicas, and engaging wit, he sings the traditional songs of Scotland and his own masterfully crafted songs in a style which is modern and accessible, yet utterly authentic. He is highly regarded as an interpreter of the songs of Robert Burns, and has been described as “one of the finest singers in Scotland in any style”.

At Green Willow, we first came to know Jim during his years as guitarist and lead vocalist with the iconic traditional Scots band Old Blind Dogs, appearing on our stage with them several times in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Since embarking on his solo career we have been pleased to continue presenting Jim to our audiences, most recently in 2019, and we are thrilled that on this tour he is joined by his wife Susie Malcolm, herself a noted singer of traditional and modern Scots ballads.

Read more at jimmalcolm.com

Reservations

We are currently not requiring advance purchase of tickets to reserve seats. You can make reservations for any of our upcoming concerts in either of the following ways:

  1. Send email to reservations@greenwillow.org, and be sure to include your name, which show(s) and how many seats you wish to reserve, and a contact email address and/or telephone number in case we need to contact you.

  2. Text or call our reservation line at (302) 635-4736. As above, be sure to include your name, which show(s) and how many seats you wish to reserve, and a contact email address and/or telephone number in case we need to contact you (especially if you leave a voicemail).

IMPORTANT: The number of reservations we receive for each concert is important information that helps us prepare and coordinate with the venue for the expected audience. If for any reason you find you will not be able to attend a concert for which you have reservations, please contact us at the email address or phone number shown above.

Green Willow News, Recent Green Willow Concerts

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:

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

We look forward to communing with you again,

Cheers,

Green Willow

Blast From The Past, Green Willow News, 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)

Blast From The Past, Green Willow News

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)