Variety show at the Irish Hall
A variety show June 17 at the Irish Cultural Centre at 582 North River Rd will feature an array of fiddling, guitar playing, step-dancing and song, as well as a singalong of favourite Irish tunes.
The event is hosted by Patrick Fitzgerald, the BIS president, and Cian O Morain.
Featured are O Morain and his partner, Mary McGillivray, as well as Taylor Johnston, Sheila MacKenzie, step dancer Bethany Pineau and, direct from Ireland, the duo of Brian Byrne and Patrick Crehan.
There will be a 50/50 draw at the air-conditioned hall and a light lunch during intermission. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the show goes 7-10 p.m. Admission is $15 at the door and $5 for children 12 and under. For information, call 902892-2367.
O Morain, from Country Kerry in Ireland, is now the family physician in North Rustico. As well, he holds a master’s degree in Music from Limerick University. He and McGillivray often entertain local audiences and are a favourite at the Irish Hall. McGillivray, the lead singer for the evening, will accompany herself on the squeeze box. From P.E.I., she has strong Irish roots and grew up in a musical family with roots in Cape Breton and P.E.I.
MacKenzie, who has had a successful solo career as a fiddler and has a CD entitled “Sheila MacKenzie”, has a musical background that overs many genres from Celtic and country to folk and traditional. She now plays most often in a band called Treble with Girls.
An innovative Irish traditional guitar duet, Byrne from Cork, and Crehan from Tipperary, combine a number of musical influences from Irish traditional, to Scottish and rock music to create a unique sound.
Johnston, a singer/songwriter from Vernon River, works as a gym teacher but in his spare time his latest passions have been learning traditional Maritime music and sailing around the Georgetown area in his sailboat.
Pineau, who is from the Juliette Roberts Academy of Dance, will be accompanied by fiddle music.