Page 38 - SPIRE SEP_DEC 2023 7th Issue Digital
P. 38

FALL 2023



                                DIVAS WITH A TWIST                                                                                            CHERISH THE LADIES- A CELTIC
                                FRI, DEC 08  @ 8PM                                                                                            CHRISTMAS
                                $32
                                                                                                                                              FRI, DEC 15  @ 8PM
                        For a decade Divas with a Twist have been selling out shows                                                           $49
                        in the Boston area. This band features 5 powerhouse female
                        vocalists backed by high energy, Grammy nominated                                                            One of the most engaging and successful ensembles in the
                        musicians. With a unique blend of vocals combined with new                                                   history of Celtic music, Cherish The Ladies have shared timeless
                        arrangements to pop favorites, classic rock, Motown and                                                      Irish traditions with audiences worldwide for over thirty years.                                FALL 20223
                        originals, the Divas do not disappoint!!                                                                     In their Celtic Christmas program, the Ladies put their signature
                                                                                                                                     mark on classic carols such as “O Come All Ye Faithful” and
                                                                                                                                     “Silent Night,” in arrangements that highlight the group’s unique
                                                                                                                                     Celtic instrumentation, beautiful harmonies, and spectacular
                                                                 A Very Soulful Christmas with                                       step dancing. Hailed by The New York Times as “passionate,
                                                                                                                                     tender and rambunctious,” Cherish The Ladies have released
                                                                                     Morgan James                                    three critically acclaimed holiday albums, On Christmas Night, A
                                                                                 SAT, DEC 09  @ 8PM                                  Star In The East, and 2015’s Christmas In Ireland.
                                                                                                    $38

                                                              Morgan is currently on tour supporting her fifth studio album,                                                                                 LUNASA
                                                             “Nobody’s Fool”. She independently released her studio albums                                                                       SAT, DEC 16  @ 8PM
                                                              of original soul music, entitled Memphis Magnetic, and A Very                                                                                         $40
                                                                  Magnetic Christmas recorded to analog tape in Memphis,                                                   Named for an ancient Celtic harvest festival in honor of the Irish
                                                               Tennessee. Other albums include "Reckless Abandon", which                                                   god Lugh, patron of the arts, Lúnasa is indeed a gathering of some
                                                            prompted the Huffington Post to call MJ the "Brightest Breakout
                                                             Artist of the Year". In addition to her original music, Morgan co-                                               of the top musical talents in Ireland. Its members have helped
                                                           produced and starred in an all-female concept recording of “Jesus                                                  form the backbone of some of the greatest Irish groups of the
                                                             Christ Superstar”. Morgan has taken on full album covers of the                                                                                             decade.
                                                                   Beatles’ iconic ‘White Album’, Joni Mitchell’s “Blue”, Jeff                                             Bassist Trevor Hutchinson was a key member of The Waterboys,
                                                              Buckley’s “Grace”, and many more. Morgan recorded two full-                                                     and later he, with guitarist Donogh Hennessy, would form the
                                                              length albums with Epic Records: “Hunter”and “Morgan James                                                     dynamic rhythm section of The Sharon Shannon Band; Ed Boyd
                                                            Live, a celebration of Nina Simone“. All of her music can be found                                                    (Flook, Michael McGoldrick Band) has recently replaced
                                                             on all streaming platforms, and hard copies on her website or at                                             Hennessy; Fiddler Sean Smyth is an All-Ireland champion who has
                                                                                                           shows.
                                                                                                                                     played with Donal Lunny’s Coolfin; Kevin Crawford, considered to be among the finest flutists in Ireland played
                                                                                                                                      with the acclaimed traditional group Moving Cloud; and, piper Cillian Vallely of the famous Vallely artistic clan
                                                                                                                                      has performed with Riverdance and recently recorded with Bruce Springsteen. Folk Roots magazine has rightly
                                TD BANK LOBBY SERIES:SAY                                                                                                                                      termed them an “Irish music dream team.”
                                DARLING                                                                                              CHARLES DICKENS’ A CHRISTMAS CAROL:
                                THU, DEC 14  @ 7:30PM                                                                                A SOLO PERFORMANCE BY NEIL MCGARRY
                                $15                                                                                                  SUN, DEC 17  @ 3PM
                        In 2016,old friends Celia Woodsmith and Chris Hersch found                                                   $20-$25
                        themselves taking a temporary step back from their                                                           Actor Neil McGarry returns home to Plymouth and Spire Center For
                        international touring projects.                                                                              The Arts with his awarding winning, solo performance of Charles
                        Grammy-Nominated singer and songwriter Celia Woodsmith                                                       Dickens’ A Christmas Carol on Sunday, December 17th, 2023 at 3:00
                        – of the acclaimed bluegrass band Della Mae – and critically                                                 pm.
                        lauded guitarist Chris Hersch formerly of the alt. country                                                   Directed by Ross MacDonald, McGarry’s performance was named
                        rock band Girls Guns & Glory, had each independently                                                         “Best Of Boston” by critic Jules Becker and won "Best Solo
                        decided to relax their rigorous schedules, both ending up                                                    Performance” from the Independent Reviewers of New England in
                        back home in New England with time on their hands.                                                           2014.
                        These two road warriors and workaholics didn’t last long                                                     Armed only with Dickens’ words and a bare stage, McGarry delivers
                        before delving into a new and exciting project: Say Darling.                                                 the perennial holiday classic in a tour de force that has left audiences
                        Blending distinctive original songs with classic tunes that pay                                              riveted from Boston to Prague. Joyous, witty, and gloriously
                        homage to a shared musical heritage, Say Darling evokes the                                                  uplifting, A Christmas Carol is a fully staged, full-throated leap into
                        funky drive of Little Feat, the moving vocals of Bonnie Raitt                                                Dickens’ most famous story, delivered with a simplicity that disarms
                        and the instrumental prowess of the Tedeschi-Trucks Band.                                                    and touches the heart.                                          PHOTO CREDIT: DENISE MACCAFERRI
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