FARMINGTON – The Old South Church Concert Series continues the 2018 season celebrating the 50th year anniversary with top Scottish traditional band, the Tannahill Weavers, on Thursday, June 7 at 7 p.m.
The Tannahill Weavers 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 song.
Three years and a dozen countries later, the Tannahills were the toast of Europe, having won the Scotstar Award for Folk Record of the Year with their third album, The Tannahill Weavers. Canada came the next summer, with thousands at the national festivals in Vancouver, Winnipeg and Toronto screaming an approval that echoed throughout the Canadian media. The Regina Leader-Post wrote, “The Tannahill Weavers personify Celtic music, and if you are given to superlatives, you have to call their talent ‘awesome’.”
Since their first visit to the United States in 1981, the Tannahills’ unique combination of traditional melodies on pipes, flute and fiddle, driving rhythms on guitar and bouzouki, and powerful three and four part vocal harmonies have taken the musical community by storm. As Garrison Keillor, the host of “A Prairie Home Companion”, remarked: “These guys are a bunch of heroes every time they go on tour in the States.” Over the years the Tannies have been trailblazers for Scottish music, and their tight harmonies and powerful, inventive arrangements have won them fans from beyond the folk and Celtic music scenes. The Ithica Journal writes, “Traveling overseas to perform always thrusts the artist into the role of cultural ambassador. Audiences inevitably scrutinize the music more closely than their own. If that is the case, the Tannahill Weavers make Scotland out to be a country to desire, one with a utilitarian appreciation of the old, an acceptance of the new and a quick and playful wit.”
With band’s 50th anniversary in 2018, they are firmly established as one of the premier groups on the concert stage. From reflective ballads to foot stomping reels and jigs, the variety and range of the material they perform is matched only by their enthusiasm and lively Celtic spirits. 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 and humorous performances and outstanding recording efforts that seemingly can’t get better…yet continue to do just that.
Old South Congregational Church, UCC, is located at 235 Main Street in Farmington. Doors open at 6 p.m. Jam session kicks off at 6:15 p.m. and concert to follow at 7 p.m. Adult tickets $20. Student tickets $10/$5. Refreshments available by donation at the intermission. Ticket reservations are strongly recommended by calling 207-491-5919. Handicapped accessible.
Old South Church will be sending out Concert Series Newsletters featuring upcoming concert details. Subscription to the newsletter can be emailed to oldsouthchurchconcerts@gmail.com. Information about the concert series can be found on Old South Church’s website: http://www.farmingtonucc.org/get-connected.html. Find the concert series on Facebook.
