Born at a Paisley, Scotland, session more than 30 years ago, the Tannahill Weavers are one of Scotland's leading traditional bands. They will bring their diverse repertoire to Harrisburg, PA's Whitaker Center Sunoco Theater in a Susquehanna Folk concert on January 30, 2009 at 7:30PM.
The group embraces the mystical quality of the Highlander's Celtic music but adds the rollicking, sometimes even brawling qualities of the Lowlander's Anglo-Scots tunes. Setting the Tannahill Weavers apart from other Scottish traditional bands, founding members Roy Gullane and Phil Smillie added the full-sized highland bagpipes to the on-stage presentations, making the Weavers the first professional Scottish folk group to do so. The combination of powerful pipe solos, driving guitar backing and ethereal flute playing breathed new life into Scotland's repertoire of traditional melodies and songs. Along the way they have released 17 recordings, including the 1979 Scotstar award winning The Tannahill Weavers, and the 1994 Indie Award Winner Capernaum.
Since their first visit to the U.S. in 1981, the Tannies' unique combination of instruments and three- and four-part vocal harmonies have taken the musical community by storm. A Prairie Home Companion host Garrison Keillor says, "These guys are a bunch of heroes every time they go on tour in the States." Named for Paisley's historic weaving industry and local poet laureate Robert Tannahill, the group is firmly established as one of the premier groups on the concert stage. From reflective ballads to footstomping reels and jigs, the variety and range of the material they perform is matched only by their enthusiasm and lively Celtic spirits. While all of their material is traditional, their musicianship transforms it, bringing it into the modern world.
Visit them online at www.TannahillWeavers.com
Ticket Information
Concert tickets are $25 General Admission, $20 for SFMS members and $10 for students. Advance tickets are available through The Box at 717-214-ARTS or The Box Online (go to www.sfmsfolk.org/tickets).
This event is made possible with grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Cultural Enrichment Fund and the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.
Concert Series
