January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December
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April | |
Jim Malcolm
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”.
Though he now works solo, Jim was lead singer with the world-renowned and multi-award-winning Old Blind Dogs for eight years, a fantastic experience with some of Scotland’s finest musicians, taking him to the most prestigious festivals in North America and around Europe.
Sponsored by Bliss Tavern Music Saturday, April 27 . 7:30pm Tickets: $15 | |
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May | |
Joyce Andersen & Harvey Reid
Joyce Andersen and Harvey Reid have combined their talents to create one of the most potent duo teams in acoustic music. They are both gifted instrumentalists, strong and versatile singers, and prolific songwriters, and are comfortable in a dizzying array of styles of roots and Americana music. They jump from showstopping celtic jigs and old-time fiddle tunes to house-shaking blues rockers, soaring gospel duets, and achingly beautiful ballads. Reid’s legendary acoustic and slide guitar work make a perfect backdrop for Andersen’s powerful fiddling, and they take turns on lead and harmony vocals to showcase a large and interesting repertoire of original, traditional and contemporary music. They have brought audiences to their feet at folk & bluegrass festivals, clubs, coffeehouses and concert halls across the US and in Europe, and have released four highly-acclaimed collaboration recordings.
Sponsored by Bliss Tavern Music
Saturday, May 11 . 7:30pm Tickets: $15 | |
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June | |
Classicopia"Love Songs"
Classicopia presents "LOVE SONGS" with soprano Julie Ness and pianist Daniel Weiser performing some of the great music written by our American song writers, including George Gershwin, Harold Arlen, Cole Porter, and Richard Rodgers. Come tap your feet and sing along to such hits as "Love is Here to Stay," "Night and Day," "Over the Rainbow," and many more.
Classicopia, co-founded by Marcia Colligan and Daniel Weiser, has been presenting great chamber music programs in the Upper Valley since 2001 and has performed several exciting concerts at Alumni Hall. Their programs are always of the highest quality, but set in an informal, relaxed atmosphere with brief talks about the composers interspersed with the music.
Soprano Julie Ness is a versatile performer of both opera and musical theater. After receiving her training at the Oberlin Conservatory she lived and worked on the West coast for many years in both operatic and concert repertoire. Later, in New York City, she made her Carnegie Hall debut as the featured soprano soloist in Handel’s Messiah and John Rutter’s Requiem. She has worked with Opera San Jose, Festival Opera, Lake George Opera Festival and has recorded on the Deluxe label. Since moving to Vermont, she has devoted her time to teaching voice privately and with the Upper Valley Music Center, recital work and raising her three young children. Pianist Daniel Weiser, the Artistic Director of Classicopia, has performed around the world in many of the greatest halls. He has a DMA from the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore and taught music for several years at Dartmouth College. He was the 1996 U.S. Artistic Ambassador of Music, for which he toured 11 countries in the Middle East and Southeast Asia, bringing great Amercian music to such countries as Pakistan, Bengladesh, and Sri Lanka. He has recorded over 10 different CDs on various labels.
Sponsored by BLISS TAVERN MUSIC
Saturday, June 15 . 4:00pm Tickets: $15 (students free) | |
Slaid Cleaves
Slaid Cleaves spins stories with a novelist’s eye and a poet’s heart. Twenty years into his career, the celebrated songwriter’s Still Fighting the War spotlights an artist in peak form. Cleaves’ seamless new collection delivers vivid snapshots as wildly cinematic as they are carefully chiseled. Dress William Faulkner with faded jeans and a worn six-string for a good idea. “Slaid’s a craftsman,” says Terri Hendrix, who sings harmony on “Texas Love Song.” “He goes about his songs like a woodworker.”
Cleaves is a winner of the prestigious New Folk competition at the Kerrville Folk Festival, an award previously given to such artists as Nanci Griffith, Robert Earl Keen and Steve Earle. In 1997, he recorded and released his first national album, No Angel Knows for the Rounder-Philo label, which has been his home ever since.In 2000, he gained national prominence when he had an Americana charts hit with his album and song Broke Down and in 2006 he released Unsung, a collection of songs written by other singer-songwriters including Graham Weber, J.J. Baron, Michael O'Connor (who often tours with Cleaves), and Adam Carroll. He currently just released a new album, Still Fighting The War.
Sponsored by BLISS TAVERN MUSIC Sunday, June 30 . 7:30pm Tickets: $20 | |
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July | |
Masters of the Country Blues
A musical journey that explores the blues of the Mississippi and artists including John Hurt, Rev. Robert Wilkins, Mance Lipscomb, Doc Watson and others. The audience will be taken through the evolution of the country blues through discussion and music.
Featuring: Keith Friedland on blues harp, Dave Clark on bass, Rocco Russelli on percussion and Ricker Winsor, guitar and vocal, plus Kathy "Squirrel" Friedland on accordion for selected tunes.
Sponsored by BLISS TAVERN MUSIC Saturday, July 6 . 7:30pm Tickets: $15 | |
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August | |
ManranWinners of "Best Albums of the Year" from Scots Trad Music Awards
Bringing their own unique blend of Gaelic and English, traditional and contemporary, Mànran impress crowds and critics alike. Mànran began their ascension into the traditional music sphere in 2010 when six friends used a powerful combination of Gaelic and English songs with Accordion, Fiddle, Flute and a delicious mix of drum and bass to create an infectious and recognizable sound. Also the only band to use Highland and Uilleann pipes in one lineup, Mànran began to cement themselves as one of the most exciting young groups on the folk circuit.
In 2011, Manran won the Scots Traditional Music Awards "Album of the Year" and gave a special performance at the London Olympics. Manran has taken their unique sound to the international stage including a sold-out show at the prestigious Celtic Connections Festival and the Shetland Folk Festival.
Sponsored by BLISS TAVERN MUSIC
Friday, August 30 . 8:00pm Tickets: $20 | |
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September | |
Festival of Earthly DelightsGreat Food, Craft Brews, Fine Wine & Live Music
Your ticket to sample culinary delights from local area restaurants, artisan cheese makers, small farms, confectionaries, craft breweries and great wine produced in the state and beyond.
The Festival will be hosted at the North Haverhill Fairground on Route 10, about 3 miles from Court Street Arts at Alumni Hall. There is plenty of free parking. The Festival is family-friendly. Attendees must provide a valid photo ID (student ID will not be accepted). Attendees under 18 must be accompanied by a legal guardian. Please no pets.
Sponsored by STEENBURGH AUCTIONEERS & PATTEN'S GAS
Saturday, September 14 . 4 - 8pm Tickets: $15 food only, $20 food & drink | |
Battlefield BandForward with Scotland's Past
Under their banner ‘Forward with Scotland’s Past’, Battlefield Band has been performing on the international scene for four decades, inspired by their rich heritage of Celtic music and fired by the strength of the modern Scottish cultural scene. The band, who pioneered the integration of bagpipes with fiddle, keyboards, guitar and voice, mix the old songs and tunes with new self-penned material, playing them on a unique fusion of ancient and modern instruments. Over the years new members have brought with them new ideas, new music, new instruments, attitudes and influences, leading to continued creativity, freshness and enthusiasm.
Named after the ‘Battlefield’ area of Glasgow, the band has been toured throughout the world, playing to audiences in Europe, Australia, Asia, the Middle East & Canada, as well as more than 60 cities annually in the United States. As Scotland’s great flagship band they are the musicians that others measure themselves against, and their new album ‘Line-up’ finds them fresh and invigorated, illustrating once again that they are among the most relevant contemporary composers and interpreters of Celtic music today.
Sponsored by BLISS TAVERN MUSIC Saturday, September 28 . 7:30pm Tickets: $22 | |
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October | |
AlashMasters of Mongolian Tuvan Throat Singing
ALASH are masters of Mongolian Tuvan throat singing, a remarkable technique for singing multiple pitches at the same time. What distinguishes this gifted trio from earlier generations of Tuvan throat singers is the subtle infusion of modern influences into their traditional music. One can find complex harmonies, western instruments, and contemporary song forms in Alash’s music, but its overall sound and spirit is decidedly Tuvan.
Trained in traditional Tuvan music since childhood, the Alash musicians studied at Kyzyl Arts College just as Tuva was beginning to open up to the West. They formed a traditional ensemble and won multiple awards for traditional throat singing in international competitions, both as an ensemble and as individuals. At the same time, they paid close attention to new trends coming out of the West. They have borrowed new ideas that mesh well with the sound and feel of traditional Tuvan music, but they have never sacrificed the integrity of their own heritage in an effort to make their music more hip.
Alash first toured the U.S. under the sponsorship of the Open World Leadership program of the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Arts. Since then they have returned many times, to the delight of American audiences. The Washington Post described their music as “utterly stunning,” quipping that after the performance “audience members picked their jaws up off the floor.” Alash enjoys collaborating with musicians of all stripes. They appear as guest artists on Béla Fleck & the Flecktones’ holiday CD Jingle All the Way (2008), which won a Grammy. The Denver Post remarked, “As electrifying as the Flecktones’ performance was, the band were nearly upstaged by Alash Ensemble.”
Sponsored by Bliss Tavern Music Saturday, October 26 . 7:30pm Tickets: $20 | |