PRESS RELEASE FROM WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN:
In the flurry of speculation surrounding the Brexit vote the future of Northern Ireland is being hotly debated. Traditionally a cradle of Irish culture, the predominantly Protestant counties of Ulster remained part of the U.K. when the Republic of Ireland gained independence, with repercussions that still echo. But through it all the music has endured, exemplified in the work of singer Len Graham and Hickory-based duo The Belfast Boys. They’ll perform a concert of traditional and modern Irish songs and tunes at the White Horse Black Mountain on Saturday, July 9 at 8 p.m.
One of the most prominent proponents of Ulster song, Len Graham was born in County Antrim and has been a full-time traditional singer since 1982. His reputation spread after he won the 1971 traditional singing competition at the All Ireland Fleadh Cheoil na hEirann, at a time when Graham’s passion for the songs of his native land was increasing. He sought out and recorded older singers and has also made numerous albums under his own name, both solo projects and in collaboration with other musicians, poets and storytellers. A veteran of folk festivals in Ireland and abroad, he continues to win awards for his part in preserving traditional song and culture. The week following his White Horse appearance will be spent at the Swannanoa Gathering, where he’ll teach classes in Irish song and humorous songs from the Irish tradition.
Alyn Mearns (guitar, whistle, vocals) and Adrian Rice (mandolin, bodhran, vocals) of The Belfast Boys grew up during “The Troubles” on the streets of Belfast. Mearns has lived in the States since his late teens, but Rice only settled in Hickory , North Carolina in 2005, having come to Lenoir-Rhyne College as Visiting Writer-in-Residence. The men met in a Hickory bookstore and quickly formed a strong bond based on their shared Northern Irish heritage and ‘Belfast-speak’ and soon discovered that they shared love of Irish traditional music. Their music embraces a fresh approach to traditional songs, blazing dance tunes and original songs and poems. The classically trained Mearns is a consummate guitarist whose fretwork interweaves with Rice’s mandolin to underpin the duo’s work with beautifully crafted accompaniments that make even familiar material new. He’s also a respected songwriter who has released an album of his own music as Yes the Raven. In addition to musical and lyrical contributions to the Belfast Boys, Adrian Rice is a published poet of distinction, his work having garnered recognition from the late Irish literary giant Seamus Heaney.
Show begins at 8 p.m. Tickets are $12 advance/$15 door.
Advance tickets available online at
http://www.whitehorseblackmountain.com
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