Knox Church Concert Events

Knox Church Concert Events to entertain during the Dunedin Celtic Arts Festival

Featuring Pepe Becker, Helen Webby, Rare Byrds, Chris Penman, Bob McNeill, Catgut and Steel, Davy Stuart and Barrie McDonald.

The Dunedin Celtic Arts Festival programme is offering a series of concert events to be held at Knox Church on the 16th, 17th and 24th of September. Concerts include local and guest performers and include a wide mix of music and song to appeal to a wide audience.

One of the musicians that is part of the 'Portobello Years' Saturday evening (September 17) concert is three-time Tui award winner, Bob McNeill. Bob is one of New Zealand's best known folk artists for his work solo and with Ben the Hoose. An innovative songwriter, his songs have been covered by artists in New Zealand, Scotland, Australia and the USA. Bob will be performing with traditional singer, Chris Penman and the Dunedin group Catgut and Steel featuring Mike Moroney and Anna Bowen.

"I've admired Chris's singing for years and I'm thrilled to be working with her, especially in Dunedin where we first met twelve years ago. 'Portobello Years' is a meeting of traditional and contemporary songs with a strong Scottish feel. There'll be plenty of humour and plenty of chances to sing along. We've both lived in Dunedin, and both miss the place, so this is a special concert for us." Bob McNeill.

The 'Canterbury Gaels' concert to take place on Saturday 24 September features three Christchurch musicians, Helen Webby, Davy Stuart and Barrie McDonald. The harp/guitar duo of Webby and Stuart have been enthralling audiences for over 10 years, most recently making a return visit, as featured overseas guests, to the Australian National Folk Festival in Canberra last Easter where they also taught master classes in harp and bouzouki. For this concert they are joined by Barrie McDonald, accordion virtuoso, whose name is synonymous with the best of Celtic music in New Zealand.

"Our trio has a full and varied instrumental line-up, including harp, guitar, bouzouki, fiddle, accordion and mandolin. Our tunes predominantly come from the Celtic tradition, both old and new and the songs have a distinct Scottish accent." Davy Stuart.

Tickets for all three events are available from TicketDirect, www.ticketdirect.co.nz , phone 0800 4 TICKET or visit the Regent Theatre, Dunedin (a booking fee applies). Door sales are also available from 7.30pm and a cash bar will operate at all three events.

The full Festival programme can be found at various locations, including the Dunedin i-SITE Visitor Centre and online at www.dunedincelticarts.org.nz .

Full details of the three Knox Church concert events are:

The Heart of the Drawing Room Featuring: Soprano, Pepe Becker and Harpist, Helen Webby, with special guests, Rare Byrds. Date: Friday 16th September Time: 8pm Venue: Knox Church

Tickets: $15/$12

A concert recital of Celtic-related chamber music works, known as drawing-room music. Guest appearance by medieval music ensemble Rare Byrds. From the mid-17th century onward, as Baroque music began to replace the traditional harpers and balladeers in the houses of both the old and the new aristocracy in the Celtic lands, traditional airs, dances and songs were incorporated, taken up by classical composers and musicians of both the concert hall and the drawing room. This concert contains songs from Robbie Burns and Thomas Moore, and music from Carolan, Haydn and Britten, from the blind Welsh harper John Parry and the virtuoso royal harper John Thomas There are echoes of harper and soprano Mary O'hara and harper-composer Derek Bell. The baroque soprano voice of Pepe Becker and the virtuosity of harper Helen Webby are ideal vehicles to conjure the enchantment of this genteel Celtic tradition.

Portobello Years Featuring: Chris Penman and Bob McNeill with special guests Catgut and Steel. Date: Saturday 17th September Time: 8pm Venue: Knox Church

Tickets: $20/$15

Traditional singer, Chris Penman, was born in Portobello, Scotland and moved later to Portobello, Dunedin where she recorded an album of the same name in the early 80's. Now resident in Hamilton, she has joined forces with Tui award-winning singer/songwriter Scotsman, Bob McNeill and together they are a formidable musical duo. Add to this, Chris' original Portobello Years collaborator, guitarist Mike Moroney with his Catgut and Steel counterpart, fiddle-player Anna Bowen and you have all the ingredients for an evening of warm entertainment, songs and tunes familiar and new.

Canterbury Gaels Featuring: Davy Stuart, Helen Webby and Barrie McDonald Date: Saturday 24th September Time: 8pm Venue: Knox Church

Tickets: $20/$15

Renowned ex-Edinburgh musician and luthier, Davy Stuart (guitar, mandola, fiddle) joins forces with his long-time musical collaborators, harpist Helen Webby and accordionist Barrie McDonald, all of Christchurch. Davy and Helen have two recordings of note and have been performing commissioned works by a wide range of NZ composers. Barrie and Davy have played together in line-ups both formal and informal for as long as they have known each other. Here we have a trio of the finest in their field and the promise of an unparalleled concert of traditional and contemporary work.

ENDS

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