Special Events -
St. Patrick’s Day WFWM Benefit

An Evening of Irish Song & Good Times

Wednesday, 17 March 2010
7:00-10:00 pm - Doors open at 6:30 pm
Windsor Hall
Cumberland Town Centre

If you can’t be in Ireland this St. Patrick’s Day, WFWM Public Radio invites you to come out and celebrate your Irish spirit with an evening of brilliant music featuring performances by Shanty Irish, Morbheanna (Pipers), Greg Latta,  Dancers, Harpists and more.  The event will take place at Windsor Hall in the Cumberland Town Centre on St. Patrick’s Day.

This celebration is being held as a benefit for western Maryland’s only public radio station, WFWM 91.9 fm in Frostburg, MD.

Featured performers include…

Shanty Irish

The Shanty Irish Band consists of several friends who enjoy making traditional Irish folk music similar to what one would hear in ‘singing pubs’ scattered throughout Ireland. Much of their music dates from the 18th and 19th centuries and tells tales of fighting and revolution, love, and the wonders of poitin and porter (whisky and beer). They are a not-for-profit group and can be coerced to play for noble, like WFWM Public Radio, and not-so-noble causes.  The band consists of Mike Burkey (vocals, whistle, bodhran), Tommy Dunn (harmonica, tenor vocals), Gil Hocker (pipes, vocals, box), Ron Leaf (guitar, vocals),  Jim Moen (fiddle, mandolin, vocals), Steve Owens ( guitar, box, vocals), Denis Reen (whistle, vocals) and Vic Ward (soundboard).

Academic Probation
   

Academic Probation is a trio of musicians, based in Frostburg, which plays old-time and not-so-old songs and tunes on acoustic instruments [banjo, fiddle, guitar, mandolin, and pennywhistle].  The members, Gerry Snelson, Fritz Kessler, and Woody Getz, take turns singing the lead vocals and harmonies.  The trio’s name came from their contact with students in that category while serving as Frostburg State University faculty.  Combined they represent many decades of addiction to various musical instruments and genres.

Morbheanna

In Scots Gaelic, Morbheanna means ‘great mountains.’  At this concert, Morbheanna means ‘great music!’  Morbheanna is a quartet of musicians that includes three Gibson Fireside pipers and a tenor drummer.    Gibson Fireside pipes are smaller pipes that are perfect for playing at Ceilidhs and parties.  The three pipers in Morbheanna are Annie Bristow, Kenny Braitman and Marci McClive.  They are joined by drummer Lynn Farnsworth.  Chances are, if the spirits of the crowd are high enough, they may even pull out their full Scottish pipes and make Windsor Hall rock!

Greg Latta

Greg Latta is a multi-instrumentalist, singer and performer.  Among the many instruments he plays are the Irish bouzouki, concertina, uilleann pipes, banjo, guitar and dulcimer.  Greg is a three-time winner of the Mid-Eastern Hammered Dulcimer Championship and two-time runner-up at the National Hammered Dulcimer Championship.  He will be playing a set of traditional Irish tunes.  Greg is also the host of the “Just Plain Folks” radio show heard on WFWM each Saturday afternoon from 2-5 pm.  The program features an hour each of bluegrass, folk, and Celtic music.

AND MORE TO COME….