Harp & Soul will celebrate Christmas, Solstice and other winter holidays with “Songs for the Season” a concert of traditional music and songs from the British Isles, Celtic lands and beyond at the Mainstay in Rock Hall, Maryland on Sunday December 15 at 4:00 pm. Admission is $15. For information and reservations call 410-639-9133. Information is also available at the Mainstay’s website https://www.mainstayrockhall.org.
Harp & Soul is Meredith Hadaway on Celtic harp, concertina and vocals, Ben Bennington on guitar and vocals, Rebekah Hardy on oboe, Bob Ortiz on percussion and Nevin Dawson on viola. They will be joined by vocalists Sue Matthews and Pam Ortiz.
This seasonal program will include holiday favorites, some less well-known tunes from other cultures and distant lands, songs from pagan celebrations of the Winter Solstice and traditional but less familiar carols and tunes from the British Isles.
Hadaway says that in choosing their program, the members of Harp & Soul looked for uplifting and celebratory offerings they could present in unusual arrangements showcasing each instrument. Guest artists Sue Matthews and Pam Ortiz will lend their wonderful voices to the festivities.
Harp & Soul began as a collaboration between Meredith Hadaway and Ben Bennington more than ten years ago. They quickly discovered a shared passion for traditional music of the British Isles. Hadaway says, “I was exploring Irish and Scottish harp music. Ben was delighting audiences with the “Geordie” tunes of his native Newcastle upon Tyne [in the Northeast corner of England]. We both liked the idea of creating our own sound with these great old tunes. We’ve woven some wonderful musicians into the mix at various times — currently we’re pleased to play with Rebekah Hardy on oboe, Nevin Dawson on viola, and Bob Ortiz on percussion.”
Hadaway is an acclaimed, prize-winning poet who until her retirement from the post in the last year was chief marketing officer for Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland. She is currently Lecturer in English and Writer-in-Residence at Rose O’Neill Literary House at the college. In addition to publishing poetry in numerous literary journals, she is a frequent contributor of book reviews to Poetry International and serves as poetry editor for The Summerset Review.
When asked about her musical background, Hadaway says, “I’ve been involved with music of one kind or another my entire life. My father played piano and accordion and encouraged us as kids to sing with him. My three brothers ran faster so they escaped “Lady of Spain” but over the years, even the accordion music grew on me. I studied both piano and guitar so transitioning to the harp twelve years ago was not that difficult. One day when I was tired of lugging and tuning the instrument, my father’s accordion genes kicked in and I picked up a concertina. I loved that it was small and light and always in tune. It’s a great little instrument for dance music.”
“My musical background has hugely influenced my approach to language and my life as a poet. Everything begins as rhythm and sound. All you need is a little oxygen and a lot of heart.”
This concert is the last in the Mainstay’s 2013 season which has included more than 50 concerts and other public events such as poetry readings, art shows and discussions. The first concert of the Mainstay’s 2014 season will be a rock ‘n roll dance party with Vic Vacuum & the Attachments on Saturday January 18.
The Mainstay (Home of Musical Magic) is the friendly informal storefront performing arts center on Rock Hall’s old time Main Street. It is a 501(c)(3), non profit dedicated to the arts, serving Rock Hall, MD and the surrounding region. It is committed to presenting local, regional and national level talent, at a reasonable price, in an almost perfect acoustic setting. Wine, beer, sodas and snacks are available at the bar.
The Mainstay is supported by ticket sales, fundraising including donations from friends and audience members and an operating grant from the Maryland State Arts Council.
For information and reservations call the Mainstay at 410-639-9133. More information is also available at the Mainstay’s website https://www.mainstayrockhall.org.
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