RUNA at the Mainstay, March 1

RUNA brings their high energy mix of Irish, Scottish, Canadian and American Celtic music to the Mainstay in Rock Hall, Maryland on Saturday March 1 at 8:00 pm. Admission is $15.

RUNA draws on its members’ diverse musical backgrounds in world music, rock, Irish and Celtic music to offer an exhilarating approach to traditional and recently composed Celtic material. With highly energetic tunes, graceful acoustic melodies and gorgeous vocals, RUNA takes music from Ireland, Scotland, Canada, and the United States and creates spellbinding, original arrangements for the tunes. They fuse sounds from Celtic traditions with contemporary tunes and give ages old Celtic tunes a contemporary sound.

RUNA was recently recognized on an international level in the 12th Annual Independent Music Awards winning both the fan ballot and judges’ votes for Best Song in the World Traditional Category for “Amhrán Mhuighinse” (Somewhere Along the Road).

Vocalist and step-dancer Shannon Lambert-Ryan, from Philadelphia, has a wide musical background including Celtic, folk, classical, and musical theater. She fronts RUNA with rich, vibrant vocals. She spent three years as the lead female vocalist in Boston-based, world music ensemble, the Guy Mendilow Band. She has performed as a vocalist with a number of artists, including Moya Brennan, John Flynn, and Joe Jencks and has also worked as an actor in theatre and film productions, including an appearance in M. Night Shyamalan’s “The Village”.

Lambert-Ryan co-founded RUNA with her husband, Dublin-born guitarist and composer Fionán de Barra who started playing guitar professionally with “Riverdance” and who has worked as musical director for Moya Brennan (of Clannad) and her band. He also tours regularly with the internationally renowned bands Fiddlers Bid and Clannad and has performed with Solas, Eileen Ivers, Camille O’Sullivan, Zoe Conway, Catriona McKay, Tommy Fleming, Francis Black, Damien Dempsey, Rodrigo y Gabriella, Galldubh and is musical director for Keith & Kristyn Getty.

Percussionist Cheryl Prashker studied classical percussion at McGill University in her native Montreal, Canada. She now lives in Philadelphia and has a well-deserved reputation as a “go-to” percussionist for folk recordings. She spent many years in NY City where she honed her skills playing everything from Rock and Roll and Klezmer, to Celtic and Middle Eastern music.

Dave Curley from County Galway, Ireland is a singer, step-dancer and sensational multi-instrumentalist (guitar, banjo, mandolin, and bodhrán). He studied at the University of Limerick, earning his BA in Irish Music and Dance. Curley has toured extensively in Ireland, Europe and the USA with the traditional Irish band Slide as the lead vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and dancer. Dave joins forces with RUNA on their tours in the United States, adding to the energy and textures of their music with his many talents.

Maggie Estes, a champion fiddle and mandolin player from Hopkinsville, KY., is emerging as one of the most talented young fiddle players in her new home – Nashville, TN. With bluegrass and classical training, Maggie brings a truly unique flavor to the RUNA sound. She has toured extensively with the Peter Mayer Group and with Keith & Kristyn Getty and has performed at The Grand Ole Opry on several occasions. She studied classical violin at Belmont College, winning the 2011 Concerto Competition. She, also, won the Georgia State Fiddle Championship in 2006. She has released two albums, My Turn in 2006 and another album with legendary fiddler, Buddy Spicher.

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. 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.