December 15, 2012 — When I made a reservation earlier in the week for tonight's performance of "A Christmas Celtic Sojourn" at the Stockbridge Theatre at Pinkerton Academy in Derry, New Hampshire, I had no idea how much I was going to need this break from the grief and sadness that has gripped the country since the horrific attack at Sandy Hook Elementary. I almost felt guilty about taking a couple of hours to enjoy myself while so many are suffering.
By a stroke of luck, I secured a seat in the center section in the second row from the stage, one of the few seats left in the large theatre when I made my reservation. The show was sponsored by WGBH Boston and hosted by Brian O'Donovan who also hosts a weekly radio show of Celtic music on WGBH. The talent was superb all around, but I'd like to give special mention to a couple of my favorites. Irish step-dancer Cara Butler, a six-time national champion, was simply dazzling with her energy and feet that moved faster than I would have thought humanly possible. Soloist Alyth McCormack was born on the Island of Lewis off the northwest coast of Scotland and grew up speaking Scottish Gaelic. I couldn't hear enough of her gorgeous voice. She ended the show with a beautiful rendition of "O Holy Night."
Also featured were Navan, a quartet of Celtic traditional singers. The Irish-American band Solas provided musical accompaniment. Catriona McKay on the Celtic harp and Chris Stout on the fiddle paired up for a stirring duet. Cellist Natalie Haas, a California native, is a recording artist and teacher. She has toured extensively with fiddling legend Natalie MacMaster and others. Accompanying the aforementioned Cara Butler were two Irish dancers, The Pilatzke Brothers. Also among the dancers were children from the Harney Academy of Irish Dance, and Melissa McCarthy, the reigning world champion in the slip jig.
I want to stress once again that even though I singled out a couple of personal favorites, all the talent in this show was outstanding. Those who read my theatre reviews regularly know I rarely have such unstinting praise for a show, but I could find no negatives in this one.
Brian O'Donovan's radio show, "A Celtic Sojourn," can be heard from 3 to 6 p.m. every Saturday on WGBH Boston, 89.7 on the FM dial.
December 24-25, 2012 — For the third Christmas in a row, I had no snow or slippery roads to contend with in my travels to share the holiday with my extended family spread out over two states. There was some concern for Christmas day, when light snow was forecast, but instead we got light rain that ended before noon.
