Cleveland Celtic Ensemble comes to Medina
By Patricia Nugent
Back in Ireland, the recognition of St. Patrick’s Day didn’t come into prominence until the 20th century and was customarily celebrated with cozy gatherings of friends and traditional Irish music. (Despite popular belief, the Irish do not actually eat corned beef and cabbage, nor will you find any river in Ireland dyed green. And the drinking of green beer? That’s strictly an American thing.)
If authenticity is a priority for you this year, don’t miss the Cleveland Celtic Ensemble, coming to the Medina Performing Arts Center on—you guessed it—St. Patrick’s Day, Sunday, March 17.
Told by musician Brian Bigley, who plays the uileann pipes, the story is that the group’s inception came in 2020 during the pandemic. He and world-renowned artists Kristen Bigley (violinist), Ian Crane (Scottish small pipes and vocals) and Tiffany Schaefer (Celtic harp and vocals) came together and created a program that married the best of traditional Celtic chamber music with Irish and Scottish instrumentation, an amalgamation of classic and folk disciplines.
“We came up with blazing bagpipe duets and haunting airs on the fiddle and harp. We’ve also added amazing vocals from Apollo’s Fire veterans Bryan Munch and Peter Wright, as well as dancing from the internationally renowned Marcus Donelly,” says Brian. “People will enjoy beloved songs such as ‘Danny Boy,’ as well as fresh takes on older numbers. Ian created a new arrangement based on a sea ballad from the 1800s that tells the tale of a historic ship race from Chicago to Cleveland. We provide a musical journey throughout the performance.”
If you already have plans on St. Patrick’s Day, Brian says you’re still in luck. You can catch other performances of the Celtic Ensemble on Saturday, March 2, at the Federated Church in Chagrin Falls; or on Saturday, April 13, at St. Ambrose Catholic Church in Brunswick. Slainte!
Cleveland Celtic Ensemble performs Sunday, March 17, at 2:30 p.m., at the Medina Performing Arts Center, 851 Weymouth Road, in Medina. Buy tickets, from $24-$33, at ClevelandCelticEnsemble.com. You can also view a video of one of the Ensemble’s recent performances. Questions? Call 216-777-5769.