GEMS Presents
The Chivalrous Crickets
Master of Merriment: a Celtic Christmas Revel
Fiona Gillespie ~ voice, whistle, flute, bodhran
Paul Morton ~ theorbo, Baroque guitar, banjo, voice
Genevieve Gillespie ~ fiddle/voice
Spiff Wiegand ~ pipes, accordion, percussion, voice
Sarah Stone ~ cello
Anchored around six arrangements from Esprit Philippe Chédeville's collection of Christmas folk melodies in 1730s Paris, Nouveau recueil de Noëls, the Chivalrous Crickets lead audiences on a rambling, wassail-filled journey through villages of France, Ireland, England, Scotland, and America while exploring the tunes and traditions of Celtic Yuletide from the quiet first day of Winter to the raucous Twelfth Night.
Thursday, December 21 at 7:30 pm
Tickets:
Prime seating ~ $45
General Admission ~ $30
Students (with ID) ~ $10
St. Malachy's Church
239 West 49th Street, Manhattan
The Chivalrous Crickets explore the intersection between Celtic and American folk music, and Western European early music. Its members, who all sing, play instruments, arrange and compose for the band, come from backgrounds of folk, classical, and pop music. The musicians' skills and interests combine to form a unique sound centered on rich vocal harmonies, diverse timbral blends of modern and ancient instruments, exhilarating arrangements, and innovative programming of traditional, original, and historical music, with a special fondness for producing theatrical events that recreate old-world Celtic celebrations such as Twelfth Night and May Day. Based between eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey, the Crickets play a diverse range of venues around the nation from museums to boat cruises, concert series to folk festivals, churches to barns, and pubs to theaters. A core mission of the band is to work with other ensembles and arts initiatives to create special projects and events. Recent and upcoming collaborations include The Baroque Chamber Orchestra of Colorado, Tiny Glass Tavern (Massachusets), Makaris Ensemble (New York City), Freelance Nun (New York City), and Musica Sierra's Musical Headwaters Project (California).