Top Celtic musicians to perform during Christ Church Butterfield

Lombard, Illinois – On St. Patrick’s Day it may be normal to hear live musicians playing a fiddle, banjo or beating a bodhran. But hearing all of these instruments performing traditional Irish music during a church service may not be the first place you would expect.

Christ Church Butterfield is getting in on the lucky day celebration by adding some traditional Irish music to their professional worship band. Several of Chicago area’s top Irish musicians will join the church’s 10:45 a.m. service Sunday, March 15 at 2 S 361 Glen Park Road in Lombard.

Musicians include:

Liz Carroll is an Irish fiddler, composer, and recording artist. She is a recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts' National Heritage Fellowship Award. Liz is the first Irish-American musician to be nominated for a Grammy, and the first American-born composer honored with the Cumadóir TG4, Ireland's most significant traditional music prize. She is considered one of the greatest contemporary Irish fiddlers.

Pat Broaders grew up in Dublin where he began his journey in traditional Irish music at age 8, and attended the School of Music in Chatham Street in Dublin. He started out on the whistle, and later moved on to the uilleann pipes and bouzouki and his singing is brilliant. Pat is a real veteran of the Irish music scene both here and abroad, playing, recording and performing with many artists and bands over the years including Bohola and Open the Door for Three.

Jackie Moran (banjo and bodhran) immigrated to Chicago from Tipperary, Ireland, at age 10 and became a fixture and featured percussionist in the Chicago Irish music scene. He has performed around the world, in movies and on stage with Riverdance and The Trinity Irish Dance Company.

The performance is free and open to the public who will be able to enjoy some Irish tunes directly following worship services.

"Music is a large part of our worship services and it brings people together in a unique way. We are always looking for opportunities to invite the larger community to join us for experiences that bring joy and build fellowship,” said Rev. Eric Camfield, campus pastor at the Butterfield location.

Christ Church Butterfield is the newest location of Christ Church Oak Brook, which was established in 1965 as a nondenominational community church and has grown to more than 6,000 members. The Oak Brook location offers both Contemporary and Classic worship styles.

Christ Church also seeks to reach those who cannot come to services through its online media library, and livestream services twice Sunday morning. For more information about Christ Church, please visit ChristChurch.us.