Saturday Morning
Discovery Series presents a program Celebrating Ireland in Story and Song on
March 31
On March 31 Celebrating
Ireland in Story and Song is an all Irish program which embraces Irish history and culture. The group is made up of Phil Edmonds, Mary King, and Mike McFischman. The Celtic soul is alive and well in the stories and songs you
will hear, and your ears and eyes will smile.
The Saturday Morning Discovery
Series is back this winter with free entertainment for family audiences at the Marlborough Senior Center, 250 Main Street. This delightful series will continue through April 7. Shows begin at 11 am.
The series is presented by the Arts
Alliance and the City of Marlborough with support from the Ezra M. Cutting Trust, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee, Avidia Bank, Ken’s Foods, Allied Waste Services of Tyngsboro, Woodard and Curran, Marlborough Savings Bank and St. Mary’s Credit Union.
Find out what's happening in Marlboroughfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Phil Edmonds, a native of Killaloe, Country Clare, Ireland, learned to play the tin whistle in a place where he says: "The backyard was the fields." When he was 14 years old, his family emigrated to America and settled in South
Providence where he still lives. Along with his tin whistle, Phil plays button accordion with great warmth and spirit. In 2008, he wrote his first book, "Reconnecting with the Soul of Ireland' about his family, memories of
growing up in Killaloe, roaming the fields and hills, and finding the new Ireland alongside the old. Both of Mary King's parents are from Ireland and she was raised in that culture, taking Irish step dance lessons by age 4
and listening to her mother sing the songs of Donegal where she was born. She often visits her two aunts in Ireland, Bridget-Mary and Madge (now 94), who
told her the stories of their youth — from "doing battle with the hay" to the monthly fairs that travelled the countryside bringing everything one might need, from pots and pans to the "dentist" whopulled out the tooth that was ailing you with pliers. They often spoke of the
hard work of living solely off the land, where everyone worked on their small farm, including the children — all with great humor. Mary keeps the tradition
of Irish music alive with the Celtic harp and her fiddle. Rounding out the group is Mike McFischman, who has been playing folk music for 40 years. He is an outstanding guitar, banjo and bouzouki player. A wonderful
accompanist, Mike adds just the right touch on the tunes and songs of "Celebrating Ireland." A member of several different bands, he is well known in the Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut.
For information about the Saturday Morning Discovery series or any of the other programs of the Arts Alliance, visit www.upwitharts.org or call 978-562-1646.
