Newton’s Allen Center to Host Two Scottish Celtic Music and Dance Events This Spring

The Allen Center for the Arts will welcome spring with two spirited celebrations of Scottish Celtic music and dance, offering audiences a chance to experience both concert performance and participatory tradition.

The series begins with From Scotland to America on Saturday, March 7 at 7:30 p.m., followed by A Scottish Cèilidh on Saturday, April 4 at 7 p.m. Both events will take place at The Allen Center, located at 35 Webster St. in West Newton.

Led by acclaimed Boston fiddlers Kathleen Parks and Jenna Moynihan, From Scotland to America will feature an evening of Scottish and American traditional tunes, blending historical roots with modern improvisation.

Parks — a fiddler, singer and songwriter and founding member of the band Twisted Pine — has performed with artists including Paula Cole, Aoife O’Donovan, Punch Brothers, Jerry Douglas and Sierra Hull. She has also appeared as a soloist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and was featured on the cover of Fiddler Magazine in 2022.

Moynihan, widely regarded as one of the leading traditional fiddlers of her generation, tours internationally and teaches at fiddle camps across the country. A graduate and faculty member of Berklee College of Music, she performs with Scottish harpist Mairi Chaimbeul, the Seamus Egan Project and the Hanneke Cassel Band, and has appeared as a soloist with the Boston Pops.

The celebration continues April 4 with A Scottish Cèilidh, an evening of Gaelic folk music and traditional social dancing led by caller Summer McCall and her band.

Pronounced “KAY-lee,” a cèilidh is a traditional Scottish and Irish social gathering centered on group dances. The event is designed to be welcoming and accessible, with McCall guiding participants through each dance. No prior experience is required, and dancers of all ages are encouraged to attend.

McCall has been active in Boston’s Celtic music scene since 2019 and currently serves as director of the Boston Celtic Music Festival. Her band includes Elizabeth Anderson on fiddle, Adam Hendey on guitar, Stephen Thomsforde on pipes and Simon Lace on drums.

The Allen Center, owned and operated by the Newton Cultural Alliance, is a historic arts venue that underwent a major renovation completed in 2021. The center continues to expand its programming under Artistic Director Allison Eldredge.

Tickets and additional information are available at newtonculture.org.