Kick Off St. Paddy's Day with Traditional Irish, Scottish Music

As a warm-up to this year’s St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, Montgomery County Community College will showcase the traditional music and dance of Ireland and Scotland with two performances by “Road to the Isles”: a daytime “Young Arts Explorers” educational show geared toward schoolchildren and families on Friday, March 14, at 10:30 a.m., and an evening performance on Saturday, March 15, at 8 p.m. Both performances will be held at the Science Center Theater, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. Tickets for the evening performance cost $28 for general admission and $12 for children under age 12, with $5 tickets for all ages available for the daytime performance. Visit www.mc3.edu/livelyarts or call 215-641-6518 for tickets and information.

Drawing from many generations of piping, fiddling, folksong and lore, Road to the Isles features six musicians and dancers accompanying bagpiper and founder George Balderose, who has been called “virtuosic” by the New York Times. Its members have individually studied, performed and competed throughout North America, Ireland and Scotland and have recorded several albums together. “The musicianship reflects the high-level training, attainments and years of experience of the ensemble’s members,” said Scotland’s Piping Today in a review of the album, “The Way Home.”

Through reels, jigs, songs and stories, the group explores the cultural ties and contrasts between Irish and Scottish people, music and dance. Heralded by critics and audiences alike as “a delightfully engaging program” and “a top-quality introduction to genuine Scottish and Irish traditional music,” each Road to the Isles performance features authentic costumes and musical raconteurs serving as the audience’s guide to the lands of these countries.

Follow “Destination Arts” at Montgomery County Community College on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/DestinationArts for information about performing and fine arts events.