Celtic Concert

Lively traditional music from the Highlands of Scotland and Ireland will fill the meeting hall of the Mount Vernon Unitarian Church in Alexandria, Va., on Friday, March 16, at an evening concert sponsored by the Gaelic Society of America.

The 7 pm-to-9 pm concert will feature several award-winning Scottish Gaelic singers, the Celtic folk band Na Maragan and other musicians, including the Raines Family and Scott Morrison of the Maryland-based group Dìleab Phrìseil.

The concert will also feature a special performance by students from the Granfling School of Highland Dance in Alexandria, Va. All funds raised through the concert will benefit the U.S. National Mòd, a three-day Gaelic language event in its 25^th year.

Among the featured singers are Erin Park and Scott Morrison, Gold Medal winners at last year’s U.S. Mòd. The competition in Gaelic singing, storytelling and poetry is held each September in Ligonier, Pa., during the Ligonier Highland Games.

The concert will also feature Mike MacKay, who placed second in last year’s traditional Gaelic singing competition at the Royal National Mòd in Scotland, and Doyle Raines, who competed with the Lothian Gaelic Choir in Scotland.

Na Maragan are a duo formed by Ed Bradshaw and Bill Cassidy. They’ve performed at local Celtic and Scottish festivals and pubs in Alexandria and Fairfax.

“This concert is an excellent family-friendly opportunity to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with music and songs in Gaelic, Scots and English,” said Cassidy. “Beyond the fun, it will help efforts to keep languages such as Gaelic and Irish alive.”

Admission to the concert is $12 per person, or $25 per family. The Mount Vernon Unitarian Church is located at 1909 Windmill Lane, Alexandria, Va., about three miles south of Old Town and north of George Washington’s Mount Vernon.

Directions to the church are available on its website: http://mvuc.org/pages/Directions.html.

Contact: Bill Cassidy 571-212-2643 or WillBCassidy@gmail.com.