Halalisa Singers to Perform 'Over the Sea to Skye: Songs from Celtic Lands' in January

The Halalisa Singers, a world music vocal ensemble presents Over the Sea to Skye: Songs from Celtic Lands, on Saturday, January 9, 8:00 pm, at First Parish in Lexington, 7 Harrington Road, and on Sunday January 10, 3 pm at Memorial Church, 26 Concord Road, Sudbury. The ensemble is led by Artistic Director Mary Cunningham and accompanied by Trevor Berens, piano; Ellery Klein, fiddle; Linda LaSalle, harp; and Berit Strong, guitar.

Over the Sea to Skye: Songs from Celtic Lands, features music selections drawn from five Celtic lands, a collection of songs of love, loss and celebration. The concert both enchants and excites the heart, with a chorus of joyful vocalists accompanied by traditional Celtic instrumentalists. Memorable music hailing from Scotland and the Hebrides draw on the traditions of the culture, including "Wild Mountain Thyme", the folk song "Wi' A Hundred Pipers", the traditional melody "Mouth Music" partnership of song and dance in the folk music traditions of the Celts and the Gaels, with tantalizing rhythms, and the concert title song "Over the Sea to Skye". Repertoire originating in Wales includes a more modern selection in "Bells of Rhymney", drawn from Welsh poet Idris Davies' Gwalia Deserta; a Welsh folk lullaby "Suo Gan", and the highly regarded Wales anthem "Calon Lan". From the land o' the green, Irish selections include folk and traditional tunes "Dulaman", "Famine Lament", "Shivna" from Riverdance, "My Gentle Harp" sung to the tune of "Danny Boy" and more. Touching on the Galicia region of Spain and Brittany, France, a few additional folksongs selections wrap up the Celtic tour in song.

The Halalisa Singers are dedicated to the performance of music across all cultures and nationalities. Halalisa is a Zulu word for "celebration," and in that spirit, the Halalisa repertoire includes African, Latin, American Spiritual, Gospel, Jewish, Folk, and Jazz music. A talented group of thirty men and women, the Halalisa Singers are inspired by the belief that music is a universal language with the power to uplift and unite us all. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Mary Cunningham, this Lexington-based vocal ensemble is now in its 23rd year offering unique performances in the Boston area. The Halalisa Singers have been featured performers at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Revels' RiverSing, Winchester Multicultural Network, Lexington Symphony, Refugee Immigration Ministry's Annual International Concert, Arlington's Regent Theater Multicultural Concert, the Belmont International Film Festival and the ACDA's "Urban Initiatives" Multicultural Concert.

Now in her thirteenth year as Artistic Director of the Halalisa Singers, Mary Cunningham leads the ensemble in performing an ever-widening repertoire. With their special sound and mission, the Halalisa Singers have been sought after to perform at multicultural and diversity events, benefit concerts and at international festivals in the Northeast and Europe. Cunningham earned her Masters in Music at the Cleveland Institute of Music after degree training at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria. She is known in the Boston area as an active conductor, vocalist, and flute soloist. She currently serves as the Choir Director at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Reading, is a member of the American Choral Directors Association and the UU Musicians Network. A frequent performer with the Christmas Revels, Mary is on the faculty of the Powers Music School in Belmont, and has a private teaching studio in Lexington.

Tickets purchased in advance are $15 for adults, $12 for students and senior citizens online at www.brownpapertickets.com. Tickets purchased at the door are $18 for adults, $15 for students and senior citizens. For more information about Halalisa Singers, call 781-862-6353, visit www.halalisa.org, or follow us on Facebook.

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