Dervish, Renowned Interpreters Of Irish Folk Music, To Tour North America This Spring
By: Sarah Jae Leiber Mar. 11, 2020
Dervish, one of the world's most imaginative interpreters of Irish folk music and recently recognized with a BBC Lifetime Achievement Award, have confirmed a new tour of North America this spring. Having devoted the last three decades to gently reinventing the traditional songs of their homeland, Dervish were widely celebrated in 2019 for their album The Great Irish Songbook which featured such luminaries as Vince Gill, Rhiannon Giddens, Steve Earle and others. On this new tour the group will play songs from the album among various tunes performed throughout their career as well as fan favorites.
Dervish's founding members were childhood friends in County Sligo-the same creatively fertile region that spawned a group of legendary fiddle players who emigrated to the U.S. in the 1920s, then recorded the first known Irish-music albums of any genre. As young musicians in 1989, the band members were commissioned to record an album of music from the renowned Sligo tradition. Despite feverish response from all around the world, Dervish turned down record-deal offers and launched their own label, releasing their sophomore effort Harmony Hill in 1993 and immediately seeing the album climb the Irish charts.
Through the years, Dervish has appeared at some of the world's biggest festivals, from Glastonbury to Rock in Rio, with the "great and good" of the entertainment industry including James Brown, Neil Young and Sting while steadily making their name as one of the foremost purveyors of Irish folk music.
As they approach their 30th anniversary, Dervish again prove the enduring significance of even the most timeworn songs.
"We are very much looking forward to returning to the US and Canada for our 27th annual tour," says accordionist Shane Mitchell. "It's the beginning of the next 30 years of Dervish and we are going no place yet as we have so much more music to bring to the world and some very interesting new ideas we are currently developing."
Dervish North American Tour 2020
2/26 - Prius Hall, Ball State University - Muncie, IN
2/27 - Blance M. Touhill PAC, Univ. of Missouri - St. Louis, MO
2/28 - The Colonial Theatre - Keene, NH
2/29 - Univ. of Vermont Recital Hall - Burlington, VT
3/1 - The Burren - Somerville, MA
3/3 - The Buffalo Irish Center - Buffalo, NY
3/5 - Aeolian Hall - London, ON
3/6 - Flato Markham Theatre - Markham, ON
3/7 - National Arts Centre - Ottawa, ON
3/10 - Grand Theatre, Rosen Auditorium - Kingston, ON
3/12 - Heartwood Folk Club, Nancy Appleby PAC - Athabasca, AB
3/13 - Festival Place - Sherwood Park, AB
3/14 - Bella Concert Hall - Calgary, AB
3/15 - Kay Meek Arts Centre - West Vancouver, BC
3/17 - Neptune Theatre - Seattle, WA
3/18 - UM Recital Hall, Missoula, MT
3/19 - Myrna Loy Center - Helena, MT
3/20 - WYO Theater - Sheridan, WY
3/21 - Dervish Concert - Evanston, WY
7/31 - Dublin Irish Festival - Dublin, OH
8/1 - Dublin Irish Festival - Dublin, OH
8/2 - Dublin Irish Festival - Dublin, OH
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