The Chieftains, the world’s pre-eminent traditional Celtic band, will return to Eisenhower Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 3, as part of group’s annual North American tour leading to St. Patrick’s Day.
John Pilatzke (harp, dance), Triona Marshall (harp, keyboard), Cara Butler (dance), Tim Edey (guitar), Alyth McCormack (vocals, dance), Martin Murray (banjo, mandolin) and Tara Breen (fiddle, saxophone) are scheduled to accompany The Chieftains in concert at the Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State.
The Nittany Valley Children’s Choir, directed by Lou Ann Shafer, will join the band to perform “Shenandoah” and “Long Journey Home (Anthem),” two songs from The Chieftains’ 1998 Grammy Award-winning album “Long Journey Home.”
Paddy Moloney, the uillean pipes player who started the Dublin band in 1962 and serves as its music director, embodies The Chieftains’ inclusive creative spirit. Kevin Conneff (bodhrán, vocals) and Matt Molloy (flute) complete the band.
Audiences adore the group, which last appeared at Eisenhower in 2007, for its exhilarating musicianship and collaborations with varied artists. The band has recorded more than 40 albums and performed with a who’s who of musicians, including Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell, Mick Jagger, Bonnie Raitt, Elvis Costello, Sting, Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, Alison Krauss, James Galway, Diana Krall and Los Lobos.
“The Chieftains have always aimed high,” wrote a Boston Globe critic. “From the start, they sought to bring traditional Irish music out of the pubs and into theaters and opera houses around the world. They’ve done that with style.”
The band’s newest album, “Voice of Ages,” features collaborations with a new generation of kindred spirits. The recording, produced by Moloney and T Bone Burnett, includes songs with Bon Iver, The Decemberists, The Civil Wars, Pistol Annies, Carolina Chocolate Drops and Punch Brothers.
Watch the “Voice of Ages” trailer.
Artistic Viewpoints, an informal moderated discussion featuring a visiting artist or artists, is offered in Eisenhower one hour before the performance and is free for ticket holders. Artistic Viewpoints regularly fills to capacity, so seating is available on a first-arrival basis.
Robert and Helen Harvey sponsor the concert. WPSU is the media sponsor.
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