Celtic band, The Chivalrous Crickets is on Mid-Atlantic/New England tour with their program The Rose & Briar: a storytelling concert of the Ballad of Barbara Allen. Featuring an entrancing combination of traditional Celtic, English Baroque and Appalachian music, the concert is woven through with narration telling the story of history’s most beloved Child ballad.
The Chivalrous Crickets are celebrated for their joyous energy, theatrical productions, innovative programming and strong educational focus. With a national presence, members for this tour come together from Lancaster County, Manhattan, Wisconsin and Denver for this unique production.
“We wanted to tell the story of British and Irish folk music in America.” says director Fiona Gillespie of her and partner Paul Morton’s conception of the program. “We’re not the first to be fascinated by the history of that musical migration, so we looked for a new way to share it. This led to an idea – illustrate
that history via this single classic ballad. Barbara Allen has over 500 variants collected over five centuries across the isles and the southern United States.”
The Crickets’ program highlights six of these variants, interspersed throughout a program stocked with traditional dance tunes, sing-along numbers and a myriad of other musical selections all chosen in service to telling the narrative. The program, originally commissioned by the Baroque Chamber Orchestra of Colorado, has been hailed, “Great music and versatility… a spiritual experience. I’ve not [before] seen an audience pop up so immediately after a performance!” – Kabin Thomas, Colorado Public Radio.
The Rose and Briar will be performed at Oxford Main Street gallery The Hook Experiment on Thursday, March 20 at 7pm. Suggested ticket price is $20 General Admission. Celebrate Celtic heritage arts with wine and incredible music! Go to chivalrouscrickets.com/events for purchases and details.
