All-Ireland Champion Musicians And Dancers

To Perform At Wilton High School

WILTON — The Barefield Ceili Band, a talented ensemble of 14 All-Ireland Champion musicians and dancers direct from County Clare, Ireland, will hit the boards at Wilton High School’s Clune Center for the Arts on Saturday, April 14, at 7:30 pm, for a family concert. Tickets are $15 for adults, and $10 for students and children, and will be available only at the door.

The Barefield Ceili Band is directed by Denis Liddy, an award-winning fiddler and music educator who says traditional Irish music is “both ancient and cool, riding the crest of a global wave for the past ten years. Our culture is more vibrant now than at any other time in its history and other countries are taking notice.

“Our young people are playing Irish music at the very highest level. They know they have to play their part in handing down the old traditions to the next generation,” he added.

Two of the performers in the troupe are all-Ireland fiddlers in their age categories, and the three featured dancers are also competition winners. Others are accomplished on the concertina, accordion, drums, flute and the uileann pipe. In response to public demand, the band recorded a CD that is slated for release next month.

This public performance by the group of 10-19 year olds will cap off a whirlwind tour arranged by Ridgefield-based Creative Connections, a Ridgefield-based nonprofit organization that specializes in cultural exchanges including performance tours featuring top-flight youth ensembles from around the globe who visit area schools, offer workshops and performances, and experience home-stays. Previous troupes presented by Creative Connections include Rossijanochka, the Russian Folkloric Youth Dance Ensemble from St Petersburg, Russia, that played to a capacity audience at Western CT State Univeristy in November; the Abantu Mu Buntu singers, dancers, and drummers from Uganda; and the Angkor Cambodian Dance Troupe.

Wilton High School is at 395 Danbury Road (Route 7). For more information visit www.CreativeConnections.org or call 203-431-4707.