Seamus Kennedy concert May 4, 2007

Did you miss celebrating St. Patrick's Day in March? Then come to the Williamsburg Library for an evening of Irish entertainment on Friday, May 4 beginning at 7:30 p.m. Seamus Kennedy, selected 10 years in a row as the best Irish/Celtic male vocalist in the Washington Area Music Awards, will make a return concert of songs and stories to the Williamsburg Library Theatre. Preceding the concert will be a performance by award-winning The Rhythm of Ireland, School of Irish Dance from Virginia Beach. This evening celebrating Irish heritage is co-sponsored by Williamsburg Regional Library as part of its Dewey Decibel Concert series and by the John Cardinal O'Connor Division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, who will be offering refreshments beginning at 6:30 p.m. and during intermission. Tickets for the concert are $15 for adults, $12 with student ID and $7 for those under 16, and can be reserved with Visa or MasterCard by calling (757) 259-4070. The Williamsburg Library Theatre is located at 515 Scotland Street.

Originally from Belfast, Seamus Kennedy has been entertaining audiences all over the United States for more than 30 years. With a ready wit and a vast store of songs, Seamus has the repertoire and the ability to make folks forget their cares for a while, to relax and enjoy themselves. He encourages the crowd to sing along to silly lyrics and daft ditties or act out the choruses of children's songs. His audience participation songs and tongue twisters have amused the ablest of participants and the nimblest of tongues. Seamus has an endless supply of rib-tickling jokes, stories and one-liners that can leave an audience breathless from laughing so hard.

But the Irish have their serious side too, and when Seamus performs one of the more somber ballads you can hear a pin drop as the words sink in. Seamus' greatest influences have been the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem, the Dubliners', and the Irish Rovers, so it is no surprise to find many songs in his performance that they made famous, such as "The Wild Colonial Boy," "The Wild Rover," or "The Black Velvet Band."

The Rhythm of Ireland School of Irish Dance was founded in 1996. Since then they have performed at the Ted Constant Convocation Center opening for The Kingston Trio, and have performed with The Trinity Irish Dancers, The Virginia Symphony, The International Tattoo, Beach Street USA at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront, and Gaelic Storm. Rhythm of Ireland dancers have been chosen to perform with the nationally touring Irish dance show, Common Grounds. They also perform regularly for schools, festivals and a host of other organizations. The Rhythm of Ireland students, both adult and child, compete in Beginning levels of competition on up to the Championship levels and World Qualifiers.


Event submitted by Eventful.com on behalf of programs.