NYU Concerts Return For Fall

By Paul Keating

No matter what our age, when the official end of summer draws nigh we think of those going back to school to further their education. Well, the trad music scene follows that seasonal trend as people ready themselves for the fall and a different routine.

In New York City, we welcome back the Blarney Star Concert Series at New York University’s Glucksman Ireland House for the second year.

Leading off the grand parade are Draiocht, the very popular husband and wife duo of Michael Rooney and June McCormack, who have been frequent guests here in recent years as they spanned the world playing their lovely music.

Rooney, from Co. Monaghan, is one of Ireland’s finest harpists with a great reputation also as a concertina player, arranger and composer. June hails from Co. Sligo and has her own distinguished accomplishments.

The pair, who taught music in Ireland before taking a career break last year, has spent considerable time in Australia and New Zealand as well as the U.S. They appeared at the Catskills Irish Arts Week in both 2004 and 2005 and also performed from coast to coast.

The couple will soon return to Ireland to earn their masters at the University of Limerick’s Irish Music Center under the direction of Dr. Micheal O’Suilleabhain, but as anyone who has seen them perform already knows, that they have extra credits in the bag already.

Glucksman Ireland House is at 1 Washington Mews just north of Washington Square on Fifth Avenue in Greenwich Village. The concerts begin at 9 p.m. in the Blarney Star series. Call 212-998-3950 or visit www.blarneystar.com.

Looking forward, you can see Randal Bays and Roger Landes on October 7, Michael Cooney and Pat Egan on November 4 and Seamus Mac Conaonaigh and Marie Reilly on December 2.

Michael and June will also perform in a Monroe house concert sponsored by the Shamrock Traditional Irish Music Society (www.shamrockirishmusic.org) on Saturday, September 24 at 7:30 p.m. where space will be limited. Call 203-256-8453 for reservations.

June is also slated to teach flute at the Rhode Island Wind on the Bay School run by flute player and maker Skip Healy (www.windonthebay.com) from September 30-October 2.