Sample Press Release

PRESS RELEASE

January 16, 2025

Internationally-renowned, multi-award-winning virtuoso harp and guitar duo Maíre Ní Chathasaigh and Chris Newman in concert Saturday February 8 at Helmsley Arts Centre, Meeting House Court, Helmsley, York, YO62 5DW

Start time: 7:30pm

Box Office: 01439 771700

Online Bookings

Photos are downloadable here and an interview can be arranged on request.

A little bit about the artists and a few reviews

The celebrated partnership of “one of the UK’s greatest guitarists” (BBC RADIO 2) with “the doyenne of Irish harpers” (* * * * * SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY) and recipient of Irishtraditional music’s most prestigious award,Musician of the Year (Gradam Ceoil TG4), has toured in twenty-four countries on five continents to venues ranging from the tiniest of village halls to palaces in Kyoto and Istanbul, London’s Barbican, Cologne's Philharmonie, and Town Halls from Sydney to Seattle.Expect a breathtaking blend of traditional Irish music, hot jazz, bluegrass and baroque, spiced with striking new compositions - and Chris’ subversive wit!

"Magnificent... The instrumental quality is outstanding" * * * * * SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY “Brilliant, innovative harping and guitar-playing of astonishing virtuosity and versatility”* * * * SONGLINES “Dazzling virtuosity” THE DAILY TELEGRAPH “An eclecticism and spirit of adventure that is quite thrilling” * * * * THE TIMES “Riveting” * * * * THE SCOTSMAN “In a class of their own” THE GUARDIAN

A bit more about them and some further reviews

Chris Newman is one of the world's finest flat-picking guitarists and a gifted improviser who has toured and recorded with many luminaries of the folk and jazz worlds (among them Aly Bain, Boys of the Lough, Kathryn Tickell, Diz Disley and Stéphane Grappelli) and is an award-winning composer and record producer, receiving a silver disc for producing Fred Wedlock's Top 10 hit "The Oldest Swinger in Town”. He was principal guitar and mandolin tutor for Newcastle University’s Folk B.Mus degree course for twenty-one years, since its inception, and many of his alumni form the new wave of British acoustic guitarists and mandolinists gracing festival stages. Of his five acclaimed solo albums, the most recent, the groundbreaking ‘Breaking Bach’, was "Dazzling... utterly breathtaking... a triumph.”* * * * * FOLK WALES “A colossal achievement”* * * * RnR MAGAZINE “A magnificent tour-de-force” THE LIVING TRADITION * * * * THE SCOTSMAN

Máire Ní Chathasaigh, steeped in the traditions of her native Co. Cork, is a recipient of Irish music’s most prestigious award, Traditional Musician of the Year (Gradam Cheoil TG4 - Ceoltóir na Bliana) and a multiple All-Ireland winner; she developed profoundly influential techniques for harp performance of traditional Irish music, heard on her iconic 1985 solo album, 'The New Strung Harp' - "a milestone in Irish harp music” THE IRISH EXAMINER “Máire is an absolute legend... a game-changer in the world of harp-music… truly ground-breaking” THE IRISH ECHO (USA) - which was re-mastered and reissued in 2023.

“Music of fire and brilliance from the high-wire act in traditional music”* * * *THE IRISH TIMES “Sublime” SYDNEY MORNING HERALD “Blazing guitar and dancing harp” DIRTY LINEN (USA) “String magic of a special kind… a perfect duet… extraordinary” PFORZHEIMER ZEITUNG (Germany)”The mood is ever changing - sometimes haunting, sometimes boisterous but always magical. The pair's imaginations know no bounds" THE BRISBANE COURIER-MAIL (Australia)“ Their stagecraft was masterly and their introductions informative and funny” THE CHRISTCHURCH PRESS (New Zealand) “Simply magnificent” RHEINPFALZ (Germany) “This celebrated duo took the place by storm. Stately Carolan tunes, jazzy Django-ish numbers, dazzling Doc Watson style flat picking fliers, driving Irish dance tunes - this pair can nonchalantly do the lot. Guitar players applauded and went sadly home to burn their instruments!” THE BELFAST TELEGRAPH (Ireland) “Their blinding technique, sizzling Irish reels and hot jazz improvisation brought an extended standing ovation... Newman has the great gift of being informative and hilarious simultaneously” THE WEST AUSTRALIAN

More information here and here