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Iona: A Celtic Holiday Concert

Presented by PSALM - The Philadelphia Society for Art, Literature and Music at PSALM - The Philadelphia Society for Art, Literature and Music

December 19, 2009

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Iona's music is a unique, acoustic weave of the traditional music of Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Cornwall, Brittany (France), the Isle of Man, Asturies and Galicia (Spain), as well as their transplants in America. Blending songs, dance tunes, and aires into a rich and stunning tapestry, their style is outstanding in an arena where these traditions are seldom intertwined. Iona's high energy music and dance features tight harmonies, Scottish fiddling, traditional stringed instruments, melodic bass lines and driving percussion. Conceived in 1986, IONA was the musical offspring of lead singer, bouzouki, guitar and bodhrán player Barbara Ryan and wind section, Bernard Argent. With fiddlers Jim Queen (banjo and vocals as well) and bass guitar player Chuck Lawhorn, IONA has become the leading Celtic group in the Mid-Atlantic region. They are all seasoned performers: entertainers who involve their audiences with the history and cultural backgrounds of the music, with teaching words to the songs - even those sung in a Celtic tongue, with leading simple Breton dances, with humor, and with every emotion in the spectrum. Dancer, Kathleen Larrick, adds a new and exciting visual dimension to Iona's dynamic performances.