Acclaimed Celtic band from Ireland’s County Waterford performs a St. Patrick’s Day concert
MANASSAS, Va., Feb. 12, 2013 – Called a “powerhouse band” and a “spirit-raising concoction” by The Irish Times, Danú brings a high energy, authentically Irish performance to the Hylton Performing Arts Center in Manassas on Sunday, March 17, 2013 at 4 p.m. The Celtic band will perform traditional Irish jigs, contemporary Celtic tunes and its own signature hits just in time for St. Patrick’s Day. This performance is Family Friendly: tickets for youth through grade 12 are half price when accompanied by an adult. A pre-performance discussion, free to ticket holders, begins 45 minutes prior to the performance in the Hylton Center’s Buchanan Partners Art Gallery. Prince William Health System is the 2012-2013 Hylton Presents Season Sponsor.
The program for this performance features an exciting collection of traditional Celtic tunes and songs composed by Danú’s own members. “Clancy’s Farewell to Whiskey,” a song by the band’s guitarist, Donal Clancy, flows into a new arrangement of a traditional Breton tune. “The Highest Hill in Sligo” combines a traditional Irish reel from County Sligo with a reel by the band’s fiddler, Oisin McAuley, and finishes with a tune Danú learned from a musician in Cape Breton in Nova Scotia. The performance concludes with a collection of various dance tunes that are favorites of the band, including a barn dance, a pipe march and a reel.
Danú, named after the Celtic mother-goddess in Irish mythology, hails from historic County Waterford, Ireland, where the original band members first met at the Oireachtas Festival in 1994. The Irish ensemble has since performed around the world, including major concert engagements in the United Kingdom, India, Israel, the United States and Europe. The band has won numerous awards, including the “Best Traditional Group” BBC Award and the “Best Overall Traditional Act” Irish Music Magazine Award. Danú has released seven albums on the Shanachie label and recorded a live DVD, “One Night Stand,” which was filmed at the Vicar St. in Dublin. Its live performances are often broadcast on NPR, the CBC and the BBC.
The band’s current lineup includes vocalist, flutist and whistle player Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh; guitarist Donal Clancy; fiddler and bouzouki player Eamon Doorley; bodhran and pipe player Martin O’Neill; fiddler Oisin McAuley; and accordionist Benny McCarthy. Together, the members of this renowned Celtic band are sure to give audiences an unforgettable night as they are taken on a musical journey to Ireland. Irish Music Magazine says of the band’s performances, “(Danú) stirs the blood and lifts the heart.”
Program subject to change.
The Hylton Performing Arts Center is pleased to recognize Prince William Health System
as the 2012-2013 Hylton Presents Season Sponsor
Tickets for DANÚ are $28, $36 and $44. Family Friendly: tickets for youth through grade 12 half price when accompanied by an adult. Visit the box office (open Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.) or charge by phone at 888-945-2468 or visit HyltonCenter.org. The Hylton Performing Arts Center is located on George Mason University’s Prince William Campus at 10960 George Mason Circle, Manassas, Va., 20110. FREE parking is available in the lot next to the Hylton Center. For more information, please visit HyltonCenter.org. Like us on Facebook at Facebook.com/HyltonCenter and follow us on Twitter at @Hylton_PAC.
About the Hylton Performing Arts Center
Dedicated to bringing a world-class performing arts venue to the Prince William region, the Hylton Performing Arts Center was born out of a partnership among Prince William County, George Mason University, the City of Manassas, the Commonwealth of Virginia and individuals and businesses in the private sector. Soaring more than nine stories and boasting a stunning mix of copper, glass and masonry, the 85,000-square foot center is home to two unparalleled performance venues for local arts groups and performers from around the world, as well as university-related activities. Modeled after the intimate European opera houses of the 19th century, Merchant Hall is a 1,123-seat multipurpose proscenium theater, which is encircled by 27 private boxes that rise three levels. The Gregory Family Theater is a flexible, 4,400-square foot space that can be configured for many different types of performances and events. In addition, the Didlake Grand Foyer, with its sweeping staircase, provides an ideal setting for community, corporate and social events. The Hylton Performing Arts Center, the only building of its kind in the area, is sure to quickly become the cultural hub of Prince William County and the surrounding communities and is a shining example of collaboration and commitment to the arts.
About George Mason University
George Mason University is an innovative, entrepreneurial institution with global distinction in a range of academic fields. Located in Northern Virginia near Washington, D.C., Mason provides students access to diverse cultural experiences and the most sought-after internships and employers in the country. Mason offers strong undergraduate and graduate degree programs in engineering and information technology, organizational psychology, health care and visual and performing arts. With Mason professors conducting groundbreaking research in areas such as climate change, public policy and the biosciences, George Mason University is a leading example of the modern, public university. George Mason University – Where Innovation Is Tradition.
