Eclectic Music and More

Legends of the Celtic Harp
with Patrick Ball, Lisa Lynne
and Aryeh Frankfuter
Celtic Harp and Storytelling

Friday, October 28, 2011 • 8pm
Tickets: $20/advance, $22/door, $10/teens 12-17,
children under 12 are free with paying adult.
Unitarian Fellowship, 4th and C Streets, Ashland

Each time Patrick Ball has performed in Ashland, he has brought a totally new show. This time he is bringing along two other accomplished Celtic harpists and storytellers to present Legends of the Celtic Harp.

Patrick Ball

Patrick Ball is one of the premier Celtic harp players in the world and a captivating spoken word artist. He has recorded nine instrumental and three spoken word albums which have sold well over one-half million copies internationally and won national awards in both the music and spoken word categories.

Along with Celtic Harp and Story, his beguiling blend of music and spoken word concerts, Patrick has written and currently performs two acclaimed solo musical theater pieces: O'Carolan's Farewell to Music, which brings to the stage the legendary life, the turbulent times and the glorious music of Ireland's most celebratedand beloved musician, Turlough O'Carolan, and The Fine Beauty of the Island, a musical journey to Ireland's legendary Blasket Islands in search of a deeply haunting tune and the vanished islanders who played it. Patrick also presents an ensemble performance, The Flame of Love, a spoken word and Early Music retelling of the greatest of medieval legends, The Romance of Tristan and Iseult.

Patrick Ball is "a rare artist." For in playing the ancient, legendary brass-strung harp of Ireland with its crystalline, bell-like voice and performing marvelous tales of wit and enchantment, he not only brings new life to two cherished traditions, but blends them in concert to create "a richly theatrical and hauntingly beautiful performance."

Lisa Lynne

From humble beginnings, Lisa has ascended the ladder of success to owning her own production company and recording studio. She has released several internationally recognized recordings on the prestigious Windham Hill and New Earth Record labels, while simultaneously running her own label Lavender Sky Music. After more than a decade of full time touring, recording and performing Lisa has surpassed one million in sales of her recordings.

Lisa has made numerous television and national radio appearances, including NBC, CNN, and Fox News Atlanta. She has been featured in multiple newspaper and magazine articles including Wall Street Journal who spotlight not only Lisa's music, but her grass roots business savvy and innovative approach to life. Lisa's music is heard throughout the award winning PBS special "Alone in the Wilderness," amongst many other soundtracks for commercial television and independent films. All of Lisa's recent CD releases have placed in the top 20 of the Billboard music charts (Hopes & Dreams reaching #6) as well as holding top spots in the Celtic, New Age and world music radio airplay charts. Lisa's year round touring schedule keeps her busy performing at festivals around the United States as well as concert dates with the Windham Hill tours.

Lisa is founder and director of "Harps for Hearts" an innovative music program that places live music and musicians in several California hospitals, including City of Hope National Cancer Center and several Kaiser Permanente locations. Lisa has received multiple grants and media recognition for her groundbreaking interactive "Hands-on-Harps" interactive programs.

Aryeh Frankfurter

Aryeh's musical endeavors began at the age of three when he undertook classical training on the violin. His progress enabled him to study under various master violinists, including concert master of the Chicago Symphony, Harold Ayres. By the age of twelve Aryeh was already being accepted into various university level orchestras, including a Northridge College music program and accredited courses in the University of Southern California summer institutes held in Idyllwild, California. He participated both as a violinist and violist in a series of chamber music ensembles under the tutelage of internationally renown cellist, Bonnie Hampton, pianist Nathan Schwartz, teachers at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and the late violinist Ann Crowden of the Crowden School of music in Berkeley, CA.

From an early age Aryeh's musical development led him to explore various ethnic and international musical genres, particularly Celtic folk music. At the age of fifteen Aryeh was introduced to the Celtic harp, an instrument which has become the focal point of his musical inspiration and expression. Over the interceding years Aryeh taught himself to play a variety of instruments including electric violin, viola, cello, guitar, cittern, mandolin, lap dulcimer and hammered dulcimer, bowed and plucked psaltry, penny whistle, baroque flute, recorder, percussion and more recently the Swedish Nyckelharpa.

In 1994, after leaving a doctoral program in philosophy, Aryeh began his career as a recording and performance artist. He has 10 harp-orientated CDs, a DVD, and has been a primary contributor in composition, arrangement, performance and production of two crticially acclaimed CDs with the trance-rock world-fusion Ensemble, Azigza. There are currently two books published of his unique arrangements of Celtic and Scandinavian folk music.

Aryeh currently pursues a career as a full time free lance musician performing widely throughout the San Francisco/Bay Area region of California and abroad. While his main venues continue to be public engagements at various fairs and festivals throughout the State, his private engagements have included performing privately for Prince Charles and Camilla Bowles Parker to the CEOs of Bechtel Corporation.

In addition to his career as a Celtic harper, Aryeh has explored a wide range of musical styles utilizing all his multi-instrumental capabilities. He has collaborated with a wide variety of musicians and music producers from the progressive rock and roll band with Azigza, Medieval Sephardic Musician Lauren Pomerantz, modern Rai singer MC Rai, the psychedelic space-rock peformance artist Gilli Smythe, 'Tribal Trance Druidic Dance' music of Land of the Blind, the harp pop-jazz stylings of Verlene Shermer to the Hip Hop/Rap albums produced by Million Dollar Dream to name just a few.

Place: Unitarian Fellowship, 4th and C Streets, Ashland • Cost: $30

Three world class multi-instrumentalists and Celtic harpers will share their experience in creating and collaborating in the Celtic Tradition. No matter what instrument you play, whether you are a novice or professional you will benefit from this overview of one of the worlds most beloved styles of acoustic music.

You will learn some history of one of the most famous and prolific composers Turlough O'Carolan. Whether you read music or play by ear you will enjoy learning a few of O'Carolans most beloved melodies on your instrument.

Participants will also have an opportunity for a hands-on experience with the nylon strung Celtic harps. Don't have your own harp -- no problem. There will be harps available for you to play.

Demonstrations of tunes and instruments from various regions will be presented such as Swedish Nyckelharpa, mandolin, Cittern, Dadgad Guitar, Bouzouki and fiddle. Bring your instrument of choice, and learn a few of our favorite Traditional melodies.