The Chieftains with Paddy Moloney & the Wake and District Pipe Band to Perform in Raleigh in March

Feb. 22, 2011 - PRLog -- Just in time for St. Patrick's Day, The Chieftains are coming to Raleigh! PineCone is proud to partner with Broadway Series South to present these amazing musicians in Raleigh Memorial Auditorium to close out the 2010-2011 Down Home Concert Series.

Joining The Chieftains will be the Wake and District Pipe Band, who performed a sold-out concert earlier this year in Fletcher Theater. The tradition of bagpipes at fire department and police department funerals in the U.S. goes back more than 150 years. When the Irish and Scottish immigrated to this country, they brought many of their traditions with them, including the bagpipe, often played at Celtic weddings, funerals and dances. Dr. Eric Hahn of the Raleigh Pipers Club will also join in for part of the concert, and Irish singer-songwriter Mickey Harte, who has been a mainstay of the Irish acoustic circuit over the past 10 years, will join the group for a grand finale.

The Chieftains are a six-time Grammy winning group recognized as Ireland's Musical Ambassadors. They have been bringing traditional Irish music to the world's attention for more than 40 years. The Chieftains have broken many musical boundaries by collaborating and performing with some of the biggest names in rock, pop and traditional music in Ireland and around the globe. Their most recent project, titled San Patricio, brings to life the story of the San Patricio Battalion, Irish-Americans who deserted the United States Army to join the Mexican side in the Mexican-American War. Featuring a variety of guest stars, including many celebrated Mexican, American and Irish musicians and singers and produced in collaboration with Ry Cooder, American Songwriter describes this album as, "Stunning, and not to be missed."

"In 2011, The Chieftains' performances could be better described as a Big Show or a Spectacular rather than a concert," says frontman Paddy Moloney. "There will be upwards of 12 people on stage at all times, with additions of local musicians, special guests I'm not allowed to divulge, anywhere from 6 to 20 local dancers on a couple of pieces, and the Scottish pipe bands performing the 'March to Battle,' which was narrated by Liam Neeson for 'San Patricio.'"

The Chieftains have been involved in many historic events, including a tour of China (they were the first Western group to perform on the Great Wall). They also were the first group to give a concert in the Capitol Building of Washington DC. Founding member Paddy Moloney recently was awarded a Medal of Honor for lifetime achievement in music from The National Arts Club. Moloney's pennywhistle currently is in orbit in the International Space Station, as is an old flute from The Chieftains' Matt Malloy.

In Ireland in the early '60s, Moloney set out to create a group from the ranks of the top folk musicians in Ireland. Five musicians recorded a supposedly one-off instrumental album, but five years later they reunited and added more musicians, and in 1975, The Chieftains began playing together full time.

Irish culture has had a significant impact on southern folk music, and Irish music remains one of the most recognizable styles in our region's vast array of musical influences.

Join PineCone and Broadway Serires South for a night celebrating the Irish traditions that have long been part of Piedmont music with the premiere Irish musicians of our time! Tickets can be reserved by phone through PineCone's box office at (919-664-8302), in person at the Progress Energy Center Box Office, or online at www.ticketmaster.com. For more details, visit http://www.pinecone.org.

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PineCone—the Piedmont Council of Traditional Music, is a private, nonprofit, charitable membership organization dedicated to preserving, presenting and promoting traditional music, dance and other folk performing arts.