TO CELEBRATE St Patrick’s Day in this year of lockdown restrictions one of Ireland’s finest and most accomplished musicians will perform a special global live-stream event from a prestigious Dublin location.
Clare-born star Sharon Shannon will play at the National Concert Hall on Saturday, March 20.
The event joins a series of live-stream performances which also includes an exclusive concert by Christy Moore, which is due to take place on May 1.
On Saturday, accordion-player and multi-instrumentalist Shannon will perform music from her new album, The Reckoning, as well as many favourites from her back catalogue.
From her early days with The Waterboys, Shannon has become something of a legend on the button accordion, although she also plays the fiddle and the whistle. Known for her traditional arrangements and Irish-influenced compositions, she is a musician who likes to explore new styles and to collaborate both in Irish traditional music and other musical genres - from hip-hop, to classical, country and reggae.
In 2009 she won a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Meteors in Dublin to acknowledge her remarkable talent, and in 2018 she was awarded an honorary doctorate by NUI Galway.
Over the course of her illustrious career Sharon Shannon has recorded and toured with musicians such as Bono, Adam Clayton, Sinead O’Connor, Jackson Browne, The Chieftains, The Waterboys, John Prine, Nigel Kennedy, Shane MacGowan and many more, a revealing testament to her versatility as well as her musical creativity.
She has also been honoured to perform in front of US presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.
A call from new President Joe Biden, with his pride in his Irish roots, is surely on the cards.
Shannon’s The Reckoning is considered one of her most innovative and adventurous albums to date.
It was recorded entirely in lockdown, featuring remote collaborations from locations across the globe, with guests including Donal Lunny, reggae legend Dennis Bovell, dub poet Linton Kwesi Johnson, guitarist Justin Adams and rising Irish star Susan O’Neill.
For her streamed concert this weekend, Shannon will be joined by Irish-Zimbabwean singer Lucia Evans, fellow former Waterboy Trevor Hutchinson on double bass, Niall Murphy on fiddle, Alan Connor on piano and guitar, Steve Hogan on drums, Luke Dunford on Hammond organ, Jack Maher on electric guitar and vocals and Jim Murray on acoustic guitar.
All you have to do to join in the St Patrick’s Day fun is pour yourself a drink, log on and enjoy it from the comfort of your favourite armchair.
Sharon Shannon from the Dublin National Concert Hall Exclusive Livestream, Saturday, March 20 at 8pm. Tickets £15, available here. The stream will be available to view for ticket holders for 48 hours following the performance.
