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Thistle & Shamrock Sundays at 11 AM
Fiona
Ritchie
Spirited reels and jigs, and haunting ballads of
days gone by, harmonious strains and exuberant
rhythms of new music born of deep roots - such
are the pleasures of The Thistle & Shamrock.
Now in its 20th year of national distribution,
the one-hour weekly Celtic music series embraces
the spirit and character of America's thriving
cultural influences.
Hosted by Fiona
Ritchie, one of the most engaging hosts on the radio, Thistle comes to listeners from Edinburgh, Scotland,
via NPR member stations. Ritchie beckons listeners to
her radio soundstage, in the rich warm accent of her
homeland. There, for an hour each week, music, legend
and the sturdy fiber of Celtic culture are woven into a
richly embroidered tapestry. While
The Thistle & Shamrock's magical strands
reach back thousands of years, they also reflect an
integral part of contemporary life in the Celtic fringe
of Europe.
Thistle's
copious assembly of recordings showcase artists of today
and yesterday and performances captured on location.
Ritchie also presents exclusive in-studio appearances by
leading Celtic music performers from both sides of the
Atlantic.
The object of
considerable critical acclaim and admiration from folk
music communities, Thistle was conceived by Ritchie as a
way to share the vibrant, joyful and authentic sounds of
Celtic music with pubic radio listeners. Ritchie
selected the show's title to evoke the cozy pubs and
lounges in which Celtic tunes are heard most often.
This week's program features artists who drift
easily between American roots music and Celtic
styles, including Tim O'Brien, Jane Rothfield and
Mark O'Connor.
From dance tunes to Gaelic airs, the musical links
between Scotland, Ireland and Cape Breton come alive
with Scotland's Alasdair Fraser, Cape Breton's
Dougie MacDonald, Ireland's Maeve Donnolly and more.
What happens when you combine Irish and Jewish
music? Ceilizemer! This is the name of a fusion
outfit from Northern California and could also
describe the '80s groundbreaking collaboration
between De Dannan and klezmer artist Andy Statzman.
Hear these and other crossovers between Celtic and
Latin, African, Balkan and Nordic music.
Hear fiddle and cello recorded in the music room of
ancient Murthly Castle this week. Pete Clark
introduces the work of 18th century Scottish fiddler
and composer Red Rob Mackintosh (1745-1807) with
colorful stories and history of the time.
This week's program explores Nordic music and how it
overlaps and complements music from Celtic roots
with artists such as Blazin' Fiddles, Swap, Vasen
and Jennifer and Hazel Wrigley.
Songs of praise from the traditions of Celtic psalm
singing and American gospel are united are united
this week at Scotland?s biggest Cathedral, featuring
William Jackson, Eileen Ivers and Maire Brennan.
Fiddler and composer James Scott Skinner (1843-1927)
wrote a huge number of tunes which are now classics
for modern players. The week features the music of
the self-styled "Strathspey King" as played by the
Battlefield Band and Natalie MacMaster.
The international appeal of Celtic music far exceeds
its core audiences. Follow the music from pub to
performing arts center as we distill the essence of
what we have come to call Celtic music, and get to
the heart and soul of its universal appeal.
In the conclusion of a special two-part program,
host Fiona Ritchie seeks to uncover the appeal of
so-called Celtic music, and to discover its
essential spirit across varied landscapes and
languages.
Through an online poll at thistleradio.com,
listeners chose this encore program as the one they
most wanted to hear again. The musical linkage
between Scotland, Ireland and Appalachia is evident
in these traditional songs and tunes.
This encore program was the runner-up in our online
poll asking listeners to choose what show they'd
most like to hear again. It explores the branches of
contemporary song sprouting from the roots of
ancient vocal traditions.
This encore program was the third most requested in
an online poll asking listeners to choose the show
they'd most like to hear again. It features the
tasty fiddle flavors of music from Celtic roots.
From timeless vinyl to pioneering mp3s, enjoy an
hour of musical masterpieces from Thistle and
Shamrock's 25 years.
Central New
York's premier Public Radio station, a broadcast service of
Syracuse
University, reaches Syracuse, Watertown, Auburn, Cortland,
and the Utica-Rome area with a
50,000
watt signal. WAER is a full-service member-supported radio
station featuring Jazz, News, Sports and Weather.
WAER
795 Ostrom Avenue
Syracuse, NY
13244-4610
Phone: (315) 443-4021
Fax: (315) 443-2148
