Irish Massachusetts: Flutist Nuala Kennedy at Burren Pub, Somerville

Irish flute master Nuala Kennedy is performing at the Burren Pub in Davis Square, Somerville, on Wednesday, September 26, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $23 in advance and can be purchased online.

A native of Dundalk, County Louth, Kennedy's first album, New Shoes, was named one of the top traditional music albums of 2008. Her newest album, Noble Stranger, was just issued by Compass Records.

The concert is part of the Back Room Series at the Burren hosted by Brian O'Donovan of the Celtic Sojourn program on WGBH.


Irish Massachusetts: Flutist Nuala Kennedy Performs at Burren Pub in Da...

Liam Kelly & Conor Byrne

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Vocalist, flute player to blend Irish, Scottish musical traditions this Saturday in Brattleboro

Those of Scottish and Irish descent don’t enjoy having their cultures confused, but Nuala Kennedy has found a way to blend the two and honor them both. Kennedy, an Irish vocalist and flute player living in Edinburgh, visits the States Saturday with a performance at Brattleboro’s New England Youth Theatre.

While the majority of American children grow up listening to pop, Kennedy first fell in love with the traditional music of her native country. She began taking pennywhistle lessons when she was 7 growing up in Dundalk, in County Louth on Ireland’s east coast, and learned to play every traditional tune she could. “I loved practicing,” she said.

At the same time, she began taking classical piano lessons, and at 15 began studying at the Royal Academy of Music in Dublin.

'TRAD Kids: The Cupcake Ball,' Cambridge, Sept. 15 - Boston.com

This interactive folk musical premiering at Club Passim tells the story of Agnes P. Mouse (a book-loving but wistful kind of critter) and the friends who come to her strawberry-and-spinach cupcake ball, including a social frog with a bright, infectious outlook; a shy, polite toad who loves to paint fish portraits; and a wacky truck-loving lizard with a dazzling array of magic tricks. With both traditional (“trad”) and original Irish-style folk songs, the 40-minute show, performed by Shannon Heaton, celebrates self-expression with its diverse and lovable cast. This interactive folk musical was created for 5-8 year olds, but toddlers will also enjoy the music and silly characters, and parents will dig the smart music and humor. Reservations required. Sat., Sept. 15, 10:30 a.m. All ages. $10 per person. Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Cambridge. www.passim.org

'TRAD Kids: The Cupcake Ball,' Cambridge, Sept. 15 - Parent Buzz - Boston.com

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