Timeless Melodies

It’s beginning to sound a lot like Christmas, to paraphrase the popular lyric, especially here in New England, where holiday shows inspire, comfort and bring joy to listeners, from big concert halls to small churches and cultural venues. 

It turns out New England has a distinctive connection to holiday music, since many iconic Christmas songs were composed by locals: “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear” by Reverend Edmund Sears in 1849; “Jingle Bells,” by James Lord Pierpont, in 1857; “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” by Reverend Phillips Brooks of Trinity Church in Back Bay, in 1868; and “Sleigh Ride,” by Leroy Anderson of the Boston Pops in 1948. 

Celtic and Christmas music share roots in ancient folk traditions across Europe, and have similar modal scales, harmonic approach and the use of verse-base formats. That’s why Celtic and Irish Christmas shows are so popular each December, and the perfect blend of holiday melodies and Celtic tunes can lift the spirits for concert goers. 

The season kicks off, fittingly, with The Irish Tenors: A Family Christmas, performing on November 30 at Plymouth Memorial Hall, and later at Lowell Memorial Auditorium on December 11. 

In addition, multiple immigrant groups that arrived in New England brought their Christmas music with them over the centuries: from Germany (“Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring”), Austria (“Silent Night”), France (“Angels We Have Heard on High”), Poland (“Christmas Fantasia”) England (“The Messiah”) and Ireland (“The Wexford Carol”). 

A new holiday spectacular, A Celtic Christmas, performs 16 shows at the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA in the South End on December 2-14. The show is a spinoff of the popular revue, A Taste of Ireland, which features former World Irish dance champions and stars from Lord of the Dance and Riverdance. The show delivers a holiday spectacular packed with Irish wit, traditional tunes and heartfelt ballads, alongside all your favorite carols. 

The Irish Cultural Centre in Canton begins its Christmas season on Dec 5, when talented soloist Chloë Agnew returns to the Centre for her annual Celtic Christmas concert. The show combines classic holiday songs with traditional Irish melodies, along with Irish step dancing from local stars, and plenty of good cheer. Then on Dec 21, An IrishChristmas with Ishna features Irish tenor Ciaran Nagle and fiddle star Tara Novak, along with their top-shelf band and champion Irish dancers.

Blackstone River Theatre in Cumberland, RI, begins the season early, on November 23 with the ever-popular Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas, followed on the 29th by Cécilia. On December 7, Nova Scotia’s dynamic sibling folk duo, Cassie & Maggie perform A Christmas Celebration. On December 14, duo Harvey Reid and Joyce Andersen bring their exceptional acoustic sound to their Christmas concert with seasonal music mixed in with fiddling, bluesy slide guitar, gospel and bluegrass/country. 

Ireland’s popular traditional ensemble Lúnasa brings its Winter Solstice show on December 4 to Jane Pickens Theater (JPT) in Newport, RI; and two performances to the Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport on December 21. 

Fiddle star Eileen Ivers and her amazing band bring their Joyful Christmas show on December 13 to JPT, December 14 to Cary Hall in Lexington, and December 19 to the Colonial Theatre of Laconia, NH. 

Canadian legends Natalie MacMaster & Donnell Leahy perform A Celtic Family Christmas with their talented children for two shows at the Shalin Liu Performance Center on December 13, then at Nashua Center for the Arts on December 14. 

On December 17, the all-women ensemble A Celtic Woman bring its Symphony Christmas tour to Lowell Memorial Auditorium. 

Sean Heely’s Celtic Christmas returns to New England on December 17 at Historic Park Theatre and Event Center, and on December 18 to Plymouth Memorial Hall. 

December 21, Sligo fiddler Oisín Mac Diarmada brings his immensely popular Irish Christmas in America show to Cary Memorial Hall in Lexington. 

Christmas with the Celts, featuring top musicians from Ireland and Nashville, perform on December 23 at Colonial Theatre of Laconia, NH.