WGBH MUSIC

Lunasa at The Burren

Named for an ancient Celtic harvest festival in honor of the Irish god Lugh, the band Lúnasa is made up of some of the top musical talents in Ireland. Listen to them play "Ryestraw".

WGBH HOLIDAY CELEBRATION

Brian O'Donovan reviews new music on A Celtic Sojourn, including Heidi Talbot's upcoming Angels Without Wings, Sharon Shannon singing with the Radio Telefis Eireann Orchestra and Shamrock City by Solas.

Saturday at 3pm on 89.7 FM

A CELTIC SOJOURN

A Celtic Sojourn 11/3/2012

LISTEN

This week on A Celtic Sojourn: Buttons and Bows, new music by Ashley Davis (pictured), David Francey, Dan Gurney, and Jerry Douglas.

Contemporary

Celtic Wonder Carlos Nuñez Visits Somerville

By WGBH Music
You may not have known about the roots and branches of Celtic music that reach all the way into Spain, but bagpipe player Carlos Nuñez, known in Europe as "the 7th Chieftain", shows audiences profound musical connections between cultures around the globe.

Contemporary

A Celtic Sojourn 09/29/2012

New music this week on A Celtic Sojourn from Rayna Gellert, We Banjos Three and Duncan Chisholm.

A CELTIC SOJOURN

A Celtic Sojourn 08/25/2012

LISTEN

This week, Mary's Waltz by local fiddler and Berklee prof Oisin McAuley (photo by Matt Guillory), as well as T with the Maggies, Moving Hearts and Nieve Parsons.

Contemporary

WGBH and Irish Band Lunasa at The Burren

WATCH NOW

Earlier this month the Irish acoustic band Lunasa played at The Burren Irish Pub in Somerville. WGBH's Brian O'Donovan hosted the event as part The Burren Backroom Series.

Music

VIDEO: Lunasa at The Burren Irish Pub

WATCH MORE WGBH MUSIC VIDEOS

By WGBH Arts
Earlier this month the Irish acoustic band Lunasa played at The Burren Irish Pub in Somerville. WGBH radio host Brian O'Donovan hosted the event as part The Burren Backroom Series.

A CELTIC SOJOURN

A Celtic Sojourn 7/21/2012

LISTEN

This week Brian announces two free music festivals: The Lowell Folk Festival and The Summer Arts Weekend Festival.

A CELTIC SOJOURN

A Celtic Sojourn 7/28/2012

LISTEN

On this episode of A Celtic Sojourn we hear piano music from Geraldine Cotter, music from Frankie Gavin's band De Dannan and covers of Roy Orbison tunes by the group Celtic Passion

Ireland

A Celtic Sojourn 7/7/2012

LISTEN

This week Brian brings you the music of concertina player Caitlin nic Gabhann as well as some new music and a tribute to Woody Guthrie, who would have turned 100 this July.

Scotland

A Celtic Sojourn 6/30/2012

LISTEN

On this episode of A Celtic Sojourn: Washington Square Harp and Shamrock Orchestra, music from a new album by Len Graham, The Leitrim Equation, Kate Rusby, June Tabor and a traditional waulking song by the group Cran.

Contemporary

Dermot Byrne, Floriane Blancke and Brid Harper with friends at The Burren

MORE MUSIC: SUMMER ARTS WEEKEND

By Brian O'Donovan
Celetic Music legends Dermot Byrne, Floriane Blancke and Brid Harper, with Padraig Rynne and Ryan McGiver to appear at The Burren in Somerville in July.

Ireland

A Celtic Sojourn 6/23/2012

LISTEN

On this edition, Brian interviews Clare Horgan a singer of old Gaelic Songs from her native Co. Kerry yet steeped in Jazz and Pop. Clare is from Waterville a beautiful town on the famed “ring of Kerry” peninsula. She visited WGBH during a recent tour of America.

Contemporary

A Celtic Sojourn 6/09/2012

LISTEN

On this episode of A Celtic Sojourn: Loreena McKennitt, Darol Anger, Natalie Merchant, Liam O'Flynn and some Shetland Island music from Fiddlers Bid.

Acoustic

A Celtic Sojourn 5/26/2012

LISTEN

Brian pays tribute to the fallen for Memorial Day, talks with Russell Gusetti, artistic director of the upcoming Blackstone River Theater Summer Solstice Festival and shares some music from the new Paul Brady anthology, Dancer in the Fire.

Contemporary

A Celtic Sojourn 5/19/2012

LISTEN

Brian O'Donovan explores the music of Joe Boske, a German born visual artist who has lived in the Galway area for more than 40 years and is well known in traditional music circles for his compositions and his quirky art work.

Contemporary

A Celtic Sojourn 5/12/2012

LISTEN

As a tip of the hat to Mothers on Mother’s Day, this program explores a compilation which Brian produced for One Home Many Hopes, an orphanage in Kenya. Lullabies from around the Celtic World and a poem from Irish poet Patrick Kavanagh about his mother.

Traditional

A Celtic Sojourn 4/21/2012

LISTEN

Ryan McGiver is a New Yorker whose new album, Troubled In Mind, includes unusual and very contemporary versions of traditional Irish and Appalachian songs. Brian explores some of these in A Celtic Sojourn.

Contemporary

A Celtic Sojourn 4/14/2012

LISTEN

Brian explores new recordings from accordion player Dermot Byrne and harpist Floriane Blancke (photo: dermotandflo.com), singer Cathy Jordan, and some of the great informal Irish music sessions regularly held around Manhattan.

Folk Music

Brian O'Donovan Pays Tribute to John McGann

HEAR THE PROGRAM

By Brian O'Donovan
On April 6, musician John McGann passed away unexpectedly, leaving behind a wife and young daughter. He was known in the Irish, bluegrass and jazz worlds locally and abroad, and taught at Berklee.

Contemporary

A Celtic Sojourn 3/31/2012

LISTEN

Music by Mick O'Brien and Caoimhin O'Raghallaigh, coming this summer to The Burren (Photo: Lucy Clarke). Also songs from Altan, Johnny Og Connolly, Planxty and a Celtic take on a Beatles hit by De Dannan.

Celtic

A Celtic Sojourn 3/24/2012

LISTEN

The song Barbara Allen is one of the oldest in Anglo-Celtic Music. Brian O’Donovan examines two distinct versions with Maighjread and Triona ni Domhnaill, and Jefferson Hamer (Photo: jeffersonhamer.com)

Celebrating St. Patrick's Day

Live at WGBH: The Chieftains and The Low Anthem

LISTEN

The Chieftains stopped by WGBH's Fraser Studio to share some tunes with fans and members of the WGBH Celtic Club. Joining them were Jeff White, Deanie Richardson, Alyth McCormack and the Rhode Island-based band Low Anthem.

CELTIC

You Don't Have to be Irish to Enjoy Celtic Music

GET TICKETS TO A ST. PATRICK'S DAY CELTIC SOJOURN

By Annie Shreffler
Brian O'Donovan, WGBH host of the weekly radio show A Celtic Sojourn, on connecting to traditional Irish music.

Ireland

Celebrating the Sounds of St. Patrick's Day

By Annie Shreffler
The Chieftains performed live this week in WGBH's Fraser Studio as part of their 50th anniversary world tour. And WGBH's own Brian O'Donovan hosts a live St. Patrick's Day Celtic Sojourn event.

Contemporary

A Celtic Sojourn 2/18/2012

St. Patrick's Day Sojourn
LISTEN

Join host Brian O'Donovan for another Celtic Sojourn, with tunes from Altan, Solas, Dervish, The Chieftains with Low Anthem, Susan McKeown, Jeremy Kittel and more.

Contemporary

A Celtic Sojourn 1/14/2012

LISTEN

Join host Brian O'Donovan for another Celtic Sojourn, featuring a sneak preview of the new Chieftans album, Voice of Ages, with collaborations from Bon Iver (photo by DLAnderson), Carolina Chocolate Drops, Secret Sisters and many others.

Traditional

A Celtic Sojourn 2/11/2012

LISTEN

Join host Brian O'Donovan for another Celtic Sojourn, with tunes from Alyth McCormack (photo http://alyth.net), La Lugh, Anna Massie, Jen Butterworth, Mairead Green, Danu, Michael Cooney and many more.

Acoustic

A Celtic Sojourn 12/17/2011

LISTEN

Join host Brian O'Donovan for another Celtic Sojourn, this week featuring Brendan Larrissey (photo in Greenes Pub, Kinvara), Marla Fibbish, Jimmy Crowley, Kyle Carey and many more.

Traditional

A Celtic Sojourn 1/7/2012

LISTEN

Join host Brian O'Donovan for another Celtic Sojourn, this week featuring the Alan Kelly Gang (photo by Con Kelleher), Denis Liddy, Elvie Miller, Paul McKenna Band, Dan Gurney and many more.