BRATTLEBORO — Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with Cherish the Ladies on Friday, March 10, at 7:30 p.m. at the Latchis Theatre, 50 Main Street.
For more than 35 years, Cherish the Ladies, an American Irish music ensemble, has toured worldwide with their blend of traditional music, vocals, and step dancing. To quote The Boston Globe: “It is simply impossible to imagine an audience that wouldn't enjoy what they do.”
This Grammy-nominated Irish-American super group formed in New York City in 1985 to celebrate the rise of women in what had been a male-dominated Irish music scene. Since their inception, they have toured from the White House to the Olympics, recorded 18 critically acclaimed albums, and appeared in an Emmy award-winning PBS television program featuring 26 performers recorded live at Bucknell Univeristy.
Under the leadership of Joanie Madden, the 2021 National Heritage Fellowship Award winner and All-Ireland flute and whistle champion, “these extremely gifted women create an incredible moving experience brimming with sheer talent and exuberant entertainment,” says their website.
Their group includes All-Ireland champions Mirella Murray (accordion) and Nollaig Casey (fiddle) along with the nimble finger-work of Mary Coogan (guitar), the vocals of County Clare songstress Kate Purcell (lead vocals, guitar) and County Galway native, Catherine McHugh on piano. World champion Irish step-dancers will add their footwork to the performances.
The New York Times calls their music “passionate, tender, and rambunctious,” and The Washington Post praises their “astonishing array of virtuosity.” They won recognition as the BBC's Best Musical Group of the Year and were named Top North American Celtic Group at the Irish Music Awards.
They have collaborated with such musicians as Vince Gill, Nanci Griffith, The Boston Pops Orchestra, Pete Seeger, and The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. They have appeared in more than 300 performances with leading symphony orchestras.
Madden and her band have amassed a long list of awards at home and in Ireland, including being forever immortalized with a street named in their honor on the Grand Concourse in the Bronx, New York.
“No matter how far from home, their continued success as one of the best-loved Irish groups rests on their blend of virtuoso instrumentals, beautiful vocals, traditional and original arrangements along with stunning step dancing - all presented with extraordinary talent, creativity, and humor,” say organizers.
Tickets start at $30. Purchase tickets at latchis.com or by calling 802-254-1109, ext. 3.