The New Haven Symphony Orchestra Pops will transform Connecticut into the Emerald Isle for St. Patrick’s Day weekend, with two St. Patrick’s Pops performances on Saturday, March 17 at 2:30pm at Hamden Middle School, and Sunday, March 18 at 3:00pm at Shelton High School. NHSO Pops Conductor Chelsea Tipton will lead this festive program and the orchestra will be joined by Irish singer and YouTube sensation Cathy Maguire and dancers from the Brennan-Lucey Irish Dance Academy.
This festive program of Irish and Irish-American favorites will include music from The Quiet Man and Far and Away, Danny Boy, Molly Malone, When Irish Eyes are Smiling, Leroy Anderson’s Irish Suite, Lady of Knock, Haste to the Wedding, John Phillip Sousa’s Irish Dragoon, Peter Street, and the Old Maid in the Garrett. Audience members will join in the music making with an Irish sing-along and are encouraged to enter their homemade loaves into an Irish soda bread contest.
The NHSO welcomes NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade favorite Cathy Maguire as the special guest solo vocalist for these performances. An accomplished singer and performer, Maguire began her career as a successful child star in Ireland. Her TV show, Ireland In Song, was featured on PBS; in each episode she traveled to Ireland to visit the birthplace of the most famous Irish songs featured on her album Ireland In Song. Maguire has toured extensively and has opened for internationally known artists such as Martina Mc Bride, Randy Travis and the High Kings. She is a favorite performer of Cardinal Dolan in NYC and became a YouTube sensation for her 2017 performance of Lady of Knock at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
With three locations in Connecticut, the Brennan-Lucey Irish Dance Academy was founded by Irish dance world champion Stephen Brennan and national champion Meghan Lucey, who met while on tour with Riverdance in 2007. After thousands of performances, countless television appearances and years of dancing and teaching side by side, Stephen and Meghan are still both the best of friends and are now both registered TCRG’s (teachers) with An Coimisiun le Rinci Gaelacha, the worldwide Irish dancing governing body based in Dublin, Ireland. They have instructed numerous Riverdance and Heartbeat of Home workshops throughout North America and Ireland.
Audience members are invited to grab a pint with Maestro Chelsea Tipton after the Sunday, March 18 performance at The Pub on Howe in Shelton. The pub will be offering their daily Irish offerings, including Irish Egg Rolls, Twist and Stout pretzels, Guinness French onion soup, and corned beef reubens. Interested parties should RSVP on the NHSO’s website, where they can also purchase a $15 coupon that can be used towards $20 of food or drink at the event. Patrons are responsible for their own bill and can purchase a $5 off coupon through the NHSO Box Office. Space is very limited and seating is not guaranteed; there will be a mix of seats at low tables, high-boy tables, and standing room. Visit NewHavenSymphony.org or call 203.865.0831 ext. 20 to RSVP in advance.
Tickets: Adult tickets range in price from $35-$49. College student tickets are $10 and KidTix (under 18) are free with the purchase of an adult ticket. Blue Star tickets for active military personnel and their immediate family are free. For tickets call 203.865.0831 ext. 20 or visit www.NewHavenSymphony.org.
The Hamden Pops Series is sponsored by The Whitney Center. The Shelton Pops Series is sponsored by R.D. Scinto. St. Patrick’s Pops is co-sponsored by the Hearing, Balance and Speech Center. KidTix and Blue Star Tix are sponsored by Frontier Communications. The Hamden Pops Series radio sponsor is WQUN.
