This year’s Yuletide Performance Dates include:

Shoreline	Sunday, Nov. 29, 3:00 pm, Shorecrest Performing Arts Center, 206-417-4645
Olympia	Friday, Dec. 4, 7:30 pm, Saint John’s Episcopal Church, 114 20th Ave SE Tickets online TICKETS WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR ON DEC 4
Kent	Sunday, Dec. 6, 3:00 pm, Kent-Meridian Perf. Arts Center, 10020 SE 256th St. 253-856-5050
Portland	Saturday, Dec. 12, 7:30 pm, 1st Congregational Church, 1126 S.W. Park Avenue Tickets online
Bellevue	Monday, Dec. 14, 7:00 pm, Theater at Meydenbauer, 11100 NE 6th Street, 206-325-6500 or 800-838-3006
Tacoma	Friday, Dec. 18, 7:30 pm, Urban Grace, 902 Market St. Tickets online
Seattle	Saturday, Dec. 19, 3:00 pm, University Christian Church, 4731 – 15th Ave NE Tickets online
Mt. Vernon	Monday, Dec. 21, 7:00 pm, The Lincoln Theater, 712 S 1st Street, 360-336-8955

A Joyous Festival of Music and Dance

With Celtic harps, hammered dulcimers, whistles, concertina, strings and more, Philip and Pam Boulding and their five grown children along with granddaughters are joined by the lightning feet of the Raney Irish Dancers. Thomas Arthur entrances all with his lyrical juggling.   Soulful Irish songs sung by actress/singer Colleen Raney (another sibling of the Raney clan) will grace the hall, while her brother Mark Raney on vocals, guitar and cittern charms all with his warmth, humor, and poignant songs. Tom Creegan plays in Tacoma and Seattle per tradition with his haunting Uilleann pipes.  Also featured is a magical tale from the Celtic tradition, providing a glimpse of another world through story, verse and eurythmy.  The audience becomes a key part of the festivities, with members invited to don a costume and follow the processional through the aisles with the musicians, and join in the caroling near evening’s end.  The hall resounds in glorious harmony as we close singing “All Through the Night.”

About Magical Strings

Philip and Pam Boulding founded Magical Strings in 1978, the same year that they began the tradition of Celtic Yuletide Concerts with their family. They have performed throughout the United States, Canada, Ireland and Japan, toured and recorded with Dan Fogelberg, appeared on Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion,” and recorded 18 albums on four labels.  Often referred to by local media as the "Von Trapps of the Northwest", their love of music is embraced by all five of their grown children, who each year return home from the east coast to join the band for the final weekend of Yuletide Concerts.  Their daughter Brittany, a virtuoso violinist, has recently moved from New York City back to the Northwest where she will be playing with the Seattle Symphony and Pacific Northwest Ballet Orchestra.  Philip and Pam also design and build Celtic harps, run the School of Magical Strings, and host the Magic Hill Summer Harp Camp, and Summer Fairy School on their beautiful 5-acre home overlooking the Puget Sound.

About Colleen Raney: 

Colleen has been performing since the age of four as a singer, dancer, and professional actress in the Pacific Northwest and in New York City.  As one half of the duo Mark and Colleen Raney, she has been putting her own spin on Irish music around the area for over 20 years.  Colleen recently released her first album of traditional and non traditional Irish music, Linnet, which has already received wide acclaim.  It was produced by award-winning Irish flute player Hanz Araki, who not only plays on this CD along with a host of notable artists, but will be joining Colleen and Magical Strings for the first time at this year’s Yuletide concerts!  www.colleenraney.com

 

About Mark Raney:  Mark lives and works as a Country Doctor in Sultan, Washington, and contributes vocals, guitar, and cittern along with a mental library of countless songs from the British Isles. Mark studied the ancient art of Irish ‘sean nos’ song under the legendary Joseph Heaney during the early 1980’s.  He is a founding member of the Irish band Rapparee (www.seattlerapparee.com) that has headlined at F.X. McRory’s and the Seattle Center House Irish Heritage Club gala for over 30 years.

About Hanz Araki:  Billed as "The next generation of trad' music," Irish flute player and singer Hanz Araki is the quintessential world music musician. He has toured internationally with Juno award-winning The Paperboys and The Casey Neill Trio; also The Bridies, Portland's all-star Pogues cover band among others, and is featured on over a dozen recordings and soundtracks, along with his own acclaimed CD’s.  Being the son of a Japanese father who was a grand master shakuhachi flute player (and passed this mastery on to Hanz), and a Gaelic-American mother who introduced him to Irish music at an early age, gives him right to claim world-musician status!   www.hanzaraki.com

TICKET PRICES AND OUTLETS— Ticket available now - see below.

OLYMPIA:      Friday, Dec. 4, 7:30 pm, Saint John’s Episcopal Church, 114 20th Ave SE
Reserved Seating Section $26/all seats; General Seating $18/adults, $12/children; $2 more at the door.
Available at: Traditions Fair Trade, 360-3705-2819; Rainy Day Records, 360-357-4755; Olympia Waldorf School, 360-493-0906; and Brown Paper Tickets - click here or call 800-838-3006.

PORTLAND: Saturday, Dec. 12, 7:30 pm, First Congregational Church, 1126 SW Park Ave
Reserved Seating Section $26/all seats; General Seating $18/adults, $12/children; $2 more at the door.
Available at:  Cedarwood School, 503-245-1477; and Brown Paper Tickets  - click here or call 800-838-3006.

TACOMA:       Friday, Dec. 18, 7:30 pm, Urban Grace (formerly First Baptist), 902 Market St, 253-857-3716 Reserved Seating Section $26/all seats; General Seating $18/adults, $12/children; $2 more at the door. Available at: Harp and Shamrock in the Proctor district and Brown Paper Tickets - click here or call 800-838-3006.

SEATTLE:      Saturday, Dec. 19, 3:00 pm, University Christian Church, 4731 – 15th Ave NE, 253-857-3716 Reserved Seating Section $26/all seats; General Seating $18/adults, $12/children; $2 more at the door. Available at Brown Paper Tickets - click here or call 800-838-3006.

Other Magical Strings Celtic Yuletide Concerts in the Northwest

For ticket information, call individual locations directly, or see links from our website at ww.magicalstrings.com.
Shoreline - Sunday, Nov. 29, 3:00 pm, Shorecrest Performing Arts Center, 206-417-4645
Kent - Sunday, Dec. 6, 3:00 pm, Kent-Meridian Perf. Arts Center, 10020 SE 256th St. 253-856-5050
Bellevue - Monday, Dec. 14, 7:00 pm, Theater at Meydenbauer, 11100 NE 6th Street, 206-325-6500
Mt. Vernon - Monday, Dec. 21, 7:00 pm, The Lincoln Theater, 712 S 1st Street, 360-336-8955

Comments from Yuletide attendees:
“It’s not Christmas till the Yuletide Celebration.”   NG, Kirkland
“What a joy and delight. My heart was stirred, and my feet were tapping. Enchanting!”  PD, Centralia
“A fantastically warm concert. This is the beginning of a new tradition for me and my family.”  BM, Gig Harbor
“Sets my feet a dancin’ and my hear soaring! I’m 67 now…you make me feel young again!” LJ
“We brought cousins visiting here from Limerick, Ireland who declared the program 'brilliant’”.    MP,
“You guys rock!”  CU, Tacoma
“I feel deep joy listening to the music – ancient stirrings of something warm and familiar. Thanks!”  DH
 “Wonderful!  This will be our annual tradition.”  FJC, Woodinville
“Absolutely beautiful!”  AH, Issaquah
“Fabulous!  We’ll be back next year!”  CF, Olympia
“This is our family tradition—wonderful!”  BB, Lynnwood
“I find myself transfixed and in awe of where the music takes me.”  EE, Seattle
“With no power for a week, you have warmed my heart for this holiday season and the year to come.”  SW, Bellevue
“There is no doubt that you already embody the joy and priceless recognition of this soul-inspired season.  Your concert last weekend was my most favorite ever experience.  The genuine love and inclusive outreach to the community was straight from the heart.  I love the spirited selections as well as the lullaby for your granddaughter.  To be a member of your family or even an extended member would be a real honor for anyone…Thank you for your outpouring of love and fabulous music.  The McKassons were amazing, as was the juggler and the woman with the angel’s voice.  My husband couldn’t get over the young dancer who clicked her heels midair. We’ll be back next year.  Thank you for the inspirational evening and for making these concerts a tradition.  In gratitude,”   SK, Portland, OR