Music at MERA’s 2018 Spring Concert Series begins with a concert Sunday, March 11, featuring one of Canada’s most talented musical families.
Clan Hannigan is an intergenerational family band based out of Baltimore Ontario that takes traditional Irish music and blends it with elements of Jazz, Pop, and other folk traditions, to create a unique high energy sonic soundscape.
Steafan Hannigan and Saskia Tomkins have been mainstays on the traditional Irish and world music scenes for the last thirty plus years working with acts like. Uriah Heep, Loreena McKennitt, Olivier Schroer, Julian Lloyd Weber, Bjork, Depeche Mode, Martin Carthy, Sin É, LinnTilla, The Afro Celt Sound System, The Chieftains and countless others.
Steafan Hannigan and Saskia Tomkins moved to Canada in 2007 from England with their three children, Oisin (18), Eile (17) & Ayisha (13). Steafan, from Northern Ireland and Saskia, from England, met in the UK and have been performing together for 20 years, and when the children arrived, they naturally accompanied their parents to gigs. After a while, it was obvious the children wanted to share the stage so Clan Hannigan was born. They have played across Ontario and highlights include Massey Hall (with The Chieftains), Blue Skies Festival, St. Patrick’s Day at The Tranzac Club, collaborations with The Peterborough Singers, Toronto Tabla Ensemble and The Northumberland Orchestra and Choir. They toured in 2010 in the Czech Republic and Austria, were featured as a gaelic speaking Family in 4th Line Theatre plays: “The Cavan Blazers” and “The Winslows of Derryvore”. They are regularly featured performers at Lang Pioneer Village for special events, and were the guests for the Illumination at Sharon Temple in 2016.
Oisin took to hitting drums as soon as he could crawl and learned his chops sharing the stage with his parents. Oisín has been teaching and playing at a professional level since the age of eleven, some of his past successes include: winning the Comhaltus Mid Atlantic Bodhrán championship in 2009, playing with the Chieftains, at the age of 9 at Massey Hall, again at Roy Thomson Hall age 11. Recent projects include: Opening for Lauryn Hill at Venues including Radio City Music Hall in New York City with Award winning musician Paul Beaubrun (with Aubrey Dayle, Brad Cheeseman, and Rich Brown), Playing with Juno Award winner Divine Brown at her Christmas special, Playing in David Newland's band “Uncharted Waters”, Recording for multiple Gemini Award winning composer Donald Quan on his soundtrack for the T.V series “Star Hunter”, and soon to be working with Juno award winner Tanika Charles.
Eile and Ayisha both have taken to singing and Irish dancing, with an interest, in traditional songs, as well as contemporary songs. They are also champions coming 1st & 2nd in the Comhaltas Mid Atlantic Competition, in traditional singing.
Steafan plays over 40 instruments, many of which he has featured on albums or live by major artists such as Loreena Mckinnett, Oliver Schroer, James Keelaghan Stephen Fearing, Il Divo, Julian Lloyd Weber, Pete Lockett, Bjork, Depeche Mode, Gary Barlow, Uriah Heep, Martin Carthy, Dave Swarbrick, John Kirkpatrick, Luke Daniels, Sin É, LinnTilla, Eileen McGann, Band of Hope, Lammas, Tim Garland, Brian Willoughby from the Strawbs, Jeff Martin (Tea
Party, The Afro-celts, and Bjork. He is a respected teacher of Irish Traditional Music, having written the Low Whistle Book and DVD as well as The Bodhran Book and DVD. Steafan is also a freelance photographer and sound & lighting designer.
Saskia is also a respected teacher and player of the violin, viola and nyckelharpa. She has played with countless artists in many genres, including Uriah Heep, Caroline Lavelle, Ron Korb, Donald Quan, Robb Johnson, and often works as the bowed strings musician at 4th Line Theatre. In 2008, she was honoured to play in the house band for the Canadian Aboriginal Awards. Locally she plays regularly with Ted Staunton and Kim Doolittle and David Newland. Saskia is also principle viola in the Northumberland Orchestra and 1⁄2 of the duo “2ish”.
Clan Hannigan perform at MERA Schoolhouse in McDonald’s Corners on Sunday, March 11, 2018, at 2:00 pm.
This is the first of three concerts in the series, which will also include, Brian MacMillan (Sunday, March 25) and Annie Sumi (Sunday, April 8).
Series tickets for all three concerts are $60 ($55 for MERA members). Single tickets for the individual concerts are $22. Tickets are available at Tickets Please in Perth, 613-485-6434 or www.ticketsplease.ca.