The beloved Irish band comes to our 12 Nights of Christmas series with their joyous holiday show!
“The Hottest Irish Acoustic band on the Planet" - The Irish Voice
Held in the Orchard Chapel, Hampton Falls (immediately next to Applecrest Orchards), this quintessential New England holiday setting (complete with oil lanterns, candles, and old wooden pews with plush red velvet cushions) provides the perfect home for our 12 Nights of Christmas series that promises to fill you with the festive spirit and happiness!
ABOUT LUNASA
Formed in 1997 and celebrating its 25th anniversary, Lunasa has long been one of contemporary Irish music's leading voices. Named for an ancient Celtic harvest festival in honor of the Irish god Lugh, the group that Folk Roots magazine once called an "Irish music dream team" was formed from members of some of Ireland's greatest bandsand over the years has proven its mettle time and again, having sold over a quarter of a million records, and collaborated with notable artists outside the tradition such as Natalie Merchant and Mary-Chapin Carpenter..
They have performed more than 2,000 shows across 36 countries including high-profile concert venues such as Carnegie Hall, The Hollywood Bowl, National Concert Hall (Dublin), and Paris Bercy, and many of the leading festivals such as Glastonbury, Womadelaide & Edmonton. We welcome them back to the special Cedar stage on March 1.
From the start, the band’s complex arrangements and unique sound reshaped the boundaries of traditional music and energized audiences the world over. Critical acclaim followed, The Irish Echo describing the band as the “the hottest Irish acoustic band on the planet”; MOJO magazine named the band "the new gods of Irish music,” adding that “nobody since the Bothies has wielded such a thrilling rhythmic underlay.” Billboard raved that “anybody who listens can’t help but find them contagious.”
Lunasa’s current lineup includes Trevor Hutchinson, who achieved fame as the bassist with the The Waterboys; uilleann piper Cillian Vallely, who toured with Riverdance and recorded with Bruce Springsteen; Kevin Crawford, widely considered one of Ireland’s greatest flute players; award-winning fiddler Colin Farrell, who has performed with Project West, Grada and Michael McGoldrick; and guitarist Ed Boyd, known on the UK folk circuit for his work with bands such as Flook, Kate Rusby, and Cara Dillon.
Currently the band is touring their most recent cd, “Cas”. Released in the spring of 2018, the album breaks new ground for the band, and features for the first time guest singers. "this album is brilliant with a capital B…...a new feather in the cap of the talented and influential musicians we know and love as Lunasa” - Irish American News
“anybody who listens can’t help but find them contagious.” BILLBOARD (USA)
‘Lúnasa reigns as the new Celtic royalty’ BOSTON HERALD (USA)