A Celtic Sojourn: Roots and Branches Concert with Brian O’Donovan returns to the Lowell Summer Music Series fresh on the heels of a new album on Friday, August 19th!

In 2015, Brian O’Donovan and WGBH launched its Celtic Sojourn Roots and Branches Concert as part of the Lowell Summer Concert Series.  Well, it may just become a yearly tradition as again this summer, Brian O’Donovan will curate and host a range of traditional and contemporary artists from around the Celtic World in what promises to be a highlight in the series, and by the way, a highlight of the summer’s Celtic calendar in New England.

Vishten (official photo)

Local, regional, and national broadcasts of O’Donovan’s radio program, A Celtic Sojourn over the past 28 years have proven extraordinarily popular. This concert will follow the format established for the still growing Christmas Celtic Sojourn series of concerts which, during this past December, played to over 14,000 people in the area, and A St. Patrick’s Day Celtic Sojourn which in 2015 expands from its multiple shows in Cambridge, to New Bedford and Worcester, and the Burren Backroom Series goes from strength to strength. 

The Miller Family (official photo)

“Live Music is where it’s at,” O’Donovan is fond of saying.  “I love to invite audiences into the heart of the music, and there is nothing like seeing and hearing it in-person.  Our Lowell audience last year was really special on that gorgeous August evening.  And this year, our line-up is just amazing.”

Kevin Doyle (official photo)

This year’s lineup includes Irish, American and Canadian artists: Girsa, Kevin Crawford and Cillian Vallely with Patrick Doocey, Vishten, and Dancers Kevin Doyle and The Miller Family.

Girsa (official photo)

Tickets for the Celtic Sojourn show are priced at $35 in advance (fee-free!), $40 on the day of the show (if available) and children 12 and under are always free courtesy of Eastern Bank. There are also premium seats – beach chairs are provided by the Series – set in two rows directly in front of the stage for $110. Tickets for this show go on sale on Wednesday, April 20th at 9 a.m. through Lowell Summer Music Series.

For those of you who are unaware of the  Series, or if you are aware of it but have never attended a show there, it is an outdoor (weather permitting) concert series held on National Park Service grounds in Lowell, Massachusetts. The Series is not-for-profit, which helps keep the ticket prices reasonable.

Surrounding Boarding House Park are old mill buildings, part of the Lowell National Historical Park, which you can tour if you arrive early enough. They provide an unusual setting for an evening of great music and ambiance.

The Series generally runs from late June to early September.

This Series is dear to my heart. I have been a season pass holder since 2007 and it is one of the highlights of the year (and of summer in particular) for me. Many lasting friendships have been made there. I expect this will be another excellent year!

I will post additional announcements for the Series as they are made.

Shows announced to date are:

June 10 (Friday) – Patty Griffin

June 11 (Saturday) – Guster

June 17 (Friday) – Mary Chapin Carpenter

June 18 (Saturday) – Peter Frampton

June 23 (Thursday) – Indigo Girls

July 14 (Thursday) – Los Lobos

July 16 (Saturday) – Colin Hay

July 22 (Friday) – Eric Burdon & The Animals and The Edgar Winter Group

July 23 (Saturday) – case/lang/veirs

August 12 (Friday) – The Lone Bellow

August 13 (Saturday) – Dr. Dog

August 19 (Friday) – A Celtic Sojourn: Roots and Branches

August 20 (Saturday) – Peter Wolf & The Midnight Travelers

September 1 (Thursday) – ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic

September 3 (Saturday) – The B-52s