Máire Ní Chathasaigh & Chris Newman

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The celebrated virtuoso partnership of “the doyenne of Irish harpers” (Scotland On Sunday) and “one of the UK’s most staggering and influential acoustic guitarists” (fRoots), has by now brought its special musical vision to venues large and small - from the tiniest of historic churches in England, Germany and Italy to palaces in Kyoto and Istanbul, London’s Barbican, Sydney Town Hall and the Philharmonie in Cologne – in twenty-two countries on five continents. Their performances - described by The Irish Times as “music of fire and brilliance from the high-wire act in traditional music” - are rooted but eclectic, emotional but adventurous: a breathtaking blend of traditional Irish music, hot jazz, bluegrass and baroque, coupled with striking new compositions and Chris’s delightfully subversive wit. They've made many appearances on TV and radio and their busy touring schedule has brought them to twenty-one countries on five continents.

Máire and Chris made their début as a duo on the main stage at the 1987 Cambridge Folk Festival. Highlights from their career since then include a 1988 tour of Australia as special guests of Siamsa Tíre - the Irish National `Folk Theatre - in celebration of Australia's Bicentennial, at the invitation of Bob Hawke, then Prime Minister of Australia; a concert in the Ottoman Çırağan Palace as part of the Istanbul Harp Encounter in 2010; a concert with revered Japanese percussionist Stomu Yamashta and Ensemble Kabul in Nijo Castle (the Shogun's Palace), Kyoto, Japan; many wonderful trips to Italy; a magical concert at the castle in Malcesine, Italy, overlooking a moonlit Lake Garda; four Irish Folk Festival tours of Germany in the late 80s and early 90s; four major tours of Australasia as part of the Guinness Celebration of Irish Music.

Guinness Australia issued a special edition of their can for the Guinness Celebration of Irish Music tour of Australasia 1990, showing Máire and Chris’s names and listing all the very prestigious tour venues!

More recently, their schedule has included headlining appearances at festivals in New Zealand (Whare Flat Folk Festival), Ireland (The Gathering Festival) and the USA (North Texas Irish Festival), and extensive touring there and in the UK. They toured in Australia (twice), the USA (four times), Canada, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Ireland and the UK, performing at thirty-seven festivals.

What's Been Said:

“Music of fire and brilliance from the high-wire act in traditional music” - THE IRISH TIMES (Ireland)

“Did things I have never heard a harp do before... Astonishing... an extraordinary event” - CLASSICAL GUITAR (UK)

“Their blinding technique, sizzling Irish reels and hot jazz improvisation brought an extended standing ovation... Newman has the great gift of being informative and hilarious simultaneously” - THE WEST AUSTRALIAN

“This celebrated duo took the place by storm. Stately Carolan tunes, jazzy Django-ish numbers, dazzling Doc Watson style flat picking fliers, driving Irish dance tunes - this pair can nonchalantly do the lot. Guitar players applauded and went sadly home to burn their instruments!” - THE BELFAST TELEGRAPH (Ireland)

“So moving - technical brilliance and beauty that brings tears to the eyes" - IRISH MUSIC MAGAZINE

"The mood is ever changing - sometimes haunting, sometimes boisterous but always magical. The pair's imaginations know no bounds..." - THE BRISBANE COURIER-MAIL

"Spectacularly good and technically brilliant guitar and traditional Irish harp duo at the forefront of the renaissance of Celtic music. Simply stunning" - TIME OUT

"I watched (with a mixture of fascination, awe and sheer delight) as their fingers danced on the strings, weaving strands of melody together like ivory spiders on speed. Their introductions to the various pieces were every bit as delightful in their own right as the music itself. I found myself wishing they could stay, and not for musical reasons; their personalities are every bit as charming off stage as on. I think they took a bit of my heart with them when they left. May they return with it soon." - HARP BEAT (San Francisco)

The Rogue Folk Club is pleased to provide great Sponsorship Opportunities for all our shows. For a nominal cost, individuals or businesses can sponsor any of our shows and reap a number of benefits - free tickets, reserved table, recognition on literature, our web site and at the concerts. Find out more here, or simply contact our Sponsorship Director Morris Biddle at mobiddley@me.com