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Arts & Entertainment

Belfast Band Rocks The Arts Center

Common Ground on the Hill presents the legendary band Craobh Rua at the Carroll Arts Center this Saturday night.

This Saturday,  April 2, Common Ground on the Hill presents the legendary band Craobh Rua at the Carroll Arts Center.   This well-travelled Belfast based Irish traditional music band has delighted audiences with concert and festival performances from the United States to Slovenia.

Band member Brian Connoly took time out from the group’s busy touring schedule to answer questions posed by  Anais Leiner, a junior at McDaniel College:

Craobh Rua – talk a little bit about the band name.

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The name CRAOBH RUA (pronounced CRAVE ROO-AH) comes from Celtic Mythology.  It translates from Irish to “Red Branch” and is taken from “The Red Branch Knights”.  They were a band of warriors who travelled the countryside staying in the Big Houses and Castles at the time.  They stayed for 3 or 4 days and then moved on to the next Big House or Castle.

How do you know each other?

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We know each other from playing music at the sessions around Belfast.

What is your main goal/message through your music?

 Firstly we thoroughly enjoy playing our music and we hope that we can share this enjoyment with the audience and other musicians and maybe some of them will continue to listen to the music and become more involved with it.

 Have you already attend to a Common Ground on the Hill event? How do you know this organization?

We know Walt Michael for quite a few years.   He invited us to be part of the first Common Ground which was a great honour and privilege and we have met up at different festivals.  Craobh Rua and Walt Michael & Co. had a great time performing at a festival here in Belfast when they were over touring a few years back.   We always have a great time at Common Ground and look forward to returning.

What do you think about this organization's goals?

They have excellent goals and great ways of implementing them.  We have always found Common Ground to be a great experience.  It provides the opportunity for different people from other Cultures to meet and share their experiences.  Ireland has had a great connection with the US through the years.  We have common tunes that travelled from Ireland to the USA with the immigrants all those years ago and are still played today.  This is shared through the concerts, workshops, classes and at summer traditions week.

DETAILS ABOUT THE EVENT: 

WHERE:  Carroll Arts Center, 91 W. Main Street

WHEN:   Saturday, April 2,  Doors Open at 7:30 p.m.

PRICE:  General Admission tickets are $19.00; Seniors 65+, students with ID, children and teens: $17.

CONTACTS:  (410) 857-2771 or (410) 857-7272

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