THE 2025 CELTIC FESTIVAL
MARCH 8TH, 2025
Doors open: 6:30pm | Showtime: 7pm
Recommended for ages 8+
Sponsored by ARMSTRONG
2025 Celtic Festival Ticket Prices:
$22 Adults | $20 Seniors/Military | $18 Students | $16 Cecil College Students & Staff
$16 Children (under 12) | $16 Group Rate (10+)
Experience the enchanting sounds of the Emerald Isle at the Milburn Stone Theatre’s Celtic Festival on March 8th, 2025! Featuring headliner Charlie Zahm and friends, The McAllen-Paulson school of Irish Dance, The Brandywine Harps led by Janet Witman, and Bagpiper Frank Watson, this event is not to be missed. Sit back and let the music and dance transport you to the rolling hills of Ireland as these talented performers take the stage. From soulful ballads to foot-stomping jigs, there's something for everyone at this celebration of Celtic culture. Join us on March 8th, 2025, for the Celtic Festival at The Milburn Stone Theatre at Cecil College, and immerse yourself in the magic of Irish music and dance.
The Milburn Stone Theatre and programs like The Celtic Festival is partially funded by the Cecil County Arts Council and The Maryland State Arts Council.
THE 2025 CELTIC FESTIVAL: FEATURED ACTS
FEATURED HEADLINER: CHARLIE ZAHM
Charlie Zahm is one of the most popular soloists at Celtic music festivals, Maritime, and American Traditional music events anywhere east of the Mississippi. With a baritone voice some have described as "coming along once in a generation," Charlie has become one of the most successful performers on the Celtic festival circuit, weaving magical moments of Scottish and Irish history for the listener and viewer, with passion for the performance and a chosen repertoire pleasing to all members of the family. A master of the guitar as well, Charlie brings an authentic love and respect for the music he sings-and with dashes of humor and a light in his eyes, he will draw you into the stories of his songs!
For more information on Charlie Zahm, visit http://charliezahm.com
FEATURED ACT: THE BRANDYWINE HARP ORCHESTRA
The Brandywine Harp Orchestra is our nation's premier harp orchestra.
The ensemble was organized in 2000 by Janet Witman, a nationally recognized harpist, teacher and arranger. The harp orchestra consists of 12 harpers of diverse ages with seasoned harp skills and extensive musical backgrounds from the Brandywine Valley of Southeastern PA, DE and MD.
For more information about the Brandywine Harp Orchestra please visit: https://brandywineharps.com
FEATURED ACT: THE MCALEER-PAULSON SCHOOL OF IRISH DANCE
For over 50 years the McAleer School of Irish Dance has served the tri-state area, providing Irish dance instruction for people of all ages and levels of advancement. The McAleer tradition of Irish dance began 50 years ago when Alice McAleer, Veronica’s aunt, began the first McAleer School of Irish Dance in Ireland. When Veronica emigrated from Belfast in 1967, she started her own school in Delaware. Veronica has coached generations of children and adults and enriched our community through passing on her live and knowledge of Irish dance and culture.
For more information please visit: http://mcaleeririshdance.weebly.com/about-our-school.html
FEATURED ACT: BAGPIPER FRANK WATSON
An award winning Highland bagpiper for all occasions, Frank Watson has piped for 41 years. He has competed successfully as both a solo performer and with bands. Frank is a winner of the MacLeod Quaich and Sandy Davidson Memorial Trophy for Grade One solo piping, and first place, Grade One Piobaireached, Delco Games, as well as the 1984 "Award of Excellence" from the Chesapeake Bay Branch, EUSPBA. Frank is a piper for the St. Andrew's Society of Philadelphia (founded in 1747), and has piped at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts and at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia, and at Carnegie Hall and Madison Square Garden in New York City, as well as the Meadowlands in New Jersey. Frank instructed ABC Good Morning America's Tony Perkins on the bagpipe for the 2001 annual "Job Swap." His piping is currently featured in two TV documentaries: "Death on the Railroad," a PBS documentary in the "Secrets of the Dead" series; and "The Ghosts of Duffy's Cut," a Smithsonian Channel documentary that was nominated for an Irish Film and Television Academy Award in the Best Single Documentary category, and a Celtic Media Festival award for Best Factual Documentary. Frank piped with classic rocker Bryan Adams on the song "Cuts Like a Knife" at the DuPont Theatre in Wilmington, DE, on March 14, 2011, as part of Adams' "Bare Bones Tour." He also piped for the Mahoney Brothers Band on their CD "Rock and Roll Rodeo" for the song "Half the Man." On March 9, 2012, Frank piped for the Duffy's Cut burial ceremony at West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd, PA, and on March 2, 2013, he piped in Ardara, County Donegal, Ireland, for the Duffy's Cut burial ceremony. On July 19, 2015 Frank piped at the burial of Duffy's Cut victim, Catherine Burns, in Clonoe, County Tyrone. He is a 2014 inductee of the Delaware Valley Irish Hall of Fame. He holds a PhD from Drew University and is a student of the late Robert Gilchrist.
Are you a traditional Irish Folk, American Irish or Celtic performer looking to be featured in the 2025 Celtic Festival? Email your demo/EPK to MST Artistic Director, Andrew John Mitchell at amitchell@cecil.edu for information about inclusion/booking.
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