7 Jul 2012
Location: Portstewart
Event Type: Concert
All tickets £10 (includes complimentary interval refreshments)
This outstanding trio of talent gave Flowerfield audience members a rare treat with a performance of superb bluegrass and folk music when they visited the north coast back in 2009.
We offer a warm welcome back to songwriters Gary Ferguson and Janet Holmes, who will be joined by dobro virtuoso Colin Henry. Hailing from Pennsylvania, Gary Ferguson is an award-winning singer songwriter influenced as much by The Beatles and The Rolling Stones as by contemporary bluegrass. A songwriter since 1969, he’s had many songs covered and notched up two Top Five songs on the ‘Bluegrass Unlimited Top 30’ chart. His composition ‘Last Day at Gettysburg’ was a hit for Larry Sparks and has gone on to be one of the classics of the genre.
Along the way he has recorded and performed with some of the biggest names in bluegrass and has played at some of the biggest roots music festivals in the US. But he comes to Ireland every summer to tour – usually in the company of the talented County Down songwriter Janet Holmes. Born and raised in Belfast, and coming from a musical family, Janet first performed at the age of 14 and has remained fearless onstage ever since. Having been part of a number of successful bands in the past, she has for the last few years been combining solo performances with fronting her own troupe of varied musicians.
Janet scored major success with her first album The Road to the West in 2004, a collection which largely consisted of cover versions of other writers’ pieces with only one song written by Janet herself. She has since released her second album, Wonder Why, writing nine of the thirteen tracks herself - songs that combine strong melodies with thoughtful lyrics, all backed by her superb voice and some of the finest musicians in Northern Ireland.
North Antrim musician Colin Henry was brought up on the late night music sessions in his family hotel. Not the familiar trad or bluegrass sessions, however, but around the piano - playing and singing swing, jazz, show tunes and the occasional Irish ballad.
His first performance at the age of 15 was playing ‘Down by the Riverside’ on tenor banjo at a Saturday night dinner dance in the hotel. He has been playing and performing ever since. His musical epiphany came when he discovered the resonator guitar or ‘dobro’ as it is popularly known. Since taking up the instrument Colin has concentrated on the resonator guitar almost exclusively, and has become one of the few musicians in Northern Ireland to have mastered the instrument to a high standard.
All tickets are £10, available from reception at Flowerfield Arts Centre - call (028) 7083 1400 for details.
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