Sliding scale $10-$20
*Masking required, vaccinations encouraged
*Concert will be held in our community room at the Farm Store
No smoking, no dogs at farm
Please carpool if possible — parking is limited
RSVP to rebopfarm@gmail.com
Leading ladies of traditional Irish music, song and dance Eimear Arkins, Eileen Gannon, Rebecca McGowan and Jackie O'Riley are joining forces for a series of concerts this October. Together they will perform a blend of toe-tapping dance tunes, soulful Irish songs and dynamic old-style traditional Irish dance. Eimear and Eileen have been lighting up the music scene in the St. Louis and beyond for the last number of years, while Jackie and Rebecca have been producing original choreography and interpretations of traditional steps as a dance duo for the last 12 years. This collaboration will bring music, song and dance together in a fabulous display of artistry and talent.
Eimear Arkins and Eileen Gannon have been lighting up the Irish music scene in St. Louis for the past several years. They have played numerous sold-out shows across the midwest and beyond.
Eimear is an award-winning singer and fiddle player from County Clare with eleven solo Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann (World Irish Music Championships) titles to her credit. She has performed throughout the US and Ireland with acclaimed bands like Cherish The Ladies, Téada, and The Paul Brock Band. She has toured extensively with Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann in Ireland, Britain, North America and Canada. Eimear’s debut CD, What’s Next? was released in summer 2019 to great acclaim and she was named “Best Newcomer” by LiveIreland 2019. Most recently, Eimear has been awarded an artist fellowship from the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis.
Eileen, a St. Louis native, is one of the top Irish harp players in the world. She has won numerous accolades including the highly coveted Senior Harp title at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann. She has a bachelor’s degree in Music Performance from St. Louis University and a master’s degree in Ethnomusicology from University of Limerick. Eileen launched her debut solo CD, The Glory Days Are Over, to great acclaim in the summer of 2017. Eileen and Eimear are both tutors at St. Louis Irish Arts and have been guest artists at numerous festivals throughout the world, including Feile Seamus Creagh, Newfoundland; Catskills Irish Arts Week, New York; World Expo 2015, Milan; Viljandi Pärimusmuusika Festival, Estonia; St. Louis Tionól; Canadian Celtic Celebration, Canada; O’Flaherty Retreat, Texas and Festival Interceltique de Lorient, France.
Together they will perform a beautiful blend of haunting harp melodies, sean-nós songs, and plenty toe-tapping dance tunes!
Jackie O'Riley and Rebecca McGowan are a duet specializing in old-style traditional Irish dance, recognized for their unique synchronicity and musicality. Originally drawn to the grace, musicality, and subtlety of older steps, they have been dancing and creating together for the past 12 years. With original choreography and interpretation of traditional steps, Jackie & Rebecca’s work magnifies the intricate movements and musical connections of traditional dance, bringing music and dance back together. Jackie & Rebecca have performed around the US at festivals including Catskills Irish Arts Week, CCE Musical Arts and Dance Week, and Mississippi CelticFest. Their visual album “From the Floor” (2019) was called “audacious, ground breaking, and brilliantly realized” (Irish Echo) and was shown at the Utah Dance Film Festival, St Patrick’s Film Festival London, Motion State Dance Film Series, Leitrim Dance Festival, and others. They were recognized as 2022 Massachusetts Cultural Council Fellows in Choreography, and have received support from Next Steps for Boston Dance, Live Arts Boston, and NEFA, and recently had work selected for Dance Documentation in Isolation at the BCA; Dance Complex’s Fest of Us; and the Boston Celtic Music Festival.