When somebody asks me where I want to travel, my first thought is Ireland. Hands down. My mind fills with green and mist and legends, and I imagine myself frolicking among grassy hills and tiny cottages. I want to go to pubs and see literary landmarks… and I want to just sit with a mug of tea and stare out the window, absorbing as much of the landscape as I can with my eyes and heart.
And when I’m imagining this, there’s always a soundtrack. Fiddles, flutes, heart-shaking drums. Guhhhhh. I love it. I find that a traditional Irish tune with a rolling beat gets my adrenaline pumping faster than any of my favorite workout playlists, and one that is slow and heartfelt almost pushes me to tears.
Luckily for me, Omaha Performing Arts is bringing Cherish the Ladies, an all-female Irish-American ensemble, to Omaha, along with intricately beautiful music and traditional step dancers. What I find to be incredibly cool about this group is that it has been around for thirty years, collecting some of the most talented Celtic musicians in the country. They’re bringing their 30th anniversary concert on tour, and we get to enjoy it about a week before St. Patrick’s Day.
I can’t wait. Although I’ve found lately that I’m not a huge fan of sitting through instrumental concerts (I blame Netflix and my ever-waning attention span), I know this is going to be a special case. Just sitting and watching this video on Youtube has gotten me all worked up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCcJXYrNqz8
If this kind of music makes your heart flutter too, I hope you’ll join me in seeing them at the Kiewit Hall in the Holland Performing Arts Center on May 11th at 7:00 pm. Tickets start at $25 and can be purchased online at Ticket Omaha, over the phone at 402-345-0606, or inside the Ticket Omaha office in the Holland Center at 1200 Douglas Street.
For Transparency’s Sake: I’m being compensated by Omaha Performing Arts for this post with two complimentary tickets to Cherish the Ladies. All rambling and sigh-punctuated words are my own.