The second performance of the Town Hall Concert Series will be Saturday, March 13th at 8 p.m. on the third floor of the Town Hall.
Bluffton, originally called Shannon, Ohio, is known for the nearby Swiss Mennonite Settlement; however, the town itself was founded by Irish settlers. On March 13, the Village of Bluffton will celebrate its Celtic heritage in honor of St. Patrick’s Day with the second performance in the Town Hall Concert Series.
The Conkers are a family group who have been performing traditional music together for over twenty-five years. Their performances are a weaving of the varied strands of traditional song including: English folk songs, sea shanties, nineteenth and early twentieth century hymns, street cries, and ballads. The common thread in the fabric of their concerts has been the lovely blend of their voices and their imaginative harmonies. Although they accompany themselves on a variety of instruments such as fiddle, Irish whistle, harp, bodrhan, and English concertina, they are best known for their a cappella harmony singing. The individual members of Conkers are Sharon Wildermuth, her husband, Michael, and her sister, Sheila Rowe.
Conkers released their first CD, One-O, in 1999. The recording was reviewed in English Dance and Song, the national magazine of the English Folk Dance and Song Society by the editor, Dave Arthur.
Following the Conkers will be a set by One in a Number: The Bluffton women’s choir. The intergenerational, mostly a cappella group has been in existence for more than 15 years singing in event, church, and coffeehouse settings. For this concert the women’s choir has researched Irish songs of struggle, hope and love to prepare a Celtic treat for their listeners.
Philip Murphy “Bluffton’s Bard,” has long had a tradition of providing a taste of Ireland on St. Patty’s Day in Bluffton. His name betrays his own Irish roots, and his enthusiasm for the genre is contagious.
