AN IRISH CHRISTMAS Concert at Baldwin's Station

An Irish Christmas
w/LAURA BYRNE,
JIM EAGAN & PAT EGAN
     Laura's flute playing has been described as "effortless, powerful and engaging." Highly regarded on both sides of the Atlantic  for her mastery of the Irish traditional flute and whistle.  Laura Bryne is based in Baltimore, Maryland and recently won a Maryland State Arts Council award for solo performance. She has performed throughout North America and in Ireland and  released her second solo recording, Lucky Day, in July 2010. A sought-after teacher, Laura has taught at the Catskills Irish Arts Week in East Durham, NY, and at workshops across the U.S.  Laura has committed herself to the playing of the older generation of flute players through countless trips to Ireland and from close study of the emigrees to the United States. Her mentors and influences are many and include East Galway flute player Mike Rafferty, Sligo/Roscommon style flute player, Catherine McEvoy, Matt Molloy of Chieftain’s fame, and East Galway style button accordionist Billy McComiskey. Through her direct study of this unbroken musical lineage and because of her devotion to the teaching and promulgation of all aspects of Irish musical culture, Laura is a well-known mainstay in Maryland’s vibrant Irish music scene.  (www.laurabyrne.com)
     Jim Eagan, (fiddle) has traveled and played in Ireland where he took third place in the “All Ireland” music competition in 1996. He has played at numerous Irish Festivals, Ceili’s, and is a regular in sessions at  Baltimore's J’ Patrick’s Pub where he also plays in the band “Custom House.”  For the past several years he has been on the music staff of “Irish Week” at the Augusta Heritage Center, Davis and Elkins College.   Jim toured with the “John Whelan Band” for the past four years, traveling throughout the U.S. as well as in Europe and especially in Ireland. He has recorded with John Whelan on two CD’s, “Come to Dance” and “Celtic Fire.” He is honored to be one of the members of “O’Malley’s March.” Jim’s love of Irish music has lead him to pass along to others the tradition of the Irish Fiddle. He teaches the techniques and styles of the Irish Fiddling to both young and old, from beginners to accomplished violinists.  Fiddler Jim Eagan's long-awaited début album, Jim Eagan at Reavy’s House, is devoted to the compositions of Ed Reavy, and has already received critical praise. Irish traditional fiddle music at its best, played by one of the finest young fiddlers in America. (www.myspace.com/patrickeganmusic)
   Originally from County Tipperary, Patrick Egan, (guitar & vocals)  now resides in Baltimore, Maryland. While growing up in his native County Tipperary, Patrick loved the music so much that he used to take his guitar on the back of a horse and cart to school every week to get lessons from his school teacher, Phil Kelly. He would also trudge across fields and farmland with his guitar just to get a song from local singer John Norton. Luckily, there were lots of singers and guitarists in his home parish and one of the first musicians he ever heard playing traditional Irish music was his neighbor – uillean piper Michael Cooney with whom, along with Paddy O’Brien, he would later go on to form the band Chulrua.  Patrick lived for a few years in Fairfield Iowa where he played frequently with uillean piper and former bandmate Tim Britton before moving to Baltimore, Maryland in the fall of 2003. Patrick still tours regularly with Paddy O’Brien and new Chulrua member, fiddle player Patrick Orceau. (www.pategan.com)