CENTERblog

Eileen Ivers
by Kyla Cook - Chugiak High School

Who knew a violin could have this much soul? On December 4, at 7:30, Eileen Ivers proved to Anchorage that a Celtic violin concert didn’t have to be boring, and, in fact, could be an energetic, highly varied musical romp through Irish Christmas history.

“An Nolliag: An Irish Christmas” featured everything from Christmas classics, to Irish originals, to, in Ivers’ words, “jiggified favorites.” In between songs Ivers gave us humorous history lessons on everything from holly to fruitcake to Bach. In fact, her amazing playing came second only to her energy. She wasn’t afraid to stomp her feet, clap her hands and dance around the stage. The audience reacted very well. They were clapping, bopping up and down, singing along, and even stood up for the entirety of the encore. At many points Ivers had to shout to be heard over deafening applause. Even tuning her instrument received an audible reaction from the crowd.

Eileen Ivers’violin wasn’t the only attraction onstage. She was joined by Tommy McDonnell (vocalist, percussion) Buddy Connolly (accordion, whistle, and keyboard), Greg Anderson (guitar, backing vocals), and Leo Traversa (bass guitar), all four talented musicians and entertainers, with their own prestigious accomplishments. The band even incorporated young local talent into the mix. Friday’s show included performers from Alaska Children’s Choir and The Irish Dance Academy. Their part went off without a hitch, and added something special to the professional music.

Eileen Ivers’ performance was definitely a treat for Anchorage. The audience left feeling invigorated. You could hear comments like “wasn’t that fun?” and “I got my exercise for the day.” Eileen Ivers will have one more performance, Saturday at 7:30, before her next stop, at Carnegie Hall.

Eileen Ivers
Anchorage Concert Association
Friday, December 4, 2009 at 7:30pm
Atwood Concert Hall