SEARSPORT – Belfast Flying Shoes and the Makers Guild of Maine present an evening of Celtic music featuring Seán Heely and Beth Patterson, with special guest Owen Kennedy, at Mermaid Plaza Thursday, May 19. A 6:30 p.m. workshop for musicians kicks off the event, followed by a 7:45 p.m. concert. Sliding scale admission for the workshop is $5 to $20, concert admission is $10 to $25.
The trio’s high-energy repertoire largely consists of Scottish and Irish tunes and songs. Heely is a young champion fiddler from the Washington D.C. area, but he’s known locally for his teaching chops, such as his past work with the Acadia Trad Festival and his online lessons. In fact, Heely is one of Kennedy’s mentors, and the two award-winning musicians have shared the stage before, including in October 2021 when they played for a large and enthusiastic audience at an outdoor concert in Searsport. On May 19, Heely and Kennedy will be joined by bouzouki-playing Louisiana native Beth Patterson, who has been described as “a cross between a cobra and a puppy.”
According to Chrissy Fowler, director of Flying Shoes, “This concert at Mermaid Plaza will be a great way to emerge from a long winter and cold spring! I can’t wait for my toes to tap to the exciting rhythms of this powerful music.”
