The Journal of Music in Ireland reported that the McCarthy Sisters will be joined by the Kildare Youth Orchestra. The sisters — Jacqueline, Marion and Bernadette — are rooted in the West Clare traditional music style inherited from their father, Tommy McCarthy, a respected uilleann piper and concertina player from Kilmihil, County Clare.
Born in London to Irish parents, the sisters grew up within that city’s Irish traditional music community and performed extensively as the McCarthy Family across Ireland and Britain, including at London’s Royal Albert Hall. Jacqueline plays concertina, Marion plays uilleann pipes and whistle, and Bernadette plays fiddle and piano.
The sisters later settled in the west of Ireland, where they have continued to perform and teach, passing on the distinctive West Clare style. Their recordings include Jacqueline McCarthy’s solo album “The Hidden Note” and “The Family Album,” a collection of solo, duet and ensemble performances by the McCarthy family. They are long associated with the Willie Clancy Summer School and the musical life of West Clare.
For more information, visit journalofmusic.com.