HYLTON PERFORMING ARTS CENTER PRESENTS DANÚ “CHRISTMAS IN IRELAND: AN NOLLAIG IN ÉIRINN”
Friday, October 29, 2010
For Immediate Release
Contact: Jill Graziano Laiacona
Phone: (703) 993-8794
E-mail: jgrazia1@gmu.edu
HYLTON PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
PRESENTS
DANÚ
“CHRISTMAS IN IRELAND: AN NOLLAIG IN ÉIRINN”
Sunday, Dec. 5, 2010 at 4 p.m. in Merchant Hall
MANASSAS, Va., Oct. 28, 2010 – “[Danú] stirs the blood and lifts the heart.” (Irish Music Magazine) Direct from County Waterford, this spirited band was an instant hit in its homeland of Ireland because of its authenticity and high-energy performances – not to mention amazing musical talent. For more than a decade, this acclaimed ensemble has performed to enthusiastic audiences around the globe demonstrating its masterful prowess of traditional Celtic instruments such as flute, tin whistle, fiddle, button accordion and bouzouki, accompanied by exquisite vocals. Danú brings its stirring and heartwarming Celtic holiday music celebration, titled “Christmas in Ireland: An Nollaig in Éirinn,” to the Hylton Performing Arts Center in Manassas on Sunday, Dec. 5, 2010 at 4 p.m. A pre-performance discussion will be held one hour prior to the performance in the Hylton Center’s Buchanan Partners Art Gallery. Novant Health is the Grand Opening Season Sponsor of Hylton Presents at the Hylton Performing Arts Center.
The Irish people have celebrated Christmas for centuries with traditional Irish music and song. Danú’s program features music that pays homage to early Irish traditions such as placing a candle in the window as a symbol of welcome; “The Laden Table,” a Christmas Eve tradition in which families set the table with a loaf of bread with caraway seeds and raisins, a pitcher of milk and a lit candle, and leave the door unlatched for wandering travelers; and a procession from house to house on St. Stephen’s Day.
“A vibrant mix of virtuosity, energy and empathy.” (The Washington Post) The members of Danú first met 16 years ago while attending the Oireachtas Festival in their hometown of County Waterford in November 1994, and shortly after, joined forces to perform at the Lorient Inter-Celtic Festival in France in 1995, where they received enormous praise and were immediately invited back to perform the following year. The band quickly became a sought-after presence on the European festival circuit, and soon developed a strong following in the United States after its 1997 debut U.S. tour. In 1999, the band signed to the U.S. based Shanachie record label, and have since released seven critically acclaimed albums, as well as a live DVD titled “One Night Stand,” which was filmed at Vicar Street Dublin. Winners of numerous awards from the BBC and Irish Music Magazine, Danú has toured throughout Europe, the Middle East and North America with stops at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, Symphony Space in New York City and major concert engagements in the United Kingdom, India, Israel and across Europe.
The Hylton Performing Arts Center is pleased to recognize
Novant Health as the Grand Opening Season Sponsor of the 2010-11 Hylton Presents season.
Tickets for DANU are $42, $34, $26. This performance is Family Friendly and tickets for youth through grade 12 are half price when accompanied by an adult. Visit the box office or charge by phone at 888-945-2468 or visit hyltoncenter.org. The Hylton Performing Arts Center is located on George Mason University’s Prince William Campus at 10960 George Mason Circle, Manassas, Va., 20110. Free parking is available in the lot next to the Hylton Center. For more information, please visit hyltoncenter.org.
About the Hylton Performing Arts Center Dedicated to bringing a world-class performing arts venue to the Prince William region, the Hylton Performing Arts Center was born out of a partnership among Prince William County, George Mason University, the City of Manassas, the Commonwealth of Virginia and individuals and businesses in the private sector. Soaring more than nine stories and boasting a stunning mix of copper, glass and masonry, the 85,000-square foot center is home to two unparalleled performance venues for local arts groups and performers from around the world, as well as university-related activities. Modeled after the intimate European opera houses of the 19th century, Merchant Hall is a 1,140-seat multipurpose proscenium theater, which is encircled by 27 private boxes that rise three levels. The Gregory Family Theater is a flexible, 4,400-square foot space that can be configured for many different types of performances and events. In addition, the Didlake Grand Foyer, with its sweeping staircase, provides an ideal setting for community, corporate and social events. The Hylton Performing Arts Center, the only building of its kind in the area, is sure to quickly become the cultural hub of Prince William County and the surrounding communities and is a shining example of collaboration and commitment to the arts.
About George Mason University Named the #1 national university to watch in the 2009 rankings of U.S. News & World Report, George Mason University is an innovative, entrepreneurial institution with global distinction in a range of academic fields. Located in Northern Virginia near Washington, D.C., Mason provides students access to diverse cultural experiences and the most sought-after internships and employers in the country. Mason offers strong undergraduate and graduate degree programs in engineering and information technology, organizational psychology, health care and visual and performing arts. With Mason professors conducting groundbreaking research in areas such as climate change, public policy and the biosciences, George Mason University is a leading example of the modern, public university. George Mason University – Where Innovation Is Tradition.
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