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Featherston
"I LOVE Mulled Wine Concerts as they are so intimate.
See you soon
With gratitude, Helen"
Helen Webby and Davy Stuart
Music for Celtic harp & guitar
String wizardry extraordinaire. Take the top Celtic harpist in NZ, Helen Webby (who also happens to be Principal Harp with the Christchurch Symphony), add one of NZ's most versatile Celtic accompanists on guitar and bouzouki, Davy Stuart, and you have a glorious instrumental combination, equally at home in a woolshed or a concert hall.
Their repertoire ranges from the traditional music of Ireland and Scotland to newly commisioned material from NZ and elsewhere. In concert you can expect a varied selection of music - reels to polkas, airs to waltzes and, where appropriate, a few songs reeking of the Scottish Highlands.
Their Paekakariki concert will feature music by O'Carolan, Neil Gow (Mary Gow's family tree begins with him!), Bill Whelan (Riverdance fame) and Wellingtonian Gareth Farr.
With the easy rapport that comes from 10 years playing together, they have enthralled audiences all round NZ and Australia. 2011 brought a return visit to the Australian National Folk Festival in Canberra as a featured overseas act, where they also tutored harp and bouzouki at the National Folk School.
In performance they feature a gut-strung 34 string Neo-Irish lever harp made by Helen's brother Kim Webby and a steel-strung 6 string guitar and 8 string guitar/bouzouki made by Davy. When travelling, Helen sometimes uses a 30 string carbon fibre harp made by Davy.
“… These two musicians have worked together for years and it shows. Any lover of Celtic music will enjoy many listenings of this delightful CD.” Carolyn Mills, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.
“... we heard lively reels with memorable melodies and slow elusive laments, all tinged with that beautiful Irish melancholy…Helen Webby provided compelling listening… here was a concert guaranteed to put a spring in your step for the rest of the day.” Christchurch Press, March 201.0
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