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The Pipes of Christmas is delighted to be
entering their second quarter century with a brand-new
production premiering in Boston, MA before moving to New
York City. The beloved holiday event will open on Thursday,
December 12 at 7:30 PM at Old South Church located at
645 Boylston Street.
“We are honored to welcome friends new and
old to this year’s Pipes of Christmas performances —
including at a new venue in Boston,” said the show’s
producer, Robert Currie. “Over 26 years, the concert has
become an essential part of many of our concertgoers’
Christmas traditions, and we have another wonderful
performance planned for everyone who is joining us in person
or via our webcast.”
“Boston has long celebrated its Celtic roots
through music, culture, and community, and Brian was a
veritable institution in this endeavor. While we can never
replace the ‘Celtic Sojourn’ experience, we will honor
Brian’s legacy and love of Celtic traditions through our
Boston performance. We are thrilled to join this vibrant
tradition by bringing the Pipes of Christmas’ unique blend
of music and storytelling to the city.”
“Indeed, we are honored to have the support
and assistance of Brian’s widow, Lindsay O‘Donovan, to help
make this program possible,” said Currie. Ms. O’Donovan
serves as the Honorary Chair for the Boston concert.
The Pipes of Christmas brings together
musicians, soloists, and performers from across America and
the UK to share the magic of the holiday season through the
timeless sounds of Celtic music. The show features
traditional favorites and newly commissioned works performed
on pipes and drums, harp and fiddle, organ, brass, and more,
as well as readings taken from the Celtic literature of
Scotland, Ireland, and Wales.
Featured performers include guitarist and
music director Steve Gibb from Inverness, Scotland, actor
James Robinson of “Braveheart,” “Outlander,” and “Saving
Christmas Spirit,” fiddler Caitlin Warbelow from Broadway’s
“Come from Away,” and US National Champion harpist Rachel
Clemente. In addition, audiences will thrill to the
Commonwealth Pipes and Drums under the leadership of Pipe
Major Adam Holdaway and the B-Line Brass Quintet led by CJ
Waldrop. The newly formed quintet will be making their
Boston debut at the concert.
Also making her Pipes of Christmas debut will
be Madelyn Monaghan, an Irish American traditional (sean-nós)
singer based in New York City. In September of this year,
Madelyn was a leading performer at the Celtic World Forum in
Dublin alongside the likes of Máiréad Nesbitt and Clannad’s
Moya Brennan and appeared in the Celtic Music Festival in
Rockport, MA. Her voice can be heard via TikTok, museums,
film scores, and commercials, and her album éist is
available on all streaming platforms.
“We are delighted to be able to bring this
long-running Christmas production to Boston for the first
time,” said Brady Brim-DeForest of Balvaird, who has helped
spearhead the production and serves as Founding Patron of
the Boston concert.
Proceeds Support Scholarships and Cultural
Heritage Initiatives
The Pipes of Christmas is hosted by the
Learned Kindred of Currie, a non-profit cultural and
educational organization dedicated to preserving and
promoting Scottish and Highland heritage and the arts. As
its primary fundraiser, the concert enables the Kindred’s
continued efforts to support the global Scottish community
through initiatives such as:
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Producing Tartan Day on Ellis Island, perhaps
the largest Tartan Day event in the world, which received
80,000 visitors in 2024 alone
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Providing scholarships to deserving students
in the US, Canada and Scotland
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Sponsoring competitions and festivals across
the globe
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Commissioning of new musical and cultural
works
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A global monuments initiative, which helps
erect and preserve new and existing locations such as the
Scottish Writers Museum and Bale nam Bàrd (the bard’s
home) on the Island of South Uist
·
Developing a cultural heritage centre in
Scotland (currently in preliminary stages)
Tickets Available Now
Tickets are now available via EventBrite.
Reserved VIP and general admission seating is available.
Access to the global webcast of concert highlights can also
be booked in advance at
www.eventbrite.com
About “The Pipes of Christmas”
Since its debut 26 years ago, The Pipes of
Christmas has played to standing-room-only audiences. Now a
cherished holiday event, the concert gives audiences a
stirring and reverent celebration of the Christmas season
and the Celtic spirit. Audience-goers return year after year
to experience the program, many reporting that the Pipes of
Christmas has become part of their family’s annual Christmas
tradition.
The concert has been lavished with critical
acclaim. In his review for Classical New Jersey Magazine,
Paul Somers wrote, “The whole evening was constructed to
introduce gem after gem and still have a finale which raised
the roof. In short, it was like a well-constructed fireworks
show on the Glorious Fourth.” The Westfield Leader described
the concert as “a unique sound of power and glory nowhere
else to be found.”
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Contact:
Bob Currie
concert@pipesofchristmas.com
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