Clannamore

Celtic and American Traditional Folk Music

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Clannamore is a lively duo featuring Alanna Berger (hammered dulcimer, concertina) and Blaise Liffick (guitar, pennywhistle, octave mandolin, bodhran). Their repertoire draws heavily from the Celtic culture (Ireland, Scotland, and the British Isles) and traditional American music, ranging from the ancient (pre-Renaissance era) to the modern. Jigs, reels, hornpipes, and marches are combined with lyrical airs, laments, and waltzes to form a warm and lively sound. They also have an extensive repertoire of lively drinking songs, bawdy tunes, ballads, and funny stories.

The duo's venues have included arts festivals, pubs, coffee houses, church and civic events, weddings, and private parties. They have performed at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire at the Mt. Hope Estate in Cornwall, PA, where they have been featured as accompanists to the peasant dances and as hosts of the evening revels. They are frequently featured as the minstrels for the medieval feasts hosted in the Catacombs at Bube's Brewery in Mt. Joy, PA.

Clannamore's most recent release is Beer, Bawd, and Ballads, recorded live at Bube's Brewery in Mt. Joy, PA. This recording features their favorite pub songs, and includes several tunes for which they wrote additional lyrics. The title refers to the three broad categories the songs generally fit in - drinking tunes, bawdy songs, and heartfelt ballads. It includes the never-before recorded Ode to Evansville, an hilarious song about an Indiana farm boy's search for the perfect mate. Two long sets of driving instumentals are also included.

Clannamore's first recording is To the Faire. The title refers to two selections in particular: the instrumental Road to Lisdoonvarna, about a great faire in the town of Lisdoonvarna where it is said to be a great place for a young man to find a bride; and Red-Haired Mary, a song about a young man's trials and tribulations while courting a young maiden at the faire in the town of Dingle. The recording includes three other vocal numbers, including Anne Boleyn about the ghost of the second wife of Henry VIII, and two a cappella pieces. Instrumentals range from the haunting lament Childgrove to the rousing Something Fishy. Most selections date from the 1600-1800s.

Contact us above to order either recording.