Special Concert This Weekend - Seanachai

Hello Friends,
I wanted to let you know about a very special concert at the Holland Performing Arts Center this weekend.  It's called Seanachai - Gaelic for "storyteller."  The concert will feature a collaboration between Omaha-born singer/actress Jill Anderson and the studio choir from Northwest High School under the direction of Curt Isaacson.  Together, they will present a range of songs from traditional Scotch-Irish music to more modern pieces with Gaelic roots.  The common thread?  Each song tells a story.

If you've watched Glee or any of the High School Musical movies, you know how talented high school students can be.  Personally, I'm not a huge fan of show choir music - although I admire the talent of the performers.  But I am a big fan of Curt Isaacson, and his choir performances are unlike any other I've seen.

I first met Curt when we were freshmen in college.  Even back in the dorms, he was building his own stringed instruments and composing music on them.  He's the only guy I know who could write a song on a strum stick and have it sound amazing.  He also wrote and performed songs on a lap dulcimer that he built himself.  And he started listening to and playing Celtic music.

When I saw one of his show choirs at a competition last year, it was no surprise that they focused on traditional and world music with tight harmonies and varied acoustic instrumentation.  I don't own the soundtracks from Glee or any of the High School Musical movies.  But if Curt Isaacson's choir produced an album, I would probably buy it. 

The following video explains a little bit more about how Seanachai developed and shows highlights from the rehearsal process.  (If you can't see the full width of the video below, click here.)


As good as they sound through my computer speakers, I can't wait to hear them live in the Holland Center.  As some of you know, I've been watching my pennies and looking for "Free to $5" events for the last couple of months.  But I'm splurging on this one.

The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday evening.  All tickets are general admission, and they are $15 each (plus a $4 handling fee per ticket if you order by phone or internet.) 

To order tickets or hear some of the songs you can look forward to, go to www.TicketOmaha.com or call (402) 345-0606.

For more sound clips, visit the Northwest Choral Music homepage.

You can also find Jill Anderson's cool of the day album on Amazon.

Hope to see you there!