"Saturday Night Pipes" or, "Blame It on the Glocca Morra"

The storms have passed, it’s a beautiful day, and the sounds of Celtic brilliance await you at the Civic Auditorium tonight at 8.

My lineage is Scots-Irish. I, however, do not own a kilt– I am not that hardcore. I am more likely to associate myself with the Boston Celtics than the actual ethnic group. (Q: why don’t we say “Boston Keltics” with a hard “c” sound)? And while Celtic music is not something in which I am well-versed, composers such as Hamilton Harty, Leroy Anderson, Percy Grainger and others have made it easy to appreciate the verve and beauty of this genre. Celtic Celebration features a cast of dancers, singers and musicians well-grounded in highlands music.

Spearheading this cast is pipe-master Christopher Layer, an internationally respected Celtic music interpreter, and tenor Benjamin Brecher, who my colleagues agree is the quintessential Danny Boy tenor. Music from the films Braveheart, Brigadoon, and Finian’s Rainbow are included in this collection of Irish and Scottish favorites.

Although it hardly seems a concern at this point, word has it that the Civic Auditorium/Coliseum complex is a pretty safe haven from tornadoes. I hope everyone was spared last night and can attend either the Saturday Night Pops tonight or the Knoxville Symphony Chamber Orchestra's "A Soldier's Tale" concert tomorrow. Preferably both!