Finbarr Clancy, Brian Dunphy, Martin Furey & Darren Holden - renowned vocalists and musicians - have come together to create the most exciting Irish ballad group to emerge since The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem electrified the worldwide folk revival of the 1960s – The High Kings.
Carrying on the tradition of great Irish music, creating exciting modern songs in the folk idiom and incorporating some of the classic ballad repertoire from the past The High Kings have already recorded a special for PBS which will be broadcast in the US in March. Their inaugural US tour will commence on April 17th.
The highly acclaimed musical Director David Downes, (musical director of Celtic Woman) brings intricate harmonies and driving rhythms to The High Kings songbook, giving them a freshness and sparkle that is modern and exciting, without ever sacrificing the traditional melodies and lyrics, which made them so attractive in the first instance. The songs themselves reflect a wide range of moods, the rousing “Rocky Road To Dublin,” the haunting strains of “The Parting Glass,” the irresistible “The Wild Rover” and the stunning “Fields of Glory”.
This outstanding four-part vocal harmonies are backed by a band which includes worldclass musicians; Martin O’Connor on accordion, Nollaig Casey on fiddle, Dave Keery on guitar, Paul Moore on double bass, Ewan Cowley on guitars and master percussionist
Robbie Harris.
The High Kings (bios)
Finbarr Clancy from Carrick-on-Suir, is the son of Bobby Clancy, who first made his name as half of a duo with his sister Peg. Later Bobby joined his brothers Liam, Paddy and Tom in The Clancy Brothers after Tommy Makem had split from the group. Finbarr, who is blessed with the rare Clancy charm, has played all over America with The Clancy Brothers and as a solo artist, but for the past two years he has been singing and entertaining in Shanghai.
Martin Furey, who lives in Kilmoganny, Co. Kilkennny, is the son of the renowned Irish piper and singer, Finbar Furey. The musical tradition in the Furey family goes back two hundred years and multi-instrumentalist and singer Martin is proudly carrying on the musical legacy. Martin has played all over America and Europe as a solo artist and also as a duo called Bohinta with his sister Aine.
Brian Dunphy from Dublin is the son of Sean Dunphy, who was a major star of the showband era in Ireland in the 1960s. Following in his father’s footsteps, Brian has sung all over the world as a featured soloist with Riverdance. He was also one of the Three Irish Tenors, who performed successfully across America and this past summer he was the star vocalist at Doyle’s Irish Cabaret in The Burlington Hotel in Dublin.
Darren Holden from Mooncoin in Co. Kilkenny, began his career as a singer/songwriter and has written and performed with some of the world’s top songwriters. Holden became a featured vocalist and toured the world with Riverdance for several years before landing the lead role of The Piano Man in the Broadway production of the Billy Joel musical Movin’ Out. Darren also toured the US, Canada and Japan for three years with this highly successful show.He is now back in Ireland, and coincidentally he was just reengaging with Irish Folk Music when he was invited to join The High Kings.
Celtic Radio Comments:
The High Kings are one of the hottest Irish traditional music groups to come along in quite a while. If you love the Celtic music of old, such as the Clancy Brothers or Tommy Makem, then you are going to love the High Kings. Their four-part harmonies are simply magnificent and the lyrics infectious. You will be singing and dancing with these boys in no time. This is a must have CD for your collection and it will be the CD to have in 2008 - so pick up a copy fast! 5 Gold Celtic Radio Stars and a definite buy for the High Kings!
