Twilight Music presents Pennsylvania-based, acoustic folk trio The Stray Birds, plus traditional singer/multi-instrumentalist/songwriter Keith Murphy at Hooker-Dunham Theater & Gallery on Thursday, March 14 at 7:30 pm.
When The Stray Birds take the stage, the spotlight falls on three voices raised in harmony above the raw resonance of wood and strings. It is a sound drawn from the richness of American folk music traditions, spun with a stirring subtlety and grace. Maya de Vitry, Oliver Craven and Charles Muench’s performances speak to an uncompromising reverence for songs and their embrace of the experience of live music. Reveling in the energy of each room, a connection to the audience is the essence of their show.
After traveling through Europe as a fiddling street performer, Maya attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, where she studied under Mark Simos, Darol Anger and John McGann. She has won songwriting awards at the Telluride Troubadour Competition and in the BMI/John Lennon Scholarship Awards.
Oliver has logged thousands of miles, and played in forty states and four countries at honky-tonks, folk festivals and listening rooms. Along the way he spent two years as a harmony vocalist, fiddler and guitarist for the Grammy-nominated Americana artist Adrienne Young, and one year as a member of the Virginia-based quartet The Steel Wheels.
In the midst of a classical music education that culminated in a Music Education degree from West Chester University, Charles found another musical outlet – a weekly bluegrass session where he honed his acoustic bass and harmony singing skills.
“Clearly these are players with chops, songwriters with a fierce command of their craft. But they also seem to have a grip on when to lend a hand, and when to let the songs fly on their own. This record was certainly one of the finest debuts of the year from a band to watch.” – NPR Music
“Super-talented acoustic trio whose virtuosity doesn’t get in the way of their soul. Rich vocal harmonies, tight acoustic arrangements, heart-wrenching songs.” – Fly Magazine
A native of Newfoundland, Keith Murphy’s traditional song repertoire is based in Eastern Canada and Quebec as well as his current home, Vermont. His direct and intimate style of traditional singing in English and French infuses old ballads and songs with a powerful immediacy while his rhythmic and percussive finger style of guitar playing brings new shape and color to his songs. His 2005 album “Bound for Canaan” showcased his refined sense of balance between innovation and tradition.
Keith was a founding member of Nightingale, is a mainstay of the Boston fiddle extravaganza Childsplay and has worked extensively with Tony Barrand and fiddler Becky Tracy. He is an accomplished composer and arranger in the realm of traditional music, and has also composed for theater and film. A multi-instrumentalist specializing in guitar, mandolin, piano and foot percussion, he is a featured performer on well over a dozen recordings and a guest musician on numerous others.
Hooker-Dunham Theater & Gallery is located at 139 Main Street in downtown Brattleboro, VT. Tickets for the show are $16 General / $14 Students and Seniors. For ticket reservations and information, call 802-254-9276. For more information, visit www.thestraybirds.com, www.blackislemusic.com, www.hookerdunham.org and www.twilightmusic.org.
