St. Patricks's Day Concert At the Historic Ironwood Theatre

IRONWOOD, MI - Tuesday, March 2, 1010 - They sing and they play their instruments to the beat of a different drum. That drum is the djembe and it comes from the West African country of Mali. The djembe gives a band from Northern Ireland, Different Drums of Ireland, its base rhythm. The group will soon be far from its own home, performing in a concert at the historic Ironwood Theatre in Ironwood, Michigan on St. Patrick’s Day, Wednesday, March 17.

The African drum brings a new element to the mix of traditional and western instruments played by most Irish bands. Different Drums performances open to the sounds of instruments, ancient and contemporary, from around the United Kingdom. A recent review calls their concerts, “...an amazing sensory experience, the vibrant drum playing is genuinely stunning but over the top we hear whistles and pipes playing flying melodies with gorgeous ballads and spoken word sections..." The group features four voices singing Irish ballads in harmony. Voices are backed by the Lambeg and Bodhran drums; the Uilleann, or elbow pipes; whistles and ancient bronze horns; guitar, accordion and a number of other instruments.

Different Drums has performed at state occasions in the Irish President's residence in Dublin and in the Whitehouse in Washington as the guest of President Clinton. The band works with groups of schoolchildren in areas across N. Ireland affected by the N. Irish conflict. It symbolizes in a small way the capacity of the people of N. Ireland and beyond to see the benefits of collaboration and cooperation toward a peaceful and inclusive society.

As an exercise in community relations, Roy Arbuckle started the band in 1991 when he was asked to create a project using arts as a vehicle. He assembled the group and came up with the concept of 'different drums,' which was borrowed from the writings of Henry Thoreau, the idea of people marching to the beat of different drums. At the same time he was reading a book by M Scott Peck called 'Different Drums' which was about the essential human need to be in community with other living things. The band itself became a celebration of cultural diversity and linkages. They will bring the traditions of Ireland to school children from around the region as they conduct a workshop at the Ironwood Theatre on the afternoon of their concert. The performance for this young audience will reflect how the world has become smaller as the music and instruments of different cultures often join to alter or create music.

Different Drums of Ireland’s latest recording features live performances remastered from four years of concerts at the Big Top Chautauqua tent in Washburn, Wisconsin. Of its six recordings, the band feels the Live at Big Top CD best sums up the experience that people have of the quality and energy of their performances.

The Different Drums concert starts at 7:30 PM on March 17th. Theatre doors, and a wine and specialty beer bar will open in the theatre lobby at 6:00 PM Ironwood Theatre holds its Deli Day fund-raiser on March 16, one day before the Different Drums concert. Just in time for St. Patrick’s day, the event features corned beef sandwiches with trimming as well as two other sandwich selections.

For tickets or to place an order for a deli sandwich, phone (906)932-0618 or stop in the Theatre office at 109 East Aurora Street in Ironwood.