Comas - Traditional Irish music with driving energy

Comas (Irish Gaelic for Power) has gained wide recognition in the past decade for blending diverse cultural influences into a unique style of Irish music. The band features a traditional array of instruments: fiddle, flute, pipes, plucked strings, and bodhrán (drum), as well as vocals. They are widely acclaimed for the driving energy of their arrangements coupled with a sensitivity to the lightness of melody inherent in Irish traditional music. Comas was formed in 2003, but each member has many outside accomplishments, performing with groups such as The Drovers, Urbantrad and the Liz Carroll band. The members met while on tour and were delighted to discover that their similar approaches to traditional Irish music belied their different nationalities and musical backgrounds. Within months Comas were playing at major festivals in Ireland, Belgium, France, England, Denmark and Holland. Hailed in the press as “The revelation of 2003” (NVFOLK) and “The best traditional band around” (Folkspot), they brought out a self-titled CD in 2005, made their first tour of North America in 2011, and followed with a second album in 2012. They have continued to play together wherever and whenever their busy schedules permit. The band is anchored by the sound of the fiddle, played by Aidan Burke. Mr. Burke grew up in a musical family in Sligo which included cousin Kevin Burke, famed fiddler of groups such as Patrick Street and The Bothy Band. He has won nearly two dozen first place awards from Irish Fleadh competitions and has performed and recorded with a wide array of top musicians from Ireland and beyond. In addition to fiddle he plays a variety of instruments, from guitar and banjo to percussion. Joining Mr. Burke will be Isaac Alderson of the USA on winds, and Philip Masure of Belgium on plucked strings. For this concert Anna Colliton of the USA will play bodhrán, Irish drum. Mr. Alderson, a resident of New York City, is a Chicago native who studied flute, tin whistle and uillian pipes (Irish bagpipes) with top players on both sides of the Atlantic. He has performed with John Whelan, Jerry O’Sullivan, Dennis Cahill and many others. In 2002 he became the first American to win the All-Ireland Senior champion award on all three instruments. Philip Masure is known mainly for his guitar playing, specializing in a popular open-tuning style known as DADGAD. He has performed with a number of well-known bands including Orion and Laïs, and with Carlene Anglim (winner of the BBC2 Young Tradition Award). Mr. Masure is also a member of the Eurovision-winning group Urban Trad, and in addition to heavy demand for studio work and production, performs with his Flemish folk band Piccard. Anna Colliton of Chicago is one of America’s leading exponents of the bodhrán, the traditional Irish frame drum. Ms. Colliton plays a highly intricate style of drumming with complex tonal and rhythmic variation. She has taught and performed at festivals across the country; her recording credits include Cherish the Ladies’ “A Star in the East” and Grainne Murphy’s “Short Stories.” She teaches advanced bodhran at the Irish Arts Center in New York City. Comas is firmly rooted in Irish music, but with enough space to allow for diverse influences and original compositions. The combination of openness and a respectful eye on the past has brought this group to the forefront of today’s Irish traditional music scene. “Comas, one of Europe’s most sensational Celtic bands, brings together four of the most exciting musicians of their generation.”      -The Irish Post   The concert begins at 7:30 PM. Doors open at 7 PM. Admission is $15 with discounts for members, seniors, youth and children. Community Hall is handicapped accessible. There is no charge for street parking after 6 PM.   Upcoming performances include: January 5, 4tet -- exciting new traditional music with percussive dance;  January 19, New England Cowboy Bill Staines; March 30, Close-harmony trio Finest Kind; more to be announced.   The Woods Hole Folk Music Society is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering enjoyment of folk music in all its forms. Concerts are generally held two Sundays per month from October through April. They are made possible by support from its members, season subscribers, volunteers, and performers. More information is available at www.arts-cape.com/whfolkmusic or by calling 508-540-0320.