Who Would Have Thought? – Intriguing Tidbits about Artists at The Barns this February

This post is by Lauren Smith, Wolf Trap’s spring copywriting intern.

In the course of my travels (well, not really travels, more like internet meanderings and magazine explorations) as Wolf Trap’s copywriting intern, I seem to collect lots of seemingly useless but nonetheless fascinating knowledge about the fabulous artists who are playing The Barns at Wolf Trap in the coming weeks.

Here are a few relatively unknown but very interesting tidbits.

Collaborative Spirit of the Emerald Isle

Seamus Egan, lead singer for Celtic group Solas (who performed at The Barns February 2nd), co-wrote the song “I Will Remember You,” along with the rest of the soundtrack for the film The Brothers McMullen (1995). His co-author Sarah McLachlan popularized it as a pop single later the same year. To find out more about the movie, click here.

Before becoming a founding member of Solas, violinist Winifred Horan (who also worked with Egan on The Brothers McMullen) played for Cherish the Ladies, another Irish group who will perform at The Barns February 24th and 25th.

In other Cherish the Ladies news, the band recently broadened their traditional Irish repertoire by teaming up with country artists Vince Gill and Maura O’Connell, among others, to produce Country Crossroads (2011), an innovative and fearless melding of Celtic classics and country roots. To read a review of this unique recording, click here.

Dedication in All Things

Members of the East Coast Chamber Orchestra (ECCO, performed February 3rd as part of Wolf Trap’s Discovery Series) have more in common than their immense musical talent and robust performance resumes—many of them are hard-core sports fans!

• Daniel Chong (violin) describes himself as an avid soccer fan and harbors a desire to attend the World Cup someday when he’s not busy playing with ECCO or his ensemble the Parker Quartet.
• Meg Freivogel McDonough (violin) grew up playing a wide spectrum of sports and cites ultimate Frisbee as a favorite. Don’t know what exactly makes Frisbee ultimate? Check out this link to learn the particulars.
• Violinist and Boston resident Nelson Lee shares the fervor of other New Englanders in his deep loyalty to the Red Sox and the Celtics.


If Music Didn’t Exist…

The musicians coming to The Barns at Wolf Trap this month are multi-talented, with interests and often times separate careers outside their musical pursuits.

Raman Romankirshnan, cellist of ECCO, has a degree in physics, and his colleague, viola player Jonathan Chu double-majored in music and economics.

Romantic ballad-singer Patrizio (February 23rd) grew up dreaming to follow in his father’s footsteps to become an Italian chef. He could also perhaps have considered studying translation—Patrizio speaks six languages: English, Italian, French, Spanish, German, and Polish.

Country-rock musician J.D. Souther also has a sizable acting career, appearing on the television shows thirtysomething, Providence, and Purgatory and in the movies Postcards from the Edge
(1990) and To Cross the Rubicon (1991).

Cajun powerhouse Stanley “Buckwheat” Dural, leader of Buckwheat Zydeco (February 29th), is an accomplished auto mechanic who sometimes tinkers with a troublesome tour bus rattle on the road.

The little-known facts about the artists coming to The Barns in February make them all the more enticing, so make sure to get your tickets before they’re gone!

Photo: ECCO