For Immediate Release: April 8, 2006
Media Contact: Charlene Thellmann, Ritz Theatre Company, 856.488.9093

The Ritz Theatre Company presents the final two performances of the Celtic music series "You Gotta Have Harp" on Sunday, April 30 and May 14, 2006, at the historic Ritz Theatre, located at 915 White Horse Pike, Arts District, Haddon Township, NJ.

Sunday, April 30, 7 PM $15.00 "Clairsearch"

On Sunday April 30, Clairseach, which is Ann Heymann and her multi-instrumentalist husband Charlie, will take that stage at the Ritz Theater in Oaklyn for the second concert in the "You Gotta Have Harp" celtic harp series.They will present a multi-faceted concert with Gaelic harp, cittern, flute, tinwhistle, bodhran, button accordion and guitar. Besides their instrumental versatility on the high energy harp and dance music, there will be songs in English and Irish.

Ann plays in the old style and her harp, with its gold strings, is played on the left shoulder and with long finger nails. She is a leading authority on the instrument, the music and the history and has performed and lectured all over the world, including at the Edinburgh International Festival, Queenscliff International Music Festival in Australia, Irish World Music Center in Limerick and Cairde na Cruite in Ireland and the School of Scottish Studies in Scotland.

The concert is at 7pm. Doors open at 6:30pm. Tickets are available for $15 at the door or by calling the Ritz box office 856-858-5230.

Sunday, May 14, 7 PM $10.00 "The Delaware Valley Celtic Harp Orchestra"

Closing the series on Sunday May 14 at 7 PM will be Delaware Valley's top harpers performing as the Delaware Valley Celtic Harp Orchestra. Playing its "Harp and Shamrock Concert" of traditional Irish music, the orchestra will be joined by a number of guest musicians and step dancers. "We'll do all the lively traditional Irish dance tunes that have become our tour de force," says the orchestra's director, Kathy DeAngelo.

The group will also highlight the harp repertoire of 17th and 18th century Ireland with pieces from O'Carolan, of course, and many of the other well-known harpers of the day. Laura Enuco will be a featured vocalist and sing in Irish Gaelic along. Director Kathy DeAngelo will also sing. Guest musicians will include multi-instrumentalist Dennis Gormley on guitar, flute and tinwhistle. Soloists from the Dave Gibson School of Irish Dance will be featured on a 17th century set piece, choreographed just for this concert.

The members of the Delaware Valley Celtic Harp Orchestra come from all around the region. It was organized in 1999 by Kathy DeAngelo, a Voorhees, NJ harp and fiddle teacher. All of the members learn their pieces "by ear", that is, no written music is used and all pieces are memorized. "The Irish community is very familiar with this style of learning music," says Ms. DeAngelo "but it never ceases to amaze people outside the tradition that we can play an entire program without music stands in front of us."

The concert is at 7 PM. Doors open at 6:30pm. Tickets are available for $10 at the door or by calling the Ritz box office 856-858-5230.

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