The Whallonsburg Grange Hall in Essex, New York, welcomes Archie Fisher, singer/songwriter and master guitarist from Scotland, at a special Sunday afternoon concert on October 22 at 4pm. Beloved by audiences on both sides of the Atlantic, Fisher is one of the finest traditional singers of all time. His music bridges the Celtic and American folk-song traditions, old and new. This is his fifth time at the Grange and his last US appearance this year.
Archie was born in Glasgow into a large musical family that produced three professional singers. His mother, a Gaelic speaker from the Outer Hebrides, was a strong influence on his songwriting. Archie was also drawn to the folk music boom of the 1960s and 1970s and the music of the Weavers, Pete Seeger, and others. He became one of the mainstays of the Scottish folk scene and performed with Tommy Makem and Liam Clancy, Bert Jansch, John Renbourn, The Incredible String Band, Silly Wizard and other bands of that era.
In the 1980s, Archie Fisher became the host of the popular and long-running BBC Scotland radio program, “Travelling Folk,” and began producing albums for a wide range of British groups. Widely acclaimed as a songwriter, his songs have been recorded by Fairport Convention, the Clancy Brothers, Eva Cassidy, Stan Rogers, and Tom Paxton, among many others. He was inducted into the Scots Traditional Music Hall of Fame and was awarded an MBE by Queen Elizabeth. He released his first album in seven years in 2016, A Silent Spring.
Tickets are $15 at the door, with a special price of $5 for those under 18. All ages are welcome. Advance tickets are on sale at the Grange, at Dogwood Bakery in Wadhams or by mail: Whallonsburg Grange, PO Box 54, Essex, NY 12936. The Whallonsburg Grange Hall is located at 1610 NYS Route 22, five miles south of the Essex ferry dock. For more information, visit www.thegrangehall.info.
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