There will be four “Pipes of Christmas” shows from Dec. 12 to Dec. 15.
“Pipes of Christmas” Week is always a logistically challenging one for founder and executive producer Robert Currie. The show — featuring holiday music with traditional Celtic instrumentation, and readings — always has dozens of participants, and multiple locations. But this year will be more challenging than ever, with a show at The Old South Church in Boston, Dec. 12 at 7:30 p.m., in addition to the customary ones at Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church in Manhattan (Dec. 14 at 2 p.m.) and Central Presbyterian Church in Currie’s hometown, Summit (Dec. 15 at 2 and 7 p.m.).
“We’ve been performing ‘The Pipes of Christmas’ for 25 years now,” Currie says. “So we have a strong comfort level with our production and our audience reaction to it. I think it’s great that we’re entering our second quarter century by adding a new show in a new town. It does have logistical challenges: That’s to be expected. But when you have a product that’s so strong and a company of performers that are so talented, it’s a wonderful challenge to have.”
For tickets and information about the shows — the 2 p.m. Summit show is sold out, but seats are still available for the others — visit pipesofchristmas.com. Proceeds from all “Pipes of Christmas” events support the cultural outreach programs, scholarships and preservation initiatives of the Learned Kindred of Currie clan society, which Robert Currie heads.
CHRISTINE LOY/LEARNED KINDRED OF CURRIE
James Robinson at a “Pipes of Christmas” show.
Among this year’s cast of performers will be “Pipes of Christmas” veterans Steve Gibb, playing guitar and serving as music director; James Robinson (the actor whose credits include “Braveheart,” “Outlander” and “Saving Christmas Spirit”), who will do some of the readings; Susan Porterfield Currie, handling the shows’ narration; fiddler Caitlin Warbelow; and harpist Rachel Clemente.
Also featured will be The Solid Brass Ensemble, directed by Doug Haislip, and two groups that will be making their “Pipes of Christmas” debuts: The Commonwealth Pipes & Drums (in Boston); and The St. Columcille United Gaelic Pipe Band (in New Jersey and New York). And Madelyn Monaghan, a classically trained soprano, will sing at “Pipes of Christmas” for the first time.
“She has the voice of an angel,” says Currie, “and she will be singing in Irish and in Scots Gaelic, so we’ll be honoring both sides of our clan connections.”
While most of the music will be familiar to longtime “Pipes of Christmas” attendees, the shows do mix in some new pieces each year, and 2024 will not be an exception.
“With everything we had on our plate with Boston and new cast members, we kept new commissions simple this year, but we do have a new piece having its world premiere,” says Currie. “It’s written in recognition of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, marking their 900th anniversary. So one of my piping friends in Scotland has taken up the commission and written ‘The March to St. Giles,’ and we’re hoping and planning that it will also be performed in Edinburgh next spring. It’s very exciting.”
BRIAN O’DONOVAN, 1957-2023
Also, in Boston only, a piece of music will be played in honor of Brian O’Donovan, the longtime presenter of Celtic holiday shows in Boston who died in October 2023. The fact that there won’t be one of his shows in Boston, this holiday season, actually led to the addition of a “Pipes of Christmas” show.
“Some of the members of our company in past years have encouraged me to think about Boston, because of its very strong Irish and Scottish culture,” says Currie. “We were very content with New York and New Jersey, and we had no reason at the time to hit the road. Boston enjoyed, for 20 years, an incredibly wonderful concert called ‘The Celtic Christmas Sojourn,’ which was produced by Brian O’Donovan, who was kind of Boston’s Bob Currie. So there was no reason, because he was doing an incredible program.”
Currie contacted O’Donovan’s associates and his widow, Lindsay O’Donovan, “to see if they’d even want something like that. We had no ambition to just come storming into Boston saying, ‘We’re here, we’re taking over,’ but wanted to see if the community would welcome us and grant us permission to do this: to bring our own twist on it to Boston. And I’m forever grateful to Lindsay O’Donovan, who blessed us coming, and has made resources available to us in terms of promotion and publicity, to make it happen.”
Brady Brim-DeForest, who owns Balvaird Castle in Scotland and is an ardent supporter of initiatives having to do with Scottish arts and history, volunteered to be the Founding Patron of the Boston production. And Lindsay O’Donovan agreed to serve as Honorary Chair.
“I know Brian would be deeply touched to see others picking up the torch, ensuring that the vibrant sounds of Celtic heritage continue to fill our hearts and halls,” she has said.
ROBERT CURRIE
Like many nonprofit organizations these days, Pipes of Christmas is coming up with creative ways to raise money, including a GoFundMe campaign that offers perks including a six-track EP of highlights from past “Pipes of Christmas” shows, and a Pipes of Christmas “Yule Log.”
“Do you remember how WPIX (television) in New York would always run a ‘Yule Log’ on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day? Basically a fireplace with lots of great Christmas music,” says Currie. “We’ve taken it one step further in that we do have a fireplace, we do have wonderful music from our past concerts, but we’ve also incorporated beautiful HD video of Scotland and Ireland during Christmas and winter. So you can cozy up to the fire and also take a virtual trip to the places that we hold very dear, in the process.”
Also available, through Eventbrite.com, will be a film of highlights from this year’s shows. It can be streamed online from Dec. 20 to Dec. 31
“Our Learned Kindred has 6000 members around the world,” says Currie. “So even if someone can’t be in New Jersey or New York or Boston, they can still experience the concert from the comfort of their home, wherever that may be. As a great Scottish clan, these type of touchpoints are very important to keep our family connected, when we’re all spread apart.
“COVID taught us so many new ways of thinking about performance — for all artists. The notion of virtual events has been born through this, and has been hugely beneficial for everybody in the performing arts world.”
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