Dear Central Coast Irish music and dance friends, please join us for a special weekend of music! The plans are all in place for our first ever attempt at bringing in guest artists. Dale and Nell Russ, two amazing Irish music fiddlers who live in the Seattle area, will be in Lincoln City the weekend of Jan. 31/Feb. 1 for a house concert, session and two music workshops.

 

The House Concert is on Saturday, January 31, at 7 p.m. at Gary and Nora's house. (For those who haven't been here before, we live close to the Lincoln City Cultural Center. Address and parking directions will be sent to concert goers.) Cost is $25 and seating is rather limited by space so please let us know asap if you can attend! (Form below.) There will be a session afterward, so do bring your instrument and plan to maybe stay up a little past your bedtime.

 

The Workshops are on Sunday, Feb. 1. There are two workshops: (1) A special fiddle techniques workshop is at 1 p.m. for you lucky fiddlers. (2) The playing for Irish dancers workshop is at 3 p.m. Generally speaking, most of the tunes we play are dance tunes, so this second workshop is for all of us, regardless of instrument. It is a great opportunity to learn those little nuances that "lift" the music. Both these workshops are in the dance classroom at the Lincoln City Cultural Center, and the cost is $25 per workshop.

 

Just to make sure we (a) don't sell more tickets than we can fit in our house for the house concert; and (b) make sure we have enough people for the workshops, could you please fill in this little form? 

 

You can pay by cash, check, credit card, PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, etc., and we can take care of that later. All funds raised will go directly to our guests and to renting the dance studio.

​

About our guests...

​

Dale and Nell Russ, a husband and wife fiddle duo from Seattle, play "pure drop" traditional Irish music. They have an affinity for the older, wilder side of Irish music, reflecting the deep connection of the tradition to the natural world. They encourage you to listen to the sounds of their music, rather than just the notes. They also share an uncanny ability to read each other's minds while playing - many people have commented with awe that their bows often seem to unconsciously sync with each other!

Known from Japan to Ireland and across the United States, Dale has been a highly respected fiddle player, teacher, and keeper of the tradition for over fifty years. He has recorded a dozen albums, two of them solo, and worked with such luminaries as Kevin Burke, Gerry O'Beirne, and Paddy O'Brien. 

Nell is newer to the scene, falling in love with Irish music (and her fiddle - love at first sight!) and joining the community in the mid 2010s. She was drawn to Dale's music and mentorship, sharing his deep belief in the beauty of the raw, unadorned heart of the music, and was honored to begin studying with him in 2020. Nell is a stalwart of the northwest session scene and has been performing and teaching since 2023.

The duo's recent appearances include the Irish Pipers Club Tionól concert in Seattle, WA; the Bellingham Celtic Festival; Conor Byrne Co-Op Irish Music Mondays; Lark Camp in Mendocino; the Northwest Portland Hostel; and Irish céilís, set dances, and contras around the Pacific Northwest.

Website and first duo album coming soon!