Two duos. One fun night of Celtic music in a cozy, intimate setting.
Join Mrs. Wilberforce (Kyra Davies, fiddle, viola, vocals; Sean Smith, guitar, bouzouki, tenor banjo, vocals) and fiddler-vocalist Gwen Johnston with guitarist Helen Kuhar for "Within Sight of Summer,"
The four represent a collectively diverse array of experiences and influences but a shared devotion to music from Irish, Scottish, Cape Breton and other Celtic traditions – and a healthy interest in bringing contemporary sounds and styles to these tunes and songs.
It all makes for a delightfully warm evening, as we near the official start of the warmest season of the year.
GWEN JOHNSTON with HELEN KUHAR
A native of small-town Massachusetts, Gwen weaves together tunes and songs from the Celtic, old-time, bluegrass, English, and contemporary folk genres. Fueled and inspired by the joy of sharing music with others, Gwen is also an illustrator and tapestry weaver who delights in the interactions between music and visual art. She has performed in Ireland, England, and New England at venues such as The Cobblestone, The Cornish Bank, and WBUR CitySpace. Her debut album, “Onwards,” recorded in New Bedford, Mass., and Falmouth (UK), is slated to premiere this summer. [gwenjohnstonmusic.com]
Helen is an accomplished DADGAD guitarist and vocalist who specializes in traditional Irish, English, Québécois and New England styles. Since moving to the Boston area, Helen has become a familiar figure at area Celtic music sessions and on the contra dance scene. Among their current collaborations are the contra dance bands Good Company and Nobody’s Business, and vocal quartet Forsyth. [helenkuharmusic.com]
MRS. WILBERFORCE
Since they started playing together in 2017, Kyra and Sean have performed in various settings, including BCMFest (Boston Celtic Music Fest), the Passim Summer Series, The Bebop, Boston City Winery, New Bedford Roots and Branches Festival, Gore Place Carriage House Series (Waltham, Mass.), Cadenza (Freeport, Me.) and the Cherry Street Music Series (Newton, Mass.). Although their sound is rooted in tradition, they readily, and happily, draw upon influences from the classical and contemporary folk/folk-rock domains, bringing out the distinctive qualities of each tune or song for the enjoyment of their audiences. [mrswilberforce.com]
Kyra’s work encompasses a wide range of repertoire and styles, from Scottish fiddle to contemporary classical music to arena performances with pop and rock artists. She’s appeared with the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra, Portland Symphony Orchestra, Vermont Symphony Orchestra, and New Bedford Symphony Orchestra, as well as with artists including The Who, the Eagles, Andrea Bocelli, Hans Zimmer, and Josh Groban. Kyra also is the 2025 New England Regional Open Scottish Fiddle Champion. She holds a bachelor of music from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, where she studied with Kenneth Goldsmith. [kyradavies.com]
Sean began playing traditional music in his teens, taking a particular interest in the British Isles folk revival. He spent a year in the UK and Ireland making the rounds of various folk music clubs and festivals, then moved to Boston in 1981. Since then, he’s played solo and in numerous collaborations, appearing at Club Passim, The Burren Backroom Series, notloB Concert Series, New England Folk Festival Association, Boston Irish Festival, Open Book Coffeehouse, Newton Festival of the Arts, Nameless Coffeehouse and Boston College Arts Festival. [seansmithmusic.wixsite.com/sean]