Their goal was to celebrate “The Turning of the Year,” or the coming winter solstice. But the warmth and good cheer coming from the touring company of musicians who played at One Longfellow Square on Thursday night would have felt good in any season.

Liz Simmons, Lissa Schneckenburger and Flynn Cohen, who perform and record as Low Lily, were joined by legendary Irish-style accordionist John Whelan, up-and-coming Scottish-style fiddler Katie McNally and upright bassist Corey DiMario for an evening of winter-themed music and other songs rooted in Celtic traditions.

Performing in various combinations, as well as all together, these spirited players and singers projected a real sense of pleasure in music-making and kept things lively before a large audience during a two-hour show.

Many songs gained momentum by arrangements that featured a staggered entrance of instruments, building to an overall intensity, with smiles and shouts being shared among the players.

McNally took the spotlight first, introducing pieces by reference to their geographic origins. An Acadian march led to an Essex wedding song. With Flynn accompanying on guitar, McNally launched into a medley of Cape Breton jigs before adding DiMario’s bass to the mix for a bridal march from the Shetland Islands. Variations of rhythm and bowing techniques by McNally kept the music fresh, even as an almost hypnotic center to the music suggested a sense of its age-old roots.

Whelan was a cutup throughout, offering many quips based on his seniority among the players. He danced a bit. But the real dancing was done by his thick fingers as he masterfully worked the mother of pearl buttons of his accordion. With Flynn and DiMario along for the ride, Whelan offered a variety of hornpipes, polkas and jigs, all jauntily rendered.

With Low Lily at center stage, the traditional sounds initially veered a bit more stateside. A lighthearted take of Roger Miller’s “Chug-a-Lug” was followed by a James Taylor-esque vocal by Flynn to his own tune.

An evocative arrangement of “Good King Wenceslas” got things back into the seasonal spirit. The traditional “The Snow That Melts the Soonest” was another highlight, with Low Lily vocals in the fore. And, an all-hands-on-deck finale of Richard Thompson’s “We Sing Hallelujah” concluded a memorable musical celebration.

Steve Feeney is a freelance writer who lives in Portland.

Copy the Story Link