They don’t scream, and they’re not orphans.
Saturday night’s show at the Chocolate Church Arts Center in Bath, Screaming Orphans brings together four delightful sisters from Ireland known worldwide for their award-winning sound that combines pop, folk, and Irish music.
“The Diver sisters’ trademark spine-tingling four-part harmony and mastery of their instruments combined with their highly energized performances take audiences of all ages on an exhilarating and emotional musical journey,” their website says.
Explaining to their two million subscribers on You Tube why they chose the name Screaming Orphans, one of the sisters quips, “Why not?”
As for being orphans, nothing could be further from the truth. Their mother, legendary ceili singer Kathleen Fitzgerald, introduced them to her love of music when they were growing up in County Donegal. Joan, Angela, Grainne and Marie Therese soon joined their mother on tour.
Their “pitch-perfect” harmonies eventually led them to collaborations on recordings and stage with artists like Sinead O’Connor, Peter Gabriel, Baaba Maal, Afro Celt Solund System and Joni Mitchell.
The band got a great shout out recently by Press Herald music columnist Aimsel Ponti on WCSH tv Channel 6’s 207 broadcast.
“They understand how to best yield the sibling harmonies in their songs, whether it be on fiery originals or smartly chosen covers,” Ponti said.
The band has released 16 albums, encompassing both original pop and folk/Irish music, as well as a Christmas album. Their albums Taproom, Life in a Carnival, and Sunshine and Moss have topped Billboard, iTunes and World Music charts. As of this year, the band has released 125 albums.
The band tours extensively across Europe, Canada and America, including a performance which received rave reviews at the Kennedy Center in New York. Their current tour in the United States began this month in Albany, followed by swings through Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Minnesota, and on March 17 in Chicago, where the river mysteriously turns green every year on St. Patrick’s Day.
Saturday night’s show at 804 Washington St. in Bath begins at 7:30 p.m., with doors opening at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25 in advance, $27 the day of the show or online at chocolatechurcharts.org. You can also get tickets Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This performance is co-sponsored by Spencer Gray Insurance.
Paula McKenney is a retired newspaper editor and a volunteer at the Chocolate Church.
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