On Saturday, June 1, at 7:30 p.m., the walls of the old library at 7 Fairbank Street will reverberate with Irish music courtesy of Fódhla, a fiddle, flute, and guitar trio from the Portland and Boston areas.
Fódhla (pronounced “foe-luh”) has been making music together for over 10 years. Fiddler Ellery Klein, flutist Nicole Rabata, and guitarist Bethany Waickman play a mix of high energy dance tunes and beautifully arranged slow tunes. Waltzes and French bourrées provide a sweet respite from the jigs and reels that keep audience members smiling and their toes tapping.
The Press spoke with Klein, who said she and Rabata both spent time living in Ireland. Their time overlapped for a while, with Rabata living in Ennis and Klein living in Limerick. “We’d hop on a bus and play tunes for the weekend,” she said.
All three women play in other bands. Rabata, a classical flute player, plays in a Brazilian traditional music band, Waickman is in a contradance band, and Klein, who used to tour with Gaelic Storm, now has a group called Bow Tides (as in violin bow) that plays at Irish music festivals. She said she and Rabata also do a lot of teaching.
In 2015, the band released a six-track EP titled “Notes from Mill Pond,” available for listening or purchase on the band’s website, www.fodhlamusic.com and on Bandcamp. Videos from previous shows are also available on the website and on YouTube.
What is in a name?
When asked about the band name, Klein said they were getting name-picking fatigue so they turned to names of Irish goddesses on Wikipedia. According to Irish mythology, Fódhla and her two sisters, Ériu and Banbha, were considered divine female spirits. All three sisters asked a poet to name the country after them, and he agreed to use all three names. Today, the name of Ériu, or Erin is the only one that persists. As for the band, Klein said they mainly chose the name because it was a literary reference to the country itself, and “no one could pronounce it.”
The show is presented by notloB Parlour Concerts, which has put on over 200 not-for-profit folk, Celtic, old-time, bluegrass, and progressive string concerts in unique venues throughout the greater Boston area over the past 15 years.
Doors open at 7 p.m. Admission is by free-will offering. Suggested amounts (cash at the door) are $20 to $25 for adults, $10 to $15 for teens and seniors. The venue seats 50 people, but reservations are suggested to provide the presenter with an accurate headcount in advance. To reserve or change a reservation, email notloBreservations@gmail.com. Reservations expire when the show begins.
This program is supported in part by a grant from the Harvard Cultural Council, a local agency that is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.
Bethany Waickman, Nicole Rabata, and Ellery Klein of Fódhla. (Courtesy photo)
