By George Basler
Members of Cherish the Ladies have two goals in mind when they take the stage, according to their leader, Joanie Madden: Play traditional Irish music in a way that respects its history and give audience members a rousing good time.
“We have a lot of laughs on stage,” Madden said during a recent video interview. “People want to come out, and they want to have a good time. It’s our job to get them up and standing on their feet by the end of night.”
The Irish-American super group is coming to Broome County Saturday (March 19) to perform with the Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by BPO Music Director Daniel Hege. The 7:30 p.m. concert at Broome County Forum Theater is part of the group’s latest tour through the Northeast and Midwest.
The concert is “a huge deal” for the Philharmonic, said Paul Cienniwa, the orchestra’s executive director. Not only will audience members hear an internationally known performing group, he said, but they can attend a performance without having to wear masks for the first time since the onset of COVID-19.
Cherish the Ladies formed 37 years ago to spotlight the rise of talented women in what had been the male-dominated Irish music scene, Madden said.
The group’s start was a humble one of three initial concerts. Since then, Cherish the Ladies has recorded 18 albums and played more than 4,000 concerts around the world, including gigs at the White House and the Olympics. The women have been guest soloists for more than 300 concerts with symphony orchestras, performing their Celtic Pops Celebration program and their Celtic Christmas show.
The group “loves” to play with symphony orchestras, Madden said. The “high” is “when all that orchestra comes in behind you, that swelling of sound,” she added. “What’s amazing to us is how well our music and the orchestra meld together.”
Besides Madden, who plays the flute and whistle, Cherish the Ladies’ current core lineup features founding member Mary Coogan on guitar, All-Ireland Champion Mirella Murray on accordion, Katheen Boyle on piano and Nollaig Casey on fiddle.
“We all come from households where the music was passed down from our fathers,” Madden said. Their repertoire is “honest to goodness traditional Irish music; it’s not your ‘Tura Lura,’” she emphasized, referencing a well-known Tin Pan Alley “Irish lullaby.” She noted that members are conscious of the fact that they’re carrying on a musical tradition that is hundreds of years old. They want to honor that tradition.
The group also performs original compositions written in the time-honored style of Irish music, Madden said: “We want to be respectful of music that has survived for hundreds of years. We never felt we needed bass drums or rock ‘n’ roll.”
But Cherish the Ladies’ concerts are anything but sedate affairs. Besides the five member musicians, the Binghamton concert will feature singing and three award-winning Irish step dancers.
“It would be easy to mistake this group for a rock band since it puts on a thoroughly entertaining show, complete with vibrant music, appealing singing, elaborate step dancing and a surprising amount of comedy,” the Omaha World Herald reported after a Cherish the Ladies performance with the Omaha Symphony.
In its close-to-four decades history, Cherish the Ladies has won critical praise, been recognized as the BBC’s Best Musical Group of the Year and been named Top North American Celtic Group at the Irish Music Awards. They’ve collaborated with such musicians as the Boston Pops, the Clancy Brothers, the Chieftains, Vince Gill, Nanci Griffith, Pete Seeger, Don Henley, Arlo Guthrie and Maura O’Connell.
The group has even had a street named after it on the Grand Concourse in the Bronx, Madden’s hometown.
Much of Cherish the Ladies’ humor comes from Madden, who admits to having an outgoing personality. While growing up in the Bronx. She was exposed to traditional Irish music by listening to the playing of her father, an All-Ireland Champion accordion player, and his friends. Last year, she received a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts in recognition of her lifetime achievement.
Madden believes the enduring popularity of Irish music stems from the fact that “touches the soul” and tells stories that have emotional resonance for audience members.
Cherish the Ladies’ latest tour has shown that people are ready to get out and enjoy themselves, she concluded. “I love what I do,” she said. “I love the challenge of making them (audience members) have a good time.”
IF YOU GO: Cherish the Ladies will perform with the Binghamton Philharmonic at 7:30 p.m. Saturday (March 19) in the Broome County Forum Theater, 236 Washington St., Binghamton. Ticket prices range from $20 to $55. Special prices are available for college students and youth 18 and younger. For more information and to order tickets, call the box office at 607-723-3931, ext. 1, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, or visit the BPO’s website, www.binghamtonphilharmonic.org.
NOTE: If you are a VISIONS Federal Credit Union Member, you can show your Visions debit card at the box office and receive 10% off all Binghamton Philharmonic Concert tickets!
