The Irish/Scottish folk music show March 13 featuring Men of Worth will involve the duo sharing their unique songs, stories and histories with local residents, said James Keigher, one of the members. It will be their fifth performance in Battle Mountain.
Keigher, who lives in southern Oregon, is originally from a town of 600 called Charlestown, Ireland, and his musical partner Donnie Macdonald of Sacramento comes from a village on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland that consists of just around a dozen houses. Both have been living in the United States for a long time, Keigher said.
They met in Burbank, Calif., in the early 1980s at an Irish pub called Des Regan's, which has since closed. Keigher said he was playing when Macdonald walked in looking for someone with whom to team up. Macdonald introduced himself and it went uphill from there. The two have been entertaining together for 28 years, Keigher said.
The pair, who perform all over the country, just returned from a show in Florida. After their production in Battle Mountain, they will be heading to Utah and Wyoming.
They have recorded around 12 albums with two to three original songs on each. Some of their pieces come from Gaelic poems written by Macdonald's mother, who is deceased. Other tunes date back hundreds of years, Keigher said.
They both do the singing and storytelling during their performances. Keigher plays the guitar, the mandcello and the bodhran, and Macdonald plays the tenor banjo, the octave mandolin, the concertina and the bodhran. They are both self taught.
The name Men of Worth was chosen from the title of a folk song written by the Scottish singer/songwriter Archie Fisher. The band can be found online at www.menofworth.com.
In addition to performing nationwide, around 10 years ago, the two became tour guides for their home countries of Scotland and Ireland. Twice a year they lead groups through the history and scenery of where they are from. People from Battle Mountain have joined these 10-day journeys, Keigher said.
Contact Heather Hill at h.hill@winnemuccapublishing.net.[[In-content Ad]]
