Brian O'Donovan's 'Christmas Celtic Sojourn' celebrates 'The joy of music together'
Brian O'Donovan has been bringing his "A Celtic Sojourn" shows as host and producer to The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts in Worcester since the theater opened in 2008.
The Irish-born anchor of Boston radio station GBH's popular "A Celtic Sojourn" has gathered some of the best Celtic singers, musicians and dancers for touring shows both in the holiday season and also around St. Patrick's Day.
The pandemic brought a temporary close to twice-a-year live in-person visits to The Hanover Theatre as the "A Celtic Sojourn" shows went mostly virtual. Still, his "A St. Patrick's Day Celtic Sojourn" came back to The Hanover Theatre this year for the first time since 2019 on an auspicious date — St. Patrick's Day itself.
A place, tradition of warmth
O'Donovan, who has remarked several times that he likes coming to Worcester because of the warmth of the audiences, said the Worcester date of March 17 "has huge significance for us," during an interview with Worcester Magazine just before the show went on.
Now "GBH Presents A Christmas Celtic Sojourn with Brian O'Donovan" will be at The Hanover Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 12 as part of a tour of nine shows at four different venues.
Performers will include Irish singer-songwriter Karan Casey and a stellar lineup features guitarist and fiddler Lily Henley, guitarist, fiddler and cellist Duncan Wickel, Nadje Noordhuis on trumpet, Joey Abarta on pipes, Owen Marshall on bouzouki and harmonium, bassist Chico Huff, fiddler Jenna Moynihan, guitarist Yann Falquet, featured dancer Joe Harrison, and more.
This year marks the 20th season for "A Christmas Celtic Sojourn."
Facing health challenges
But O'Donovan, who normally serves as what he has called as "man of the house, master of ceremonies, or congenial host," won't be making the trip to Worcester on Dec. 12. The show, however, will have special meaning.
In September, O'Donovan announced his diagnosis of terminal brain cancer.
O'Donovan is facing the matter bravely and directly, including giving an interview with Kevin Cullen of the Boston Globe in October. And he is scheduled to be on stage for performances at the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre in Boston Dec. 16, 17 and 18.
Family affair
Members of the O’Donovan family, including wife Lindsay, daughter Noula, and daughter and Grammy Award- winning Aoife O’Donovan will be joining him on stage for performances Dec. 18.
In Worcester, "I'll jump in and do a little hosting myself," said Jenna Worden, producer and director of "GBH Presents A Christmas Celtic Sojourn with Brian O'Donovan."
"And cast members will speak directly to the audience, so we'll kind of pass that around," Worden said.
An enduring favorite
Worden has been involved with the "A Celtic Sojourn" Christmas and St. Patrick's Day shows for eight years, and has been the producer and director for the past three. Worden has never taken the stage as a host before, but said,"I know the show inside and out. I'm looking forward to getting on stage and talking to our audiences a little bit."
Regarding the mood of people involved with the production since news of O'Donovan's diagnosis became known, Worden said, "The mood is actually quite celebratory when it comes to the show itself." Worden noted "the legacy he (O'Donovan) has built," including 20 years of "A Christmas Celtic Sojourn" and his enduringly popular radio show on WGBH.
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"There's a bit of bittersweetness that comes along with his diagnosis, but we are really celebrating the music and the joy of music together," Worden said.
“I am truly blessed to have been surrounded by so many talented artists and musicians from across the globe as we have shared our Sojourn with you these past twenty years,” O’Donovan said in an announcement for "A Christmas Celtic Sojourn." “Our show would be nothing without our audiences who have joined us in-person and most recently, online. It is my greatest joy to take the stage with you again this December,” O'Donovan said.
Roots in time, place
O'Donovan was born and raised in Clonakilty, a town of about 3,000 in West Cork, Ireland. He has made a name for himself here in various capacities, including as former general manager of the New England Revolution Major League Soccer team, and as a music producer and broadcaster. He has said he was originally only go to visit Boston for three days, but ended up staying.
Worden is originally from Phoenix, Arizona, and earned both a bachelor of arts degree in theater studies and bachelor of science in education in history from Northern Arizona University.
Worden came to the Boston area to pursue theater, "and never left." A producer, director and stage manager, Worden has directed the summer Rockport Celtic Festival and helped produce Commonwealth Shakespeare Company's 25th anniversary production of "The Tempest," presented on Boston Common.
"This is my favorite thing I do — 'A Celtic Sojourn" with Brian," Worden said.
Worden doesn't have to ask O'Donovan for advice about directing this season's "A Christmas Sojourn."
"Brian and I have worked together for so long, we have a really great short hand together. We're very much of one mind in how we approach the show," Worden said.
Performers have many backgrounds
The performers represent a wide range of Celtic music, and are not just Irish performers. Singers, musicians, dancers and storytellers celebrate the season's Celtic, pagan and Christian traditions. The shows co-music directors are acclaimed multi-instrumentalist Séamus Egan and pianist and harpist Maeve Gilchrist. Dance direction is by Ashley Smith-Wallace.
"Brian likes to talk about the roots and branches of Celtic music. Different genres," Worden said.
For example, Lily Henley draws on her background in American, Celtic, and Sephardic folk traditions, Nadje Noordhuis is originally from Australia, and Yann Falquet is from Quebec.
'A real highlight'
The tour will also include performances at the Zeiterion Performing Arts Center in New Bedford at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 10; the Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport at 4:30 and 8 p.m. Dec. 13; and the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theater in Boston at 8 p.m. Dec. 16, 3 and 8 p.m. Dec. 17, and 1 and 5 p.m. Dec. 18. A "Virtual Christmas Celtic Sojourn" recorded at the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre, will run Dec. 20 to Dec. 25. Patrons will be able to choose from eight performance times to watch the virtual program.
Coming to The Hanover Theatre "is a real highlight for us," Worden said. "We love performing on the set of 'A Christmas Carol' every year. They're a great audience."
Worcester audiences have also distinguished themselves at sing-alongs at the shows, Worden said.
"They're really good singers. When we go on tour we say, 'Can you sing better than Worcester?' "
O'Donovan said ahead of the March 17 show at The Hanover Theatre this year that when the Coronavirus suddenly appeared in 2020 just before a show there that "We had a duty to shut down." Two years later, "Now we have a duty to get back on stage. Particularly with what's happening in the rest of the world," O'Donovan said.
"It was really nice to be back touring," Worden said.
"It was just honestly a breath of fresh air with a full audience in a theater space. It was really a wonderful thing to be part of."
"GBH Presents A Christmas Celtic Sojourn with Brian O'Donovan"
When: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 12
Where: The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts, 2 Southbridge St., Worcester
How much: $48, $58 and $68 depending on seat location. 877-571-7469; www.thehanovertheatre.org
What: "Virtual Christmas Celtic Sojourn"
When: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 20 to 23: 3 and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 24 and 25. In addition to watching the show at the time purchased, viewers will have unlimited video on demand through Jan. 2.
How much: $40.
More info: christmasceltic.com
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Brian O'Donovan's 'Christmas Celtic Sojourn' has special new meaning
