Songs and Stories of the Scottish Seas

Mermaids, Selkies, and other mystical creatures are brought to life in this afternoon of traditional tales and music of the Scottish Isles. Storyteller Sarah Walker is joined by piper and singer Peter Walker as well as celebrated lutenist Brian Kay in this installment of the Skylark Spotlight Series. Gaelic song, Highland bagpipes, harps, and other historical instruments will illuminate the rich maritime folklore of Scotland. The concert takes place in the beautiful of historic St. Anna’s Chapel, rich with stained glass and original Victorian features.

Sarah Walker grew up as the daughter of two traditional Appalachian storytellers, who instilled in her a love of hearing and telling great tales. She has performed extensively in her home state of West Virginia and made her New York debut as a cast member of Gotham Early Music Scene’s - "Play of Daniel".

Since then, she has performed old and new stories for audiences of all ages throughout the region. Walker holds degrees in Medieval Studies and Art History from Vassar College and Pratt Institute. She is a children’s librarian in Connecticut, and her very favorite fairytale is the old Scottish story "The Woman Who Flummoxed the Fairies".

Described as a “rich-voiced” and “vivid” singer by a recent ?New York Times ?review, and an "impressive" and "exciting" piper by clevelandclassical.com, -Peter Walker-enjoys a varied career as a singer of early, classical and folk music, and as a piper in music ranging from the Middle Ages to the present. He performs with the Handel + Haydn Society, Skylark Ensemble, Three Notch’d Road, Hudson Valley Philharmonic, Clarion Society Choir, Apollo’s Fire, Texas Early Music Project, Staunton Music Festival, Stamford Symphony, Dalton Chorale, Western Wind, and Early Music New York. Peter is a founding member of medieval ensembles Marginalia and Twa Corbies, and won the Overseas Class in the Lowland and Border Pipers’ Society Competition in 2016.

Brian Kay is a modern-day troubadour. A critically acclaimed singer and instrumentalist, Brian performs throughout the US, both as a solo artist, and with a number of esteemed ensembles. His concerts have been hailed as “Far-ranging”, "Brilliant", and “Exciting"(Cleveland Classical). He has been featured at distinguished venues such as Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, Shriver Hall, and The Boston Early Music Festival. He has two acoustic solo albums; Ocean (2013) and Three Ravens (2015). He performs with Apollo's Fire, Ayreheart, Hesperus, Twa Corbies, and is a founding member of the early music improvisation group Division. Mr. Kay has lectured at Yale University, The Peabody Conservatory, Johns Hopkins University, The Maltz Center, and Baldwin-Wallace College.

The concert is one of the Skylark Spotlight series, an engaging concert experience where audiences hear Skylark Vocal Ensemble soloists in a more intimate chamber music setting, whether through small ensemble performances , or individual cameo appearances in a variety of genres. The Skylark soloists are some of the most talented vocal soloists, chamber musicians, and music educators in America.

The Skylark Vocal Ensemble is a chamber choir of professional soloists and music educators from across the United States. Formed in 2011 under the direction of Matthew Guard, Skylark has been described as “a gem… soloists who come together to create a dynamic and inspiring whole.” Skylark performs innovative programs that are thematically based, bringing an unconventional approach to history and context, and help reinforce the intent of the composers to communicate truths about the human condition.