Kick off your St. Patrick’s Day celebration early this year with award-winning Irish singer, fiddler and dancer Eimear Arkins at 7 p.m. Friday, March 4, at the West Plains Civic Center theater.
The concert is sponsored by the Missouri State University-West Plains (MSU-WP) University/Community Programs (U/CP) Department. Tickets are $10 each and available through the civic center box office, 110 St. Louis St.
More about Eimear Arkins
Arkins hails from Ruan in County Clare in the west of Ireland. She specializes in the art of “sean nos” singing, a highly ornamented, unaccompanied style of singing in the Irish language, organizers said.
With 11 World Irish Music titles to her credit, she tours the globe with her fiddle selling out concerts and music teaching events. She has toured extensively with Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann on concert tours throughout Ireland, Britain, North America and Canada, according to information from her website.
She has represented Ireland in France as a performer at Rennes Expo and in Spain as a participant in La Noche Negra a cultural collaboration and exchange between the Mid-West of Ireland and the province of Asturias.
In 2014, Arkins was selected to be part of the Comhaltas National Folk Orchestra of Ireland, which was put together to perform the Boróimhe Suite, a newly composed suite of music, written and directed by Michael Rooney, commemorating the life of Brian Ború.
For the past eight summers, Eimear has performed with the internationally renowned show Brú Ború and was part of the troupe that represented Ireland at World Expo 2010 in Shanghai, China.
In August 2015, Eimear traveled to World Expo 2015, in Milan with St. Louis Irish Arts where she promoted not only Irish culture but the expression of Irish culture worldwide.
Arkins has toured and performed with numerous groups including Cherish The Ladies, The Paul Brock Band, Trinity Irish Dance Ensemble and Téada.
She teaches her craft to others
She is a regular teacher at St. Louis Irish Arts and has given workshops at various festivals throughout the world including Catskills Irish Arts Week, New York; Viljandi Pärimusmuusika Festival, Estonia; St. Louis Tionól, St. Louis; Festival Interceltique de Lorient, France, Winnipeg Irish Fest, Canada and Canadian Celtic Celebration, Thunder Bay, Canada.
In 2019, she was awarded LiveIreland’s “Best Newcomer” award, and she holds a Performance Diploma in Traditional Music from the London College of Music (DipLCM).
In 2020, Arkins was granted an Artist Fellowship from the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis.
“Eimear has crafted a unique show for us in West Plains and suggested the early March performance as she plans to show off some unique St. Patrick’s Day music and lore in her one-of-a-kind show,” said U/CP Theater and Events Coordinator Hannah Salvesen.
“Eimear is a remarkable performer, using story, song and music to weave a tapestry of rich Irish culture and history,” Salvesen added. “Do not miss this opportunity to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in traditional musical style!”
For more information about the March 4 event, contact the U/CP office at 417-255-7966 or visit the department’s website.