Four Shillings Short to perform at First Friday

IRONWOOD — Aurora Street will be blocked off in front of Carnegie Library for a concert event during First Friday’s festivities in Downtown Ironwood.

The Four Shillings Short will be performing at the library from 5 to 7 p.m. followed by Josh Davis and May Erlewine singing on the stage of the Historic Ironwood Theatre at 7:30 p.m.

“It will be a night full of music,” Lynne Wiercinski, director of the library said.

Four Shillings Short plays traditional music from the Celtic lands, medieval and renaissance Europe, India and the Americas.

“They are absolutely amazing,” she said. “They have been here several times before and the interesting thing is they play over 30 different instruments.”

According to the performers website, the husband and wife duo have been performing together since 1995. Aodh Og O’Tuama, from Cork, Ireland and Christy Martin, from California, are independent folk-artists who travel from town to town performing at music festivals, theaters, historic societies, libraries, museums and schools.

“We’re really excited about them being back here, Wiercinski said. “They always do a beautiful show.”

The Friends of the Library will be accepting donations for water and lemonade at the event, as well as a vendor selling bratwursts.

“It’s going to be fun,” she said.

After the free concert, First Friday participants can walk down to the Historic Ironwood Theater, and for an admission fee, can listen to the vocal talent of Josh Davis, who finished third in the 2015 season of The Voice on NBC. Sharing the stage with Davis is May Erlewine, who is dubbed, “Michigan’s songbird,” but her voice has traveled far beyond her home state.

Tim Erickson, community development assistant for Ironwood, said it’s not often that you can see Davis and Erlewine on the same stage.

“We hope that people come out to support the arts and the music,” he said.

Erickson said the combination of local talent along with nationally known people are helping to add to First Friday’s events.

“There’s a lot more music happening in Ironwood,” he said.

—Bryan Hellios