For anyone who has been lucky enough to behold A Christmas Celtic Sojourn with Brian O’Donovan, they know that Celtic singer Mairi Campbell is right when she calls the holiday event “a great embracing of something that’s greater than ourselves.”
The magical blend of storytelling, poems, songs and dancing is, O’Donovan says, “not so much a concert as it is a gathering—and it really reflects the gatherings that I had growing up in my house.”
This will be O’Donovan’s 20th year as host of the event, which can be enjoyed virtually or in person from the Cutler Majestic Theater in Boston, the Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport, the Xeiterion Performing Arts Center in New Bedford and the Hanover Theatre & Conservatory in Worcester. Performances run from December 10–18.
Based on his popular 89.7 GBH radio program A Celtic Sojourn, A Christmas Celtic Sojourn features dozens of musicians and dancers who capture the spirit of holiday tradition, bringing warmth and optimism at the darkest time of year.
O’Donovan draws on Celtic, pagan and Christian traditions to celebrate the music of the season.
“When I look at pagan celebrations around the Solstice, Christmas and Hanukkah at this time of year, I see a consistent theme, of light and hope against a backdrop of darkness and fear,” said O’Donovan.
Offering a counterpoint to that darkness is O’Donovan’s mission. “Our motivation as GBH, me personally and all of the cast and staff of A Christmas Celtic Sojourn, is to say no matter how difficult the times are, it is our responsibility to bring comfort and joy to audiences,” he said. “I think there’s a currency of hope that’s required, particularly at this time of year.”
O’Donovan has faced his own personal trial this year, with a recent diagnosis of brain cancer.
“My attitude has been to take every piece of life and every experience as the gold nugget it is,” he said. “When you get a diagnosis like this, it comes into sharper focus and you need to really think about making the most of whatever time you have left.”
And for him, that means bringing live music to more people. “I love my work, I love what I do and that actually keeps me going in a very, very real way.”
Lindsay O’Donovan, Brian’s wife, who has played the piano during the shows, says the 20th anniversary is important to their family. “The twentieth is a celebration of Brian’s ideas, vision and love of inviting people into our family traditions. We want to create something that will be there for the ages.”
Music has transformative powers, he said. “It can make people reflect on their life circumstances, and it can amplify those feelings to the point of catharsis— that’s largely what art does.”
Take a look behind the stage at A Christmas Celtic Sojourn.
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For many, A Christmas Celtic Sojourn is an annual tradition.
“Christmas is a time when those sitting in our audience allow themselves to be a little bit more sentimental, a little bit more nostalgic—to go down memory lane and think of somebody that they’re missing. Those are important emotions to have,” said O’Donovan.
“People leave with a fullness that maybe they didn’t expect,” said fiddle player Liz Knowles.
