The Pipes are Calling: PPAC Celebrates the Season of St. Patrick

A Musical Pot of Gold and All the Joy Your Heart Can Hold!!

Life was not easy but it was grand! It was the mid-1800s and Katie Duggan, a young survivor of the Irish Famine, arrives on Providence’s Federal Hill to make a life for herself and her family. Experience her story as it is brought back to life in music, song, dance, and story – and never see Federal Hill the same again!

PPAC's House Organist Peter Edwin Krasinski and the Roscommon Soles, led by Rhode Island’s National Endowment for Arts National Heritage Fellow Kevin Doyle and under the musical direction of Sheila Falls, will be joined by local historian and narrator Ray McKenna, for the third annual The Pipes are Calling: PPAC Celebrates the Season of St. Patrick, dedicated in loving memory to Mary Lee Partington.

Boasting a ranking in the Top Five of the “Most Irish States in the U.S.,” Rhode Island’s own Celtic lilt, laughter, and legacy in music, dance, song, and story will shine in this free PPAC Wonders of Wurlitzer lunchtime event, with appreciation to Providence’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee for their partnership and support. Visit https://providencestpatricksparade.org/ for details about the 2025 Parade scheduled for March 8.

This event is free and open to the public. No ticket required. Attendees are welcome to bring their lunch. Complimentary beverages available.

ABOUT THE ROSCOMMON SOLES

Roscommon Soles is a dance-driven ensemble whose concert sets literally move with the music. Kevin Doyle sets the rhythm with signature jigs, reels, hornpipe, and tap dance, joined by Maureen and Shannon Doyle and select youth dancers from the Kelly School of Dance. Providing the tunes that underscore the songs, steps, and stories or stand on their own as exquisite solos or driving ensemble melodies are Sheila Falls on fiddle, John Coyne on vocals and the bouzouki, Patrick Hutchinson on the uilleann pipes, and Joshua Kane on flute and whistle with a special guest solo by Caroline Vitale, granddaughter of long-time Roscommon Sole Mary Lee.

Roscommon Soles’ artists have numerous appearances, recordings, and projects that speak to the unique collaboration that is the Roscommon Soles. For concert, festival, coffeehouse and bookings in educational settings, visit kevindoyledance.com.

ABOUT FEDERAL HILL IRISH

Rhode Island’s own Ray McKenna, sixth generation of his Irish family in America, grew up with stories of the past. While he imagined the adventures of his family in North America, he yearned to know about the brave people who made the sacrifice to come to America for a better life. Federal Hill Irish is a rich trove of stories, history, and artifacts – on-line and through lectures and discussions. For more information, visit https://federalhillirish.com/.