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Cherish the Ladies: A Celtic Christmas Celebration
For four decades, Cherish the Ladies has been one of the world’s most celebrated Irish music ensembles, captivating audiences across the globe with their exhilarating blend of traditional Irish music, engaging vocals, and dynamic step dancing. As The Boston Globe raves, “It is simply impossible to imagine an audience that wouldn’t enjoy what they do!”
This Grammy-nominated group has blazed a trail for women in the once male-dominated Irish music scene, leaving an indelible mark with 18 critically acclaimed albums, thousands of concerts performed worldwide, and over 300 appearances with symphony orchestras.
Led by the charismatic Joanie Madden—flute and whistle virtuoso and recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship—Cherish the Ladies delivers a spectacular showcase of virtuosic musicianship, stunning vocals, and world-class dancing. Their success as one of the top Celtic ensembles in the world stems from their ability to seamlessly blend the best of Irish traditional music, song, and dance into a vibrant, heartwarming experience.
This holiday season, Cherish the Ladies presents their beloved Celtic Christmas program—a festive, family-friendly concert featuring their signature sound on classic carols such as “Angels We Have Heard on High,” “The First Noel,” and “Silent Night.” Each piece is beautifully arranged to highlight their Celtic instrumentation, lush harmonies, and dazzling step dancing.
This cherished holiday tradition has inspired four acclaimed albums: “On Christmas Night” (chosen by the New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe and USA Today as one of the top Christmas Albums of the year), “A Star in the East”, “Christmas in Ireland”, and “Christmas Live from County Clare”.
The concert features an outstanding lineup of world-champion musicians, including Joanie Madden on flute, whistles, and vocals; Mirella Murray on accordion; Nollaig Casey on fiddle; Hannah Collins on piano; Mary Coogan on guitar; and Cheryl Prashker on percussion. Joining them on lead vocals and guitar are the mesmerizing vocals of Kate Purcell, Don Stiffe, and Bruce Foley—each adding their own unique artistry to the group’s rich tapestry of sound.
Adding to the magic, extraordinary step dancers bring the stage to life with their athleticism and artistry. This year's lineup includes World Champion James Greenan, Principal Lead Dancer of Riverdance; two-time World Champion Tyler Schwartz; and Joe Harrison, an alumnus of Riverdance and Lord of the Dance.
Together, they create an unforgettable evening of music, song, and dance—a joyful celebration of the season guaranteed to lift your spirits and fill your heart with the magic of the season.
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What fans are saying
Chris
March 25th 2025
great
terrific instrumentals, vocals and unbelievable dancing. a terrific show
terrifically talented stars
Mineola, NY@Irish American Society Nassau
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Cherish the Ladies Biography
Cherish the Ladies ~ Celebrating 40 Years of Music Making!
Irish Traditional Music, Song and Dance Ensemble
“It is simply impossible to imagine an audience that wouldn’t enjoy what they do,” says the Boston Globe speaking of Cherish the Ladies, the long-running, Grammy-nominated, Irish-American super group that formed in New York City in 1985 to celebrate the rise of extraordinary women in what had been a male-dominated Irish music scene. Over the past three decades, they have toured the world, played the White House and the Olympics and recorded 18 critically acclaimed albums that includes their Emmy winning special, “An Irish Homecoming,” which was broadcast nationwide on American Public Television.
Under the leadership of the 2021 National Heritage Award winner and All-Ireland flute and whistle champion Joanie Madden, named by The Irish Voice Newspaper as one of the Top 25 most influential Irish Americans of the past quarter century, these ladies create an evening that includes a spectacular blend of virtuoso instrumental talents, beautiful vocals, captivating arrangements, and stunning step dancing. Their continued success as one of the top Celtic groups in the world is due to the ensembles ability to take the best of Irish traditional music and dance and put it forth in an immensely entertaining show.
The New York Times calls their music “passionate, tender, and rambunctious,” and the Washington Post praises their “astonishing array of virtuosity.” They’ve won recognition as the BBC’s Best Musical Group of the Year and named Top North American Celtic Group at the Irish Music Awards and not to mention having a street named after them in the Bronx! They’ve collaborated with such musicians as The Boston Pops, The Clancy Brothers, the Chieftains, Vince Gill, Nanci Griffith, Pete Seeger, Don Henley, Arlo Guthrie and Maura O’Connell as well as being the featured soloist with over 300 nights of symphony orchestras.
The level of artistic, historic, and purely enticing entertainment is unlike any in its genre. As their reputation and admiration from both fans and critics alike continues to grow, Cherish The Ladies blazes forward into another decade of music making.
Read MoreIrish Traditional Music, Song and Dance Ensemble
“It is simply impossible to imagine an audience that wouldn’t enjoy what they do,” says the Boston Globe speaking of Cherish the Ladies, the long-running, Grammy-nominated, Irish-American super group that formed in New York City in 1985 to celebrate the rise of extraordinary women in what had been a male-dominated Irish music scene. Over the past three decades, they have toured the world, played the White House and the Olympics and recorded 18 critically acclaimed albums that includes their Emmy winning special, “An Irish Homecoming,” which was broadcast nationwide on American Public Television.
Under the leadership of the 2021 National Heritage Award winner and All-Ireland flute and whistle champion Joanie Madden, named by The Irish Voice Newspaper as one of the Top 25 most influential Irish Americans of the past quarter century, these ladies create an evening that includes a spectacular blend of virtuoso instrumental talents, beautiful vocals, captivating arrangements, and stunning step dancing. Their continued success as one of the top Celtic groups in the world is due to the ensembles ability to take the best of Irish traditional music and dance and put it forth in an immensely entertaining show.
The New York Times calls their music “passionate, tender, and rambunctious,” and the Washington Post praises their “astonishing array of virtuosity.” They’ve won recognition as the BBC’s Best Musical Group of the Year and named Top North American Celtic Group at the Irish Music Awards and not to mention having a street named after them in the Bronx! They’ve collaborated with such musicians as The Boston Pops, The Clancy Brothers, the Chieftains, Vince Gill, Nanci Griffith, Pete Seeger, Don Henley, Arlo Guthrie and Maura O’Connell as well as being the featured soloist with over 300 nights of symphony orchestras.
The level of artistic, historic, and purely enticing entertainment is unlike any in its genre. As their reputation and admiration from both fans and critics alike continues to grow, Cherish The Ladies blazes forward into another decade of music making.
Celtic Folk
Christmas Carols
Contemporary Irish Music
Irish
Irish Folk
Tin-whistle
Worldbeat
Celtic
Christmas
Folk
Folk Dance
Irish Music. Traditional Irish Ballads
Traditional Folk
Christmas Concert Experience
Fiddle
Seasonal Christmas
Traditional Irish
Whistle
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