Traditional Irish Music at Christ Church in Accokeek

Tradtional Irish Music in Accokeek at Christ Church

Andrew Caden is a fiddle player originally from Bethesda, Maryland USA. He is now based in Dublin working at the Irish Traditional Music Archive and is completing an MA programme in Archives & Records Management at the University College of Dublin this year. Andrew was taught primarily by New York fiddle player, Brian Conway, and his musical influences come from people like Michael Coleman, James 'Lad' O'Beirne, Seán McGuire, and Frankie Gavin. He is in high demand as both a performer and a teacher at many traditional music festivals throughout Ireland, and he has been recognised by numerous established traditional musicians as one of the most promising young Irish fiddle players of today. Andrew released a duet album with flute player Conor McDonagh called "Across the Atlantic" in June 2025 which is available on Bandcamp. It has been met with critical acclaim from The Journal of Music and The Irish Echo.

Diarmuid Ó Meachair is a traditional Irish accordion and melodeon player from Cúil Aodha, Co. Cork, and is also a sean-nós singer. In 2022, he was awarded the prestigious TG4 Ceoltóir Óg na Bliana (Young Musician of the Year). Diarmuid currently teaches Irish traditional music at University College Cork and also teaches at Holy Cross University in Worcester, Massachusetts. He is a current member of De Dannan, with whom he has performed internationally since 2022. Over the past two years, Diarmuid has released four solo albums and he has been nominated for three RTÉ Folk Awards: Best Instrumentalist (2023 & 2024) and Best Emerging Artist (2023).

Matt Mulqueen was born in Baltimore, Maryland, into a musical family. His older brothers played button accordion and fiddle, and his sister became a champion step-dancer. This environment instilled in Matt an irresistible desire to learn and play Irish traditional music. His first music instruction came in the second grade when he joined the boys choir at his elementary school. At age nine, Matt asked his parents if he could learn to play the piano. He began with group piano lessons at a local community college. From there, he progressed to private lessons in Irish and Classical music with Donna Long, who has been the greatest influence on Matt's playing. Listening to the host of traditional musicians who haunt Irish pubs and to innumerable recordings allowed Matt to forge his own compelling style of accompanying Irish music. 

Axel Naar is a homegrown Accokeek percussionist.  In 2024, Axel was judged to be the best under-15 bodhran player on the east coast.  He competed at the All-Ireland competition that same year.  While not working on his high school studies, Axel runs the sound for the Traditional Music Series at the historic Lyceum in Alexandria, Virginia.  He also plays piano, concertina and button accordion. 

It is with great thanks to Christ Church for hosting this concert. More information here and brief history of the building:

"The colonial main block of Christ Church, built starting in 1744, was rectangular and laid in Flemish bond. The south and north facades each have five bays with round-topped windows; the south facade is identical to the north facade with the exception of an entry vestibule replacing one window.

The 1857 reconstruction of the church added several Italianate features to the building, including a wooden cupola, a bracketed cornice, hood moldings for the windows, and the entry vestibule with round-arched entry door. The 1857 renovation also added a chancel to the east end of the church, laid in 7:1 common bond with a cornice identical to the main block and a tripartite round-arched window above the altar. Indoors, the west end of the nave includes a wooden gallery accessed by a spiral staircase.

According to the Maryland Historical Trust, "[t]he building is historically significant for its long history in Accokeek and its place as one of the early Episcopal churches in Southern Maryland."

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Doors Open at 6:30 PM  

Concert at 7:00 PM

Links:

Andrew Caden, Seamus Noonan and Eamon Sefton - Fleadh 2023 Mullingar

Diarmuid O Meachair Accordion Music

The Tradtional Music Series at the Historic Lyceum in Alexandria and in Accokeek is made possible by support from:

• The City of Alexandria

• The Folklore Society of Greater Washington (FSGW)

  • FSGW - Home

• Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann O’Neill Malcom Branch, Washington, DC

  • CCÉ O'Neill Malcom Branch

• The series is conducted under the auspices of the North American Morris Dance Organization a 501 (c) 3 Organization.