Mossy Banks in Concert at the Lyceum

Mossy Banks

Marty Frye | Sarah Collins | David McKindley-Ward

Three close friends, having played tunes in many configurations for years, finally assemble in a trio with roots in DC, Boston and Baltimore. Marty, Sarah, and Dave have a shared passion for the tunes, and a shared quest for the balanced lightness and depth of a good groove. With Marty on flute, Sarah on fiddle, and David on bouzouki, vocals, and harmonium, this trio presents their version of Irish music, a sound influenced by an appreciation for American old time and other groovy genres they’ve grown up around on the East Coast. Their debut album, forthcoming this winter, will showcase a range of tunes and songs, both sparse and lush in their approach to traditional music.

Raised in DC and steeped in the rich Irish music tradition of the DC/Baltimore region, Marty Frye has emerged as a sought after teacher and performer on the Irish flute.  Marty’s music was forged under the years-long mentorship and friendship of All-Ireland champion Josh Dukes, along with other local luminaries.  His playing draws out subtleties in tone and rhythm, shaped by close musical relationships and a deep appreciation for the raw pure drop.  Marty performs with Sarah Collins and David McKindley-Ward as Mossy Banks and has served on the faculty of the Baltimore Irish Music School and the Baltimore Irish Trad Fest. Notable past performances include the Boston Celtic Music Festival, Maryland Irish Festival, and the Maryland Folk Festival.

Sarah Collins is a fiddle player based in the Baltimore/DC area with deep roots in the Boston traditional music community. After spending part of her childhood in Edinburgh, she grew up immersed in the Scottish music scene, and her playing today blends influences from Irish and Old-Time fiddle styles.

Sarah has taught at a number of fiddle camps, including Hanneke Cassel's Pure Dead Brilliant Fiddle Weekend, Katie McNally's Boston States Fiddle Camp, Baltimore's Irish Trad Fest, and the CCE Musical Arts and Dance (MAD) Weekend in Washington, DC. Sarah regularly hosts Irish sessions in both DC and Baltimore, creating spaces for musicians to gather and share tunes. She also teaches fiddle and repertoire classes for the Baltimore Irish Music School.

Sarah currently performs with several bands. She plays an Irish trio with David McKindley-Ward and Marty Frye, and a duo with 5-string banjo player Jonathan Vocke. She also fills in with the Scottish band Old Blind Dogs and the Irish band The East Coasters.

In response to the isolation of the pandemic, Sarah co-founded the Ministry of Folk, a project dedicated to keeping folk music alive through community engagement. She also co-produces monthly concerts for the Baltimore Folk Club with Richard Osban, supporting Baltimore's local folk scene.

With a passion for both music and community, Sarah continues to make her mark in the folk and traditional music world.

Award winning musician and singer, David McKindley-Ward, grew up in the DC area steeped in folk, traditional, and protest music from all over the world. From his folk foundation of Pete Segeer and Stan Rogers, he found a love for Irish music from cassette tape recordings of the old folk revival balladeers from the 50s and 60s; the Clancy brothers and Tommy Makem, the Dubliners, The Wolftones, and many more. His interest in traditional singing grew when exposed to such greats as Paul Brady, Dolores Keane, and Donal Maguire, and much of his style and repertoire is based on these three. Currently, David collaborates with many Irish singers and instrumentalists, including, Eimear Arkins, Liz Hanley, Brenda Castles, Joey Abarta, Allen Murray, and many others. He has recorded three albums with singer-songwriter Letitia VanSant, their latest release “Eye of the Storm” will be released this year.

Over the last few years, he has made a name for himself as a touring artist across the US, Ireland and the UK and a regular performer and instructor at festivals including O’Flaherty’s Irish Retreat, Atlanta Irish Fest, Baltimore Tradfest, Celtic Fest Mississippi, the Ashokan Center, The Philadelphia Céilí Group Traditional Irish music and Dance Weekend, and the Augusta Irish Retreat.

Mossy Banks - Videos / Bio

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The Tradtional Music Series at the Historic Lyceum in Alexandria 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 coindcuted under the auspices of the North American Morris Dance Organization a 501 (c) 3 Organization.