WHEELING, W.Va. – Gallowglass, a traditional Celtic music ensemble, and Faire May, a traditional folk music band, will each perform during a free concert at West Virginia Independence Hall in downtown Wheeling beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday, March 3. The performance is free and open to the public.
Gallowglass was formed 20 years ago by Mike Petersen and Patrick and Diane Coughlan. The band’s membership is fluid, and the lineup has changed many times over the years. The core membership consists of Petersen on concertina and hammered dulcimer; Patrick Coughlan on guitar, bagpipes and vocals; Francine Zajac on fiddle; and Tom Bothe on button box and Irish whistle. Gallowglass is often joined by Zac Gordon and Jacob Coughlan of Faire May. Musical presentations consist of traditional folk tunes from the Celtic nations, especially Ireland and Scotland. Gallowglass has performed in many area venues over the years, including the annual Wheeling Celtic Celebration, the Fort Henry Days Living History events, Oglebay Institute’s Stifel Fine Arts Center, Hannah’s Town and Penn’s Colony (18th-century period events in Pennsylvania), as well as various other parties and functions.
Based in the Ohio Valley, Faire May features band members Zac Gordon, Jariel Henthorn, Max McGovern and Jacob Coughlan, collaborating to bring old-world music to the modern world. Since the creation of Faire May in 2019, they have played at various venues around West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania. At a Faire May concert you will hear anything from banjos to bagpipes, fiddles and beyond. You will hear and enjoy traditional music from the past 300 years. The band loves to play the beloved folk music of Ireland, Scotland and other Celtic nations. The members of the band also specialize in Appalachian Bluegrass, European folk and Early American music.
For more information about WVIH and the concert, contact Debbie Jones, site manager, at (304) 238-1300 or Deborah.J.Jones@wv.gov.
West Virginia Independence Hall has been on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) since 1970. It was originally built as a federal custom house in 1859, served as the home of the pro-Union state conventions of Virginia during the spring and summer of 1861 and as the capitol of loyal Virginia from June 1861 to June 1863. It also was the site of the first constitutional convention for West Virginia.
Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1988, the museum is maintained and operated by the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, with the cooperation and assistance of the West Virginia Independence Hall Foundation. The museum is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, except major holidays. The museum is located on the corner of 16th and Market Streets in Wheeling.