‘Black Murray’ is coming to the Saline Celtic Festival

Black Murray, an acoustic quartet named after a 15th century Scottish outlaw immortalized in the ballad “Outlaw Murray,” will bring their energetic music to this year’s Saline Celtic Festival, July 12-13 in Mill Pond Park. The band will play on Saturday, July 13, at 3 p.m. in the Red Dragon tent, and in the grand finale at 10:15 p.m.

“We’re very excited to make our Washtenaw County debut at the Saline Celtic Fest—some of us attended this awesome event last year, and it’s a thrill to be performing this year,” says guitar player Allan McMillan, who in his “non-band” life teaches high school English and theatre in Wyandotte, where he is a long time resident.

McMillan is joined in the band by his wife and “band mom” Grace Chung, who has played piano since age 5 and began percussion training on tabla drums; Dundee native Bubba Wilson, a professional guitarist in a few blues and rock bands and now mandolin player with the band; and Veronica Cieri, who has been been playing violin since the age of 7 and started fiddling 10 years ago when she began busking on the streets of Kalamazoo.

The band, that got its start two years ago as a rag tag crew with four songs and a borrowed fiddler, has evolved into a tight and energetic acoustic quartet specializing in Irish folk songs, radio classics, and original material. It has performed at several festivals around Michigan, including the Michigan Renaissance Festival, the Motor City Irish Fest and the Michigan Nordic Fire Festival, as well as Irish-American clubs, taverns, and private parties. The band’s first CD, “Lying, Cheating, Stealing, and Drinking,” is available at shows and from their online store.

The Saline Celtic Festival will also host performances by Crossbow, Thunderwüde, Brother Crowe, House of Hamill, Codgers, Paddy’s Cure, The Barley Saints, Nessa, Saline Fiddlers, and Chelsea House Orchestra; as well as pipe bands, ancient athletics, jousting, historical re-enactments, dance troupes, Highland dance competition, sheep herding, textiles and weavers, Wee Folks Island, Millie the Mill Pond Monster, and much more.

For complete information, including the schedule of events and activities, visit www.salineceltic.org.

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