Ards & North Down Borough Council is delighted to welcome the incredibly talented Canadian fiddler, singer and step dancer April Verch with her band to Portico, Portaferry as part of a Moving On Music tour, on 11th May.
A captivating performer, April has been touring extensively for over two decades and has recently released an 18-track album documenting her work, ‘The April Verch Anthology’.
While Verch is perhaps best known for playing traditional fiddle styles from her native Ottawa Valley, Canada, her performances extend into old-time American and Appalachian styles and beyond, for a well-rounded tour-de-force of North Americana sounds. Verch tours with world-class musicians as a trio, featuring acoustic guitar, mandolin, bass and clawhammer banjo in addition to Verch’s vocals, fiddle and foot percussion.
With an ‘almost superhuman’ presence on stage, April flawlessly intertwines her fiddle playing, step dancing and singing; sometimes she sings, steps and fiddles all at once, with apparent ease and precision. Verch is – as they say – a triple threat in performance, her live show a beautiful companion to her music: versatile, robust, and masterfully executed.
Built in 1839, the beautiful Greek-inspired Portico has recently undergone a £1.5m restoration which included a structural overhaul and its transformation into an atmospheric venue which oozes character and charm.
The April Verch Band will perform at Portico, Portaferry on Thursday 11th May, 7.30pm. Tickets are £12 and available from www.ardsarts.com or 028 9181 0803