Monday Afternoon Concert: Liz Carroll and Jake Charron - Laoise Kelly - London Irish Pensioners Choir

Monday Afternoon Concert: Liz Carroll and Jake Charron - Laoise Kelly - London Irish Pensioners Choir

Liz Carroll and Jake Charron

Liz Carroll

Liz Carroll is an Irish-American fiddler, composer and recording artist whose music has helped shape contemporary Irish traditional music. Born in Chicago to Irish parents, she astounded the traditional Irish music world aged 18 by winning the Senior All-Ireland fleadh. Since then, she has performed internationally as a solo artist and with groups including The Green Fields of America, Trian, String Sisters, and the duo Liz Carroll and John Doyle. She now performs and records with guitarist and pianist Jake Charron.

Carroll’s stature as a composer is equal to her reputation as a performer. Much of her recorded repertoire consists of her own compositions, many of which have become part of the repertoire of Irish and Celtic musicians worldwide. Her recordings include the solo album On the Offbeat, the collaborative Ireland: Crossroads of Art and Design, and Half Day Road with Jake Charron.

Her achievements have been widely recognised. In 1994 she received a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, and in 2011 became the first American-born composer to receive the Cumadóir TG4, Ireland’s most significant traditional music composition award.

Liz has published three collections of her compositions. Following Collected (2010) and Collected II (2020), Collected III was released in 2026, bringing together 75 new tunes.

Jake Charron

In high demand as a touring and recording musician on piano and guitar, and for his ability with various styles of music, Jake Charron collaborates with artists worldwide. He has pursued music, since graduating with a degree in Kinesiology, and has performed with a wide range of award-winning musicians. 

Jake has toured with Liz Carroll, Troy MacGillivray, Shane Cook, and Canadian group, The East Pointers. The group’s debut album, Secret Victory, demonstrates the trio’s take on traditional Canadian-Celtic music, and has been universally well received. 

Last year Jake was nominated for a Canadian Folk Music award for his duo album with Shane Cook - Head to Head.

Laoise Kelly

Laoise Kelly, from Westport, Co. Mayo, now living on Achill Island, is regarded as “the most significant harper of her generation” – Nuala O’Connor.

A pioneering force in Irish traditional music, Laoise has developed a distinctive, driving style of instrumental harping, showcased on her critically acclaimed solo albums Just Harp, Ceis and Fáilte Uí Cheallaigh. She is a three-time All-Ireland harp champion and was awarded TG4 Gradam Ceoil’s Musician of the Year in 2020.

A founding member of Bumblebees and Fiddletree, she has recorded on more than 70 albums with leading artists including The Chieftains, Christy Moore, Sharon Shannon, Dónal Lunny, Matt Molloy, Mary Black, Kate Bush and Tim O’Brien. Her latest album, Ar Lorg na Laochra, was recorded with Monaghan uilleann piper Tiarnán Ó Duinnchinn.

Laoise has performed and toured extensively throughout Ireland and internationally, including major festivals across Europe, North and South America. She has represented Ireland at international harp festivals and cultural events worldwide and has composed for theatre, including work with the National Theatre of Scotland and The Abbey Theatre, Dublin.

London Irish Pensioners Choir

Founded more than 10 years ago, The Irish Pensioners Choir brings together more than 30 older Irish people, most in their 70s and 80s, who came from all over Ireland and have made their homes in London over many decades. Although an independent group, the choir has been supported by the Irish Elderly Advice Network throughout this time.

The choir has performed for audiences of tens of thousands, including for several years at London’s St Patrick’s Day celebrations in Trafalgar Square. Members also performed as part of the Irish community choir at the Royal Albert Hall to mark President Michael D Higgins’ state visit to Britain in 2014. They have sung on national television for Sir Terry Wogan on ITV and on the BBC’s The One Show. They have also performed on RTĖ Radio and Television and are regularly played by Donncha Ó Dúlaing on the very popular Fáilte Isteach.

The choir has recorded a beautiful album of old Irish songs, Songs of Love and Emigration, which has proved very popular with the Irish community in both London and Ireland.

*Please note that all advertised concert times are door opening times. Performances will commence 30 minutes after doors open.