Amy White. Photo by Sandra Stambaugh
The 14th annual Swannanoa Solstice will take place Sunday, December 18, at Diana Wortham Theatre, with performances at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. The holiday concert features a seasonal mix of music, dance, storytelling and poetry. It is hosted and emceed by Doug Orr, president emeritus of Warren Wilson College and founder of The Swannanoa Gathering, a series of folk art workshops at the college.
“We have a highly talented ensemble cast,” says Orr, “all of whom have performed on stages throughout the United States and internationally, providing an array of musical sounds including the bagpipe, harp, guitar, fiddle, banjo, mandolin, cittern, flute, Appalachian dulcimer, piano and vocals.”
The program is led by Al Petteway, Amy White and Robin Bullock, who have been with the show since its inception. Bullock is a guitarist, mandolinist and citternist who has won Editor’s Pick and Player’s Choice Awards from Acoustic Guitar magazine, the prestigious INDIE Award from the Association for Independent Music and multiple Washington Area Music Association WAMMIE Awards.
Petteway and his wife and musical partner, White, perform a blend of original, traditional and contemporary Celtic- and Appalachian-influenced music. Their repertoire offers vocals as well as extensive instrumental work featuring acoustic guitars, mandolins, Celtic harp, piano and world percussion. They have been artists in residence at Warren Wilson College and The Kennedy Center Millennium Stage and have won numerous awards, including 50 WAMMIE Awards, an INDIE Award and a Grammy for Petteway.
Special guests include David Holt, a four-time Grammy Award–winning musician, storyteller, historian, and television host; Phil Jamison and Ellie Grace, nationally acclaimed flatfoot dancers; and EJ Jones, a Highland bagpiper.
“We all try to do something different each season since we have so many audience members that return year after year and bring their families and friends,” says Petteway. “This will be only the second time that David, Ellie and Phil have joined us with their mountain-based banjo playing, storytelling and dancing. It gives the show a much more regional flavor and I really love it.”
The presentation, which draws from a variety of cultural influences including Middle Eastern tonalities, Scottish jigs, and Celtic and classical music, appeals to a range of patrons. “Attendees tend to reflect the diversity that represents the Asheville area,” says Orr. “We hear time and again from audience members that in the midst of a frenetic holiday season the Swannanoa Solstice allows them to sink back in their seats and let the sounds and images sweep over them. It’s a time of reflection and nostalgia.”
Diana Wortham Theatre is at 2 South Pack Square, in Asheville. Tickets are $45 for adults, $40 for students and $20 for children. Student rush day-of-show tickets are $10 with valid I.D. Purchase at dwtheatre.com or by calling 828.257.4530.
