This Sunday, Mary Murphy will take you on a journey to Ireland.
The Irish singer and songwriter kicks off Week 6 of the Concert in the Park series at Transfer Beach on August 7.
“I’ll be doing Irish and a little Scottish folk music,” she said.
“Besides my voice, which is my main instrument, I’ll also be playing an Irish drum, the bodhran, whistle and hand percussion. It should be a lot of fun.”
Murphy will also share the amphitheatre stage with husband Paul Keim.
“Paul is an incredible guitarist. He is very diverse, very passionate and also a writer,” Murphy said.
“We’ve been working together since the day we met, which was 17 years ago.”
Murphy’s show, with its celtic decor, energetic tunes and storytelling from her book The Emerald Diaries, will appeal to all age groups.
“It’s a lively little show,” she said. “I absolutely love relating to an audience. I like people very much and I hope that comes off in my shows. A few songs have Irish language in them as well, which is nice for people to hear.”
Murphy has also worked alongside Will Millar, formerly of the Irish Rovers, who painted the art cover and wrote the forward for The Emerald Diaries.
Murphy said she grew up in a very musical household and has been singing and dancing since she can remember.
“Even before I was a teenager, I was writing poetry and songs,” she said.
Murphy has fond memories of Sunday meals with her family back in Ireland.
“No matter where anyone was, we’d come together, have a meal, sing, dance, tell stories and even make up stories,” she said.
She and husband Paul now live in the Comox Valley where they run a private professional recording studio.
Though she has performed at many park concerts before, this will be Murphy’s first time performing for the Ladysmith Concerts in the Park.
“We are really looking forward to it. It’s such a lovely spot,” she said.
“And I’ve already put it out there that it’s going to be a beautiful, gorgeous sunny day, there’s not going to be any rain, but not too hot.”
Murphy and Keim will play from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Transfer Beach Amphitheatre.
Admission is by donations and proceeds will go to the Ladysmith Resources Centre Association for their programs.