This month’s Celtic Vespers service welcomes internationally renowned fiddler Ivonne Hernandez to the stage to perform a medley of both lively and melodic pieces with several of her students from the youth fiddler band Coastline.
Despite her extensive career and experience performing, Hernandez has never played a vespers before.
“I’ve had many friends play at (celtic and jazz vespers) before and tell me about it,” she says. “And I thought this would be a perfect time to see what it was all about.”
Hernandez began playing violin by ear at three years old, and soon moved on to guitar, piano, cello, flute and percussion, before joining Daniel Lapp’s B.C. Fiddle Orchestra as a child.
As a pre-teen, Hernandez played on the Orchestra’s Fiddleharmonic CD and in front of 60,000 people at a Commonwealth Games performance with the Crash Test Dummies.
She has since performed with Jann Arden, U2’s the Edge, Natalie MacMaster, Burt Bacharach, Ben Hepner and legendary film composer Howard Shore.
With the vespers service just two days before St. Patrick’s Day, Hernandez says she’s picked out quite a few Irish tunes, but she’ll also be pulling music from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, and Scotland, among other influences.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” she says.
Celtic Vesper services begin at 7 p.m. on Sunday, March 15 at St. John’s United Church, 10990 West Saanich Road.
There is no admission charge. An offering will be taken to cover the cost of the musicians and the Vespers program.
The series continues June 14 with Coastline, an ensemble of B.C.’s top young musicians.
For more information, call Eva Kerr at 250-656-5273, or email eva.kerr@telus.net to be included on an email list of upcoming concerts.