Low Country Boys: summer in Washington

The Low Country Boys of Co. Down will be performing on the National Mall in Washington, DC, this summer as part of the 41st Annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival. As the Smithsonian says: 'Few regions of the world have contributed more to the formation of the United States than Northern Ireland', and the LCB - together with Bushmills, Belleek, and many other things - are part of a special festival programme celebrating its culture and arts.

The Festival takes place from 27 June to 1 July and from 4 to 8 July 2007, opening daily from 11.00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Evening events start at 6.00 p.m. Details are on the Smithsonian website.

The Low Country Boys - Ireland's only bluegrass gospel band, and probably the only bluegrass band in the world recording original material in the Ulster Scots tongue - released their CD Sangs o Bairns an hame (an a wheen aboot drink forbye) at the end of 2006, as the first part of a set. Volume 2 is due for release in spring 2007.