Oct 1: Punch in the Dark

Rennie Pearson will be teaming up with awesome fiddle player – Harriet Eyres for this concert at the Raglan Old School Arts Centre, 5 Stewart St, Raglan. Their duo is called “Punch in the Dark”.

Doors open 7pm with a 7.30pm start, $20 individual, $15 students. Cash bar with drinks and yummy food.

Punch in the Dark is a kiwi musical duo who play high-energy traditional music from Ireland and all over the world! Fiddler Harriet (Harry) Eyres and Flute player & Guitarist Rennie Pearson have both traveled far and wide exploring Celtic music, from its Irish roots to further afield, including America and the Maritimes of Canada. Both are composers and songwriters, and have been known to sneak some cheeky original material into their set. With joyous jigs, ruckus reels, everything in between and a whole lot that isn’t, Punch in the Dark has everything you need to get you up on your feet and dancing!

Harriet Eyres (AKA Harry) is a fiddle player from Auckland who has found a way to combine the two loves of her life: music and travel. A librarian by day, and a musician and composer by nature (when she is not telling people to be quiet!), she loves playing the fiddle and bouzouki – preferably as loudly as possible. Inspired by all kinds of music, from Finnish cello-metal hotties Apocalyptica to Acadian powerhouse Vishten, to master tunesmith Liz Carroll. Although she mostly plays Irish music, Harry has made it her mission to incorporate the best parts of her favorite fiddling traditions into her style, including French Canadian and Old Time music.

Rennie Pearson, from Wellington has been playing flute for 10 years, starting out playing the Boehm system flute and playing classical music. He switched to playing the wooden flute under the tutelage of leading New Zealand flute players, Pat Higgins and Brendyn Montgomery, and more recently, flute master Chris Norman from Canada. Rennie spent the past year in Canada and USA studying celtic flute and performing with some of Celtic music’s leading musicians including Chris Norman, David Greenberg, Alasdair Frazer, and Catherine McElroy. He recently received the Boxwood scholarship for rising young performers. Rennie has music in his veins and plays many instruments which he incorporates in his performances to great effect. He is half of the Wellington duo Polytropos, and the NZ duo “Punch in the Dark”