Ireland's Brock McGuire Band to perform in Knoxville

The Brock McGuire Band will headline a special musical performance at Pellissippi State Community College Wednesday, Oct. 7 Image courtesy of Pellissippi State.

Named the "Instrumental Band of the Decade" by Irish American News, the Brock McGuire Band will headline a special musical performance at Pellissippi State Community College Wednesday, Oct. 7.

The concert begins at 7 p.m. in the Clayton Performing Arts Center on the Hardin Valley Campus, 10915 Hardin Valley Road. The performance is free and the community is invited. The event is co-presented by The Arts at Pellissippi State and the Tennessee Consortium for International Studies.

The Brock McGuire Band is fronted by Paul Brock and Manus McGuire, joined by Garry O'Meara and Denis Carey. The group's repertoire includes mostly Irish music, but sprinkles in arrangements of old-time American, bluegrass, French-Canadian and other Celtic musical traditions.

"TnCIS came to know the Brock McGuire Band on location in Dublin during the TnCIS Ireland study abroad program," said Tracey Bradley, TnCIS executive director. "The students and faculty were so impressed and inspired by the music that we decided to bring the Brock McGuire Band to Pellissippi State so the whole college and community could experience the same taste of Irish culture."

TnCIS, whose headquarters are at Pellissippi State, is a consortium of schools that organizes study abroad opportunities as part of its mission of boosting international experience and culture in higher education across the state. In the eight years since its founding, TnCIS has supported 2,656 students statewide in pursuing a global education. Pellissippi State worked with TnCIS to send 204 students to study abroad in 2015, setting an institutional record. For more information about TnCIS, visit www.tncis.org or call (865) 539-7280.

The Arts at Pellissippi State brings to the community cultural activities ranging from music and theatre to international celebrations, lectures, and the fine arts.

Published September 30, 2015