Grammy-nominated singer and composer Moira Smiley is returning to the Montague Common Hall, 34 Main St., on Sunday, March 29 at 7 p.m.
According to a press release, Smiley’s performance incorporates audience participation, “breaking down the fourth wall,” and invites all in attendance to become a part of her music.
This is Smiley’s second appearance at the hall. The Vermont native’s intimate show last year with her ensemble was a hit, according to Weathervane Community Arts Director Jesse Olsen-Bay.
“Everyone loved her. That’s why we’re bringing her back,” Olsen-Bay said. “She’s just an incredible, incredible performer, and she tours all over the world, and has been doing it forever, and really knows how to connect with audiences.”
While last year featured her full ensemble, this visit will be a solo performance focused on interactive singing and call-and-response elements.
Olsen-Bay described Smiley’s style as being rooted in traditional forms of music, with experience in traditional folk music that uses contemporary elements.
According to her website, Smiley is a music educator who teaches workshops and residencies. She has an academic background in early music with experience in Irish, American and Balkan vocal styles.
She is also a composer with more than 100 original choral pieces to her credit. She has collaborated with other composers and musicians like Eric Whitacre, Chris Thile, Hilary Hahn and Morten Lauridsen. Other musical collaborators include her group, Yard-Birds, who’ve performed on television shows like “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” and “Later … with Jools Holland.”
Smiley’s latest work is the 2024 album, “The Rhizome Project,” a curated collection of folk songs that “formed her,” according to her website. The release is accompanied by a book of the same title. Her most popular tracks on Apple Music include “Stand in That River,” “Bring Me A Little Water, Silvy,” and her feature on “Lay Me Down” by the Celtic group Solas.
Tickets for Moira Smiley at the Montague Common Hall are available online at https://tinyurl.com/5n9x6jf7 with a suggested donation of $20, but no one will be turned away for a lack of funds. The doors open at 6:30 p.m.