In the dozen or so years since Mithril founders Tom Morley and Andra Bohnet began playing Celtic and world music on the Gulf Coast, a community of fans has grown up around them—and propelled the band to a performance level and recognition that goes far beyond what they ever expected. The Celtic and world band Mithril will once again, wow audiences with their unique sound when they perform in Foley on Sunday, Dec. 16th at 5 p.m. at Foley United Methodist Church.

The concert will feature music from the band’s CD, “Winter’s Day,” and from other recordings that have received airplay on the nationally syndicated “Celtic Connections” radio show, have been featured on XM Radio and have experienced heavy iTunes downloads by fans all around the world.

Compass recording artist and world-renown Irish fiddler Manus McGuire says Mithril’s CD, “Live In Concert,” “gives great insight into four musicians on top of their game.”

The band has adapted to bring the best possible sound to audiences, according to Morely.

“We started Mithril as a two-piece group, but when we recorded our first CD, adding many other instruments that we also played, we soon discovered that we couldn’t perform tunes from the CD in a live setting,” said Morley, who plays fiddle, Irish bouzouki, and octave mandolin with the band. “So we quickly added a guitarist and percussionist to give us the same sound live that the two of us were able to create in the recording studio.”

The band today consists of Morley, Bohnet (who plays Irish flute, whistle, and Celtic harp), guitarist Ben Harper and world-music percussionist Sam Gaston. Andy Kruspe of Huntsville frequently joins the group on bodhrán, the Irish frame drum.

Even though there wasn’t an Irish community in lower Alabama, Mithril found immediate success.

“Our very first real concert, as part of a chamber music series Mobile Symphony had at that time, was a huge success. We had standing-room only crowds for concerts in Fairhope and Mobile,” said Bohnet. “It was awesome. It’s like everyone was just waiting for us to introduce this music to the area.”

Since then, Mithril has continued to play their high-energy, all-instrumental music to packed houses at regular concerts at Laidlaw Performing Arts Center on the USA campus in Mobile and elsewhere in the area, including many school performances, and has appeared three times as guest artists with Mobile Symphony, setting attendance records for pop concerts.

Mithril also has been instrumental in growing a local Irish community by hosting concerts with well-known Irish music performers from around the world. Morley and Bohnet often join other musicians to play at the popular weekly Irish Trad (traditional) music sessions held on Sunday nights at McSharry’s Irish Pub in Fairhope.

Mithril performs regularly around the country and has enjoyed high-profile performances with symphonies in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Oklahoma, California, Michigan, Missouri and Pennsylvania, in addition to appearances on festival stages and with concert series in New York, Tennessee, Indiana, and Georgia.

Mithril’s unique, progressive world-music style has its roots in traditional Celtic music but moves far beyond that, weaving such diverse influences as American folk, classical and Middle Eastern melodies into their full tapestry of sound; and the musicians continue to push musical boundaries, taking audiences of all ages on an exotic musical journey to Ireland, Scotland, and beyond.

When asked about how the band has changed over their years together, Morley says they’ve changed a lot—but also have not changed at all.

“We’ve played from one end of the country to the other, for intimate groups and gymnasiums full of school children, by ourselves and fronting 60-piece orchestras for audiences of thousands, every way we could think of to share our love of Celtic music with our fans. So I know we’ve become seasoned performers and have honed our craft as well as any musicians could. But the original vision of the band hasn’t changed in the least. We’ve always loved Celtic music in all its forms—energetic jigs and reels, slow and beautiful airs and tunes, from the simplest instrumentation to the most complex arrangements, all mixed together with exotic melodies and high-energy rhythms from around the world.”

The band will perform in Foley on Sunday, Dec. 16th at 5 p.m. at Foley United Methodist Church, located at 915 N. Pine St. For more information on the concert, contact the church at 251-943-4394.

Mithril has released six CDs, including the latest, “Along the Road,” which is available at CDbaby.com and iTunes.com and can be found locally at Dr. Music in Fairhope.

For more information on the band, visit mithril.us; call 251-928-0987; or visit them on Facebook at Facebook.com/mithrilworld.

Photo submitted by Nancy Hunt. cut line:

The Celtic and world band Mithril performs their Celtic Christmas show in Foley on Sunday, Dec. 16th at 5 p.m. at Foley United Methodist Church, located at 915 N. Pine St. For more information on the concert, contact the church at 251-943-4394.