By Jim Hagerty
Reporter

ROCKFORD – It will be an evening of unique Irish music Tuesday, Sept. 17, as One for the Foxes takes the stage at the Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center, 406 N. Main St, Rockford.

The show is sponsored by Rockford’s Irish Marching Society. 

Fusing Irish, Americana and folk, One for the Foxes comprises Dave Curley (guitar, banjo mandolin, vocals), Tadgh Ó Meachair (piano, accordion), and fiddler and vocalist Joanna Hyde. Curley was born is Galway, Ireland. Ó Meachair is from Dublin while Hyde was born in Denver. She and Ó Meachair are now married and live in Dublin.

Before forming One for the Foxes, each musician was accomplished with other acts. Curley, also an award-winning Irish step dancer, was a member of Runa and SLIDE. He has toured with Moya Brennan of Clannad and Ross Holmes of Mumford and Sons. 

Hyde performed with The Hydes. Ó Meachair was in a band called Goitse. After appearing on One for the Foxes’ debut album in 2017, he completed the trio as the third member. The band is named after a song
Ó Meachair and Hyde wrote about a family of foxes they saw playing in their yard. 

Hyde, who has a master’s degree in Irish traditional music from the Irish World Academy, provides a county, bluegrass and swing influence she received growing up in the states while her husband and Curley are the links to the Irish and folk element of the band. 

“Dave, Tadhg and Joanna take a unique twist on the diverse strengths of their individual backgrounds, weaving between traditional melodies, their own compositions, and songs from the broader folk canon,” Irish Marching Society President Danny McDade said. “Through a shared deep-rooted passion for Irish traditional music, this trio highlights the vital role of Irish traditional music as an origin of many American folk musics, and explores how those styles can interact with one another in a manner both eclectic and grounded.”

Tickets for Tuesday’s show are $25. Advanced tickets are available at Irishmarchingsociety.com.