Night of song dedicated to Nanci Griffith to be celebrated in Roe Valley Arts Centre this weekend

An evening of songs and stories dedicated to the late Nanci Griffith, one of America’s greatest musical treasures, will take place in the Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre this Saturday, November 1. 

Griffith who sadly passed away in 2021 was a Grammy Award-winning recording artist whose career spanned nearly four decades. Her unique blend of country, folk and pop music made her one of the most respected, popular and loved singer-songwriters of her generation. Big hits of the star include “From a Distance”, and “Lone-Star State Of Mind”. 

She is much admired for her distinctive voice and guitar style, Nanci’s beautifully crafted songs told stories of life and love which resonated deeply with audiences worldwide.

This Saturday will see Irish folk and Country singer Gillian Tuite and The Blue Moon Band play in Limavady.

This is set to be an unforgettable tribute, as they perform the greatest hits of Nanci Griffith and celebrate her musical legacy.

Meath born singer songwriter Gillian spoke to the County Derry Post about how the idea for the show originated.

“We started the show last October and we have been travelling all throughout Ireland with it. All of us in the band are big fans of Nanci. We will have a five piece band along with myself performing on the night. Joe Murray who plays bass in the band is based in Derry. My bandmate James Quinn who is a Musical Director initially approached me about becoming involved in the show. He knew I played a similar style of music to that of Nanci. She would’ve been a big inspiration to me growing up. My parents would’ve had her music along with Irish artists like Mary Black and Maura O’Connell,” she said. 

“I have been very lucky to spend some time in Nashville. It was there I made connections with people who had actually worked with Nanci. My musician friends there and songwriters that I have written with have also worked with her. I keep finding more and more links to her work. We have incorporated some of them into the show as well. 

“It has been an honour to play these songs. The night will see her greatest hits performed along with some of our favourite songs from her records. We also delve into a little bit about the story of her life through the songs. We pay her band The Blue Moon Orchestra, through arrangements in the music. She actually spent a lot of time in Ireland and had Irish musicians in her band which is a lovely connection.” 

Gillian continued saying: “The audience so far has been giving us a great response. It is really nice to bring her music to an audience again and honour her in this way. It is a really fun night with lots of audience participation. She has a wonderful repertoire of beautiful heartfelt ballads but also fun up-tempo country songs. Her songs seem to connect with everyday life which is lovely. So everyone will come away from the show smiling. We hope we do a good job of paying tribute to this unique artist. The tickets are selling well for Saturday’s gig and we are excited about it.” 

You can purchase tickets for the event via roevalleyarts.com/events/the-nanci-griffith-songbook