The Hanna Sisters are three sisters from Maghery, a small hamlet on the shores of Lough Neagh in Co Armagh, N. Ireland. However the Hanna Sisters weren't brought up on the shores of Lough Neagh but in it!! That's right, their family home was (and still is) on Derrywarragh island, a small island in Lough Neagh, though it is accessible by a small bridge. With so much water around the girls might have ended up canoeists or water skiers, but with a strong family history of traditional music it seemed inevitable the girls would make music - and make music they certainly have. From early days playing at local concerts, family gatherings, Ceoltas, Fleadhs and Scor, through to all the girls graduating from University of Ulster with degrees in Music, there was always something special about the way the Hanna Sisters played together, something that only comes from that family understanding.So who are the Hanna Sisters? Mary, Nuala and Breige make up the band (they also have another sister Clare who used to play in the band and a brother Frank). Mary plays piano and lead vocals and is easily distinguishable as she is the blonde one. She is the eldest sister (though has denied this on some occassions!). Next up is Nuala who plays violin and vocals. She is the middle sister and has also been known to pick up the guitar or bongos, depending on the occassion. The baby of the band is Breige who plays whistles, violin and vocals. She has also been known to pick up Uilean pipes, Banjo, Harmonica.The girls, all qualified teachers, gave up their full time teaching jobs years ago to concentrate on their music. In those intervening years they have released a number of albums to critical acclaim and toured extensively in Ireland, Scotland, England, mainland Europe and America (north and south!).“In concert, the girls showcase their musical skills and song writing, interspersing their songs with jigs and reels to keep the audience on their toes and the whole effect is an enjoyable and invigorating night’s entertainment.â€Irish News 24th March 2007In between times Nuala and Breige have had four kids between them - Nuala a girl and a boy and Breige twin boys. Their latest self penned album 'About Time' was released in February 2007 and was followed by a ten date tour of Denmark and a fifteen date Irish tour. ‘Hotline to Your Soul’ from the album hit the airwaves and was playlisted in a lot of the radios stations in both countries.Next up for the Hanna Sisters is an acoustic album to be released in March containing some of the girls favourite tracks and a few of their own. This will be followed by a Scandinavian tour in mid-March.Keep up to date with the girls and watch out for their latest blogs or log on to www.thehannasisters.net for more info.
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