From Asheville, North Carolina, by way of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Andrew “Finn the Fiddler” Magill will headline the program at the monthly “Third Friday” Andover Community Coffeehouse concert on May 17.

The performance will begin at 7 PM in the Highland Lake Grange Hall, 7 Chase Hill Road in East Andover.  Admission is free, although donations — which are shared with the performers and the Andover Community Church, owner of the Grange Hall — are gratefully accepted.

Magill grew up studying with many of the world’s best traditional American and Irish fiddlers.  More recently, he’s been based in Brazil, leading a choro band called O Finno. (According to Wikipedia, “Choro is a Latin American music genre  characterized by virtuosity, improvisation and subtle modulations, and is full of syncopation and counterpoint.”) Learn more at www.andrewfinnmagill.com.

Joining Magill on the Grange Hall stage will be Boston-based Nathan Gourley,  “a talented multi-instrumentalist of Copley Street fame fast gaining a recognition as one of the leading American exponents of Irish traditional instruments.”

Between their sets, open-microphone performers from around the region — up to a dozen of them — will have time in the limelight to display their musical talents and respect for the spoken word. 

Sponsor for the May concert is The Andover Beacon, Our Hometown Newspaper.  “Your donations support us!” Sponsorship funds help support the ongoing renovation of the Grange Hall.