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Remembering Ireland's Great Hunger; Asylum Saxophone Quartet

This week, we celebrated St. Patrick’s Day, even if we aren’t Irish.

But sadly, this holiday meant to celebrate a heritage doesn’t really go too much deeper than green beer and shamrocks in the public consciousness.

To get the real story of why millions of people emigrated from the island to America, Canada and around the world, spreading their music and culture, we took a trip to a beautiful new museum in Hamden.
 
This hour, Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum in Hamden Connecticut, part of Quinnipiac University. We’ll get an audio tour and a history lesson - and find out how Irish artists since the mid 1800's have depicted the Potato Famine that displaced or killed millions.

Also, we'll hear music from the Asylum Quartet -- four award-winning saxophonists, who play a Chopin theme, take us on a trip to Spain, and even have a go at our theme song.

 
GUESTS: 

  • Grace Brady - Director of Ireland's Great Hunger Museum at Quinnipiac University
  • Paul Janensch - Professor Emeritus in Journalism at Quinnipiac University
  • Joseph Abad? - Soprano saxophone, Asylum Quartet
  • Tony Speranza? - Alto saxophone, Asylum Quartet
  • Max Schwimmer? - Tenor saxophone, Asylum Quartet
  • Andrew Barnhart? - Baritone saxophone, Asylum Quartet

 

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Tucker Ives is WNPR's morning news producer.
Catie Talarski is Senior Director of Storytelling and Radio Programming at Connecticut Public.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

Fund the Facts

You just read trusted, local journalism that’s free for everyone, thanks to donors like you.

If that matters to you, now is the time to give. Join the 50,000+ members powering honest reporting and a more connected — and civil! — Connecticut.

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