The London Lasses ‘LL25’ – 25th Anniversary Album Launch

Over the last 25 years, The London Lasses have brought their music to some of the world’s most prestigious festivals and concert halls, including Cambridge Folk Festival, the Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), Glastonbury, Dublin City Hall, Philadelphia Irish Festival, Mayor of London’s St Patrick’s Festival (Trafalgar Square) and the Royal Albert Hall, where they performed the first ever BBC Proms céilí as part of the 2008 season and supported The Chieftains on their 50th Anniversary tour in 2012. They have been included on the 3CD compilation Beginners Guide to Ireland (2005) and the Ultimate Guide to Irish Folk (2014). TV and radio appearances include TG4’s Hup and Geantraí, BBC One’s EastEnders, BBC Radio 3’s In Tune, RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta and more.

In 1997, fiddle players Karen Ryan and Elaine Conwell, together with banjo player Pauline Conneely, took a trip to the US where they played a number of concerts from New York to San Francisco, by way of Chicago and other stops. Intended as a one-off musical holiday and with accompaniment provided by guests in each city, under the title The London Lasses the trio had such a great experience and were so warmly received that they decided to continue performing together on their return to London, where they invited flute player Sharon Whelton to join them. In 1999, the band, now with Bernie Conneely on banjo, recorded their eponymously titled debut CD with Liverpool pianist Pete Quinn, along with vocalist Sue Cullen and whistle player Grace Kelly.

Over the next two decades, the band performed extensively and recorded a further four albums. Line-ups changed over time and included band members Dee Havlin (flute, whistle), Maureen Linane Hankins (accordion), Kathleen O’Sullivan (vocal), Elma McElligott (flute, whistle, sax), Bróna McVittie (vocal), Brogan McAuliffe (concertina) and Chris O’Malley (piano). The band has also enjoyed working with other guests down the years, some of whom feature on this and other Lasses CDs.

The Lasses were delighted to include a number of past and present band members on this celebratory recording, and to feature members of the next generation of traditional Irish musicians in London.