SELKIE CELTIC BAND

DULCIMER AND CELTIC MUSIC

Selkies (also known as silkies or selchies) are mythological creatures in Irish and Scottish mythology that can transform themselves from seals to humans. The legend apparently originated in the Orkney Islands, where selkie is simply the Orcadian word for seal.

If you are looking for Celtic music for your wedding or special event you've come to the right place. Selkie Celtic Band, which consists of David Boles and Davis Horner, has played for dozens of weddings and receptions for several years, bringing a large diversity of instrumentation to their duo presentation, including hammered dulcimer, guitar, vocals, and tin whistles.

Davis Horner

Davis Horner is a Celtic historian, he plays the tin whistle, bod'hran, rhythm guitar, and sings — both in Gaelic and in English. In addition, Davis Horner and David Boles, as members of the SC Arts Commission Roster of Approved Artists, have appeared as artists-in-residence at numerous schools in South Carolina. Their combination of grassroots music and an intellectual command of historical material has been a delight to many school-aged children as well as college students. In addition to appearing at the many South Carolina elementary schools, they have presented programs at a host of concerts and events (see below). They have also appeared as Celtic musicians at numerous churches and community events.

David Boles

David Boles is well-traveled in the areas of interest, and his travels have inspired his compositions which are part of the Selkie repertoire. He possesses a natural ability to find new or unusual instruments and learn to play them, and his performing ability shines particularly in his unsurpassed hammered dulcimer playing. Whether playing faithful adaptations of traditional or original tunes, or innovative improvisations on these same tunes, his ability to make music in a variety of ways is fascinating and compelling.

He began his musical journey in his teens, first learning to play the guitar. In his twenties, he encountered the Celtic harp, and started attending local traditional jam sessions. Here, he was exposed to the mandolin and tin whistle, which were also added to his musical arsenal, as well as the Hammered Dulcimer, soon to become his forte. Since 1995, David has worked full-time as a musician, teaching others to play the music he has come to love, as well as performing for weddings, at festivals, and in liturgical services in the Southeast region.

LISTENING SELECTIONS

Listen to these selections from the Selkie Celtic Band CD,The Circle's Edge, as Davis and David play selections from the British Isles — Reel Beatrice and Easter Thursday as well as an original work of David's called Joycie's Waltz. Another selection , Gentle Maiden includes David Boles on the Celtic harp.

To Book Selkie

If you are interested in booking Davis and David, please visit the contact contact page.

Davis and David also perform concerts and weddings with more instruments. If you are interested in a larger group, contact them for more information, or visit Selkie's other site.

For more information, you can also go to Selkie on My Space . Selkie photos on this page by Kathleen Horner. Select her link to see her work. Selkie also appears on the Sciway Page. Representing us in the Charleston area is Archer Music Service. Visit this page to see some more pictures of the band.

Return to the Green Festival, Greenville SC; 1996-99
River Place Festival, Greenville SC; 1996, 97, 98
TennFest, Crossville, TN; Aug. 1996
Charleston Scottish Highland Games, Charleston SC; Sept 1996
Fall for Greenville, Greenville SC; Oct 1996, 97
First Night Greenville, Greenville SC; 1996, 97, 98
Fiddle and Bow Society, Winston-Salem NC; Jan 1997
Robert Burns Society Banquet, Columbia SC; Jan 1997, 2002
St Patrick's Festival, Charlotte NC; Mar 1997, 98
Blue Ridge Community College, Hendersonville NC; July 1997
The Music Foundation, Spartanburg SC; Jan & Sept 1998
Cumberland County Playhouse, Crossville TN; Mar 1998, 99
Loch Norman Highland Games, Charlotte NC; Apr 1998
Furman University, Greenville SC; May 1998
Feis Chlobhair Celtic Festival, Clover SC; Jun 1998, 2001
"Dickens Christmas", Myrtle Beach SC; Nov 1998, 99, 2000
Festival of Lights, Greensboro NC; Dec 1998, 2000
Dickens Christmas, Biltmore Village, Asheville NC; Dec 1998, 99, 2001
Georgia Southern University, Center for Irish Studies; Dec 1998
Columbus State University, Columbus GA; Dec 1998
Newberry College, SC; Feb 1999
Kanuga Conferences, Hendersonville NC; Mar 1999
Winthrop University, Rock Hill SC; Mar 1999
The College of Charleston, SC; Apr 1999
Wake Forest University, St Patrick's Festival, Mar 2000
Hard Rock Cafe, Myrtle Beach SC; Mar 2000
Furman University, Earth Day, Apr 2002
Columbia College, Columbia SC; Oct 2002

Most recently, Selkie performed a concert at UNC Chapel Hill in Gerrard Hall (April 15th, 2009).