Atlantic Crossing Band
Click here for our upcoming performances

 

For bookings, please call Patty at (714) 267-4567

 

     This band was started in 1987 to share traditional music from both sides of the Atlantic and points beyond. Over the years, we have played traditional American music from the Appalachians and Louisiana, the Balkans and Middle East, and now, we are playing primarily contra dance and Celtic music.  Please click on our performances link, at the top of the page, for a complete list of our bookings.

     Before radio, TV, and the Internet, people had to provide their own entertainment for themselves and their neighbors, which is the basis for our lively contra dance repertoire.  Contra dance, which is believed to be a variation on the words, "country dance," was a way that a community could provide entertainment for the entire family and introduce new members to the community.  Happily, this dance form is still alive and well today.

     Lately, much of the band's work has been for Celtic festivals and celebrations, and for these events, we generally bring along an Irish step-dancer or dancers to make for an extremely festive show.

Musicians' and Dancer's Biographies

  • Georgiana Hennessy plays fiddle, and sings for Atlantic Crossing.  She is also the musical director for the band and the creator of this web site.  She can be reached at www.riverrunusa.com.

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  • Meredith Lyons is a world-class Irish step-dancer, having recently competed successfully at the World Step-Dance Championships, held at Glasgow, Scotland.  She began dancing as a child and has continued to compete to the present time.  Meredith brings excitement to any program in which she dances!

 

 

 

 

 

  • Patty McCollom plays banjo, tinwhistle, bodhran and sings for Atlantic Crossing.  She has toured with various groups to Hungary and Croatia in Europe, and performed at festivals in Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, Texas and Iowa. While in Hungary, she performed for the U.S. Ambassador at the official residence in Budapest. She has performed at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri and numerous times at the historic Carter Fold in Virginia. Each year, Patty performs at the Museum of Appalachia in Norris, Tennessee with the band, Lilies of the West.

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  • Matt Tonge, our guitar player extraordinaire, began as a rock and roll bass player, but now, plays Celtic guitar, exclusively.  Matt is also a genius with the sound equipment, and makes us have a great sound! 

Click Here to Play Monaghan's Reel

Festivals

  • Atlantic Crossing is again proud to be a part of the California Traditional Music Society's (CTMS) Summer Solstice Festival. We are the Irish band for all of the Irish dance classes and provide live music for the teaching of the classes.
     

  • We have performed many times at the Sawdust Festival in Laguna Beach, the Ballona Wetlands Festival, and for the Drucker School of Business in Claremont.  Atlantic Crossing was selected to be the folk band for the American Cultural Center's year long tribute to European folk music in 2001-2002 and played again for this festival in 2006.

 

  •   Recently, Atlantic Crossing was selected to play for the 2007 prestigous Irvine Global Village Festival, held in September in Irvine, CA.
     

  • We are fortunate to share happy times with a number of people because we are often hired for weddings, landmark birthdays and other special occasions.