The Mountain Maidens, a trio on a mission to preserve folk music from Irish ballads to Appalachian tunes, will bring their interactive holiday concert to the Long Island Music & Entertainment Hall of Fame on Sunday, Dec. 22.
The concert, free with admission, will begin at 3 p.m. at the new Stony Brook venue, according to the Hall of Fame website.
When this trio, clad in vibrant attire, takes the stage, the audience can expect a mix of love songs, medieval medleys, country, gospel, and music with themes of social justice.
“People like us because we don’t just get up on stage and sing. We tell stories about our songs, and we’ll have the audience sing with us—especially with the holiday and Irish music,” said band member Marie Mularczyk O’Connell.
As an early childhood music teacher, O'Connell invites children onto the stage to play instruments or join in, particularly during the multigenerational holiday concerts.
The trio also incorporates a variety of unique instruments, from spoons and castanets to banjos, mandolins, and washboards. For holiday performances, they often feature the Indian shruti box, known for its haunting, bagpipe-like sounds.
These instruments are not just conversation starters—they foster connections. O’Connell recalls that the band’s formation in 2012 was sparked by a dulcimer. Candice “Candy” Baranello, a former member of the Long Island group Wild Ginger, wanted to learn her late husband’s dulcimer. She sought lessons from O’Connell, and the two quickly bonded.
Later, Lorraine Berger, a member of the Huntington Choral Society who plays guitar and flamenco castanets, joined the group, completing the trio and forming The Mountain Maidens.
As O’Connell recalls, “I started giving Candy some lessons, and I said, ‘Oh my God, we have to form a band.’” When Berger added her alto vocals and talent with unique instruments like the dance board, O’Connell said, “This magic happened... It’s just been a dream come true to sing with these women. They’re very special.”
O’Connell has deep roots in music, which is so ingrained, she said, “I think of it as DNA mapping.” As a teenager, she traveled across England with friends, attending folk festivals where traditional English, Irish, and Scottish music made such an impression that it felt like it “set you on fire.”
Already skilled in guitar and piano, she developed the ability to play any instrument at hand. This led to her participation in several bands, including the New York Revels, which performed in Greenwich Village venues frequented by American singer-songwriters Bob Dylan and Joan Baez.
Beyond The Mountain Maidens, O’Connell is working to reestablish folk music on Spotify “so people can hear all this incredible folk music that’s archived at the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian.”
She also serves on the board of The Folk Music Society of New York, a nonprofit founded in 1965, and encourages people to join local groups dedicated to this art form.
Based in Stony Brook, the Long Island Music & Entertainment Hall of Fame preserves various music genres through performances and exhibits. Since its founding in 2004, more than 120 performers have been inducted and now receive recognition in a permanent home.
To learn more about the Long Island Music & Entertainment Hall of Fall and other upcoming shows, visit https://www.limusichalloffame.org.