Riverhead - The East End Arts Council School of the Arts is pleased to announce that faculty member and acclaimed Long Island harpist Miriam Shilling will present a tribute to Celtic heritage with a performance of "The Harp of Brandiswhiere" Suite, at 4 p.m. on Saturday, January 23 at The Creation Station, located behind the Cutchogue United Methodist Church, Main Road (Route 25) and Stillwater Avenue, Cutchogue.

According to the Celtic tale, Brandiswhiere and his true love, Telena, lived on the island of Spring, a place of breathtaking beauty and perpetual peace. An evil sorcerer, Gourenspur, created a mirage of gypsies dancing and singing to ensnare the lovers, but only caught Telena. When the mirage faded away, it took her with it. Brandiswhiere must do battle with evil to win her back. The Suite, by renowned harpist and composer Sylvia Woods, has been described as "haunting," "spritely" and "evocative" in its portrayal of the beloved legend. Local actor Philip Reichart will narrate the classic Celtic tale about a legendary magical harpist. As an interesting twist to this romantic Celtic performance, this is Phillip and Miriam's first concert together as a couple. They met while performing in NFCT's production of "The Fantasticks," she in the pit orchestra and he as an actor; they wed five months ago. According to Miriam, there are limited opportunities for an actor and a harpist to perform together, but she hopes this concert opens the door to more "duet" style opportunities. The "Brandiswhiere" legend caught her attention, both for its beauty and parallels to her own Long Island love story (minus the evil sorcerer, of course).

"The Harp of Brandiswhiere" concert is free and open to the public; donations are welcome and will go to support the work of The Creation Station as a community center. For more information about the concert contact Rev. Crump at Cutchogue UMC at 631-734-6033 or mhcrump@yahoo.com.

A native of Long Island, Shilling has been playing harp for 30 years. She traveled to Southeast Asia and Scandinavia with the Long Island Youth Orchestra, and played at the World's Fair in Vancouver. She performs full-time throughout Long Island and in the tri-state area, most recently in pit orchestras for "The Fantasticks" with both North Fork Community Theatre (NFCT) and Southampton Cultural Centre, and "Once Upon a Mattress" with Suffolk County Community College. For more information about Shilling visit www.harpist-miriamshilling.com. Shilling is available for lessons at the EEAC School of the Arts in Riverhead. Call the school at 631-369-2171 to inquire about harp lessons.

Reichart has acted in numerous North Fork Theatre productions since 2002. Recent roles include Claudius in RWStageArt's "Hamlet" and George in their production of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf."