Originally a trio, Originally a trio, this cult phenomenon has become an amorphous performance ensemble that expands to quintet status whenever they can. Comprised of Terri Mayeur, Robin Basset, Linda Stromquist, Lora Mahaffy, and Peggy Monaghan bring a huge diversity of styles to their recordings and shows.
Though essentially an a Capella ensemble, you just never know what these women will do on stage. Their shows feature a mix of instruments from kazoos and penny whistle to guitar and piano. Their fine musicianship, humor and gracious classiness have made The Derry Aire a much anticipated highlight of many Anchorage productions. Fellow musician Robin Hopper calls them "Stellar." Their 2000 release, Cheek to Cheek met with rave reviews as has their 2006 release, Built for Comfort. |
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The Derry Aires Are
Terri Mayeur
A multi- instrumentalist and singer who plays flute, oboe, clarinet, and saxophone, Terri also owns a banjo but is too much of a lady to play it. The red head of the group has 7 years of performance and touring with harmony singers and though she is a 767 pilot she admits that she is neither a rocket scientist nor a brain surgeon. Terri is a world traveler, stained glass artist and long distance runner who completed the 2006 Dublin Marathon. She lives in the Mat- Su Valley, hence she commutes more than an hour to work with The Derry Aires. Her personal goal is to own a DeLorean. |
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Robin Bassett
Originally a classically trained violinist, Robin has opted to try to undo all that training by fiddling instead. A LCDR Nurse Officer in the United States Public Health Service Currently assigned to Alaska Native Medical Center, Internal Medicine, specializing in Nephrology and Nursing Board Certified Nurse Case Manager, Robin is also an avid fisherwoman from the comfort of the family’s boat in Whittier and she still hold the boat record for halibut size ? 180 lbs! She is also a frustrated piano player and has some interesting experiences to recount as a 1st chair trombone player, full music scholarship winner, model, actress and losing Miss American Contestant. Robin is a private pilot who tends to purchase homes on the internet and once took 9 days to fly from Florida to Anchorage in an experimental Adventura, certified 2-seater home built aircraft. |
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Peggy Monaghan
The other founding member of The Derry Aires, Peggy's experience and knowledge of performance and production have made her a much sought after participant in shows from San Francisco to Anchorage. Raised in Alaska, she spent a few decades in the Bay Area, but has returned to her native soil and currently teaches voice in Anchorage. She is coordinator and producer of the Alaska Song of the Year Contest, a founding member of the Irish Music Festival and Turnagain Community Arts Alliance, and an advisory member of the Board of Directors for Alaska Theater of Youth. Her 1990 release Lullabye on Pacific Artists Records and 1994 release Seasons of the Witch on the Arctic Siren Records label have met with local and national acclaim.
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Linda Stromquist
A geologist for the National Park Service , Linda isn't planning to give up her day job, but likes to sing a song for a friend every once in a while. Since she most often sings as a deterrent when hiking in bear country , the "friends" are selected wildlife and rocks. Her work with the Derry Aires provides balance and escape from an overly analytical, scientifically trained thought process. The fact that she loves animals and has worked with them in some capacity for years is also an asset in her work with the group. However she draws the line at feeding pigs due to uncontrollable laughter problems resulting in the pigs running off with all the food. Though she reads phone books for amusement and possesses a personal magnetic field that disturbs sensitive electronic
instruments, turns off and on street lights, and stops digital watches she hopes that will not hinder her in her lifelong dream become "Glinda the Good Witch of the North" in the Wizard of Oz. |
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Lora Mahaffey
An award-winning baker rounds out the Derry Aires. Lora is an avid gardner who teaches culinary arts at the University of Alaska and as a visual artist, holds a degree in art history and medieval studies. While spending more than a decade in Europe, she held jobs that give her special insight into work with The Derry Aires, such as herding sheep in Scotland, pulling pints in a pub in Ireland, gardener, mural painter and nanny. Lora’s first commercial cd will be released in the summer of 2007 on the Arctic Siren and Summertree labels |
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