The Markleys said the intertwining of family harmonies and diverse musicianship will make it a treat for the Five Nights audience. "This is my favorite way to play without a doubt," said Kara. "It's akin to playing in a symphony.
We are all good friends and have played with each other. It's very exhilarating. It's like a reunion with your best friends every time we play.
" Lone Raven performs at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the Morrill Hall auditorium, located on the OSUM campus at 1465 Mount Vernon Ave.
Tickets cost $10 for adults, $9 for senior citizens and $4 for students. It will be a return for the Markleys, who performed on campus at two Celebrate Summer Art fairs as part of the group Stark Raven. Kara, a former Marion campus student now attending Ohio State University's Columbus campus, accompanied famed central Ohio pianist David Tolley at a Five Nights engagement in 2006.
The father and daughter have performed together since Kara was in her early teens. Craig, whose roots lie in rock, became interested in Celtic music while listening to the radio program Thistle and Shamrock previously featured on central Ohio's NPR station WCBE 90.5 FM.
Lone Raven plays annually as part of the Dublin Irish Festival, considered one of the country's premier celebrations of Irish culture. "I've been surrounded by the Irish culture," said Kara. "It feels as much of my culture as if I lived there.
I have very fond memories of all the (Irish) festivals I've played at." The audience may experience anything from fiery Irish reels to Gypsy fiddle tunes and haunting airs, according to a press release from Ohio State University at Marion. Craig said it will be an opportunity to hear five leading vocalists in one performance.
"To hear those kind of vocals is just like heaven," he said. "There is still some sort of magic with family harmonies." Five Nights on Campus serves as outreach to the campus's seven-county regional service area, encouraging area residents to take part in university life while offering unique cultural and educational opportunities.
The series features a variety of entertainment styles from classical music to blue grass to drama and gives audience members a chance to meet the artists following the performance. Bronwen Babich, OSUM manager of community relations, said the campus tries to present a variety of music and received several requests for Celtic music while surveying audiences during the 2006-2007 series. She said the campus performances of Stark Raven, co-founded by Craig Markley, were very popular.
She also said people enjoyed Kara's performance with Tolley. "She is a very talented young lady," Babich said.
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