Why Setanta?
The name Setanta comes from Irish mythology. In the epic known as the Tain, or the Cattle Raid of Cooley, the central hero figure is a demigod named Cu Chulainn. His origin story has him taking that name as a young boy after striking down the legendary Hound of Culann with a single blow, and thereafter declaring that he would take the hound’s place as protector of the land. Cu Chulainn means “the hound of Culann,” and his birth name up to that point, was Setanta.
The pure drop
For the love of Irish music
In 2004, Mark founded the seisiun at Nietzsche’s pub in Buffalo, shortly after moving here from Tennessee. It was, and remains, Buffalo’s only weekly Irish music seisiun. Natalie was a fiddler and local musician in various bands and orchestras , and became a regular. Gregor moved to Buffalo from Boston in 2007, having been active in the Irish music scene there, as well as a renaissance faire performer up and down the east coast. He also became a regular player at the seisiun and began getting to know the other players.
Setanta was formed around 2012 to play gigs and area festivals, and after cycling through a few different configurations, the current lineup was settled on. The combination of Natalie’s fiddle and Gregor’s octave mandolin doubling on tunes, with Mark’s rhythmic drive and innovative harmonies, creates a delicate and exciting sound that is both sweet and fiery. When interspersed with Gregor’s renditions of Irish traditional songs, Setanta creates a special atmosphere that delights and entertains audiences whereever we go.
Gregor Harvey came to Buffalo from the Boston, MA seisiún scene in 2007 and has been a performing musician for over 30 years. His main focus is octave mandolin, fingerstyle guitar and traditional song.
Traditional Irish fiddler Natalie Bennett is inspired by the fiddlers Kevin Burke and Martin Hayes, as well as the rich music community in Buffalo. She has performed in various groups and orchestras in WNY for over 20 years.
Mark Warford was an established performer in the Irish scene in East Tennessee before moving to Buffalo. Also a multi-instrumentalist, he is the founder of the weekly Celtic Sessions at Nietzsche’s pub, now in its 20th year.
