At the forefront of traditional Irish music, and with one of the genre's finest vocalists, Cathy Jordan, Dervish performs 8 p.m. Saturday, March 31 at Diana Wortham Theatre at Pack Place.

Dervish's concert performances offers a myriad of tones and moods ranging from high energy tunes, played with fluidity and intuitiveness, to beautifully measured songs, from charming lyrics of life and love, to inspiring melodies that lift audiences from their seats. Vocalist Cathy Jordan's masterful stage presence draws people into the music in a way very few performers can achieve.

"Simply a brilliant and uncluttered testimonial to music imagination and talent," says The Irish Times.

Dervish's Asheville performance is part of the Mainstage Celtic Series, presented in partnership with The Swannanoa Gathering at Warren Wilson College.

Dervish originally formed in 1989 as a group of five musicians who came together to recorded an album of local music, released as The Boys of Sligo.

Inspired by the project, they decided to develop this informal gathering into a working band under the name Dervish, a name chosen because of its relation to any group of poor—but spiritual—people who become enraptured by music.

A Dervish performance borders on the spiritual, primarily because of the masterful    musicianship of the six-member ensemble.

Eighteen years since coming together and with four of the original members still at the helm, Dervish are more in demand than ever. Their colorful career has taken them to every corner of the globe and has seen them share the stage with such names as James Brown, the Buena Vista Social Club, Oasis, Sting, REM, Beck and many more. Their eighth studio album - A Healing Heart (Whirling Discs) - was released in 2005, one of the band's busiest years, with a trip to China and the first of three US tours.

Their performances at venues such as Wolf Trap and The San Francisco Celtic Festival dramatically launched them before American audiences and created a sensational stir, which has been substantially reinforced in subsequent tours.

The Mainstage Celtic Series concludes with a May 24 performance by Back of the Moon, one of Scotland's finest traditional bands.

Presented in partnership with The Swannanoa Gathering at Warren Wilson College, Dervish's Asheville performance is made possible by Celtic Series Sponsor Nancy Don Ackermann Cole with additional support from Media Sponsor WNCW 88.7 FM.

The Diana Wortham Theatre at Pack Place is located in the center of downtown Asheville on historic Pack Square within walking distance of many shops and restaurants.  For more about Dervish's March 1 performance or to purchase tickets, call the theatre's box office at (828) 257-4530. Student Rush tickets are sold the day of the show, based on availability.