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Legendary Grammy-nominated musician, songwriter, singer and producer Phil Coulter – who served as a visiting professor of Irish Studies at Boston College for three years – will perform a concert on Oct. 14 at 7:30 p.m. in St. Ignatius Church to benefit the Irish Pastoral Centre-Boston (IPC), a non-profit organization that helps Irish immigrants make the transition to life in America.
A native of Derry, Northern Ireland, Coulter has written or co-written hit songs such as “The Town I Loved So Well,” “Puppet on a String,” “Saturday Night” (a hit for the Bay City Rollers) and “My Boy,” which was performed by Elvis Presley. Since launching his career as a pianist-vocalist 30 years ago, he has amassed 23 platinum records and 39 gold and 52 silver albums. In 2001, he was nominated for a Grammy Award in the New Age category for his album “Highland Cathedral.”
Coulter has performed three times at the White House, presented four sell-out concerts at Carnegie Hall, hosted his own TV series on RTE and was featured on a BBC TV special marking his 60th birthday. He also was active in Irish folk music, producing albums for popular bands Planxty, The Dubliners and The Furey Brothers. More recently, he collaborated on and contributed songs to the “Celtic Thunder” stage production and TV special.
While a visiting professor at BC in the late 1990s, Coulter performed several concerts with Sullivan Artist-in-Residence Seamus Connolly, director of the University’s Irish Music Programs, including at the Gaelic Roots summer school and festival held on campus.
Created in 1987 in response to the growing number of Irish immigrants in Greater Boston, the IPC offers programs and services for immigration and citizenship, counseling, drug and alcohol issues, domestic abuse, spiritual and pastoral care, and family needs.
“The IPC is now uniquely suited and committed to answer the call of the Irish and Irish-American community, to inform and support its constituents with outreach and advocacy, pastoral ministry, senior citizen and adolescent social work programs, and immigration and US citizenship issues,” said IPC Executive Director and event organizer Megan Carroll ’89, JD’92, a former Carroll School of Management faculty member. “We welcome help in reaching out to generations of the vulnerable and underserved Irish immigrant families.”
Four BC students are currently volunteering at the IPC, working in its social work, immigration, web design and nonprofit administration areas, said Carroll, who expressed appreciation to St. Ignatius pastor Robert VerEecke, SJ, a Jesuit artist-in-residence at BC and founder of the Boston Liturgical Dance Ensemble – with whom Carroll performed – for his assistance in organizing the benefit.
“This promises to be a unique and memorable event,” said Carroll, who added that the Charitable Irish Society will present Coulter with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the BC Club the following night.
For ticket information and reservations, see http://bit.ly/1riwMtn. To find out more about the Irish Pastoral Centre-Boston, see ipcboston.org.