Four Shillings Short

Gualala Arts’  Global Harmony Series presents Four Shillings Short in a Celtic, Folk, and World Music concert on Sunday, January 31, 2027, at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $25 in advance for general admission and +$5 on the day of the concert. $100 Sponsor Tickets with select seating are available online only. Tickets may be purchased at Gualala Arts, the Dolphin Gallery, or at GualalaArts.org.

Renowned for their eclectic repertoire, rich vocal harmonies, and remarkable array of instruments, Four Shillings Short blends traditional and original music from the Celtic lands, Medieval and Renaissance Europe, the Americas, and India. Their performances feature more than 30 instruments, including hammered and mountain dulcimers, pennywhistles, recorders, sitar, mandolins, charango, banjo, guitar, ukulele, world percussion, and even the rare krumhorn.

The husband‑and‑wife duo—Aodh Og O’Tuama of Cork, Ireland, and Christy Martin of California– has toured the United States and Ireland for more than 30 years, performing 80 to 100 concerts annually and releasing 13 albums. Their venues range from festivals and performing arts centers to libraries, schools, museums, and house concerts.

The years 2026-2028 mark their final U.S. tour, bringing the pair back to many of their favorite communities across the country.

Critics have long praised the duo’s artistry. Mary Lou Philbin-Clarke of Ossian USA writes, “The finest music transports, teaches, entertains and conveys the magic around us… Four Shillings Short has it all.” John Busbee of The Culture Buzz notes, “They infuse their audiences with a delightful blend of music, culture, and storytelling. The afterglow from one of their shows will last days.”

Their musical versatility is rooted in deep study and tradition.
O’Tuama, raised in a family of poets and musicians, holds a music degree from University College Cork and a Stanford University fellowship in Medieval and Renaissance performance. He performs on tin whistle, medieval and Renaissance woodwinds, recorders, Middle Eastern percussion, bowed psaltery, Native American flute, and sings in English, Gaelic, and French.

Martin, raised in a musical family, began studying North Indian sitar at age 15 with students of Ravi Shankar and Allaudin Khan. She later added hammered dulcimer, mandolin, bouzouki, banjo, guitar, bodhrán, charango, psaltery, ukulele, and vocals in English, Irish, and Sanskrit.

Four Shillings Short’s concerts are celebrated for their global perspective, historical depth, and warm, engaging storytelling—an experience that continues to captivate audiences of all ages.