THE THISTLE & SHAMROCK® with Fiona Ritchie
The final weekly radio shows!

Week 36
240905 (#2154)
Banjo Roots & Branches
Fiona demonstrates her love of the banjo by tracing its movement from West Africa to the Americas and onward to Ireland, featuring Rhiannon Giddens, Mick Moloney, Al Petteway, and We Banjo 3.

Week 37
240912 (#2155)
A Few Faves
Fiona selects music loved by listeners in the first decade of ‘Thistle’, including William Jackson’s Wellpark Suite, Davy Spillane’s Atlantic Bridge, and Celtic harp from Breton musician Alan Stivell.

Week 38
240919 (#2156)
A Few Firsts
We remember some highlights from across The Thistle & Shamrock’s four decades: 1980s concerts with Battlefield Band, 1990s Irish Festivals at Wolftrap, visits with American folk legends Jean Ritchie and Pete Seeger in the 2000s, and Carnegie Hall’s 2019 Migrations Festival. So many great musical memories! (See the full Thistle & Shamrock highlights list at thistleradio.com)

Week 39
240926 (#2157)
A Few Farewells
In June, The Thistle & Shamrock® marked 41 years of weekly national broadcasts.  It’s time to step back but not before making more memories.  Singer-songwriter Dougie MacLean joins Fiona to reminisce; we debut a brand new fiddle tune by Pete Clark, written for this moment; and we toast musicians, guests, stations, and the best listeners: “We’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet, for auld lang syne.”
[Look out for special shows to come and explore 15 years worth of archived weekly episodes at npr.org/thistle and on the NPR App.]