Whitethorn Crossing

Julie started playing classical cello in elementary school, and was a member of Portland Youth Philharmonic while she was in college. 

She inherited an old violin from her mother, and decided on a whim to learn Irish fiddle.  She has been obsessed with playing the fiddle for more than 30 years. 

She loves to play the fast and driving jigs and reels, but she also leans into the sweet harmonies of waltzes and ballads.  

Maggie's musical background includes both classical violin and folk fiddle, and she describes her driving and exhilarating playing style as a fusion of (mostly!) British Isles traditions.  She is especially drawn to the satisfaction of a rich harmony line, and to the thrill of a tune that turns in an unexpected direction.  Maggie is a singer with a sweet and expressive voice, she dabbles in whistle, and has penned a number of tunes that Whitethorn Crossing enjoys sharing with a wider audience.  Outside of this band, she has often played for Scottish Country Dance events.

Although Mark has been playing guitar for decades, he is a relative newcomer to traditional Celtic music.  Having Irish roots on his mother’s side provides some logic to the draw of jigs, reels and hornpipes.  A large part of the appeal of the music for him is the chance to play with gifted bandmates who bring passion and energy to traditional and nontraditional music.  Left to his own devices, he gravitates to fingerstyle arrangements of Celtic, blues, and contemporary acoustic tunes; Al Petteway, Pat Kirtley and John Renbourn have been notable inspirations.  Along with dabbling with octave mandolin, playing guitar is a central passion for Mark and he plans to do it until the end of time.

Franko helps propel the driving sound of the band with impassioned bodhrán playing, solid vocals, some lilting whistle, a bit of electric bass, and maybe more than a few antics!  Recently hailing from Nashville, TN, he jumped at the chance to join Whitethorn Crossing in March of 2024.

Mike and Julie played music together for nearly 30 years.  He played the guitar and the piano, and together the two of them founded the group Rose in the Heather which performed from 1999 to 2016. They met Mark when he joined Rose in the Heather in 2011, and created the group Whitethorn Crossing with Mark and Maggie in 2017.  Mike was diagnosed with cancer in 2021, and the illness progressed into leukemia in May of 2023.   He was given three to six months to live, and played his last public performance in July of 2023.  He ultimately survived nine months after his AML diagnosis, and passed away on February 22nd, 2024.