Have Guitar Will Travel World

Mark travels to Dublin Bay, seeking a deeper meaning behind the Irish ballads he’s sung for years, and explores a friend’s familial connection to the pivotal 1916 Easter Rising. Veteran trade union leader and activist Des Geraghty explains the relationship between music and social reform, while Uilleann piper Gay McKeon introduces the instrument often recognized as “the Sound of Ireland.”

Mark goes on a musical quest in search of the soul of North Wales, and finds himself in a land of dragons and druids, jam sessions and jazz guitars, where bardic poets wear crowns, and the resilience of the Welsh culture can be heard in its language, lore and songs.

Mark joins musicians at the Tramlines festival of Sheffield and discovers the newest metal of “Steel City” is the steel guitar. He explores the origins of pub rock with iconic artists and revolutionary music promoters, has a pint with the DJ keeping music in the hands of the people, and examines the changing identity behind England’s folk music scene.

Mark explores the musical crossroads and charm of a cinematically iconic Swiss village. While journeying with local musicians from the Central Plateau of Switzerland to the Alps, Mark picks up both new skills and new friends by examining old Swiss traditions, from fondu to folk music, all while learning a bit about yodeling and the accordion along the way.

Mark treks to the Scottish Highlands on Burns Night as Scots worldwide celebrate their national poet and bard, Rabbie Burns. From the folk clubs of Inverness to the Battlefield of Culloden and even the misty banks of Loch Ness, Mark discovers the deep stream of tradition carrying the sounds of Scotland to present-day Nashville and beyond, even in how we bid farewell through Auld Lang Syne.

Mark sails deep into the North Sea to learn the secrets of the legendary “Shetland Sound.” Through their craftsmanship and camaraderie, local musicians give Mark a taste of the magic —and mutton!— unique to this northernmost archipelago of the UK. Mark meets a new generation of Islanders keeping ancient traditions alive through their music and the making of the legendary Shetland fiddle.