A multi-instrumentalist from a musical family, Tabby Finch has been performing traditional music in the mid-Atlantic area since 1975. Having studied piano and marimba as a child, she started playing the hammered dulcimer when she received an antique one that had been in her family since the 1840s.

In southern West Virginia Tabby learned many traditional Appalachian mountain tunes from Franklin George, Jimmy Costa, George Ward, and others, and began performing with local bands at concerts and festivals. When she returned to Northern Virginia and joined new bands, she won first place for her dulcimer playing at the Bluemont Fair's old-time music contest. Soon, Tabby began to add piano to the dulcimer at local country dances, where she often played as a member of "Contraband."

Since then, Tabby has taken up the Celtic harp and accordion, studied with the late Derek Bell (The Chieftains), and has performed and taught at numerous workshops and dance weekends, including the Augusta Heritage Festival, Wintersong (Frederick MD), and the Upper Potomac Dulcimer Fest (Shepherdstown WV).

In addition to her solo performances and with various configurations, Tabby is also a member of fellow Falling Mountaineers The Bog Wanderers, one of the Mid-Atlantic region's finest Celtic Ceili bands.

Linda Hickman is best known for her work with Celtic Thunder, but The Windy Day with Tabby Finch showcases her virtuosity on a variety of flutes and whistles in a collection of original compositions that draw from influences both Celtic and South American. Tabby's harp, dulcimer, and piano are equally stellar, as are the guest appearances by Michael DeLalla on guitars and Celtic Thunder bandmates Jesse Winch on bodhran and percussion and Regan Wick on piano; "Celtic Thunder flutist Linda Hickman's new solo album is entirely composed of original pieces, each tune inspired by a dinstinctly personal experience, connection or reflection. Some are quietly evocative ("The Midnight Sky"), others rhythmically infectious ("Slip Jig/The Bannister"), still others elegiac in grace and tone ("Waltz for Maureen" and "Lament for Ron"). What unites them all is Hickman's ablility to infuse fresh themes with a timeless sincerity and soulfulness....Hickman's compositions appear to come straight from the heart." - The Washington Post

Tabby's hammered dulcimer, Celtic harp and piano are woven among stellar arrangements of traditional pieces that span the musical spectrum from Ireland and Scotland to South America. Many notable guest artists are featured: Carlos Arrien (Rumisonko), Seth Austen, Joe DeZarn (Mighty Possums), Ralph Gordon (everybody!), and Jesse Winch (Celtic Thunder). Their instruments include fiddle, mandolin, panpipes, Andean flute, guitar, cello, bass, and all kinds of percussion. Tabby attributes much of the success of this music to the musicians themselves. Because most of the tracks were recorded live in the studio, they maintain a concert-like energy throughout the album. The harp, played in so many cultures, provides continuity on this album, as does the unique sound of the hammered dulcimer, an ancient and haunting instrument. Tabby incorporates them in an exciting variety of ensemble settings, moods, and rhythms.

Here are Christmas carols, some new, some ancient, artfully interwoven with festive and wintry traditional music from many lands. Recorded live with no overdubs, this album presents a rich tapestry of the sounds of the Celtic harp, acoustic guitar, and hammered dulcimer. There are many different textures, with each tune highlighting a subtly different way of blending the plucked, strummed, and hammered strings. There is a spectrum of different moods as well, from the eerie, modal, Gregorian sound of "O Come, Emmanuel" to the joyous French carol "Sing We Noel" and the hearty "Here We Come A-Wassailing" and "Good King Wenceslas." This recording has an inner coherence that goes beyond its Christmas theme. These artists communicate from years of performing together; and the listener is gently drawn into a magical world of deft interplay and musical synergy.