Eileen Ivers gained a huge following when she first appeared at the Chocolate Church Arts Center, and her fans are in for another evening of fast-paced, high-energy music with her band Universal Roots on Friday, May 5, in Bath.

High praise for her performance with the Portland Symphony Orchestra several years ago came from former conductor Toshiyuki Shimada, who said, “There were long and loud standing ovations throughout the concert. At the end, the audience refused to let the musicians go off the stage.”

A virtuoso fiddle player and songwriter for over 30 years, Ivers has spread her love of music around the nation and throughout the world. She has played with the London Symphony Orchestra, Boston Pops and guest starred with over 50 orchestras.

“Eileen Ivers brought in the biggest audience we’ve had in 15 years and proceeded to knock the crowds out with the most electrifying performance we’ve ever seen,” Director Peter Aucella said following Ivers’ appearance at the Lowell Music Festival.

She and her band headline prestigious performing arts centers, guest star with symphonies, perform at major festivals worldwide and have appeared on national and international television. The Los Angeles Times wrote, “Ivers presentation was music with the kind of life and spirit that come together when talented artists from different backgrounds find the linkages that connect all forms of music. No wonder the audience loved every minute.”

In addition to playing her fiddle, Ivers also plays the mandolin, banjo and bodhran. Universal Roots accompanies her with a broad array of instruments superbly played by nationally recognized musicians. Matt Mancuso sings and plays the guitar, trumpet and fiddle; Buddy Connolly sings and plays the accordion and keyboards; Lindsey Horner sings and plays electric bass and baritone sax; and Dave Barckow sings, plays the guitar and handles percussion.

Tickets are $38 in advance and $40 the day of the show. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 7:30 p.m. For more information, call or visit the office at 804 Washington St. Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., or visit chocolatechurcharts.org.

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Calling all blues fans! A nine-piece band with a funky horn section, YellowHouse Blues Band, comes to the Chocolate Church for a benefit performance Saturday, May 13. This seacoast-based blues band will perform a set of blues standards as well as a wide range of popular songs, putting their own spin on them. Tickets are $22 in advance, $25 the day of the show. Doors open at 7 p.m., the show begins at 7:30.

Coming up:

•  May 11, 18, 25 – KindKids Family Music & Movement Classes

•  May 13 – YellowHouse Blues Band, a benefit performance for the Chocolate Church

•  May 19 – 12/OC Band (country)

•  June 2 – Studio Two, a Beatles Tribute

•  June 11 – Erica Brown at the Maine Maritime Museum

Paula McKenney is a volunteer at the Chocolate Church Arts Center and a retired newspaper editor.