The original Mrs. Wilberforce was a character in the 1955 film “The Ladykillers,” which starred Alec Guinness and Peter Sellers. Portrayed by Katie Johnson, Mrs. Wilberforce unwittingly and blithely sows chaos around her, while standing resolute and unbowed for all her eccentricity.

But now there’s a new Mrs. Wilberforce in town: the duo of Kyra Davies (fiddle, viola, vocals) and Sean Smith (guitar, bouzouki, tenor banjo, vocals). Kyra and Sean play music from Ireland, Scotland and Cape Breton – but also further afield, like Shetland, Brittany and Galicia, among other places. Although their sound is rooted in tradition, they readily, and happily, draw upon influences from the classical and contemporary folk/folk-rock domains, bringing out the distinctive qualities of each tune or song for the enjoyment of their audiences.

Kyra and Sean regard Mrs. Wilberforce as a role model worth emulating (OK, maybe not the sowing-chaos part) and are honored to make music under her name.