(Photo credit: Wikipedia)There’s no band, and an audience isn’t necessary, but there are plenty of musicians, and the place is packed.This format is the way Irish music works on Monday nights at Galloway Station. Musicians form a closed circle and play traditional tunes, usually in unison, flute player Lee Worman said.
The group is not a band; it’s an informal gathering that anyone can join, Worman said. Musicians take turns around the circle calling the next tune. It’s a “session,” as the Irish call it, not a performance, he said, though the players are pleased to have an audience.
“There’s not a lot of harmonies, no arrangements, no fancy stuff — just play the tunes,” said Worman, who hosts “The Gold Ring” program of Irish music on KSMU. Musicians learn songs by ear and pass them down in an aural tradition, he said.
That’s how fiddler John Ehlers learned Irish music. “When I started showing up 5-6 years ago, I knew no Irish music. Just by sitting in and listening, I taught myself to play it,” he said.
