On March 4, the popular Irish Folk group The Brock McGuire Band from County Clare, Ireland performed their award-winning Irish traditional music for a Tarleton State University audience in the Clyde H. Wells Fine Arts Center Auditorium. The well-attended concert featured a nice mix of slow, fast, happy and sad songs, many of which had an immigration theme.

The band is on a tour through Texas, Mississippi, and Lousiana, sharing their brand of Irish music, which includes elements of American Old Timey, Bluegrass, French-Canadian and other Celtic traditions. The band is fronted by accordionist Paul Brock and fiddler Manus McGuire, and also includes Garry O’Meara on banjo, mandolin and vocals, and Denis Carey on piano. Brock shared with the audience how the Irish music they played (other than the original compositions) had been passed down orally from generation to generation.

I wasn’t able to catch the name of my favorite song of the evening, but it was a solo song played and sung by the youngest player of the group, Garry O’Meara. It was about a wandering man, separated from his home and those he loves by the sea, who had no means of returning home. The song was emotional and beautiful, and I could envision him sitting on the shore playing his sad tune.

While keeping in mind I’m no expert traditional Irish music, my only criticism about the performance is that I think the more earthy, organic sound of an upright piano would have blended better with the style of music instead of the more full-bodied, reverberant sound of Tarleton’s baby grand piano that Carey played on.

Attendees also had an opportunity to purchase their music and talk to the members of the band at their merchandise table during intermission and after the show. The band was very kind and personable, welcoming any who wanted to talk to them.