Celtic Crossroads

I really enjoyed the Celtic Crossroads performance. I wasn't really sure what to expect. I agree with what was said in class about the age of the musicians surprising me; I didn't expect them all to be so young. Their multiple talents were very impressive as well, everyone playing at least two instruments, some singing, some dancing. They seemed like a fun, exciting bunch of people. I guess I wasn't really expecting that, but like I said, I didn't really put a whole lot of thought into what to expect from the group.

I thought their song choices were interesting. They played a good mix of traditional and modern music. They described the modern songs as influenced by other regions of Europe. Hungary stands out to me as one they mentioned because one of the songs they played sounded very Hungarian, using Irish instruments. I thought it was interesting that the newer music is sort of a combination of musical styles from different regions. I was also interested by the fact that they played an American song. I can see why they did so, since they were in America and they were appealing to the audience, but I didn't really think it was necessary. They're an Irish music group, so the people coming to see them should be expecting Irish music, right? They shouldn't have to play an American song to cater to the audience. I mostly bring this up because it seemed like Cotton Eyed Joe was one of the most enjoyed songs of the concert. Everyone in the Ark seemed to really enjoy it--I include myself in that--some even considering it a favorite part of the concert. Even though I enjoyed it, in my mind it should have secondary importance to the more authentic music they played. But I find myself wondering if I'm making way too big a deal out of it. That's entirely possible. I think it does tie in, though, to what we discussed in class about the apologetic nature of the group when it came to their non-Irish members. There was this assumption that everyone had to be Irish to be in the group and that their music was supposed to be Irish, and I seem to be perpetuating the latter. The presence of non-Irish musicians certainly doesn't detract from their performance, but does it detract from their authenticity? I'm not sure.