The Bartholomew County Public Library’s Red Room will turn part concert hall and part classroom for the next performance of regional music group Celtica.
The band, which sometimes features as many as six members, will use a trio in a 90-minute free presentation, “Irish Immigration History in Indiana,” at 6:30 p.m. March 10 — just in time for St. Patrick’s Day.
Multi-instrumentalist Tammera Lane of Nashville has handled such a dual role frequently as Celtica’s leader.
“If people want to be entertained, they definitely will be entertained,” Lane said. “And if they want to learn something, then they certainly can learn something, too. Because we’ll be including bits of history in between songs about the tunes and instruments.”
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Celtica bagpiper Clancy Clements of Bloomington boasts a background of Irish immigrants who came to Chicago. He’s expected to share elements of that at the gathering.
Lane, on hammered dulcimer, bowed psaltery, field organ and other instruments, also will perform vocals in a variety of Gaelic dialects. The event is meant to highlight Indiana’s bicentennial.
Guitarist, mandolin and bouzouki player Tim Dooley, with plenty of Irish ancestry, sees such edutainment performances as fun.
“I really enjoy doing these kind of concerts and sharing the history of the music and the instruments,” Dooley said. “Tammera is a wealth information when it comes to the origins of the instruments and the tunes. It makes for a very interesting presentation.”
By the way, even with a surname like Dooley, the musician never has known details of his family background.
In recent years, Celtica’s background has included dates as varied as Columbus’ Ethnic Expo to area farmers markets to Indianapolis’ Artsgarden downtown.
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Who: Celtica, a regional progressive Celtic band from Nashville in Brown County.
What: “Irish Immigration History in Indiana,” mixing history with music (hammered dulcimer, guitar, bagpipes and more) to highlight the Hoosier bicentennial.
When: 6:30 to 8 p.m. March 10.
Where: Red Room of the Bartholomew County Public Library, 536 Fifth St. in Columbus.
Admission: Free.
Information: 812-379-1266 or mybcpl.org.
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