The third INSPIRES event of the year was a real barn burner. In conjunction with the Monadnock Folklore Society, INSPIRES welcomed Tigh na Collie, a teen music group from County Clare, Ireland, for a morning of traditional Irish song and dance. Fewer than five minutes into the performance, already deep into our step-dance induced group-hypnosis, the only possible outcome of all this was a standing ovation.  

The ensemble, led by the renowned (and hilarious) Irish fiddler Denis Liddy and New Hampshire born pianist Elvie Miller, took us through a wide ranging set that showcased traditional Irish instruments like the fiddle, harp, banjo, bodhran, accordion like concertina, and the bag-pipe-like Uilleann pipes. During instrumental or dance breaks, students and faculty alike would crane their necks to get a better view of the impossible finger work or fluttering steps being pulled off by performers. Watching the ensemble work, you got the sense that the current configuration was settled on a whim, that each member would be equally well suited to any alternative instrument or part within the group. 

This was a peer-to-peer performance that created a different kind of experience than other INSPIRES events that feature someone advanced in their professional life. Later in the day, members of the ensemble could be found enjoying lunch in the Brett Smith ‘88 Dining Commons alongside the students they had played for earlier that same day. It was a cool scene to witness as the audience and performance mingled as peers. 

Also in attendance for this performance were the twelve visiting students from Bariloche, Argentina, adding to the multicultural Morning Meeting experience we enjoyed. 

Next up in the INSPIRES series, local author and parent Anna Von Mertens P’26 will speak about her new book Attention Is Discovery: The Life and Legacy of Astronomer Henrietta Leavitt. Look forward to that on Friday, November 15th.