Roleystone band the Jarrah Celts recently performed at Armadale History House, demonstrating the musical potential of the old instruments housed there.
Throughout the evening, the band skilfully brought to life the musical scene as it would have been enjoyed by the area’s pioneers.
The band’s members who performed were Chris Horgan, his son Jacob, Dave Cooper and Jane Slater, while long-term Roleystone resident Bob Hart kicked off the event with a piano piece. A third-generation Roleystone resident, Mr Hart’s grandmother was a well-known local musician, who played the fiddle.
Chris Horgan gave an overview of some of the area’s history from the early 20th century and explained the rich backstory of several instuments, to which Bob contributed, describing the days when the area was essentially a frontier and local music one of the few pastimes.
Jane Slater proceeded to play an excellent classic violin tune as a solo, with music that was heartfelt and gave an air of its Irish origins, in line with the band’s Celtic theme. Jacob Horgan then joined in with his guitar, followed by the deep reverberation of Dave’s Double Bass.
Chris, who specialises in woodwind, demonstrated the fife next, performing a classic military tune accompanied by Dave’s drumming. This turned into a lively effort from all four.
Over the one-and-a-half-hour event, the band continued to demonstrate the individual capacity of the instruments, which eventually found themselves played in harmony with the others.
The pieces carried a persistent upbeat tone, especially as Chris sang classic Irish folk song Whisky in the Jar, demonstrating his solid vocals, and inviting an intrigued audience to join in.
He then performed a Jarrah Celts original, “The Busy Gardener”, in honour of his grandmother who volunteered in Araluen.
The event had a touch of the modern through the use of Dave’s modern double bass, which had previously belonged to the well-known Mucky Duck bush band.
The synchronicity of the instruments was extraordinary, as was the band’s teamwork to produce such exquisite tunes. Although we don’t know exactly how the pioneers played, the performances couldn’t have felt more authentic and historically accurate, even down to the period attire worn by the performers.
Chris described the event in the following terms.
“It is an attempt to bring to life the music of the Armadale pioneers and show how they entertained themselves.
“Even though we can’t speak to them, we can learn so much about them from their instruments.”
The Jarrah Celts will be hosting another performance at Roleystone Theatre from 24 July, called Celtic Songlines. Besides performing their signature Celtic tunes, the event will feature actors playing out the song lyrics, creating a deeply immersive experience.
