On April 14th, we had a very interesting workshop from Simon 0′ Dwyer of Ancient Music Ireland.
Simon was a brilliant story teller who showed us some of the first musical instruments we had in Ireland. He brought us on a journey from ten thousand years ago right up to the Iron Age.
He showed us a progression of musical instruments and stories from legend. Simon presented the evolution of the whistle, flute, tuba and other wind and horn instruments as well as percussion and stringed instruments. He also showcased the Bronze Age horns. The Children were hugely impressed with his bull horn tuba.
The instruments played and displayed included stone and bone whistles, stone percussion, musical bow, animal horns, bodhrán, bronze horns, Celtic trumpas and Early Medieval horns. The story ends with the coming of St. Patrick and the beginning of history.
Ancient Irish life came alive through a combination of story, music and imagery and gave the children a sense of the passing of time and the evolvution of people.
