Celtic Comfort brings sounds of Ireland to Bandera

The Bandera Natural History Museum celebrated St. Patrick’s Day with the popular local band Celtic Comfort.

Based out of Comfort, Texas, the band has an authentic repertoire of Irish drinking songs, soulful ballads and toe-tapping reels.

These five talented musicians brought their best St. Patrick’s Day performance to the crowd at the Natural History Museum’s International Hall.

The members played multiple instruments during the concert, including percussion and drums, bass, fiddle, guitar, mandolin, harmonica and banjo.

Not only did they play, but they also sang along with several numbers, their soft voices blending harmoniously to bring just the right feeling of Gaelic authenticity.

While a lot of Irish music can be described as happy and upbeat, Celtic Comfort played several ballads that evoked the experiences of immigrant families who settled in rural America.

The music ranged from tunes preserved from the 1600’s to songs clearly written in the late twentieth century which described the Irish Troubles with England.

Not only did the band play traditional songs, but one song included in the program was written by a band member.

The audience clearly was enthusiastic about the music as they clapped along with the band. A couple was moved to dance to the music in the back of the hall.

The songs were typical of what one would find at a pub deep in the back country or at a local county fair.

The music may have been centuries old, but it moved the audience just as it did long ago on the Emerald Isle.

While the music was particular to Ireland, the songs brought with them the humble spirit of rural country manners and welcoming friends.

The ballad “Blackest Crow” was written in the 1800’s with its haunting refrain it was clearly an audience favorite. The soft singing of the band made the song feel intimate and full of longing. The music touched each person there with musical pictures painted of the Emerald Isle. The vision of rolling green hills and quaint country villages was brought forth with each tune the band played.

The band played another very popular song “The Galway Girl.” This lively traditional tune called to anyone who has had their heart broken. The band had fun playing and singing to the audience. The band was clearly an older group of musicians, but they had fun and enjoyed their performance as much as the audience.

To finish off the concert, the band played “Irish Washerwoman,” a traditional, well-known tune made for dancing. This band was expert at bringing the spirit of the Emerald Isle home to the audience. Their mellow songs were easy to listen to and left the crowd with the feeling that they had made a quick trip straight to the heart of Ireland if only for St. Patrick’s Day.

Even though the crowd was not all Irish, it was clear that the music touched the small piece of the Irish soul that occupies a place in everyone.