A bit of Ireland is visiting Galva on Friday night at the Galva Arts Council building.
Exorna, the popular Irish band, led by Victor McMullen of County Derry, has been entertaining Midwestern audiences with authentic, down-to-earth music, all with traditional instruments. The songs and ballads sung are loaded with humor and sentimentality, with Irish dance tunes emanating from the fiddles, drums, and pipe-horns.
According to McMullen, he and the three-man band are keeping a vanishing art form alive. The group is often seen and heard in pubs, at festivals and wakes, on public television, and “everywhere in between.”
When he was growing up in Northern Ireland, the pubs were a place to go for entertainment. “But we all made our own. This meant singing together, usually with a few instruments,” he said. Irish music was not something to put on a pedestal and admired from a distance, “it was something you did, not something you watched.”
Galva Arts Council President Linda Getter noted that Exorna has been performing each March for nearly 30 years.
“Max Harris, Galva’s well-known electrician and GAC supporter, brought the group to town originally,” said Getter. “His son Forrest is a key member of the band and after his father died, he made certain that Exorna’s performance continued each year.”
McMullen is the main vocalist and storyteller. He plays various percussion instruments such as the snare drum, spoons, bones, and the bodhran, the Irish hand drum. He was born and raised in Colerane, Northern Ireland, and came to the U.S. at 26. He lives in Springfield.
Forrest Harris plays the Irish fiddle, tenor banjo, accordion, and does vocals. He was raised outside of Victoria, Illinois, and attended ROWVA High School. He lives in Bloomington-Normal.
Wiebe Ophorst plays guitar. The youngest member of the band, he’s played with Exorna for a long time. Born and raised in Clinton, Illinois, he went to ISU to study music. He lives with his wife in Chicago
Getter said that Celtic music appeals to all ages and invites area residents to attend. “You might want to do more than listen,” she cautioned. “As you may find yourself dancing a jig!”
GAC doors open at 6 p.m., with music at 7 p.m. Sweet treats and a variety of coffees will be available. The event is free, but donations of $5.00 or more are appreciated.
For more information, check the Galva Arts Council’s Facebook page, or their website, www.galvaartscouncil.org.
