If you ever happen to stroll past the Sligo Pub in Media, you might be greeted by the enchanting sounds of traditional Irish music. If fortune smiles upon you, you may even catch a glimpse of Sixth Former Reilly Pryma, seated in a circle, alongside other exceptionally talented musicians, passionately playing his Irish flute.
Pryma was first introduced to the flute at a young age.
“I’ve been playing Irish flute for about six-to-seven years,” Pryma said. “When I was little, I played the classical flute, and I really like the sound and technique that went into it.”
A serendipitous turn of events led Pryma to discover the Irish flute a few years later.
“My family went on a trip to Ireland, and my dad got into contact with this flute maker,” Pryma said. “He was close to where we were staying, so we drove over and got a flute from him.”
The classical flute differs from the Irish flute.
“The Irish flute is basically a normal flute that is made of wood and has holes instead of keys,” Pryma said. “Basically, it is a flute that is specialized to play Irish music, as it can only be played in certain keys.”
Pryma mainly plays at the Commodore Barry Arts and Cultural Center, which hosts traditional Irish music sessions on the first Friday of every month.
“Really anyone can come in and sit in a circle and play,” Pryma said. “Usually at least twenty musicians are there.”
In traditional Irish music, every instrument has a different place in the sonic space.
“The Irish flute has a lighter sound, compared to an accordion with a really heavy sound,” Pryma said. “There are guitars, and the most common instrument is the fiddle, which is really the backbone of the sound.”
The musicians at these sessions generally play by ear and by memory.
“The people there just know the tunes. Oftentimes they don’t even know the names for them.”
Reilly Pryma ’24
“You don’t really write down notes,” Pryma said. “The people there just know the tunes. Oftentimes they don’t even know the names for them. A lot of the people at these sessions are pretty old, so they have a lot of experience.”
Despite not having any written music, tunes are sometimes easier to learn than one might think.
“If there is a tune you know, you play along, but if there is a tune you don’t know, you can notice the key, the notes, and the patterns in the music,” Pryma said. “If you listen to it enough, you can start to pick up the tune and test out what works and what doesn’t. There are enough people playing that putting in a wrong note or two doesn’t really matter.”
Regardless of the tune they play, Pryma always relishes the experience.
“It’s very upbeat and is always a great time. There are poetry recitals, and songs that everyone sings along to,” Prima said. “The music has a lot of joy in it.”
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