The first rule of playing the penny whistle? Listen.
Sleeker, flashier and far cooler than the recorder, the Irish penny whistle is drawing Holy Cross students, faculty and staff to free classes offered by Diarmuid Ó Meachair, visiting music lesson instructor and world-famous accordion player. In the stillness of the Brooks Concert Hall on a sunny afternoon in late September, Ó Meachair tells the half-dozen students assembled — Maggie, Molly, John, Nuala, Brian and Moira — to immerse themselves in Irish music. He offers his curated 1,000-song Spotify playlist to get them started.
"It's a very expressive genre of music," Ó Meachair said. "A lot of it is learned orally."
Though the students have handouts in front of them, Ó Meachair asked them to prioritize emotion over intellect at the moment. To listen is to develop appreciation and taste, he said: "If you want to be playing Irish music, and enjoying and understanding it, it's very important that you're listening to music you like."
Ó Meachair provides students with authentic penny, or tin, whistles he purchased during his last visit home. Home is Cúil Aodha, County Cork, a Gaeltacht area in mid-west Cork.
In Irish music, most tunes are in the key of D or G, Ó Meachair said. "So once you understand where the notes are and what they sound like, and how to get notes out of this," he said, waving the penny whistle like a wand, "that's the first part. Then you start learning tunes and you'll be learning tunes for the rest of your life."
Sounds simple enough. And those assembled smile. Until, that is, Ó Meachair suggests they give "Mary Had a Little Lamb" a try. In pairs. Then backs straighten and brows furrow.
"On three, everybody..."
'A transportive aspect'
The penny whistle class is part of a new music department initiative to enhance the Holy Cross community's appreciation of Irish music and culture through a series of events, including concerts, Irish step-dancing and an Irish language coffee hour. More than 40 people have registered for the beginner Irish penny whistle lessons. Daniel J. DiCenso '98, associate professor of music and department chair, welcomed the opportunity to offer free music lessons to the entire Holy Cross community regardless of any individual's skill level. The only prerequisite is interest, he said.
"We have many students of Irish heritage at Holy Cross and this is a way for them to connect to their Irish roots," DiCenso noted. "And Irish music is folk music at its heart. It's meant to be extemporaneous."
That is, performed without extensive preparation.
And then there's the ephemeral nature of the music, the thing felt but not seen.
"There's a transportive aspect of the music," DiCenso said. "It brings Ireland to you wherever you are."
Twins Maggie and Molly McCracken '25 understand the spell of Irish music. Molly plays the alto saxophone. Maggie's first introduction to music was the clarinet and the trombone and she's recently taken up the violin. Irish music is a part of their lineage. The McCracken's father and brothers had an Irish band for years.
"They would perform for festivals and other gigs, singing and playing guitar, bodhrán and the concertina. Plenty of tin whistles were around the house," Molly said. "I love how lively and social Irish music is — even when I'm not the one playing. I am glad there's this tin whistle class and that the student body has the opportunity to get to know and learn from Diarmuid."
Both sisters studied abroad in Ireland during their junior year. "It was great craic — 'a good time' — as they say in Ireland," Molly said.
Like her sister, Maggie welcomed the opportunity to strengthen her connection to her Irish heritage: "I can't express how glad I am that this and other Irish opportunities have come to campus, including Gaelic football, and music, dance and language. I only wish I weren't a senior already."
