Before the first taste of Irish soda bread, before the butter melts into warm crumb, the intimate room at Kerrytown Concert House will fill with the ancient sound of harp strings and the breathy hum of uilleann pipes. The Ireland edition of Melodies & Morsels promises not simply a concert or a tasting, but a fully immersive cultural evening on March 12.
The sound of Ireland — carried to Michigan
For Cara Lieurance, Irish music is more than repertoire — it’s a calling that arrived at just the right moment.
“I live in Kalamazoo, where I’ve worked in public radio since the early 90s,” she said. “I come from a musical family and studied classical flute at Interlochen Arts Academy and Western Michigan University. Irish music came later but was the most transformative. I play Irish wooden flute, whistles and button accordion and sing in Selkie.”
That transformation began in the late 1990s. “By the late 90s I was nearing 30 and had let my classical music practice trail off,” she said. “When an acquaintance asked me if I would like to join Whiskey Before Breakfast, I said no, because I had no experience with this Irish stuff. But my now dear friend Dave Marlatt was persistent, and I’m so glad he talked me into it. It’s hard to express how much it means to me now and how much it lives in me all the time.”
Kitchen parties to concert halls
Selkie draws on centuries of Irish tradition — and the musicians who carried it forward.
“We are influenced by the make-your-own-fun history of Irish culture, from kitchen parties to ceilidhs, and by great musicians who brought Irish ‘bog music’ to the concert hall, like The Chieftains and Lunasa,” Lieurance said. “Selkie is a group formed by friends with various backgrounds playing Celtic and other music around Michigan.”
The band’s roots run deep. “Jim Spalink was inspired by the folk revival of the 70s and went on to play with Amadaun, Archive and An Dro. Michele Venegas played fiddle with Fonn Mor and An Dro. My first group was Whiskey Before Breakfast, then Fonn Mor and An Dro. Michele and I both had formative experiences at Irish Arts Week in the Catskills. Our newest member, Noah Jacobs, grew up in New Hampshire, where he learned from great session players and is now a multi-instrumentalist and instrument builder in Holland.”
Harp, pipes and a moment of magic
Audiences on March 12 can expect a rich palette of traditional instruments. “In Ireland, the most ancient instruments are the uilleann (pronounced ‘ILL-in’) pipes and the harp,” Lieurance explained. “Then the music incorporated fiddle, Irish flute and whistle, accordion, banjo, guitar and bouzouki. We play all of these between us. They each bring a unique timbre, unified by the ornamentation that often imitates the piping tradition.”
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Selkie holds a distinctive place in Michigan’s Celtic scene.
“As the only long-running Michigan Celtic group with a harper, we will feature Jim Spalink’s Irish harp playing in this concert,” she said. “He not only taught himself to play it long ago, he learned to build these beautiful instruments. He also plays a bouzouki he built.”
“His pieces often reflect his favorite natural places in our state. It’s a way to be true to our Michigan selves as well. We’ll share some of these originals.”
And then there are the moments you can’t quite rehearse.
“I might offer some songs in Gaelic during the dinner,” Lieurance said. “And when Noah Jacobs starts up the drones on his uilleann pipes, the whole crowd will take a breath. It’s magical.”
Letting the music tell the story
Irish music carries its own narrative weight.
“We’ll let the music do the talking, mostly,” Lieurance said. “Irish music carries joy, sadness, dance, wilderness and love of community all-in-itself. Our introductions will honor our sources, and if people have questions, we’d love to answer them.”
Balancing tradition with creative voice is a lively discussion among the group.
“This is a serious philosophical discussion that keeps us up late drinking Jim’s mead around his table!” she said. “We want listeners to hear the fundamentals done well: rhythm, unison, lift, spontaneity: the things that make us smile as we play.”
They build their performances thoughtfully. “We craft ‘sets’ (several dance tunes in succession) from tunes we get from many sources and make sure they speak to each other.”
The intimacy of Kerrytown Concert House enhances that connection. “We live for that kind of atmosphere,” Lieurance said. “It’s acoustic and truly intimate, and it doesn’t get much better than that.”
A culinary counterpoint from Zingerman’s
As the music unfolds, a guided tasting curated by Zingerman’s Delicatessen will anchor the evening in flavor.
Jennifer Santi, marketing and communications manager at Zingerman’s Delicatessen for 12 years, said the collaboration reflects shared values.
“Zingerman’s believes it is our responsibility to make substantial and significant contributions in order to strengthen the health, social, educational and cultural fabric of our community,” Santi said. “Zingerman’s Deli and Kerrytown Concert House have been neighbors for over 40 years! When Kerrytown Concert House approached us with this fun idea to pair music and food together in a concert series, we jumped at the opportunity.”
Previous installments transported audiences to France and Italy.
“The first concert focused on France – and we tasted French baguette from Zingerman’s Bakehouse, comté cheese and a dried prune from Favols,” Santi said. “The second concert was Italian, and we tasted Paesano bread from Zingerman’s Bakehouse, parmigiano Reggiano cheese and an Italian honey from Agrimontana.”
The star of the Irish table
For the Ireland edition, the culinary centerpiece will be Irish Soda Bread.
“This bread is made locally by Zingemran’s Bakehouse and uses freshly milled soft white wheat and hard red spring wheat; stone-milled oats and buttermilk,” Santi explained. “It is a traditional, humble soda bread reminiscent of early versions of iconic Irish food.”
Pairings are still being finalized. “We try to bring in a few Irish cheeses in March, but due to the limited availability of some of these imported cheeses, we don’t yet know what we’ll be able to secure for the tasting,” she said. “Other options might be cultured butter, which would typically be eaten with the Irish Soda Bread. And maybe an Irish honey.”
A community embraces the series
The response has been enthusiastic.
“We are thrilled with how the community has responded to these concerts,” Santi said. “The French concert was completely sold out. The Italy concert was almost at capacity. Ticket sales are looking good for Ireland.”
At its heart, the series is about connection. “Exploring culture through both food and music better connects us to the history, traditions and everyday life,” Santi said. “Sharing stories of the food and music traditions invites empathy and curiosity, helping us connect and learn from each other.”
Lieurance echoes that sentiment in her own way. “I hope people leave feeling full: of great food, great music, and great memories.”
Donna Marie Iadipaolo is a writer, journalist, and State of Michigan certified teacher, since 1990. She has written for national publications like The Village Voice, Ear Magazine of New Music, Insurance & Technology, and TheStreet.
She is now writing locally for many publications, including Current Magazine, Ann Arbor Family, and the Ann Arbor Independent. Her undergraduate degree is from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where she graduated with an honors bachelor’s degree and three teacher certificate majors: mathematics, social sciences, English. She also earned three graduate degrees in Master of Science, Master of Arts, and Education Specialist Degree.
