It all started in Wormtown….

For the past few years there has been large increase in the number of Celtic music groups finding themselves here in Worcester, Massachusetts. The city and its surrounding areas have a population that is very passionate about its Irish Heritage and the culture that goes with it. Worcester is also a city that appreciates and supports its live music scene, no matter what genre.

There have been a number of efforts that have laid the ground work for this over the years. Bands like Butch and Maeve, Jug ’o Punch, The Bards, Mulligan Stew, The Brennan Brothers, among others were the real first wave of Irish music here. WCUW DJ Bud Sargent has been instrumental in bringing many bands from Ireland to Worcester such as Lunasa, Danu, Grada, Dervish, Teada, and the list goes on. Bud also hosts the weekly radio program The Four Green Fields, and splits duties with Pat Moriarty on the Celtic Connection program. These things have all helped to build an informed and passionate musical audience.

One thing that was a catalyst in creating this scene was the opening of The Worcester Hibernian Cultural Centre/Fiddler’s Green by the Worcester chapter of The Ancient Order of Hibernians. This has really given Celtic music a home here in the city. It was there that the second wave of Celtic music really helped push this scene forward, bands like 3 Mics And A Mutt, Fergus, Songs For Ceilidh, Mulligan’s Fancy, The Green Rovers, and The Granitemen. The bands of this second wave brought with them a real diverse mix, performing not only traditional Irish music, but contemporary Celtic music, Scottish, Canadian, and American music as well. It is also important to note that there are many traditional sessions throughout the area that bring together both professional and amateur musicians. Some of the bands that exist have met due to these sessions.

Many years later, with things still going strong, there are a number of great venues in the area for Celtic music, there are more bands making their way here, and the audiences are growing. Given that most of these musicians are coming from different areas outside Worcester, there are many other outposts around the region for this music that folks are becoming aware of and this isn’t contained in just Worcester anymore.

My reason for creating this site is to help make this “thing” known. The terms “scene” and “movement” aren’t often thought of in describing traditional or Celtic music, but there is some type of inter-connected “thing” going on here. Whether it’s a conscious movement of involved individuals or a number of independent entities who have little to do with each other, we’ll have to let time tell. For now, I’m stating for the record that there is something good going on around here, and it’s worth people knowing about.

- Tom Lubelczyk

To learn more about the origins of  Wormtown, click here