Celtic Music Amuses Library Goers

Band highlights National Library Week celebrations.

Enjoying a lively Friendly Isle welcome from the audience, The Muses’ Matt Gurnsey and Lindsay Jensen began their performance with an upbeat Celtic sea shanty.

By Jennifer Smith

Taking down the quiet signs and opening the doors to a Colorado based band, last Wednesday Molokai Public Library boomed with jokes, laughter, and a whole lot of classic Celtic music.

For nearly half a decade The Muses have led audiences in Hawaii to tap their toes, sing along, and at some points jump out of their chairs to dance. Beginning with a sea shanty, also known as a shipboard working song, the band continued on with lively drinking songs, moving love melodies, and funny riddles and jokes for the audience.

The Muses traveled to the Islands to perform at 15 libraries for National Library Week, and to participate in last weekend’s Scottish games on Oahu.

Matt Gurnsey, Tanya Brody, and Lindsay Jensen make up The Muses musical talents. Listening to the harmonious rhythm of the trio one would never know that Jensen joined the band only two months previous to the Hawaii trip.

Gurnsey and Brody visited Hawaii nearly five years ago on their Honeymoon. Falling in love with the landscape, they made connections with a pub owner to return regularly to perform.

Last week’s Molokai Public Library performance marked the band’s first visit to the Friendly Isle. The band traveled with nearly 16 bags primarily filled with instruments, only a fifth of their reserves. After their performance audience members thanked the band and received demonstrations of the instruments.

Mahalo to the Friends of the Library and University of Hawaii for funding The Muses performance.