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Category: Community News Community News
Published: 25 April 2015 25 April 2015

Eileen Sullivan entertains visitors with Irish fiddle music at the Sivler City Museum

On the otherwise sleepy Saturday afternoon of April 25 in downtown Silver City, the Museum's historic Ailman Parlor hosted a lively gathering of people of all ages, there assembled to listen to Eileen Sullivan play traditional Irish fiddle music. When she is not fiddling around, Eileen is also director of the Silver City Public Library.

Children built with blocks and toy logs, guests drifted into the museum, and people congregated in the parlor. While these are typical events at the Silver City Museum on a weekend afternoon, they are seldom overlaid by the rich and poignant strains of Irish fiddle music. "The Victorian Parlor was traditionally a place for music and social gatherings," explains Museum Director Tracy Spikes. "Parlors of those times were constructed with resonance and acoustics in mind." This, combined with the lavish décor and comfortable furniture, make the Ailman parlor an ideal venue for acoustic musicians.

"As a museum, we are shifting our philosophy to accommodate a more hands-on, visitor oriented experience," states Hillary Pierce, Curator of Education at the museum. "While we had removed the plexiglass and encouraged guests to go into the parlor, most people assumed they were supposed to 'look but not touch'. We thought music might be the key to drawing people in."

Eileen Sullivan played a series of reels, jigs, hornpipes, and slip jigs to the engaged and vocal crowd. Children and visitors also enjoyed the music as they wandered through the museum, with the rich and vibrant notes of the fiddle carrying through the entire historic house.

The next Saturday Afternoon Music in the Parlor will take place on Saturday, May 9 from 1 to 2 pm, with Farhad Arasteh playing Spanish guitar.

The Silver City Museum creates opportunities for residents and visitors to explore, understand, and celebrate the rich and diverse cultural heritage of southwestern New Mexico by collecting, preserving, researching, and interpreting the region's unique history. For more information, please contact the museum at (575) 538-5921, info@silvercitymuseum.org, or go to the museum's website www.silvercitymuseum.org.