Library Celebrates St. Pats With Irish Music [VIDEO]

The melodic sounds of Irish and American country music filled the air at the Westborough Public Library on Tuesday night, March 6. In celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, Two Old Friends, Mac McHale from Kennebunk Beach, Maine, and Emery Hutchins from York, Maine, entertained a gathering of about 25 residents.

Donna Martel, adult services librarian told Westborough Patch, "This performance was funded by the Westborough Cultural Council... We were happy to offer a program for St. Patrick's Day."

McHale and Hutchins sang solo and together in harmony, and quipped back and forth. When asked how long they had played together, Hutchins said, "Since the crust of the earth was cooling down." McHale added, "Forty-one years." Hutchins said, "Thirty-one years." Then McHale ended it, "Make it thirty-five years."

McHale, who was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Museum as a Pioneer of Bluegrass Music, sings and plays the guitar, mandolin, and banjo.  Hutchins sings and plays the banjo, guitar, concertina (the button box), and bodhran (an Irish drum). A former middle school teacher, Hutchins joined McHale who has had a long career as a performer.

Known for “traditional Irish tunes to vintage American country music songs,” according to the duo’s website, Two Old Friends played for about an hour at the library. Some songs were well known, like Molly Malone. Others featured were a reel called Bottom of the Punchbowl, Wild Rover, Dublin in the Rare Old Times, and Fields So Green, a beautiful song written by McHale, after his mother died 20 years ago.

The song Good Bye Mick was especially poignant. McHale and Hutchins forgot the lyrics, but were rescued by Westborough Library While he was setting up chairs before for the event, McHale and Hutchins told Matley about their dilemma. According to librarian Martel, Matley asked Nancy Odell, reference librarian, to look up the lyrics. With printed lyrics in hand, McHale memorized a couple of verses, and then nailed the song.

Small But Enthusiastic Crowd

Many in the mostly older crowd knew the lyrics and sang along with McHale and Hutchins. A couple of moms and small children popped in from the nearby Children's Library. One child excitedly clapped and danced to the music.

McHale was surprised to see Willows resident Joan Ames, who graduated from high school in Bangor, Maine two years before him. Ames' sister Lu Archer of Jefferson, Maine was a classmate of McHale.

According to Ames, "I don't remember that Mac played music. But now I see him every summer with the 'Old Radio Gang' at the fair in Union, Maine.

Busy Schedule

According to Hutchins, he and McHale play 40 to 50 concerts a year. McHale added, "We've played from the Kennedy Center to Caribou, Maine."

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