Gilroy McMahon

National Folk Music Centre, Glor, Co. Clare

Irish traditional music puts the emphasis on the informal more than any other musical form. It is about spontaneity and the erosion of the boundaries between the music maker and the listener. Thus the shallow auditorium where eye contact is as important as its sophisticated accoustic performance. The juxtaposition of spaces and their architectural expression is about encapsulating the particular body language. Tall airy and awash with light, a central hall becomes the theatre’s spine off which are located various social spaces finished in warm colours and furnishings for the impromptu session.