Harp concert brings tunes ‘plucked’ from Ireland
Regina Delaney, left, sings an Irish folk song backed by harps inside Redmen Hall on Sunday, March 29. Photos by Grace Roche
Delaney sings "The Coal Quay Market," a song warning against buying a used shawl.
The group performed many songs on their harps. 
Harps stand on stage at Redmen Hall.
Regina Delaney, left, sings an Irish folk song backed by harps inside Redmen Hall on Sunday, March 29. Photos by Grace Roche
Delaney sings "The Coal Quay Market," a song warning against buying a used shawl.
The group performed many songs on their harps.
Harps stand on stage at Redmen Hall.
The New England Irish Harp Orchestra brought traditional Irish songs to listeners at Redmen Hall on Sunday, March 29.
Seven musicians — six harpists and one drummer — filled the hall with melodies, singing, clapping and dancing for a concert supporting the Friends of the Wareham Free Library.
Kerry Mello serves on the Friends’ board and plays in the orchestra, and she brought the groups to Wareham for the Saturday event.
Orchestra founder Regina Delaney said the Wareham audience was “fabulous” and she enjoyed playing for them.
“They did the best singing of ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ of any audience we've ever had,” she said. “They were very receptive and it's fun to play to an audience that's receptive.”
Delaney began the group in 2005 and has brought it on tour across New England and Europe.
Among the musicians she enlisted for the Saturday performance was Paula Flynn, of Dover, New Hampshire. Flynn is a trained pianist who began learning the harp about eight years ago.
She said members of the orchestra were nervous going into the performance because they were missing a few players but she was happy with how the day went.
It was her first time playing in town, and said she enjoyed her listeners.
“They were great,” Flynn said. “They were quiet, but they were appreciative.”
Sarah Casey, a friend of Delaney and her husband, came from Framingham to watch the show.
She is also a musician, but as a flutist she said she enjoys listening to people play complex melodies on the harps
“I love the harp because it is so different from the flute — I can only play one note at a time,” Casey said. “Regina is an amazing harpist, although to be honest, I think my favorite part is the part when Regina dances.”
