Founded in 1997, the Murphy Roche Irish Music Club (Burr Ridge, Illinois) is a non-profit organization for people of all ages and musical skill levels who perform, want to learn, or just enjoy Irish traditional music. The club is affiliated with the international organization of Irish Musicians, Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (pronounced "kol-tus kyol- tori air-in").

Members do not need to be Irish. We draw from a broad range of ethnicities, including Polish, Native American, Dutch, Brazilian, and, of course, Irish. We invite you to join our club and join in our activities. Our weekly sessions offer a lot to many. Of course, they're an opportunity for musicians to gather and play traditional music. But they're much more. Club members socialize there, others enjoy "lift" from the music, new friendships form, and some are inspired to start performing Irish music and even join the club. Sessions are from an Irish music tradition that has touched many lives over the centuries. If you've never been to a session, or if it's been a while, we hope you'll try a Murphy Roche session soon. Newcomers, regulars, families and friends are always warmly welcomed

Murphy Roche is a 501(C)3 non-profit organization


 


The Murphy Roche Irish Music Club, located in Burr Ridge and consisting of nearly eighty members have students in the Western suburbs who have performed at many prestigious venues, like Grant Park, and have hosted traditional Irish music sessions at local pubs. The club is a dynamic group, known for playing rollicking jigs and reels, as well as for efforts to teach young and adult musicians how to play Irish music. The children of the music school recently competed in the Milwaukee Winterfeis, an Irish music and dance competition, and were among the top dancers in every category of music. The children are now preparing two bands to compete in an international music competition in late April. The club performed at the university of Chicago’s Folk Fest in February and in numerous festivals all summer long, including the Gaelic Park Irish Fest. Adult musicians come from every walk of life and nearly every ethnicity. Most never played Irish music before but were lured by the exciting, driving rhythms they heard in Riverdance. Many were classical musicians who were charmed by the idea of playing music for the sheer joy of it. For more information on the Murphy Roche Irish Music Club contact Kell Chole at 630-212-7679.




... and so it's a mighty treat from time to time to come across a CD of musicians who play the music because they simply love it ... simply LOVE it.
 - CD review by Pay the Reckoning (2004)

In a tongue-in-cheek play on the Chieftan's seminal recording "Chieftans I" we named our first CD One (2001),  With a theme of duets and trios our second CD, Twos & Threes (2003), soon followed.  To spotlight the incredible talent of our junior members our third recording featured the Girls of Murphy Roche (2007). And, not to be out done, coming soon is our fourth CD, The Boys of Murphy Roche.

Click on a CD To play a track or purchase a CD.

            





Senior and Junior Murphy Roche bands are made up of members of our club. In fact to participate in our band activities, or other club sponsored performances, you must be a member. Our bands perform at ceilithe, festivals, concerts, and competitions throughout Illinois particularly during the summer months. Our Junior bands have even competed in Ireland at the world title level.

Scoil (pronounced Skol') - is Irish for school. The Murphy Roche Irish Music Club, working to preserve and promote the  music, dance, and cultural heritage of Ireland, provides education and instruction through our Scoil. Individual and group instruction, workshops, and seminars are available on most instruments and for all ages.

Our music school teaches kids and adults to play music in private and in group lessons. Fiddle/violin, flute, Irish whistle, accordion, and more are offered. Call or talk with us about how you can begin to learn Irish music. Contact our club or e-mail scoil@murphyroce.org to discuss your specific needs and how we can help you.

For questions or additional information about our school and programs, or to register  for a class contact:

Murphy Roche
11309 West 72nd Street
Burr Ridge, Illinois 60527-4938, USA
(630) 212-7679
scoil@murphyroche.org 





Common Instruments Played in Irish Traditional Music
Of all the musical instruments known, only a small subset have found their way into Irish Traditional Music. The unique timbre, individual characteristics and playing technique of these instruments is as much a part of the distinctive sound of Irish music as is the music that is actually played. The most distinctive of Irish music instrumentation is the Uilleann Pipes , (pronounced ILL-un, or ILL-yun,) the so-called Irish bagpipes, which are, by the way, a much different instrument from their more famous cousin, the Highland bagpipes played by military bands. From the pipes, the tradition passed to the Fiddle (violin), then the Flute and whistle and the Button Accordion. Other instruments, such as the Banjo, Citern and Mandolin, were adopted later. The use of rhythmic accompaniment instruments such as guitar, piano, and drums like the Bodhran (pronounced BOW-rahn), are more recent developments. Browse to our Instruments page for more information.

Classes and instruction are available in most all Irish Traditional musical instruments. To schedule a lesson of for further information contact:

Murphy Roche
11309 West 72nd Street
Burr Ridge, Illinois 60527-4938, USA
(630) 212-7679



In memory of Pat Roche (1905-2004), the Murphy Roche School of Irish Music has established a scholarship. Browse to Our School page for more information








Congratulations to our very own Kell Chole on being one of the honored recipients of a special jubilee award from CCE for outstanding contributions to Irish Music. The award was presented at the 2001 Midwest Fleadh in Detroit. With a very limited number of nominations permitted by CCE, this award shows the high esteem Kell is held in by her colleagues and peers in the world of Irish traditional music, song and dance. In speaking of the award Kell says "I think all the members of the club really share in that success."