Belgian group to bring unique take on ‘oldies’ to Tack Center

A large cross-section of Central Wisconsin’s population would probably admit to listening to the local “oldies” station, enjoying the “top hits” of a previous generation – or two! Who would argue, then, that music of the past is no longer relevant?

Certainly not the musical group from Belgium that calls themselves WÖR (pronounced ‘were’)! On Saturday, Nov. 5, Spencer’s LuCille Tack Center will present WÖR, a band of musicians who aptly share their modern take on the hit music of 18th century Europe – music that, surprisingly, wouldn’t be out of place on a current soundtrack of “Game of Thrones.”

Hand-me-down melodies given a facelift in the style of the current era is not unusual. Using a backbone of Irish and Celtic influenced accompaniment, this young band does exactly that – giving old tunes a new life. With the help of archival music manuscripts, the instrumentalists of WÖR have taken these old “pop tunes” and turned them into a remarkable collection. Lively dance tunes, tender “airs,” and melodies from the bell towers of Europe have each been given a modern twist that is strangely timeless – a new sound that is firmly seated in the past but could still easily have been written today.

Traditional folk instruments of guitar, fiddle, accordion and bagpipes join forces with the reedy qualities of baritone and soprano sax, resulting in a rich sound drawn from a variety of tone colors. Despite the awardwinning musicianship of the talented players, listeners concur that the true stars of WÖR are the tunes, which now sparkle with mischievous life after the dust of two centuries has been blown off. Visit wearewor.com, give a listen and see if you don’t agree.

WÖR’s only performance in Wisconsin is sponsored in part by the generosity of Tim and Marlene Ablett, Randy and Diane Veale, the Community Foundation of North Central Wisconsin, Wisconsin Arts Board, Wisconsin Public Radio and the National Endowment for the Arts.

For tickets and more information, visit lucilletackcenter. com or call 715-659-4499.

WOR (pronounced ‘were’) from Belgium will be making its only appearance in Wisconsin on Nov. 5 at the LuCille Tack Center for the Arts in Spencer.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO