Folk music arrangements by William Ashworth
If the background sounds are turned on in your browser, you should be listening to a tune by Turlough O'Carolan called "Beauty in Tears." This is a MIDI realization of a chart prepared by William Ashworth for Peter Street, an Irish folk band formed in 1996. In its four-year life, Peter Street played parties, libraries, one-world celebrations, and several folk festivals (including a standing gig at the Northwest FolkLife Festival in Seattle). Ashworth played Celtic harp, pennywhistle, and guitar; others in the band included Melody Ashworth, fiddle; Teresa Dopyera, pennywhistle; Phil Colvard, guitar; and Tom Scheutz, bodhran. The MIDI sound approximates a band performance; a bit of the true sound of the band may be added to this page in the future. (If you don't hear anything, try clicking the link below.)
Prior to Peter Street there was Kalmiopsis, an international folk dance band that played for dances in western Oregon and northern California. Kalmiopis also played the Northwest FolkLife festival. Ashworth played guitar, pennywhistle, kaval, and Celtic harp: other band members included Melody Ashworth, fiddle; Phil Colvard, guitar; Steve Boyer, accordian; Milt Bloombaum, mandolin; Dan Verner, guitar, balalaika, bazouki, and tambouritza; and Yehosha Ourshalimian, dumbek. Here is a MIDI approximation of the band's sound, part of a tune called "Rustemul."