The Belgium band WOR will perform Sunday at the Crystal Theatre in Crystal Falls.

Crystal Falls — The eclectic ensemble WOR (pronounced “were”) comes from Belgium to perform at 7 p.m. Sunday at the Crystal Theatre in Crystal Falls.

Defying a simple description, WOR ‘s music shines an inventive spotlight, with a modern twist, on 18th-century melodies from the Flanders region of Belgium. The sound has elements of folk, early music, and jazz. One music critic says, “the music is classic, they call it folk, the result is rock ‘n’ roll.”

WOR has toured in Europe, Australia, Canada, across the U.S. — and now the U.P. The group was nominated for “best live band” at the 2021 Flemish Folk Awards. Their latest album, “About Towers,” made it into the European World Music Charts.

Much of their current repertoire comes from “About Towers,” which is built around Belgian manuscripts from the vast carillon repertoire from the Low Countries. In the late Middle Ages, the carillon (a set of tuned bronze bells suspended in a large tower) used to function like a radio station, playing the hits of the day to everyone in the surrounding area.

Each member of the band is a serious student of his chosen instrument and has a long experience in a wide range of musical genres. Fabio Di Meo, baritone sax; Jeroen Goegbuer, fiddles, mandolin and banjo; Pieterjan Van Kerckhoven, bagpipes, soprano sax and piano; Bert Ruymbeek, accordion; and Jonas Scheys, guitars and double bass. All experts in their respective fields. With great respect for the traditional music of their homeland, the group breathes new life into ancient, striking melodies.

Advanced tickets for this unique musical experience may be purchased at Ben Franklin, The Twisted Twig and Crystal Theatre’s Stage Left in Crystal Falls; the Iron County Chamber office in Iron River; The Music Tree in Iron Mountain; online at thecrystaltheatre.org, or by calling 906-875-3208.