WOR performs Saturday at the Crystal Theatre in Crystal Falls.

CRYSTAL FALLS — Crystal Theatre’s 12-event 2024 “Gem of a Season” concludes with a performance by WOR at 7 p.m. Saturday.

“Some patrons think we’ve saved the best for last,” said Wilma Kallies, Crystal Theatre’s board president. “When WOR was here in 2022, everyone had such a great time, they asked us to please bring them back. So we did!”

This band of five musicians from Belgium play on an eclectic range of instruments from violin, guitar, and baritone sax to accordion, baroque musette, and bagpipes. WOR (pronounced “were”) injects new energy into 18th-century melodies from the Flanders region of Belgium.

Recording for the first time in 2015, the group’s curiosity and passion is expressed in the comment, “if it sounded good back in the 1780s, why not today?” Their music shines an inventive spotlight, with a modern twist, on the melodies of these old manuscripts.

WOR has released three albums and has toured in Europe, Australia and Canada in addition to the US. In 2021, they were nominated for “Best live band” at the Flemish Folk Awards, and their album “About Towers” made it into the World Music Charts of Europe.

“About Towers” is built around Belgian manuscripts of carillon music. In the late Middle Ages, the carillon, a set of tuned bronze bells suspended in a large tower, functioned like a modern-day radio station playing the hits of the day. The group calls it “unusual music in a hip and catchy costume, always with respect for tradition, but brimming with artistic originality.”

Baritone saxophonist Fabio Di Meo was born in Brussels and started playing sax at the age of eight. After obtaining a master degree in music and teaching for two years, he went into music production and is currently working for the Centre for Fine Arts Brussels.

Jeroen Goegebuer started playing the violin at the age of six and took formal lessons for nine years. He received a bachelor’s degree in jazz violin while teaching folk violin. He now tours the world with bands in several genres from pop, rock and world music.

Pieterjan Van Kerckhoven, an active international musician and educator, plays bagpipes, baroque musette and saxophone with WOR. He has a postmaster’s degree in baroque musette, a master’s degree in chamber music, and currently teaches at LUCA School of Arts in Leuven, Belgium.

Guitarist Jonas Scheys has a master’s degree in guitar and is currently the guitar instructor at the Academy of Music in Geraardsbergen, Belgium. Active in the Belgian roots music scene playing bass, guitar and luth, he also performs with ensembles in other musical genres such as tango, fusion, baroque and renaissance music.

Bert Ruymbeek began studying accordion at the age of 9; when he was 15, he participated in world music camps. Strongly influenced by Celtic and Nord-European traditional music, he has also toured with other ensembles and is currently an instructor in several accordion and roots music programs.

“If you missed WOR’s performance in 2022, don’t make the same mistake twice!” Crystal Theatre’s managing director says.

Season flex-passes or advance tickets for WOR can be purchased online at thecrystaltheatre.org, by phoning 906-875-3208, or in person 9 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday at Stage Left.