Susquehanna Folk Music Society will offer workshops, conversations, and performances on Sunday, Oct. 17, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. The event is virtual, and attendees may attend the full day or individual sessions.

The full-day residency, "Lamentations and Laughter: The Tragic and Comic Songs of Ulster," will feature Mairead Ní Mhaonaigh and Dáithí Sproule - two members of the Irish band Altan - and Seamus Carmichael, who was raised in County Derry and now lives in Lebanon, Pa. They will explore the traditional songs of the region of Ulster, which spans Northern Ireland and the far northern part of the Irish Republic.

There will be five sessions. "The Songs of Ulster," held from 10 to 10:45 a.m., will introduce viewers to the residency artists, and participants will have the opportunity to learn a couple of songs and to hear performances.

During "Tragic Little Stories," from 11 to 11:45 a.m., fiddler, sean-nós singer and composer Mhaonaigh will give a brief background to the Gaelic song tradition of her area in County Donegal and will talk about and demonstrate the songs she learned growing up in an area where Gaelic was her main language.

From 1 to 1:45 p.m., visual artist and traditional singer Carmichael will explore "Comic Songs and Singing Techniques," and from 2 to 4 p.m., singer and guitarist Sproule will give examples of songs that made their way from the north of Ireland to North America during the session "Guitar Accompaniment for the Songs of Ulster."

The event will conclude with a traditional song session from 3 to 3:45 p.m. This activity will feature all three artists.

The residency is funded by a CARES Act grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. General funding for Susquehanna Folk Music Society events is provided by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, administered locally by the Cultural Alliance of York County.

The event is free, but donations are welcome. To register and for more information, visit http://www.susquehannafolk.org. Details are also available by calling 717-745-6577.