For Laurel Martin, the Irish traditional music she plays on her fiddle isn’t simply about notes on a staff, or melody, or rhythm. It’s also the suggestion of images, places and times, and the presence of the people who have inhabited the music.

“There are tunes or phrases of tunes that make me imagine, say, water on a rock or a soft wind blowing through the trees,” says Martin, a Westford resident. “I love how instrumental music, while it may have no words, can convey all kinds of messages if you open yourself up to the possibilities.

“Why would you want to study Irish?” is a question that Irish language learners are often asked. What I like most about Irish Gaelic is how it gives you access to an amazingly beautiful, living culture and, in a deep way, access to Irish history and tradition.

It would seem like an unlikely collaboration: Lúnasa, the masterful traditional Irish band known for its enthralling, layered instrumental arrangements, and Natalie Merchant, who headed up the cornerstone alt-rock group 10,000 Maniacs for several years before branching out on her own as a singer-songwriter.

What’s more, the collaboration had its beginnings in an equally implausible setting: Hawaii, where Merchant saw the quintet perform some years ago and floated the idea while talking with them after the show.