irish music & october 2016 deireadh fómhair dance … · october 2016 deireadh fómhair ......

www.IMDAwww.IMDAwww.IMDAwww.IMDA----MN.orgMN.orgMN.orgMN.org

Irish Music &

Dance Association 34rd Year, Issue No. 10

October

2016

Deireadh Fómhair

The mission of the Irish Music and Dance Association is to support and promote Irish music, dance, and other

cultural traditions to insure their continuation.

Welcome The Celtic Junction Arts Center!

The Celtic Junction is excited to announce its new status as a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization, as Celtic Junction Arts Center (CJAC)! What does that mean? It means that from now on, the Junction will continue to bring you the best of Celtic music, dance and educational outreach programs; but now CJAC can also accept contributions and donations that are tax-deductible. This opens the door to support from individuals and local, national and international foundations; and the ability to be funded for programs that advance Celtic culture in this community.

The most immediate impact of this change in status will result in the new Eoin McKiernan Library, inspired by Celtic Junction’s recent receipt of a bequest from the McKiernan family. Celtic Junction has been entrusted with the care and preservation of approximately 1500 books, letters and other documents from Dr. McKiernan’s personal library -- and we now have a responsibility to house, manage and staff the collection appropriately.

Dr. McKiernan’s library is an important resource for all students of Irish literary arts, history and culture. We are honored to have received this gift, as Eoin McKiernan was an iconic champion of Irish culture in America and founder of the Irish American Cultural Institute (IACI). The IACI and its innovative educational programs and international exchanges flourished in St. Paul under Dr. McKiernan’s leadership. Now, 25 years later, Celtic Junction Arts Center will re-ignite this work and usher in a new era of authentic cultural engagement, as it advances its mission to “preserve, promote and celebrate” the rich cultural legacy of our Celtic community.

For further information and for ways to support this new chapter in Twin Cities Celtic cultural life, please visit our website at: www.celticjunction.org and consider donating to the Eoin McKiernan Library Project at giveMN.

Inside this issue:

The Celtic Junction 5

Celtic Collaborative Classes 11

Please join us on October 15 for an extraordinary evening celebrating the new

Celtic Junction Arts Center, in support of the Eoin McKiernan Library .

See page 6 of this issue for details!

2


Irish Music &

Dance Association Tune of the Month by Amy Shaw

I didn’t make it to Ireland this year, and in a fit of self-pity I ordered a pile of CDs from Custy’s, including a wonderful compilation called Eddie

Moloney: Master Musician. This two-CD set was put together by Eddie’s son Séan and is chock-full of previously unreleased recordings from the RTÉ and Comhaltas archives, the Irish Traditional Music Archive, and other sources. The booklet includes extensive notes about Eddie’s background and musical influences. Eddie Moloney (1920-1980) came from the parish of Ballinakill in Ross, Co. Galway and was one of the great East Galway-style flute players as well as a fine fiddler. He got much of his music from his multi-instrumentalist father, Stephen, who was a member of the Ballinakill Traditional Dance Players. Eddie was also influenced by one of their neighbors, the flute player Tommy Whelan, who composed many tunes in Eddie’s repertoire. Eddie went on to play with the Ballinakill Céili Band, the Lough Lurgan Céili Band, Mulhaire’s Céili Band, and in a well-known duet with the fiddler Aggie Whyte. He is said to have been a kind and friendly person and a mentor to younger musicians, such as the members of the ShaskeenCéili Band. After listening to a few tracks of this compilation, I realized that here was a real gap in my education. Eddie Moloney should be required listening for any flute player. His fine performance of Miss McLeod’s (track 12), that well-worn reel, really made me sit up and listen. SéanMoloney’s comments are apt: “It can be difficult to accept an alternative setting of a tune when one is familiar with a common setting, but in this case one finds themselves enthralled with Eddie’s versions and a desire to adopt it, as if one has discovered the authentic version.” The tune I chose for this column caught my attention right away because of its wonderful title, which I suppose has great relevance today if you took “weather” to mean “climate!” After I listened to the tune a few times, I started hearing Brian Miller’s guitar in my “mind’s ear.” Sure enough, a quick rummage of my CD shelves revealed that Bua had recorded this tune under the name Eddie Moloney’s (Down the Green Fields, track 1). Disclaimers: Apparently Eddie was a stickler for note accuracy, so I hope this is a good representation of the basic tune. But

for full benefit, you’d better go listen to Eddie! It’s difficult to notate all of his variations and the special way he inflects those long

D’s in this tune (he ornaments the first part, and sort of leans on the second part).

The IMDA Board is:

President: Julia Rogers

Vice President: Jan Casey

Treasurer: Kathleen Rogers

Secretary: Jean Bergstrom

Board Members: John Concannon Kevin Carroll Kathie Luby Editor: John Burns IMDA Board Meetings are open to the membership. The Board meets regularly on the first Tuesday of each month at 6:00 pm at the Dubliner Pub in St. Paul. Members are encouraged to verify the time and location shortly before, as meeting times and locations can change.

Contact Information

E-mail: [email protected]

Newsletter Submissions We welcome our readers to submit articles of interest, news, and notices of events to be published in the newsletter. The deadline is the 20th of the preceding month.

Send to: [email protected]

3


Irish Music &

Dance Association I don't know if you've noticed -- the indications are pretty subtle -- but there's an election in our near future. Maybe your thumb is sore from hitting the mute button on your TV remote in self-defense against the ever increasing bombardment of fógraí

polaitiúla ("political ads"). "Election" is toghchán in Irish. The verb togh means "to select" or "to choose." The selection is made, of course, by "voting," which is represented in Irish by a word of English origins, namely vótáil.

The letter "v" appears only in loan-words in Irish and is not part of the standard Irish alphabet. And that "v" is often pronounced as a "w" sound, so it would be common to hear something like "Whoa-tawl" for this word vótáil.

The top prize this year is the White House, "top" being something of a cross-language pun in this sentence. The Irish word for "president" -- of the country, of a club, of any organization -- is uachtarán. Now, uachtar means the "top" or "upper part" of something. This has straightforward uses such as uachtar bus, the "top deck of a bus." Or we might say that someone has an lámh in uachtar ar

dhuine, that is, they have the "upper hand," the advantage, on someone. So the Uachtarán is at the top of the hierarchy. (Oddly, to our conventions, in geography uachtar is traditionally used to refer to the southern, rather than the northern, part of a country.) Of course, cream rises to the top of the milk, so uachtar is also used to mean "cream." And if you make that cream "frozen," you get uachtar reoite or "ice cream." Very much unlike English, then, in Irish the terms for "president" and "ice cream" are based on the same word. Each major party, the "Democrats" (na

Daonlathaithe) and the "Republicans" (na

Poblachtaigh), has its own "candidate" or iarrthóir.

Iarrthóir comes from the verb iarr, "to attempt," so a "candidate" is kind of an "attempter" in Irish. (The party's iarrthóir is the person who won the ainmniúchán ("nomination"), from ainm, "name.")

Of course, when election day comes around, you'll see more than just two Presidential tickets. At the very least, there will be iarrthóirí from the Páirtí

Liobraíoc ("Libertarian Party") or Na Glasaigh ("The Greens"), not to mention several other choices, if it's

a typical Minnesota "ballot" (ballóid). And a complete ticket includes a candidate for "Vice-President," or LeasUachtarán.

Leas is a prefix that kind of indicates a substitute or backup item. In addition to "Vice-President," the prefix leas is used to express concepts like "stepsister" (leasdeirfiúr) -- evil or not -- and "nickname" (leasainm). You may also vote for your Seanadóir ("Senator") at the state level, and for your Ionadaí

("Representative") at the state and national levels. That's a lot of polaiteoirí ("politicians") bombarding you with pitches for your vote. Of course, those pitches are nothing but the fírinne

("truth"). Who ever heard of a politician who was a bréagadóir ("liar")? The feachtas Uachtaránach, the "Presidential campaign," seems to last forever in this country, and the ruthless repetition of all those nasty and ridiculous political ads might have you shouting Tá mé bréan de

at your TV. Bréan is an adjective meaning "foul" or "putrid." So, Tá mé bréan de is a colorful way of saying, "I'm fed up!" We welcome our new students who will complete our "Intro" series of classes this month and then join our regular Monday classes. Fáilte rompu!

To keep an eye on our activities, including classes and workshops, visit our home page at http://www.gaelminn.org/www.gaelminn.org and use the link near the top of the page to subscribe to our free monthly e-newsletter. Each addition will also bring you a couple of tips for more efficient, effective study of the language. Olc síon an sioc, is fearr sioc ná sneachta. "Frost is bad weather,[but] frost is better than snow."

—Will

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Irish Music &

Dance Association

Please join the Mooncoin Ceili Dancers

to celebrate 40 Years of Performing Irish Dance

from the Midwest to Ireland. Date: October 22, 2016

Time: 6:00—10:00 p.m.

Location:The Celtic Junction Arts Center

The evening will include an appetizer & dessert potluck, socializing, sharing stories, and a ceili with live music called by Mike Whalen (former Mooncoin member).

This event is free and open to the public.

Updates will be posted at mooncoinceili.com and on Mooncoin’s Facebook page.

5


Irish Music &

Dance Association Dale and Blair's Kitchen Party

featuring Dale Brown and Blair McEvoy of the Dust Rhinos

What is a kitchen party? Picture drinkers and carousers carrying on, lots of laughs, great music and maybe even some dancing. You are guaranteed to have a good time! Join Blair McEvoy (guitar, bodhran and vocals) and “Downtown” Dale Brown (fiddle, mandolin and vocals) for an evening filled with stories and songs, as they share some of the tales of where the tunes come from and shenanigans that befall a Celtic rock band at home and on the road. Using traditional airs, reels and jigs, the boys conjure up the Ireland of olde, and then, like a shillelagh wrapped in a potato sack, they knock the bejeebers out of that green and lovely image and unleash a freight train loaded with banshees and the furious ghost of Cuchulainn.

Friday, October 7 at The Celtic Junction, 836 Prior Avenue North, Saint Paul Music starts 8:00 p.m. Doors open 7:30 p.m. Advance tickets $10, $15 at the door

Irish harpist Aislinn Gagliardi in Concert Aislinn Gagliardi is an Irish harpist and composer based in Chicago, and is well sought after as a performer, teacher and recording artist. Drawing from her background in Irish dance, and influenced by a diverse musical range from classical to Cape Breton, Aislinn’s distinct style shines through her music in an open and honest way. Known for her syncopated and rhythmic accompaniment, her compositions and arrangements offer a fresh perspective to the Irish music tradition. Aislinn’s recently released debut solo harp album The Thin Place has been called “stunning, a monumental piece of work from a very talented and driven harper” and “for a first CD it’s a winner” (Jack Baker of Irish American News). The album blends popular traditional Irish tunes with those less commonly played, and features four of her own compositions including one with the album’s namesake. Joining Aislinn on select tracks are some of Chicago’s finest Irish musicians: Liz Carroll (fiddle), Teresa Shine (fiddle) and John Williams (concertina).

Friday, October 21at The Celtic Junction, 836 Prior Avenue North, Saint Paul Music at 8:00 p.m. Advance tickets $12, $15 at the door.

6


Irish Music &

Dance Association Please join us for an extraordinary evening celebrating

the new Celtic Junction Arts Center,

in support of the Eoin McKiernan Library.

Co-Hosts

Chris & Connie Coleman

Nick Coleman & Laura Billings

Patrick Coleman

Carol Connolly

Tom Crann & Andrew Martin

Peg Flanagan*

Yvonne Foster

Kieran & Lisa Folliard

Michael* & Susanna Gibbons

Peter & Claire Killen

Mike & Gloria Lynch

Teresa McCormick*

Te McKiernan Family

Brian Miller & Norah Rendell

Patrick O'Donnell

Liam O'Neill & Maeve O'Mara

Cormac Ó Sé* & Natalie Nugent O'Shea+

Jim Rogers

Tom & Marty Whelan

* Member – Board of Directors, Celtic Junction Arts Center + Executive Director – Celtic Junction Arts Center

Date: October 15, 2016

Time:6:30 PM Place:Celtic Junction Arts Center 836 Prior Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55104

6:30 VIP Reception ($75 per person) VIP Guests are welcomed to join our co-hosts for an open bar with signifcant hors d'oeuvres and a private silent auction amidst the lilting sound of Chad McNally's harp. Receive a private tour of the future library space and a sneak peek of special items with docent Jim Glazer.

7:00 Community Reception ($50 per person) Join us for lively session music and Irish cocktails, while engaging with our evening’s hosts in gregarious conversation (craic)!

8:00 Program Celebrate Celtic Junction Arts Center’s formal launch as a nonproft with founders Natalie Nugent O'Shea and Cormac Ó Sé. Mayor Chris Coleman will speak. Members of the McKiernan Family will describe the McKiernan collection and its impact for local and international Irish scholarship. Brian Miller will feature highlights from the Northwoods Archival project of traditional music and song.

8:30 Live Auction A live auction will feature Irish destinations and one-of-a-kind opportunities to support building, staffing and managing the Eoin McKiernan Library.

RSVP By October 10 please, to [email protected] or call Peg Flanagan @ 651.230.1233.

7


Irish Music &

Dance Association Celebrate the rich cultural legacy

of our Celtic community

as we preserve the past and forge the future.

Your support will enable us to:

♣ Design and build out the physical space; ♣ Value, catalog and insure the collection; ♣ Hire a librarian to establish, manage and maintain the collection; ♣ Create a searchable digital database; ♣ Establish and maintain networks between CJAC, other national/international libraries and cultural

heritage resources.

A commemorative broadside will be available to donors at the $250 level and above.

For further information and ways to support this new chapter

in Twin Cities Celtic cultural life,

please visit our website at:

www.celticjunction.org

If you cannot attend, but would be delighted to support Celtic Junction Arts Center and the Eoin McKiernan Library,

8


Irish Music &

Dance Association

IMDA Community Calendar October 2016 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 7:30pm Sister Tree Charlie’s Pub, Stillwater

2 Noon: Traditional Music Session Kieran’s Pub, Mpls

4pm Learners Irish Session 6pm Advanced Irish Music Session Keegan’s Pub, Mpls 7:30pm Pub Quiz Merlins Rest, Mpls 8pm Pub Quiz Dubliner Pub, St. Paul

3

4 7:30pm Pub Quiz Keegan’s Pub, Mpls 9pm St. Dominic’s Trio Driftwood Char Bar, Mpls

5 6pm Irish Brigade Half Time Rec, St. Paul 7pm Irish Social Dance Dubliner Pub, St. Paul 7:30pm Pub Quiz Merlins Rest, Mpls

6 6:30pm Pub Quiz 8pm Pub Quiz Keegan’s Pub, Mpls 7pm Irish Music Session J. Grundy’s Rueb ‘N’ Stein, Northfield 7pm Shindig: Irish Music Session Claddagh Pub, Maple Grove

7 6pm Irish Music Session Dubliner Pub, St. Paul 8pm Dale and Blair’s Kitchen Party The Celtic Junction, St. Paul 8pm Celtic Session Merlins Rest, Mpls

8 9pm Legacy Dubliner Pub, St. Paul

9 Noon: Traditional Music Session Kieran’s Pub, Mpls

4pm Learners Irish Session 6pm Advanced Irish Music Session Keegan’s Pub, Mpls 7:30pm Pub Quiz Merlins Rest, Mpls 8pm Pub Quiz Dubliner Pub, St. Paul

10 7:30pm Sea Shanty Sing Dubliner Pub, St. Paul

11 7:30pm Irish Set Dancing w/ the Twin Cities Ceili Band Dubliner Pub, St. Paul 7:30pm Pub Quiz Keegan’s Pub, Mpls 9pm St. Dominic’s Trio Driftwood Char Bar, Mpls


13 6:30pm Pub Quiz 8pm Pub Quiz Keegan’s Pub, Mpls 7pm Celtic Music Showcase Underground Music Café, Falcon Heights 7pm Irish Music Session J. Grundy’s Rueb ‘N’ Stein, Northfield 7pm Shindig: Irish Music Session Claddagh Pub, Maple Grove 7:30pm Folk Club Merlins Rest, Mpls

14 6pm Irish Music Session Dubliner Pub, St. Paul 7:30pm Patsy O’Brien & Matt Mancuso The Celtic Junction, St. Paul 8pm Celtic Session Merlins Rest, Mpls

15 1pm Greenwood Tree Pinetree Apple Orchard, White Bear Lake 6:30pm Fundraiser for Eoin McKierman Library The Celtic Junction, St. Paul

9


Irish Music &

Dance Association

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

16 Noon: Traditional Music Session Kieran’s Pub, Mpls 4pm Learners Irish Session 6pm Advanced Irish Music Session Keegan’s Pub, Mpls 7:30pm Pub Quiz Merlins Rest, Mpls 8pm Pub Quiz Dubliner Pub, St. Paul

17 6:30pm Willow Brae Madelia Library, Madelia

18 7:30pm Pub Quiz Keegan’s Pub, Mpls 9pm St. Dominic’s Trio Driftwood Char Bar, Mpls

19 6pm Irish Brigade Half Time Rec, St. Paul 7pm Irish Social Dance 9pm The Langer’s Ball Dubliner Pub, St. Paul 7:30pm Pub Quiz Merlins Rest, Mpls 7:30pm Loreena McKennitt State Theatre, Mpls

20 6:30pm Pub Quiz 8pm Pub Quiz Keegan’s Pub, Mpls 7pm Irish Music Session J. Grundy’s Rueb ‘N’ Stein, Northfield 7pm Shindig: Irish Music Session Claddagh Pub, Maple Grove

21 6pm Irish Music Session Dubliner Pub, St. Paul 7:30pm Aislinn Gagliard The Celtic Junction, St. Paul 8pm Celtic Session Merlins Rest, Mpls

22 7pm Cannon Valley Regional Orchestra: A Celtic Celebration with the Laura MacKenzie Trio High School Auditorium, Cannon Falls

23 Noon: Traditional Session Kieran’s Pub, Mpls 3pm Cannon Valley Regional Orchestra: A Celtic Celebration with the Laura MacKenzie Trio High School Auditorium, Cannon Falls 4pm Learners Irish Session 6pm Advanced Irish Music Session Keegan’s Pub, Mpls 7:30pm Pub Quiz Merlins Rest, Mpls 8pm Pub Quiz Dubliner Pub, St. Paul

24 6:30pm A Celtic Breeze Public Library, S. St. Paul 7pm 4th Monday Shanty/Pub Sing Merlins Rest, Mpls

25 7:30pm Pub Quiz Keegan’s Pub, Mpls 7:30pm Irish Set Dancing w/ the Twin Cities Ceili Band Dubliner Pub, St. Paul 9pm St. Dominic’s Trio Driftwood Char Bar, Mpls


27 6:30pm Willow Brae Watonwan Co. Library, St. James 6:30pm Pub Quiz 8pm Pub Quiz Keegan’s Pub, Mpls 7pm Irish Music Session J. Grundy’s Rueb ‘N’ Stein, Northfield 7pm Shindig: Irish Music Session Claddagh Pub, Maple Grove

28 6pm Irish Music Session Dubliner Pub, St. Paul 8pm Celtic Session Merlins Rest, Mpls

29

30 Noon: Traditional Session Kieran’s Pub, Mpls 3pm Traditional Singers Club W A Frost, St. Paul 4pm Learners Irish Session 6pm Advanced Irish Music Session Keegan’s Pub, Mpls 7:30pm Pub Quiz Merlins Rest, Mpls 8pm Pub Quiz Dubliner Pub, St. Paul

31

10


Irish Music &

Dance Association An Leabhragan

(The Bookcase)

Pond

by Claire-Louise Bennett

Riverhead Books 2016

This slender debut novel is classified as fiction, although it reads like a stream-of-consciousness journal. An unnamed young Irishwoman living in a remote cottage in coastal western Ireland chronicles her small life: rueful reflections on being rubbish as a gardener, the art of noticing small unbeautiful details in nature and domestic life rather than grand sunsets or sweeping scenery, the arc of a love affair from white-hot emails to awkward in-person commonplaces at the end. It's the sort of book where nothing much happens, and that's where everything happens. This little book has garnered rave reviews and much praise by fellow Irish writers, and style-wise has much in common with Virginia Woolf and James Joyce. If you, the reader, don't need a plot to keep you interested, you can happily lose yourself in the vivid imagery and playful word play of a little life richly lived. Sherry Ladig is a St. Paul-

based trad musician and a former

reviewer for the Hungry Mind

Bookstore's newsletter, Fodder.

Sherry welcomes ideas for books

to review of Irish and Irish-

American interest---or, write a

review yourself! She may be

reached at ladig-

[email protected]. Happy

autumn reading!

11


Irish Music &

Dance Association Three new Celtic Collaborative

Creative Writing/Literature Classes Coming in October 2016 to Celtic Junction

Digging in Haunted Ground: Learn to Write your Mystery Tale. 6 weeks. Tuesdays 7-9 p.m. October 18—November 22. $160. Boo: The Art of the Ghost Story. Saturday October 22 only. 11-2 p.m. $35. The Bear and the Hive: Learn to write poetry based on your cultural heritage(s). Saturday, October 29 only. 11-2 p.m. $65.

“Digging in Haunted Ground: Learn to write your Mystery Tale.” This six-week Celtic Collaborative class will explore key elements in writing a multi-layered, atmospheric mystery story. Students will read and analyze instructor Erin Hart’s first novel, Haunted Ground, and learn about that novel’s unusual origin and development. The class will kick off with a general discussion about classic mystery themes and subgenres, and practical nuts and bolts elements of mystery writing. Throughout the six weeks, this class will offer a combination of lecture, discussion and writing practice; students will also spend some class time working on their own mystery stories, using specific techniques they are learning from Haunted Ground: crafting memorable characters and dialogue, creating a strong sense of place, constructing an intricate plot, building suspense, and layering in ideas and images that will resonate with readers. Erin Hart, author of Haunted

Ground, will be our instructor. Tuesdays 7-9 p.m. at Celtic Junction. October 18 - November 22 (6 evenings). Cost: $160 per student.The class will culminate with a celebratory reading of our work in progress! If interested, email the instructor directly at [email protected]. Bring cash or check to the class. "Boo: The Art of the Ghost Story." Ghouls, spirits, the Undead. What makes a story scary? In this three hour Celtic Collaborative class, we will explore the history of the ghost story, the elements that make up a scary tale as well as writing prompts that will help you go deeper into what scares people. 11-2 p.m. Sat Oct 22 Celtic Junction. Cost: $35 per student. Instructor: Jacqueline Hesse. If interested, contact Jacqueline Hesse directly: [email protected] before October 20. Bring cash or check to the class. “The Bear and the Hive: Writing Poetry Inspired by Your Cultural Heritage(s).” Have you ever whispered to bees? Meditated in a sauna, sweatlodge, or before the rising smoke of a campfire? Walked on an ancient trail? Looked for the Great Bear in the night sky? Whether or not we are aware of it, images and stories rich in emotional meaning resonate throughout all of our cultural backgrounds. In this three-hour Celtic Collaborative workshop, students will 1) learn how to discover the images and stories from their various cultural backgrounds, 2) look at pictures and poetic models for inspiration, 3) write poems inspired by their personal narratives, and 4) share their work and plan future explorations. 11-2 p.m. Sat Oct 29 Celtic Junction. Cost: $65 per student. If interested, contact Lynette Reini-Grandell directly: [email protected] before October 27. Bring cash or check to the class.

12


Irish Music &

Dance Association Northwoods Songs: Irish Songs from Lumberjacks and Great Lakes Sailors

By Brian Miller

Northwoods Songs features a new song each month pulled from my research into old songs collected in the pine woods region that

stretches from New Brunswick west through northern Minnesota. In the 1800s, a vibrant culture of singing and song-making

developed in lumber camp bunkhouses and on Great Lakes ships. The repertoire and singing style were greatly influenced by Irish

folk repertoire and Irish singing styles. Many singers in the region had Irish background themselves.

Each installment of Northwoods Songs is also published online at www.evergreentrad.com along with a video of me singing the

song of the month. My hope is that others will learn some of these songs and make them their own as I have. -Brian Miller

VANDIEMENS LAND

Come, all you lads of pleasure and rambling boys beware, Whenever you go hunting with your hounds, your gun and snare, Whenever you go a-hunting with the valleys at your command, Think of the tedious journey, boys, going to Vandiemens Land.

There was Joe Brown from Nottingham, Jack Williams and Jack Jones,

They were three as jolly fellows, so well their country knows; They were taken one night near the bay, all with their gun in hand,

And for fourteen years transported unto Vandiemens Land.

There was a girl from Nottingham, Sally Simons was her name, For seven years transported for carrying on the game;

Our Captain bought her freedom and he married her off hand, She gave us good usage going to Vandiemens Land.

13


Irish Music &

Dance Association The landing port we went to was on a foreign shore,

The planters they surrounded us, full a score or more, They yoked us up like horses and sold us out off hand,

And they hitched us to the plow, me boys, to plow Vandiemens Land.

The houses that they built for us was made of sods and clay, The beds we had to sleep on were made of rotten hay;

Oh, rotten hay for beds, me boys, and slumber if you can, Oh, they gave us the very worst usage while on Vandiemens Land,

Last night as I lay down to sleep I had a pleasant dream,

I dreamt I was back in Ireland, down by a purling stream, With my Irish girl beside me and her at my command,

But when I awoke my heart was broke, off on Vandiemens Land. We return this month to another song from the repertoire of Irish-Minnesotan singer Michael C. Dean that I wrote about first in July 2013. You can now hear the 1924 field recording of Dean singing “Vandiemens Land” at the Minnesota Folksong Collection site (www.minnesotafolksongcollection.org) and see/hear a video of The Lost Forty’s new arrangement at www.thelostforty.com. It is fascinating to imagine what this song’s story of convicted poachers deported to Tasmania (Van Diemen’s Land) might have meant to Dean – himself an avid hunter. When Dean’s parents left Ireland around 1840, illegal hunting was still punishable by “transportation.” It was also sometimes a crime of necessity during the frequent food shortages of those years. In Minnesota, 50 years later, Dean enjoyed frequent hunting and fishing excursions much the same way modern Minnesotans do. Dean lived in Pine County, Minnesota from about 1885 through 1917 and did much hunting and fishing each fall duringthose years. His excursions were often mentioned in the colorfully written local section of the Pine County Pioneer:

“Mike Dean and party have returned from their hunting and fishing expedition up to Grindstone Lake. Mike doesn’t tell any big fish stories but says they had an immense time and when asked if they were successful, merely winks.”(Oct. 14, 1887) “M.C. Dean, J.J. Brennan, A. Anderson and Axel Hanson went on a hunting expedition on Tuesday and expected to bring back some game, but lo! Not even a frog did they get.”(August 30, 1889) The lure of the wilds caught Mike Dean and he skidooed north over the N. P. [Northern Pacific Railroad] early Wednesday morning. The hunting “yarns” spun by returning sports got on Mike’s nerves. He took along a small arsenal. Had he went south, one would be led to believe that he was heading for Mexico to annihilate Huerta and his ilk [Victoriano Huerta was a major player in the ongoing Mexican Revolution that year]. (Nov. 21, 1913)

Apparently Dean wasn’t much for telling “fish stories” but I expect his singing of “Vandiemens Land” may have been popular with his hunting friends.

Visit a full archive of all Northwoods Songs columns and songs online at www.evergreentrad.com

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State

Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

14


Irish Music &

Dance Association

The Center for Irish Music

Come check us out at

The Celtic JunctionThe Celtic JunctionThe Celtic JunctionThe Celtic Junction 836 Prior Avenue, St Paul MN

Please check the website for information on our full range of instruction in traditional Irish

music, language , culture and fun.

For class schedule and other information call or email

651-815-0083 [email protected]

Or visit our website

www.centerforirishmusic.org

Dedicated to Handing Down the Tradition

Smidirini* (*Irish for ‘Bits and Pieces’)

By Copper Shannon

♣ Comhghairdeas lenár gcairde a phós le gairid! (Congratulations to our friends who recently married!) Emily Wolff and Jake Underkofler were married recently in St. Paul. Emily directs the Mactír Academy

of Irish Dance. ♣ Comhghairdeas le (Congratulations to) and Best Wishes to Cormac and Natalie O’Shea on the

establishment of the Celtic Junction Arts Center, a new 501(C) 3 non-profit organization. Cormac and Natalie view this change as an evolution of what the Celtic Junction has become. A board of directors has been established with Cormac serving as President of the new board and Natalie serving as Executive Director. The mission of the new organization is ““... a Twin Cities-based arts and cultural center that

provides a central gathering place to educate our audiences and preserve, promote and celebrate the

Celtic cultural legacy for the benefit of all ages and future generations." Look for more information elsewhere in this newsletter on a special fundraising event at the Celtic Junction Arts Center on Oct. 15.

♣ She’s on the grow / go! Best wishes to long time IMDA St. Patrick’s Day/Landmark Center and Irish Fair

vendor Sara’s Tipsy Pies! Sara Hayden is moving to a new production facility in Stillwater. Sara’s Tipsy Pies will still be available fresh and frozen at the Marine General Store in Marine-on-St. Croix, where the pies have been made for the last five years, in the freezer section of some local grocery stores – and at fairs and festivals around the area. Excellent!

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Irish Music &

Dance Association

Ceili Corner By Bhloscaidh O’Keane

Irish Céilí Dance:

Third Saturday Night Céilí - The Celtic Junction, 836 Prior Ave., No. St. Paul.

Irish Dance Classes:

Céilí Dancing - Wednesday Nights

Dubliner Irish Pub - 2162 University Avenue in Saint Paul. Learn Irish dancing in a genuine Irish pub with a wooden floor that has known a whole lot of dancing feet. Steps and dances are taught by Paul McCluskey and Kirsten Koehler. Basic beginning steps are taught beginning at 7:00, with advanced lessons and dancing continuing until 9:30 PM. Year-round; no children, and must be of legal drinking age. Free.

Set Dancing - Tuesday Nights

Dubliner Irish Pub - 2162 University Avenue in Saint Paul. Set Dancing at 7:30 pm on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of every month, music by the Twin Cities Ceili Band. The cost is $5 for the band, beginners welcome, for more information call Geri at the Dubliner (651)646-5551.

Check www.lomamor.org for all up-to-date Irish folk dancing information.

Update on IMDA Membership The Irish Music and Dance Association would like to remind members of a change in policy regarding membership. Because of rising costs in printing and postage, the Irish Music and Dance Association asks that members who want to receive their newsletter by U S mail support the IMDA by contributing at least $35 a year. All members have the option of receiving their newsletter by e-mail for faster delivery and color photos! We welcome your financial support of the IMDA at any level and that support helps us continue our work to promote Irish music and dance in the Twin Cities and beyond. You may also become a newsletter-only member without making a financial contribution. Whichever membership option you choose, we appreciate your support and look forward to seeing you at a concert or dance event soon!

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Music Dance Theatre Gaelic Volunteer

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Your monthly newsletter is delivered electronically via e-mail. Please advise us at [email protected] if your e-mail address changes .

Supporting members who contribute at least $35 annually may receive their newsletter by U S Mail. ___ Request US Mail

Revised 11/2013

Tear out the above form and send it with a check made out to “IMDA” to: The IMDA Membership Coordinator c/o Jan Casey 400 Macalester St. St. Paul, MN 55105

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irish music & october 2016 deireadh fómhair dance … · october 2016 deireadh fómhair ......

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