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Irish Music &

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July 2017

Lúil

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.

IMDA is a proud sponsor of Irish Fair Minnesota IMDA Music Workshop Tent

A wide range of workshops is planned the IMDA Music Workshop Tent at Irish Fair. Song and tune workshops:

Adam Coolong: “Songs from the 1981 Hunger Strike”

Dunquin: “Irish Tunes from Tin Pan Alley”

The Eddies: “More Than One Way to Tell a Story”

Legacy: “Songs of Immigration”

Chad McAnally: “The Music of Turloug O’Carolan”

Todd Menton: “Irish Pub Songs”

Murie-Wenstrom Family Singers: “Songs of the Irish Travellers”

Daithi Sproule: “Different Styles of Traditional Singing”

Bob Walser: “Celtic Maritime Musical Traditions”

Workshops focused on playing a particular instrument:

Paddy O’Brien: “Mastering the Button Accordian”

Eileen Ivers: “Irish Fiddle Workshop”

Tom Klein: “Not Your Father’s Pipes: The Uilleann Pipes”

Brian Miller: “The Bouzouki in Irish Music”

A special workshop on songwriting from singer-songwriter Aoife Scott.

Be sure to check the Irish Fair website and the festival program for the schedule!

Inside this issue:

New for Irish Fair 5

Irish Fair Headliners 10

CIM Fleadh Fund 11

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Tune of the Month by Amy Shaw

This reel was taught by Colm O’Donnell in one of his flute classes at last month’s Minnesota Irish Music Weekend. Paddy Jim Frank was the nickname of Paddy Hunt, a flute player from near Gurteen in Co. Sligo. He was apparently a big influence on Sligo flute players Roger Sherlock, who emigrated to London, and Kevin Henry, who wound up in Chicago – so I’m guessing Hunt was still living during the 1950s. This tune, a version of which was also recorded by John Carty (another artist at this year’s MIM), is related to a reel known as The Navvy on the Shore.

Usual disclaimers: Any transcription errors are my own. The notation here is not meant to be a substitute for listening. It is simply an aid to learning the tune.

The IMDA Board is:

President: Julia Rogers

Vice President: Jan Casey

Treasurer: Rob Thomas

Secretary: Jean Bergstrom

Board Members: John Concannon Kevin Carroll Kathie Luby Amber Ladany Editor: Kathie Luby Assistant Editor Kevin Carroll 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 St. Clair Broiler 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: info@irishmusicanddanceassociation.org

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 18th of the preceding month.

Send to: editor@irishmusicanddanceassociation.org

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We have already had plenty of hot, sunny weather this summer. When I was a kid, that kind of weather meant plenty of sunburns. Everybody thought it was a good idea to get a lot of sun to turn their craiceann, "skin," the color buí. Now, beginning students will think of buí as "yellow," as in a dandelion, and it is, but it also means "tan." The Irish words for colors tend to be a little more, shall we say, flexible than their English counterparts.

Back then, sometimes we got sunburns so bad that we got spuaiceanna ("blisters"). We often found our skin "peeling," craiceann ag sceitheadh, after bad burns.

These days we make a lot more effort to protect our skin from that pesky radaíocht ultraivialait ("UV radiation"). We're less worried about looking like a fashion model -- which, as an interesting aside, brings us to the word mainicín, or "mannequin", which is used for "model" -- than we are about ailse chraicinn, or "skin cancer."

As for showing sunburn, we can say that dath na gréine, "the color of the sun," is on you -- not meaning yellow (buí), literally, but colored by the effects of the sun. Indeed, to be i do chraiceann dearg, "in your red skin," is not to be sun-burned, but rather to be stark naked. We also have the odd expression, Dá gcuirfeá an taobh dearg de do chraiceann amach, "if you were to put the red side of your skin out," that is, turn your skin inside out, to express, "No matter how much you rant and rave . . ."

You can easily find yourself as do chraiceann, "out of your skin," with either anger or joy, and it just means that you are "beside yourself." And there are thin-skinned and thick-skinned Irish people, of course, but neither expression uses this word craiceann (which implies human skin). "Thin-skinned" is usually translated by a separate word, goilliúnach, meaning "sensitive" or "touchy." And for thick-skinned, we use a word for an animal skin, seithe, and not only that, but a "tough animal skin," seithe righin, to boot.

Saying someone is "nothing but skin and bone" is translated pretty literally, except for a subtle shift to na cnámha agus an craiceann, "the bones and the skin."

Craiceann is used for things similar to skin, like craiceann cáise for the "rind" of a cheese, or craiceann úill for an "apple peel." Craiceann also appears in many phrases to express something like "surface." For example, Tá craiceann ar an bhfarraige, "there's a skin on the sea," meaning that it is smooth, or calm. Craiceann crainn, the "skin of a tree," is its bark, and a proverb advises not to get idir an craiceann agus an crann, "between the bark and the tree." That is, don't get between, say, a married couple.

And it's only a small step further to say, tá craiceann na fírinne air, "there's the skin of truth on it," meaning, "it has the ring of truth." For one thing you definitely want to have a skin on is the stories you tell. A scéal gan chraiceann, a "story without skin," is an implausible one, and a leithscéal gan chraiceann, an "excuse without skin," is indeed a flimsy one. On the other hand, when if someone does a good, polished job of telling her story, we might say, Chuir sí craiceann ar an scéal, "She put a skin on the story."

As for that hot weather, even at this time of year sometimes you can get a cool evening that will give you craiceann circe, the "skin of a hen" . . . or "goose bumps."

Summer slows things down a little at Gaeltacht Minnesota, but we still plug away at the language at perhaps a more leisurely pace. We'll see many of you, we hope, at the Irish Fair in August. And we'll be offering our four-week "Intro" class through St. Paul Community Ed in the fall. To keep up to date with what we're doing, cast an eye toward our web site at www.gaelminn.org.

Ní hé an bhreáthact a chuireann an corcán ag fiuchadh.

Literally, "It is not beauty that sets the pot to boiling" "Beauty is only skin deep."

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IMDA Membership Renewals

The Irish Music and Dance Association wishes to thank these new and renewing members:

Mike Breidenbach

Amy Dailey and Paul Sackaroff Family

North Star Irish Dance (Beth Pitchford)

Mark Richardson

Everyone is reminded that IMDA memberships are now based on the calendar year and asks everyone to renew now.

All of our new and renewing supporting 2017 members will receive the following:

A one-year (January to December 2017) subscription to the IMDA’s monthly email newsletter.

A “Proud Member of the Irish Music and Dance Association” 3x10” bumper sticker or 4 X4” decal.

An IMDA "Hooley in the Heartland" 2-CD set ($18 value), featuring 30 tracks of songs and tune sets performed by local bands and musicians.

“Priority listing” for bands, organizations, pubs and businesses in our popular on-line Community Resources Directory, which is frequently used by people who are seeking local Irish musicians, bands, dancers and entertainers for performances, ethnic festivals, wedding receptions, corporate events, etc

Public recognition in a “New or Renewed Members” section of future IMDA newsletters and in re-lated posts to the IMDA web site and Facebook page.

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New for Irish Fair 2017 – The Celtic Kitchen!

The Celtic Kitchen will host food events all throughout the Fair weekend, including demonstrations and sampling, uniquely Irish foods, Chef competitions, and a special, limited seating sampling event on Fri-day night.

Celtic Kitchen Grand Opening: Satisfy your inner foodie with samplings of 6 delicious fresh and authentic Irish dishes, enjoy live music, and meet a few of our amazing chefs, such as: Celebrity Chef Eric McBride Acclaimed Local Chef Vincent Francoual and from Waterford, Ireland, Chef Fergal Phelan. Only 100 tickets available for this exclusive Friday night, event so grab yours today! Tickets are available for $25 in advance through Brown Paper Tickets. Doors open for this special event at 7pm!

The Celtic Kitchen is located just outside the pavilion on Harriet Island, overlooking the Mississippi Riv-er and will be open throughout the Irish Fair weekend, August 11-13, for food demonstrations, Food Fight chef competitions, and more.

Thank you to the sponsors who made this area possible: Walsh's Bakehouse, US. Foods, and Celtic Journeys.

WHAT’S NEW IN THE CULTURAL AREA

The Irish Fair will welcome Vice Consul Ragnar Almqvist from the Consulate of Ireland in Chicago.

Ragnar will speak on Ireland today: Brexit and the Phoenix economy in the Eoin McKiernan Speakers Tent.

A “Pop-Up Embassy” will be available in the Cultural Area, with information on the services available

through the Consulate.

Look for additions to Tom Dunn’s photo portraits of members of the local Irish community.

And the Trisceil Tea Room will be expanding – a bit more space to enjoy a good cup of tea and a treat

while enjoying some traditional music.

Irish Fair will take place on August 11 - 13 at Harriet Island; admission is free.

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BEGIN THE FUN EARLY

WITH MINNESOTA IRISH FAIR

PRE-EVENTS!!

For complete information check out:

http://www.irishfair.com

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980 Discovery Road Eagan, MN

Hours: 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM Ceilidh: 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM

Admission at the gate: Adults - $17, Seniors (65+) - $12 Children (15 & under) - $5 or free with a donation of a canned good for the food shelf.

Early Bird Tickets are currently available. The Minnesota Scottish Fair and Highland Games feature competitions in Heavy Games, Highland Dance,

and Pipe Bands plus Exhibits and Scottish Marketplace, traditional food and Celtic Music, including:

Mary MacGillvray Trio, including Mary MacGillvray, fiddle, with Susan Spencer, guitar and song, and James Ofsthun, drums and song Ed Willet, cellist, guitarist, composer, arranger and vocalist Walking on Air, including Don Clark, Michele Delattre, Laura MacKenzie and Ross Sutter Dick Hensold, Northumbrian small pipes and Patsy O’Brien, guitar and song Seumas Gagne, harp and song The Gunn Slingers, Scottish dance music

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IMDA Community Calendar July 2017 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

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

31 1 9am Greenwood Tree St .Paul Farmer’s Market 6pm Curtis & Loretta La Ferme Restaurant, Alexandria 7pm Shanty Pub Singing Merlins Rest, Mpls 7:30pm The Northerly Gales Charlies Irish Pub, Stillwater

2 Noon: Traditional Music Session Kieran’s Pub, Mpls Noon: Belfast Cowboys Fulton Taproom, Mpls 2pm Sunday Pub Sing Merlin’s Rest, Mpls 4pm Learners Irish Session 6pm Advanced Irish Music Session Keegan’s Pub, Mpls 8pm Pub Quiz Dubliner Pub, St. Paul

3 5:15pm RavensFire MN Freedom Fest Bandshell Community Park, Austin 7pm Intermediate Celtic Session Merlins’ Rest, Mpls

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

5 7pm Irish Social Dance Dubliner Pub, St. Paul 7pm Irish Music Session J. Grundy’s Rueb ‘N’ Stein Northfield 7:30pm Pub Quiz Merlins Rest, Mpls 9pm The Langer’s Ball DublinerPub, St. Paul

6 6:30pm Keegan’s Pub Trivia Keegan’s Pub, Mpls

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6pm Irish Music Session Dubliner Pub, St. Paul

7:30pm Bedlam Charlies Irish Pub, Stillwater

8:30pm Irish Sessiun & Highland Pipes Merlins Rest, Mpls 9pm Broken Spoke Dubliner Pub, St. Paul

9pm St. Domonic’s Trio The Schooner Tavern, Mpls.

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9am Greenwood Tree Prior Lake Farmer;s Market

5pm Belfast Cowboys Como Dockside Pavilion, St.Paul 7:30pm Bedlam Charlies Irish Pub, Stillwater

9 Noon: Traditional Session Kieran’s Pub, Mpls 1pm The Switched at Birth Band Charlies Irish Pub, Stillwater

4pm Learners Irish Session 6pm Advanced Irish Music Session Keegan’s Pub, Mpls 6pm Legacy, Music in the Park Series Birch Beach, White Bear Lake

8pm Pub Quiz Dubliner Pub, St. Paul

10 7pm Intermediate Celtic Session Merlins’ Rest, Mpls 7:30pm Sea Shanty Sing Dubliner Pub, St. Paul

11 12pm RavensFire Calvary Episcopal Church, Rochester 6pm IMDA Board Meeting St. Clair Broiler, St. Paul 7:30pm Pub Quiz Keegan’s Pub, Mpls 7:30pm Irish Set Dancing Dubliner Pub, St. Paul 9pm St. Dominick’s Trio Driftwood Char Bar, Mpls

12 7pm Irish Social Dance Dubliner Pub, St. Paul 7pm Irish Music Session J. Grundy’s Rueb ‘N’ Stein Northfield 7pm Belfast Cowboys Lake Geroge, St. Cloud 7:30pm Pub Quiz Merlins Rest, Mpls

13 6:30pm Keegan’s Pub Trivia Keegan’s Pub, Mpls 7pm Walking on Air Reunion Underground Music Café, St. Paul

14 6pm Irish Music Session Dubliner Pub, St. Paul 7pm RavensFire Riverside on the Root, Lanesboro 8:30pm Irish Sessiun & Highland Pipes Merlins Rest, Mpls

15 All Day Minnesota Scottish Fair Minnesota Scottish Fair, Eagan Curtis & Loretta Minnesota Waldorg School, St. Paul 7pm Irish Céilí Dancing with the Twin Cities Céilí Band The Celtic Junction Arts Center, St. Paul 8pm Belfast Cowboys Whiskey Junction, Mpls

Visit http://www.irishmusicanddanceassociation.org/calendar.html for detailed information about each event.

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Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

16 Noon: Traditional Session Kieran’s Pub, Mpls 4pm Learners Irish Session 6pm Advanced Irish Music Session Keegan’s Pub, Mpls 6pm Belfast Cowboys Brit’s Pub, Mpls 8pm Pub Quiz Dubliner Pub, St. Paul

17 7pm Resist! Dubliner Pub, St. Paul 7pm Intermediate Celtic Session Merlins’ Rest, Mpls

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

19 5:15pm RavensFire Zwingli United Church of Christ, West Concord 6pm Wild Colonial Bhoys Marjorie McNeely Conservatory, St. Pau, 7pm Irish Social Dance Dubliner Pub, St. Paul 7pm Irish Music Session J. Grundy’s Rueb ‘N’ Stein Northfield 7:30pm Pub Quiz Merlins Rest, Mpls 9pm The Langer’s Ball Dubliner Pub, St. Paul

20 6:30pm Keegan’s Pub Trivia Keegan’s Pub, Mpls

21 6pm Irish Music Session Dubliner Pub, St. Paul 6:30pm Dunquin Alden Square Park, St. Paul 8:30pm Irish Sessiun & Highland Pipes Merlins Rest, Mpls

22 4pm Brass Lassie Bridge Square, Northfield

23 All Day Dunquin Historic Sibley House, Mendota Village

Noon: Traditional Session Kieran’s Pub, Mpls W.A. Frost’s, St. Paul

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

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25 7:30pm Irish Set Dancing Dubliner Pub, St. Paul 7:30pm Pub Quiz Keegan’s Pub, Mpls 9pm St. Dominick’s Trio Driftwood Char Bar, Mpls

26 7pm Irish Social Dance Dubliner Pub, St. Paul 7pm Irish Music Session J. Grundy’s Rueb ‘N’ Stein Northfield 7:30pm Pub Quiz Merlins Rest, Mpls

27 6:30pm Keegan’s Pub Trivia Keegan’s Pub, Mpls 7pm Locklin Road Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park

28 6pm Irish Music Session Dubliner Pub, St. Paul 8:30pm Irish Sessiun & Highland Pipes Merlins Rest, Mpls

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Headliners for 2017 Irish Fair Minnesota

The Irish Fair of Minnesota will take place Friday, August 11 through Sunday August 13. The unique once a year celebration offers attendees an opportunity to celebrate authentic Irish heritage through a multi-tude of activities such as step dance, traditional group dance, Gaelic sports, Celtic marketplace, cultural displays, native Irish dogs, traditional tea room, Irish food and drink as well as several local and interna-tional bands. Screaming Orphans: Four sisters with the good fortune to have been raised in the magic of Bundoran

in County Donegal, Ireland. (Friday, Saturday, Sunday)

The Tim Malloys: Equal parts pub and punk, the Tim Malloys fuse traditional Irish music with a rau-cous Minneapolis sound and sensibility. (Friday)

Wild Colonial Bhoys: The lads who started as an Irish ballad-singing acoustic guitar duo have ma-tured into a Celtic rock tour-de-force and now have over a decade, five albums and thousands of miles behind them. (Friday)

Eileen Ivers – Universal Roots: With accolades of all forms ranging from Grammy awards to Emmy nominations, Eileen Ivers has established herself as the pre-eminent exponent of the Irish fiddle in the world today. (Saturday, Sunday)

Socks in the Frying Pan: This young trad trio from Country Clare blend Irish traditional melodies with an innovative rhythmic and melodic garnish. These socks are audibly palatable! (Saturday, Sun-day)

We Banjo 3: Galway’s We Banjo 3 credit finding common ground between old world tradition and authentic Americana by plying their banjo, fiddle, guitar and mandolin in an innovative fusion of styles that they dub “Celtgrass.” (Saturday, Sunday)

The Belfast Cowboys: A nine-piece, horn-driven band that specializes in the music of Van Morrison, along with original songs and other assorted rock covers. (Saturday)

Aoife Scott: Her sublime voice is a thing of beauty that stops people in their tracks. Fragile and ethe-real one minute and strong and vibrant the next, Dublin Folk singer-songwriter Aoife Scott has become a force to be reckoned with on the Irish folk and traditional scene. (Saturday)

Katie McMahon: Best known for her exquisite soaring soprano solo in the original Riverdance, Katie’s voice has been described as “poetry, perfection and purity.” ( Sunday)

Schedule information and details on the bands on the Irish Fair website – www.irishfair.com.

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Help the Center for Irish Music Bring the Tradi-tion Home from the 2017 All-Ireland Fleadh!

Center for Irish Music students played their hearts out at the Midwest Fleadh Cheoil [literally “Feast of Music”] in St. Louis in May, earning first and second place honors in all three of the highly competitive group competitions (first place – U18 grúpa cheoil [mixed musical ensemble]; first place – U15 céilí band, and second place – U18 céilí band), while bringing home an astonishing 35 medals from dozens of solo competitions.

These results qualify the young musicians to compete in the All-Ireland Fleadh in Ennis, Ireland in August. Now 18 CIM musicians and their families are making the trip to the All-Ireland Fleadh. CIM students and their families have been playing their way to an initial fundraising goal of $2,500, enabling 18 students to attend Scoil Éigse, a 4-day traditional music workshop taught by Ireland’s leading musicians. Performances at Como Dockside, Irish on Grand on “Grand Old Day,” and the Minnesota Irish Music Weekend together with a parent-led Go Fund Me cam-paign topped off the effort, and the kids are on their way!

CIM’s Board of Directors is committed to sending executive director Norah Rendell to be at their side as they bring home the tradition and represent Minnesota at this renowned international music competition. From now until July 15, every dollar donated to this effort will be matched dollar for dollar by a $3,500 Board Challenge Match.

Over the last several years, many talented CIM students have made the trip to play in Ireland on their own. For the first time, with three full “teams” of ensemble players, the Center feels that the time is right to make the leap and present the Center as a community music school.

Playing together, these dedicated young musicians will experience traditional Irish music in its full social context, learn from master Irish artists at the Scoil Éigse, and bring home new tunes and new stories that they will be playing and sharing for years to come.

Can you help the Center for Irish Music “hand down the tradition”? Join the effort by visiting the GiveMN website at https://www.givemn.org/organization/centerforirishmusic.

The IMDA’s next Open Mic Night is scheduled for: Tuesday, August 15, 2017 -- 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm

Black Dog Café, 308 Prince Street, St. Paul (Near the Farmers Market and the St. Paul Saints’ CHS Field)

For more information, or to sign up to perform, contact the IMDA at i

nfo@irishmusicanddanceassociation.org or call 651-983-6384

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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

THE LAMENT OF THE IRISH EMIGRANT

The place is little changed, Mary, the day is bright as then, The Lark’s loud song is in my ear and the corn is green again, But I miss the love glance of your eye, your breath warm on my cheek, And I still keep listening for the words you never more will speak. It’s but a step down yonder lane, and the little church stands near, The church where we were wed, Mary, I see the spire from here; But the church yard lies between, love, and my feet might break your rest, For I’ve laid you, darling, down to sleep with your baby on your breast. I am very lonely now, Mary, for the poor makes no new friends, But, oh, we love them better far, the few our Father sends; But you were all I had, Mary, my blessing and my pride, There is little left to care for now since my poor Mary died.

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I am bidding you a long farewell, my Mary, kind and true, But I’ll not forget you, darling, in the land I am going to; They say there’s bread and work for all and the sun shines ever there, But I’ll not forget old Ireland, were it twenty times as fair. And oft times in those grand old woods I’ll sit and close my eyes, And my thoughts will travel back again to the grave where Mary lies; And I’ll think I see the little stile where we sat side by side, And the springing corn and bright May morn when first you were my bride.

This heart-wrenching ballad of Irish immigration probably dates from the early 19th century. It was printed as a broadside frequently on both sides of the Atlantic throughout the 1800s. A stile is a structure that allows people, but not animals, to pass over a wall or fence, often via steps or a ladder structure. A common feature in 19th century Irish farm country, one can imagine this as an attractive perch for courting. The text above comes from Minnesotan Michael Dean’s Flying Cloud songster and I have married Dean’s text with the melody sung by John W. Green of Beaver Island, Michigan. You can hear Green’s version online via the Library of Congress at https://www.loc.gov/item/afc1939007_afs02286a/. The recording, made in 1938 by Alan Lomax, captures Green’s wonderful ability to vary melody and ornamentation as he sings each verse… a characteristic that is hard to capture in a transcription. The last verse of this text (which appears in some, but not all, British broadside versions as well) is intriguing in that it describes the emigrant’s destination as among the “grand old woods.” This seems to hint at the immigration pattern I so frequently discuss in this column–Irishmen coming to the north woods of North America and, often, working in the woods as lumbermen. Both singers I sourced this song from were born to Irish immigrant fathers who pursued this type of work and settled in small lumber-based communities in the Great Lakes region.

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.

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Walking On Air Reunion at the Minnesota Scottish Fair and Highland Games! Fans of the fabled ensemble Walking on Air will want to make their way to the Minnesota Scottish Fair and Highland Games in Eagan on July 15 for a very special reunion performance! Formed in the 1980’s, Walking On Air performed all around the Upper Midwest and attracted an enthusiastic following. The group recorded two very well received albums. All the members of the group have continued to perform and after being separated for many years by careers, the band is reuniting for a week of performances in July culminat-ing in their appearance at the Minnesota Scottish Fair. The band specializes in vocal and instrumental music from Scotland and Ireland. Walking on Air is partic-ularly well-known for three- and four-part vocal harmonies, notably on songs from Scotland. The band also excels in dance music from Celtic traditions, on an array of instruments which includes wooden flutes, con-certinas, Scottish smallpipes, tin whistles, guitar, bouzouki and percussion. Members of the band include Don Clark, Michele Delattre, Laura MacKenzie and Ross Sutter. Though the group has been separated, Don and Michele perform together regularly in the Celtic music scene in the San Francisco Bay area, and Laura and Ross have continued to play together in the Twin Cities area and across the country, including the Milwaukee Irish Fest and the Dublin Irish Fair in Ohio.

Details on the Minnesota Scottish Fair and Highland Games at http://www.mnscottishfair.org/

Smidirini*

(*Irish for ‘Bits and Pieces’)

By Copper Shannon

Deepest Sympathy to long-time IMDA and Irish Fair volunteer Trude Keating and family. Trude’s father Walter Schwendig recently passed away. Beannacht Dé lena anam (God’s blessing on his soul).

Sincere condolences to Irish Fair Board Member Dennis Stanton and family. Dennis’ dad Jim recently

passed away. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam (May his soul rest at the right side of God! Go mbíodh biseach ort gan mhoill! (may there be improvement on you without delay) to musician Ginny

Johnson.Ginny was hurt by a careless driver and is recovering with lots of help from her “partner in crime,” Tom Dahill. Best wishes for a speedy recovery!

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Ceili Corner By Bhloscaidh O’Keane

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.

IMDA Membership

Demonstrate your support of live Irish music, dance and cultural activities by becoming a member of the Irish Music and Dance Association. Become a supporting member by making a financial contribution. Member bands, businesses and organizations receive priority listing in the IMDA Community Resources List. All IMDA members receive the newsletter by e-mail.

Name: Today’s Date:

Address: Where did you hear about us?

Membership Type (circle one)

Individual $20 ___ Family $25 ______ by US Mail $35 ____

Band / Organization / Business $25 _______________________________________________

(Name of band, organization, business)

Interests (circle all that apply):

Music Dance Theater Gaelic Volunteer

Email Address __________________________________ Phone Number ___________________

Your monthly newsletter is delivered electronically via email Please advise us at f your email address changes at www.info@IrishMusicandDanceAssociation.org if your email address changes. Supporting members who contribute at least $35 annually may receive their newsletter by US Mail. __________Request US Mail

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 or visit the IMDA website (www.imda.org) to pay electronically.

http://www.IMDA-MN.orghttp://www.lomamor.org

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www.IMDA-MN.org

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http://www.IMDA-MN.org