Jigs and Reels

Newsletter of the Buffalo Irish Arts Society

(Martin Wynne Branch Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann) Aug/Sep 2004
 
 

Irish Festival, Concerts and More!

 

Prepare for many fun activities between late August and September!  Keep track of all them by printing out the calendars for August and September and putting them on your refrigerator!  To prepare for all these activities, please attend our next meeting on Sunday, August 15th at 5 p.m. in the Library of the Buffalo Irish Center, followed by the seisiuns at 6 p.m.

 

The day before is the quarterly Fin-Wyn Seisiun at O’Lacy’s Pub in Batavia.  Due to an oversight, this seisiun was a scheduled a day before our regular one at the Irish Center.  While we enjoy getting together with our friends from Rochester, it’s also important to continue showing our support for traditional Irish culture at the Irish Center!

 

The Festival Season actually begins with the annual Scottish Festival at the Amherst Museum on Saturday, August 21st.  What would the summer be without eating a bridie or meat pie while watching the caber being tossed?

 

The following weekend, August 27 – 29, is the annual Irish Festival at the Pier.  Eileen Ivers and Immigrant Soul will be there!  Visit Kevin Townsell’s web site for more information about this and other bands.  Members of the Buffalo Irish Arts Society will be involved with the following activities:

 

-         The annual Famine Mass takes place on Saturday, August 28th at 10 a.m. at the Famine Memorial on the Waterfront, rain or shine.  Bring a lawn chair or folding chair plus some non-perishable food for local pantries.  A monetary offering will also be taken.  Breakfast will follow at the Pier. 

 

-         Musicians and dancers are needed Saturday evening!  Musicians will start warming up at 8 p.m., followed by a Demonstration with the Innisfree Ceili Dancers at 8:30 p.m, and a ceili open to the general public at 9 p.m.

 

-         The newly formed Amhran O'Ciar School of Celtic Music will be playing on Sunday, August 29 at 1 p.m. for the Buffalo Irish Festival at 1:00.  They would like some experienced musicians to join the children for Dunmore Lasses and other tunes.  Contact donnakerr@buffalo.com for more information.

 

 

 

 

 

Concerts

 

When September arrives, two great concerts will be taking place in the same week!  (We actually received an offer from another musician to play the day in between, but we thought we’d give you a breather instead.)

 

Scottish Singer Andy M. Stewart joins Irish guitar player Gerry O’Beirne at the Pier on Wednesday, September 8th at 8 p.m.  The admission is $10 and will benefit the Belfast Summer Relief Program.  Several local groups will get you ready for the main concert, the CnE Ceili Band at 5 p.m., Kindred at 6 p.m., and Kilbrannan at 7 p.m.  Buffalo Irish Arts members Sheila Peel and Tim Straube are sponsoring the evening.

 

Then don’t miss the return of Téada on Friday, September 10th at 8 p.m. in the Buffalo Irish Center!  After a fabulous concert last year, we’re glad to have them back on a weekend evening, so hopefully even more people can come.  This is a young band with energy, and they have a new album too!  Tickets are $12 for the general public, $10 for members, and $5 for children.  Memberships and tickets will be available at the door.  This is sponsored by the Buffalo Irish Arts Society.

 

 

Dancing

 

After the ceili at the Buffalo Irish Festival, the Innisfree Ceili Dancers will take a break for a couple weeks and resume in early September.  Shane and Jean Devlin are going to Ireland for the month, so check our online calendar for updates as to when dancing resumes.

 

Joe Brown is not going to Ireland in September (at least that I know of), but a starting date for Thursday night dancing has not been announced yet.  I imagine this will be discussed at the August meeting.  Again, check our calendar for updated information.

 

We have our first ceili of the fall on Saturday, September 25th at 8 p.m. in the Buffalo Irish Center, with music by the Buffalo Irish Arts Musicians.  Since Jean will be in Ireland, it would be rather hard for her to work in the kitchen last night, and Shane scones would be rather stale by then.  So we’ll need some other folks to pitch in that night.  We have volunteers to run the kitchen that night, but finger foods would be appreciated!

 

 

Trip to Brittany

 

As some of you might have heard, rather than going to Ireland this year, I decided to study French in another Celtic area, Brittany in Northwestern France.  I also caught a considerable amount of Breton music and dancing at festivals such as Les Tombées de la Nuit in Rennes, Kann al Loar in Landerneau, and the Festival de Cornuaille in Quimper.  I even attended a lecture about Breton music in French and had a harp lesson plus a couple of Breton dance lessons in French.

 

I share this with you because I was impressed at how intergenerational Breton music and dance traditions are, even more than in Ireland.  Of course in Brittany, there is only one kind of dancing with some regional differences as opposed to step, set, and ceili.  The people dancing in “Celtic Circles” do all of the footwork properly in costume.  If you go to a Breton ceili or “Fest Noz,” you’ll see people simplifying them a bit.  I saw 10 year olds dancing with their parents at 3 a.m.

 

And even though I receive strange looks when playing it, it is absolutely stunning the number of people who play the bombarde there, either in “bagadou” with Scottish highland pipes, or even in Celtic rock bands that are also appreciated by older folks.  Of course, even the rockers stick with the traditional dance tunes that lure people onto the floor.  With these festivals, I saw cooperation that was inspirtational.  It seemed as thought everyone in the town was pitching in some way.  I wish we could see that same kind of team effort everywhere.

 

 

New Chair and Secretary Needed

 

On September 19th, we will nominate officers for the next year, with the election in October.  As you have read in the most recent newsletter, both Diana Straube, our Secretary, and I are not seeking re-election.  I will send out one newsletter in October, but then it’s someone else’s turn both to run meeting and write the newsletter (preferably not the same person).  That will be an important meeting to attend.  What can you do to help spread the joy of Irish traditional music and dance in Buffalo?

 

 

Picnic

 

Thanks to everyone who helped make our annual picnic a success, especially to Deb Andrasko and Dave Johnston for buying the burgers and dogs and to everyone who brought a dish to pass.  Relieve the fun by looking at Jim Lonergan’s pictures!  (I never realized our organization had so many swingers……)  Jim even snapped a picture of the infamous seagulls…… Next year, we should try to move the picnic away from Father’s Day weekend so more people can attend.

 

 

Get Well Wishes

 

Our Vice-Chairman Jim Lonergan is recovering from surgery over the summer.  Best wishes Jim!

 

 

Tunes of the Month

 

Our Tune of the Month editor Diana Straube has become a bit political with one of her tune selections this month, The Old Bush.  In the name of balance, let me suggest the Kerry Reel.  Diana’s other selection is the Cameronian Reel.