The Banjo Burke Festival is on Columbus Day Weekend, October 7-10, 2011. This event is unique in that it will be held entirely in public houses around East Durham. Sessions with musicians cooperatively making music are a feature of the Catskill Irish Arts Week, too, but the Banjo Burke Festival will be held, even its workshops, ceili sets, and concerts, in the pubs.
The musicians committed to appearing are:
Brian Conway
John Nolan
Aine Meenaghan
John WhelanPauline Conneely
John Walsh
Rose Conway Flanagan
Joy Grimes
Pride of Moyvane Ceili Band (Margie Mulvihill, John Reynolds, Felix Dolan, Jimmy Kelly)
Hearts Content (Tom Dunne, Linda Hickman, Iris Nevins)
Ceol na gCroi Ceili Band(John Nolan, Linda Hickman, Brendan Fahey)
Pat KaneJameson Sisters
Lawson
Concerts on Saturday are from 3:00 to 6:00 PM and 7:00 to 9:30 PM. The workshops, continuous music, sessions, house concerts, ceili sets, and a breakfast are all fit in around those.
More information can be found at http://www.joebanjoburke.org/ . You can register at: Register for Banjo Burke Festival. The website is thorough but if time is running short and you have questions you can call: 607-225-9928
Showing posts with label East Durham. Show all posts
Showing posts with label East Durham. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Andy McGann Traditional Irish Music Festival 2011
Did you ever wish you could go to a special and wonderful event which people mainly hear about by word of mouth?
Well, "Psssssssssssst, do ye wanna hear wonderful Irish traditional music by some of the best from Ireland and the United States?
Then wend your way on down the road to East Durham and attend the Andy McGann Traditional Irish Music Festival on Saturday, July 16th from 11:30 AM to 7 PM at the Quill Festival Grounds."
I am exaggerating a bit. There are articles about it on the web and a Facebook page. Still, for the quality of who will be playing and what you will hear, you'll be hard pressed to find a better value.
All this is available an hour from Albany and only two and half hours from New York City.
Why does this Festival keep happening every year? The Andy McGann Festival is the culmination of an entire week of instruction and celebration on Irish traditional music and arts known as Catskill Irish Arts Week. Since all these great musicians and dancers are there for the week, they get together and appear on stage at the end producing hours and hours of wonderful entertainment. Besides the music, there is story telling mixed in, all of which is true!
The grounds are set up with two pavilions so if you wonder what's happening in the other one, just wander a few steps over and see. There are street fair type foods and Irish CDs, art, clothing, and jewelery for sale. Of course, cold drinks and Irish brews are available.
Well, "Psssssssssssst, do ye wanna hear wonderful Irish traditional music by some of the best from Ireland and the United States?
Then wend your way on down the road to East Durham and attend the Andy McGann Traditional Irish Music Festival on Saturday, July 16th from 11:30 AM to 7 PM at the Quill Festival Grounds."
I am exaggerating a bit. There are articles about it on the web and a Facebook page. Still, for the quality of who will be playing and what you will hear, you'll be hard pressed to find a better value.
All this is available an hour from Albany and only two and half hours from New York City.
Why does this Festival keep happening every year? The Andy McGann Festival is the culmination of an entire week of instruction and celebration on Irish traditional music and arts known as Catskill Irish Arts Week. Since all these great musicians and dancers are there for the week, they get together and appear on stage at the end producing hours and hours of wonderful entertainment. Besides the music, there is story telling mixed in, all of which is true!
The grounds are set up with two pavilions so if you wonder what's happening in the other one, just wander a few steps over and see. There are street fair type foods and Irish CDs, art, clothing, and jewelery for sale. Of course, cold drinks and Irish brews are available.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Catskill Irish Arts Week
This posting is for those who are considering attending Catskill Irish Arts Week 2011 in East Durham for the first time.
The basics of the Catskill Irish Arts Week (CIAW) music, singing, and dance classes are all at this web site: Catskill Irish Arts Week.
If you come, you will be warmly accepted just for having an interest in Irish culture.
If you pay attention and practice, you will gain so much from the classes.
If you approach and speak with respect and interest to anyone during the week, from staff to other students to every teacher to famous "stars" of Irish performing or craft, you will be treated to caring and attention, as well as good craic!
Those that attend full time get a morning and an afternoon class (which you stay in all five weekdays) which are titled and laid out in schedule here. The staff will help you when you are signing up to get placed at the correct level and to optimize your days.
You yourself need not be musical or a dancer to go to the week, as the Arts and Crafts classes are top notch. Also, there is the wonderful Irish History and Language class taught by Bairbre McCarthy.
Speaking of Bairbre, she and the other teachers of young folks offer a Children's Workshop that is fun on so many levels (language, dance, music, and singing) while passing on an appreciation for Irish culture to the future performers.
After the afternoon class, you'll want to come to the lecture series which will have a schedule here. These are well done talks and conversations, and are seriously underated. They are not like the bad lectures you may remember from school. They are fascinating, fun, and often both.
When you call for lodging, some places offer meals included. If you do that, you'll have days to meet everyone who attends regularly and that has its own rewards. Another strategy is to pay a little more, but move to a new venue for every meal. That way you'll get a variety of food and atmospheres, and you'll be able to converse with the regulars and find out what they like about staying at that establishment. If you are going as part of a group, you might want to discuss this ahead of the week.
You may want to sit around your motel and listen to some folks in an impromptu session (seisiún) in a gazebo, on the patio, on the steps, or on a shady piece of lawn. They happen at motels mostly, but listen for arrangements elsewhere. The quality of these sessions varies, but often they are amazing in long streaks. The only charge is a few hoots and hollers, smiles, applause, and the well timed compliment or three.
Did you know there are concerts during the week? Not really promoted, are they? These concerts are held in the big pavillion on the official grounds Tuesday through Friday. With your official CIAW bracelet and pin, you'll get in for free. Those not in CIAW can attend for a reasonable admission. These concerts are tremendous and offer time between sets to socialize and peruse the merchants' booths. One piece of advice: if you want to get an artist's CD, don't wait. They may sell out, or they may leave and take their unsold CDs with them!
After the concert, you're not done. You still have to go to the pubs! There is a schedule in your packet when you arrive. Certain pubs concentrate on certain categories. Also, there are CD release parties during the week.
Some people go early to one pub and switch later to another. Get good directions for all the pubs you want to visit or invite someone who knows the way. As the saying goes, Giorraionn beirt bothar, or Two shorten the road.
Speaking of road, be careful walking along the road as you may have to park a bit away from the pub and share the country road at night with vehicles.
Breakfast lunch and dinner after pubbing? These are when you find out, you missed something great at another pub. Get used to it. No matter how hard you try, you'll wish you were at a pub you weren't because so and so played so and so better than in concert! The only antidote is to talk up what you saw. I'm not saying you have to lie, but you can tell the truth to great advantage, can't yah?
Besides the scheduled and unscheduled events, you can hike, shop at the Guaranteed Irish Shop, ride a bike, play horseshoes, ...
Here's my final hint: get some rest. The lure of all the attractions at Catskill Irish Arts Week can be so strong, you don't realize you need some rest. You might need a nap, except you'll miss...?
The basics of the Catskill Irish Arts Week (CIAW) music, singing, and dance classes are all at this web site: Catskill Irish Arts Week.
If you come, you will be warmly accepted just for having an interest in Irish culture.
If you pay attention and practice, you will gain so much from the classes.
If you approach and speak with respect and interest to anyone during the week, from staff to other students to every teacher to famous "stars" of Irish performing or craft, you will be treated to caring and attention, as well as good craic!
Those that attend full time get a morning and an afternoon class (which you stay in all five weekdays) which are titled and laid out in schedule here. The staff will help you when you are signing up to get placed at the correct level and to optimize your days.
You yourself need not be musical or a dancer to go to the week, as the Arts and Crafts classes are top notch. Also, there is the wonderful Irish History and Language class taught by Bairbre McCarthy.
Speaking of Bairbre, she and the other teachers of young folks offer a Children's Workshop that is fun on so many levels (language, dance, music, and singing) while passing on an appreciation for Irish culture to the future performers.
After the afternoon class, you'll want to come to the lecture series which will have a schedule here. These are well done talks and conversations, and are seriously underated. They are not like the bad lectures you may remember from school. They are fascinating, fun, and often both.
When you call for lodging, some places offer meals included. If you do that, you'll have days to meet everyone who attends regularly and that has its own rewards. Another strategy is to pay a little more, but move to a new venue for every meal. That way you'll get a variety of food and atmospheres, and you'll be able to converse with the regulars and find out what they like about staying at that establishment. If you are going as part of a group, you might want to discuss this ahead of the week.
You may want to sit around your motel and listen to some folks in an impromptu session (seisiún) in a gazebo, on the patio, on the steps, or on a shady piece of lawn. They happen at motels mostly, but listen for arrangements elsewhere. The quality of these sessions varies, but often they are amazing in long streaks. The only charge is a few hoots and hollers, smiles, applause, and the well timed compliment or three.
Did you know there are concerts during the week? Not really promoted, are they? These concerts are held in the big pavillion on the official grounds Tuesday through Friday. With your official CIAW bracelet and pin, you'll get in for free. Those not in CIAW can attend for a reasonable admission. These concerts are tremendous and offer time between sets to socialize and peruse the merchants' booths. One piece of advice: if you want to get an artist's CD, don't wait. They may sell out, or they may leave and take their unsold CDs with them!
After the concert, you're not done. You still have to go to the pubs! There is a schedule in your packet when you arrive. Certain pubs concentrate on certain categories. Also, there are CD release parties during the week.
Some people go early to one pub and switch later to another. Get good directions for all the pubs you want to visit or invite someone who knows the way. As the saying goes, Giorraionn beirt bothar, or Two shorten the road.
Speaking of road, be careful walking along the road as you may have to park a bit away from the pub and share the country road at night with vehicles.
Breakfast lunch and dinner after pubbing? These are when you find out, you missed something great at another pub. Get used to it. No matter how hard you try, you'll wish you were at a pub you weren't because so and so played so and so better than in concert! The only antidote is to talk up what you saw. I'm not saying you have to lie, but you can tell the truth to great advantage, can't yah?
Besides the scheduled and unscheduled events, you can hike, shop at the Guaranteed Irish Shop, ride a bike, play horseshoes, ...
Here's my final hint: get some rest. The lure of all the attractions at Catskill Irish Arts Week can be so strong, you don't realize you need some rest. You might need a nap, except you'll miss...?
Saturday, July 24, 2010
The Banjo Burke Festival
(If you are looking for the post on the 2011 Banjo Burke Festival, click here)
I am taking a break from relating the Northern Ireland meetings here, which probably makes sense anyway, as Ireland is a large country, the Irish culture is dispersed across the world, so there is a lot with which to keep up.
I attended the Catskill Irish Arts Week last week. Once I was there, I realized I could interview people who are involved in the Irish arts. I also realized there are other events which are coming up which many might enjoy attending. And these events are a great way to join in the Irish culture!
One of these events is the Banjo Burke Festival on Columbus Day Weekend, October 8-11, 2010. This event is unique in that it will be held entirely in public houses around East Durham. Sessions with musicians cooperatively making music are a feature of the Catskill Irish Arts Week, too, but the Banjo Burke Festival will be hold even its workshops, ceili sets, and concerts in the pubs.
The musicians committed to appearing are:
Brian Conway
Grainne Hambly
John Nolan
Seamus Connolly
Aine Meenaghan
Rose Conway Flanagan
Pat Kane
The Jameson Sisters
Damien Connolly
Margie Mulvihill
John Reynolds
Felix Dolan
Dylan Foley
Hearts Content
Lawson
Concerts on Saturday are from 1:30 to 4:30 PM and 7:00 to 9:30 PM. The workshops, continuous music, sessions, house concerts, ceili sets, and a breakfast are all fit in around those.
More information can be found at http://www.joebanjoburke.org/ , by emailing Bridget at bridget@joebanjoburke.org , or by calling Bridget at 607-225-9928.
I am taking a break from relating the Northern Ireland meetings here, which probably makes sense anyway, as Ireland is a large country, the Irish culture is dispersed across the world, so there is a lot with which to keep up.
I attended the Catskill Irish Arts Week last week. Once I was there, I realized I could interview people who are involved in the Irish arts. I also realized there are other events which are coming up which many might enjoy attending. And these events are a great way to join in the Irish culture!
One of these events is the Banjo Burke Festival on Columbus Day Weekend, October 8-11, 2010. This event is unique in that it will be held entirely in public houses around East Durham. Sessions with musicians cooperatively making music are a feature of the Catskill Irish Arts Week, too, but the Banjo Burke Festival will be hold even its workshops, ceili sets, and concerts in the pubs.
The musicians committed to appearing are:
Brian Conway
Grainne Hambly
John Nolan
Seamus Connolly
Aine Meenaghan
Rose Conway Flanagan
Pat Kane
The Jameson Sisters
Damien Connolly
Margie Mulvihill
John Reynolds
Felix Dolan
Dylan Foley
Hearts Content
Lawson
Concerts on Saturday are from 1:30 to 4:30 PM and 7:00 to 9:30 PM. The workshops, continuous music, sessions, house concerts, ceili sets, and a breakfast are all fit in around those.
More information can be found at http://www.joebanjoburke.org/ , by emailing Bridget at bridget@joebanjoburke.org , or by calling Bridget at 607-225-9928.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Andy McGann Festival
Did you ever wish you could go to an event which is wonderful which everyone mainly hears about by word of mouth?
Well, here one comes: "Psssssssssssst, do ye wanna hear wonderful Irish traditional music by some of the best from Ireland and the United States?
Then wend your way on down the road to East Durham and attend the Andy McGann Festival on Saturday, July 17th from noon to 7 p.m. at the Quill Festival Grounds."
I am exaggerating a bit, there are articles about it on the web and maybe in the newspapers in that area. Still, for the quality of who will be playing and what you will hear, you'll be hard pressed to find a better value.
Why does this Festival keep happening every year? The Andy McGann Festival is the culmination of an entire week of instruction and celebration on Irish traditional music and arts known as Irish Arts Week. Since all these great musicians are there for the week, they get together and appear on stage at the end producing hours and hours of wonderful entertainment. Besides the music, there is story telling mixed in, all of which is true!
The grounds are set up with two pavilions so if you wonder what's happening in the other one, just wonder a few steps over and see. There are street fair type foods and Irish CDs, art, clothing, and jewelery for sale. Of course, Irish brews are available.
So come on down the road to meet the friendly people and hear wonderful, lively music!
Well, here one comes: "Psssssssssssst, do ye wanna hear wonderful Irish traditional music by some of the best from Ireland and the United States?
Then wend your way on down the road to East Durham and attend the Andy McGann Festival on Saturday, July 17th from noon to 7 p.m. at the Quill Festival Grounds."
I am exaggerating a bit, there are articles about it on the web and maybe in the newspapers in that area. Still, for the quality of who will be playing and what you will hear, you'll be hard pressed to find a better value.
Why does this Festival keep happening every year? The Andy McGann Festival is the culmination of an entire week of instruction and celebration on Irish traditional music and arts known as Irish Arts Week. Since all these great musicians are there for the week, they get together and appear on stage at the end producing hours and hours of wonderful entertainment. Besides the music, there is story telling mixed in, all of which is true!
The grounds are set up with two pavilions so if you wonder what's happening in the other one, just wonder a few steps over and see. There are street fair type foods and Irish CDs, art, clothing, and jewelery for sale. Of course, Irish brews are available.
So come on down the road to meet the friendly people and hear wonderful, lively music!
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