Greg Jowaisas Posted March 17, 2005 Share Posted March 17, 2005 I played a Catholic high school this morning (St Pat's Day)concentrating on Celtic and Appalachian music connections. Contrasting the "Whistling Gypsy Rover" with "Gypsy Davy" was fun. Contrasting "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" with "Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ya" was poignant. Lots of fun but more than a little frightening when I asked for a show of hands for those playing instruments! A count of 3 or 4 out of 60 left me wondering if what we really need in America is "No instrument left behind"!. Off to catch our local Irish band. Happy St. Paddies Day! Greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helen Posted March 17, 2005 Share Posted March 17, 2005 Oh Greg, You are just going to have to start a music in the schools program. How far away are you from me? Your program sounded like fun. Helen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellowbelle Posted March 17, 2005 Share Posted March 17, 2005 DUH....it took me all day to realize that today is Saint Patrick's Day. Snuck up on me! I thought it was next week. So, then, HAPPY one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Humphrey Posted March 18, 2005 Share Posted March 18, 2005 Happy day to all! It will be a pleasant and quiet evening for me. I've played enough St. Paddy's bar gigs to last for a while. I celebrated by playing some tunes for a classroom of language-disabled kids. The joint was jumping - literally - and the smiles were the greatest. Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Brook Posted March 18, 2005 Share Posted March 18, 2005 I hope you all had a good evening. I went down to the George Hotel (here in Cranbrook) who were celebrating St. Patrick's Day by hiring a band to play (what i call) swing and be-bop - minnie the moocher, king of the swingers, hit the road jack etc. They were an excellent band by the way, trombone, sax, trumpet, piano, double bass and drums - alas no concerina. the weird thing was the pub was entirely dressed in green guinness sponsored livery yet there was nothing irish about the evening Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken_Coles Posted March 18, 2005 Share Posted March 18, 2005 Ah, Mark! I just clicked the link to your wife's website...what a beautiful and talented lady! It turns our we have that, at least in common; my wife is also from Montreal. There's just something about Canadian women! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Well if either of your wives have any sisters available you may please introduce me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Evans Posted March 18, 2005 Share Posted March 18, 2005 Survived the day without too much Paddywhackery at the job site. Did in fact leave early to serve as groom for my daughter's riding lesson at Glean Maura. Actually a perfect way for a Celt to spend a holy day, with the horses and watching my daughter in communion with one of these noble creatures as they take jump after jump and canter. I gave up riding many years ago, but I love to be with them. I leave at peace with myself and feeling close to my Camille (daughter). Dinner, ah! Fantastique! Greg, there is something about Montreal isn't there ! Just to represent all my ancestors I wore both green and orange. It did not go unnoticed . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Barnert Posted March 18, 2005 Share Posted March 18, 2005 I *thought* her name sounded familiar. I just had a look at her web site, and I believe I've heard her sing at the Glimmerglass Opera Festival near Cooperstown, NY. Perhaps more than once. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimLucas Posted March 18, 2005 Share Posted March 18, 2005 There's just something about Canadian women! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Well if either of your wives have any sisters available you may please introduce me! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Ken, why not take a trip to Montreal, and meet a whole lot of them? As for my own St. Patrick's evening, I went to the session at Pub Ro, right by the harbor in Helsingborg. (That's Sweden, but I think the pub itself would be visible from my window if it weren't for the fog at the moment.) It was their regular session night, and except for a larger than usual crowd there wasn't much to ballyhoo St. Pat. Just an excellent night of music and song (and old ale and sandwiches, too). One nice thing about that session is that several teenage musicians have started coming. Though they don't yet play Irish music, they enjoy listening, and a couple of them have already started trying to play along. Also, an American/Danish whistle player came along (his third time, now), and brought his daughter, who was born on St. Patrick's Day and could easily pass for red-haired Irish. There are some beautiful women in French Canada, but they hardly have a monopoly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RELCOLLECT Posted March 18, 2005 Share Posted March 18, 2005 There are some beautiful women in French Canada, but they hardly have a monopoly. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I've always believed that ALL women are beautiful, if you can just see what makes each special. That being said, I feel priveledged indeed to be married to my wife in particular! We went out for Chinese food last night, and celebrated St. Patrick's day by ordering green tea! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Madge Posted March 18, 2005 Share Posted March 18, 2005 Seeing as there were St Patrick's day sessions all over the place yesterday (I was invited to at least three "if I wasn't doing anything"), our usual session at the Gregson in Lancaster played anything non-Irish. Just to keep a balance, you understand. We had Scottish, Scandanavian, Welsh, Canadian, Austrian and of course English tunes and some I'm not so sure of as well. It ended up quite like the last night of the proms with "I vow to thee my country" (Jupiter from the Planets) Rule Britania and even Jerusalem. Robin Madge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan 04617 Posted March 19, 2005 Share Posted March 19, 2005 Okay, so my ancestors were Dutch, but... I just don't see why all the fuss about St. Patrick. His parents were English and Italian. Whereas the other patron saint of Ireland, Bridget, is actually Irish, but hardly acknowledged at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill_mchale Posted March 19, 2005 Share Posted March 19, 2005 Okay, so my ancestors were Dutch, but... I just don't see why all the fuss about St. Patrick. His parents were English and Italian. Whereas the other patron saint of Ireland, Bridget, is actually Irish, but hardly acknowledged at all. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> There is much we don't know about St. Patrick including the specifics of where he was born or many details about his family but we do know his parents were not English. The English did not exist as a people for several hundred more years. His parents were Roman, though I am not sure we can say with certainty that they were from Italy as in the late empire the term Roman was used to refer to almost any citizen of Rome. Why is such a big deal made about him? Well his greater popularity in Ireland probably stems from the fact that his life was more active than Bridget's and that he was the one who is credited with converting the Irish to christianity. As for the rest of the world, St. Patrick's day was spread to America by Irish Immigrants who used it as a day to celebrate their national solidarity... from there (and probably other Irish emigre communities in Canada and Australia and England) it sread to the rest of the world... probably because the rest of the world realized how much fun the Irish have in life . -- Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peter Laban Posted March 19, 2005 Share Posted March 19, 2005 Whereas the other patron saint of Ireland, Bridget, is actually Irish, but hardly acknowledged at all. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I wouldn't say that, feile Bride, St Bridget's feast on the first of February is in it's own way a big day on the calendar: no fuss or parades but to celebrate the comoing of spring rushes are still gathered by a lot of people (OK including a good few schoolchildren) to make fresh Bridget's Crosses. Places like St Bridget's Well on the Cliffs of Moher road attract large numbers of people who seekthe Saint's blessing at the Holy Well there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhomylly Posted March 19, 2005 Share Posted March 19, 2005 My birthday is St. Bridget's day, and because of that, I consider her a Patron of my music. So she's a pretty big deal at our house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan 04617 Posted March 20, 2005 Share Posted March 20, 2005 Having demonstrated the limitations of my American experience, it's interesting to see the Irish respond and expand my horizons. Thank you all. St. Pats is celebrated widely here, but I'd actually never heard of Bridget until a year or so ago. St. Bridget's Day seems much more forward looking in the year, with that touch of paganism still there. St. Patrick's Day seems more of an excuse to drink for those who feel they need excuses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimLucas Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 St. Pats is celebrated widely here, but I'd actually never heard of Bridget until a year or so ago.<{POST_SNAPBACK}> "St. Patrick's" Day, has evolved as a celebration of national identity/cultural heritage -- particularly by those Irish living outside of Ireland, but even more by people who have no historical connection to Ireland at all, -- and except in the name, completely ignores both Patrick himself and the concept of sainthood. Bridget would probably be mortified, were she to be celebrated in such wise. And Patrick himself must need the patience of a saint as he sees the way his name is being used. There's nothing religious about it. On the other hand, there's that verse from the sea shanties: He drove the snakes from Ireland, And drank up all the whiskey; Then he sang a song, and he danced a jig, Because he felt so frisky. I've not heard any such songs about St. Bridget. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henk van Aalten Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 On the other hand, there's that verse from the sea shanties:He drove the snakes from Ireland, And drank up all the whiskey; Then he sang a song, and he danced a jig, Because he felt so frisky. I've not heard any such songs about St. Bridget. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Seeing this song about Saint Patrick, I think St. Bridget must have spent all her time to pray for the soul of St. Patrick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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