FebruaryFebruary

Irish Music & 2019 2019 Dance Association Feabhra

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.

St. Paul’s Own Authentic St. Patrick’s Day Celebration for the Whole Family! Saturday, March 16

It will be a great day of music, dance and culture – fun for the whole family. So come on down to the St. Paul before the St. Patrick’s Day Parade for the fun at Landmark Center and come on back after the parade!

What’s new for the St. Patrick’s Day Irish Celebration 2019? A sumptuous selection of traditional Irish music and dance with new and favorite bands and dance groups plus theater:

. New bands - Irish Pub Rock the SERFs and lush vocals with fiddle, whistle, guitar, mandolin, and percussion from the Inland Seas! . This year’s Cross-Cultural Presentation offers a delightful blend of Irish and Swedish music in “Tullamore Aquavit Dew” with Phil Platt and Eric Platt in the Seminar Room. . The Children’s Stage will start earlier this year, with songs with Ross Sutter – for two performances, a parent and kid céilí dance party with the Mooncoin Céili Dancers, songs from Charlie Heymann, interactive storytelling with Sir Gustav Doc’Tain, plus music and dance with Danielle Enblom. . Theater with “Sadie the Goat” a one-woman show, written in verse, that tells the purportedly true story of an Irish-American woman in “Gangs of New York”-era Manhattan. Look for more on this presentation elsewhere in this newsletter.

And our favorite bands and dance groups:

. The delightful blend of music and dance from SisterTree now including Danielle Enblom. . Favorite musical friends on the Main Stage: Legacy, Barra, Tom Dahill and Ginny Johnson and Locklin Road. Plus the outstanding Advanced Youth Ensemble from the Center for Irish Music! . Don’t forget to make your way to the beautiful Weyerhaeuser stage - the perfect setting for the music of Clairseach, the Eddies, and Upset and Curl. (It might be the best kept secret of the celebration!) . Our friends The Langer’s Ball are back – look for them on the Weyerhaeuser stage. . Favorite musicians in the Tea Room: the Bellows Brothers, Bundle and Go, Clairseach, Dunquin, the Eddies, as well as student ensembles from the Center for Irish Music. New to the Tea Room this year: Mary Vanorny and Ryan Johnson . Great Irish dance with Corda Mor, Eilís Academy at Escalate, Mactír Academy of Irish Dance, the Mulhern School, O’Shea Irish Dance, and Rince na Chroi, as well as Green Fire Irish Dancers, Knocknagow Irish Dancers and Mooncoin Céili Dancers. . A seminar on “Irish for Tourists” with Gaeltacht . . Children’s crafts and face painting.

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The IMDA Board is: IMDA’ s 16th Day of Irish Dance President: Julia Rogers Vice President: Jan Casey Sunday, March 17 Treasurer: Rob Thomas Secretary: Jean Bergstrom

Board Members: John Concannon The spotlight focuses on Irish dance, with more that 600 Kevin Carroll dancers expected from 15 Irish dance groups. Kathie Luby Amber Ladany Maureen Engelhardt Aja Beers What new this year? Editor: Kathie Luby . Performances by three new Irish dance schools: the Assistant Editor Kevin Carroll IMDA Board Meetings are open to the membership. Hudson Irish Dance Academy from Wayzata, Moore The Board meets regularly on the second Tuesday of each month at 6:00 pm at the than Dance from Fridley, and Rince na Greine from Dubliner Pub, St. Paul. Members are encouraged to verify the time and location Hopkins. shortly before, as meeting times and locations can change.

. Irish dance meets clogging with the Cross-Cultural Contact Information

performance by North Star Irish Dance and the Wild E-mail: [email protected] Rose Cloggers. Newsletter Submissions . Special programming for sensory sensitive audiences. We welcome our readers to submit articles of interest, news, and notices of events Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder can find an event to be published in the newsletter. The deadline is the 18th of the preceding month. like ours especially difficult. This year, in addition to Send to: [email protected] offering a quiet space as respite, special entertainment is planned for these kids, including music, dance and a chance to try playing traditional Irish musical instruments. We’re hoping to make families with kids on the autism spectrum feel comfortable.

What else can you look forward to? . Dancer, musician, dance educator and historian Danielle Enblom will return as Mistress of Ceremonies. Danielle will present a series of dance demonstrations highlighting types and styles of dance for your between acts entertainment! . Returning favorite dance schools - Eilís Academy at Escalate, Green Fire Irish Dancers, Mactír Academy of Irish Dance, the Mulhern School, North Star Irish Dance, O’Shea Irish Dance, Rince na Chroi, Rince Nua, St. Paul Irish Dancers, and the Shamrock School of Irish Step Dance. . IMDA’s Decade of Dance Award presentations . Our showcase of adult Irish dance students from Mactír Academy, North Star Irish Dance, O’Shea Irish Dance and Rince na Chroi. . The Children’s Stage on Sunday as well as on St. Patrick’s Day will feature Danielle Enblom and Sir Gustav Doc’Tain as well as songs and games with Charlie Heymann.

Sunday will also include two theatrical presentations. The Theater will present “The Strange Genius of W.B. Yeats. The Celtic Collaborative will present the one-act play “Thirst.” Look for more on these performances in the March IMDA newsletter. And don’t miss the Tea Room for music on Day of Irish Dance with Center for Irish Music student ensembles, Beth Engelking, The Giggin’ Silés, Rupalai, Tipper Road, and returning young bands Dòrain and Sona. And a treat with a nice cup of tea!

Look for more information on the artists in the March IMDA newsletter. Details on the schedule will be posted soon at

www.IMDA-MN.org.

IT WILL BE A GREAT WEEKEND!

www.IMDA-MN.org Irish Music & 3 Dance Association

Our Own “Irish Celebrities” Featured at Landmark Center

IMDA has been recognizing the outstanding contributions of some very special members of our community through the IMDA Honors events since 2004. This year, IMDA is delighted to present four IMDA Hon- orees as part of our St. Patrick’s Day Irish Celebration.

Tom Dahill, song man, fiddler and piper and teller of tales, has a great repertoire of old favorites. Tom has been delighting audiences since the days of the old MacCaf- ferty’s and the very first Irish Fair. Tom will be joined by Ginny Johnson on con- certina, tin whistle, bodhrán and guitar.

Ann Heymann, world renowned master of the wire-strung Gaelic (Irish) harp, is largely responsible for the modern-day playing of this ancient instrument. She was the first to bring back the tradition of stringing her harp with precious metals to enhance the sound, and is regarded as a world treasure to proponents of the Gaelic harp around the world. Ann will be joined by her husband Charlie, a fine multi-instrumentalist and singer; they perform together as Clairseach. Ann and Charlie will perform in the lovely Weyerhaeuser Auditorium and in Tea Room.

John McCormick, master of the accordion and musical director of the Brian Boru Irish Pipe is a mainstay local traditional music sessions and teaches at the Center for Irish Music. John will fit in a performance with Barra, as well as taking the stage with the Brian Borus.

And on Sunday as part of IMDA’s Day of Irish Dance:

Bill Conlan, of the infamous Gallivanters, singer, guitarist, beloved for his treas- ured “St. Patrick’s Day Nursing Home Tour,” and all-around lovely gentleman will be performing with the St. Paul Irish Dancers on Sunday in the Weyerhaeuser Auditorium.

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IMDA NEW DESIGN

GET IT FOR DAY OF DANCE (OR THE DAY BEFORE) (OR BOTH)

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The Gaelic Corner By Will Kenny

Let's all sing our ABC's, you Words beginning with X are remember, the way you learned already rare in English, so the Irish them when you were a kid: "A-B-C versions are usually very similar, -D-E-F-G, H-I-L-M-N-O ..." mainly X-gha ("x-ray" and related terms) and xiolafón ("xylophone"). Okay, I skipped a couple of As you can see from that last letters, but I was using word, the Irish version got rid of the Irish alphabet. Peruse an Irish dictionary and you'll the Y in that word, and you'll be hard pressed to find Y quickly find that entire sections for some letters are used in any Irish word listed in the dictionary. missing, compared to what you expect in an English dictionary, and others have but a few words in them. As for some of the other letters, they may be represented in more than one way. There are very few Z The basic Irish alphabet contains only eighteen -words, but we sometimes see the Z retained – zú for letters, missing J, K, Q, V, W, X, Y, and Z. (Those "zoo" -- or we might find it represented by another eighteen letters are, surprisingly, used to represent sound, such as the "sh" sound that starts the word more sounds in Irish than we have in English, but that's séabra (SHAY-bruh), for "zebra." a different topic.) That kind of variation happens with some English Things get interesting with loan words from English words beginning with a Y sound: Giúdais is used for (or from any language) that start with one of these "Yiddish" while Iúgslaiv was used for "Yugoslavia." letters. How the spelling is handled, for these loan Still other Irish versions of English words starting with a words, depends on the letter it starts with. Y sound use an I in the spelling, as in Iamáice (yuh-

Some words are easily re-spelled to fit Irish, mawk-eh) for Jamaica or Iúdá (YOO-dawss) for the including those that begin with K or Q in English. name Judas. But in the name Íosa ("Jesus), the long I Since those consonants both sound like K, and the K stands alone in pronunciation (EE-us-uh). sound is represented by C (always "hard") in Irish Rarely, a word beginning with J in English might get spelling, pretty much all the K/Q words will show up a G in Irish, but just to keep things interesting, that G under C in your Irish dictionary: cailéideascóp for might be pronounced like a Y. Giúdach for "Jewish" fits "kaleidoscope," cangarú for "kangaroo,"cart for in that category. "quart,"cuilt for "quilt." Indeed, I have never seen a K section in an Irish dictionary at all, and the only word Still other words find the English J replaced by the I've seen under Q is the borrowing quinín for the drug same "sh" sound we saw for "zebra," above. The Irish "quinine." word for Japan is Seapáin, and if you see a jeep driving by, call it a síp -- which sounds exactly like the English You generally won't find a W section either, but word "sheep"! oddly, the Irish version of many W borrowings are spelled with a beginning V (which also is not in the Of course, you have to deal with these missing letters standard Irish alphabet!). Thus "wagon" becomes in the middle of words, too, which is how "kilowatt" vaigín and "waltz" becomes váls. (And some speakers becomes cileavata. say those with a V sound, but others pronounce them Gaeltacht Minnesota is offering our Introduction to with a W sound.) Irish Gaelic this winter, four Monday evenings starting Perhaps this works because there are enough V- February 25. You must register through St. Paul based borrowings so that you usually do find a short Community Education, and you'll find a link at our web section of V-words. Vóta (for "vote") is certainly one site at www.gaelminn.org of the most important ones, but we also have vacsaín Ní lia tír ná gnás ("vaccine"), veist ("vest"), Vailintín ("Valentine"), and, There are not more countries than there are customs. naturally, vaimpír ("vampire"). www.IMDA-MN.org Irish Music & 6 Dance Association

www.IMDA-MN.org Irish Music & 7 Dance Association

Sadie the Goat

“Sadie the Goat” is a one-woman show, written in verse, that tells the purportedly true story of an Irish-American woman in “Gangs of New York”-era Manhattan. After los- ing her ear in a bar fight, Sadie steals a ship on the Hudson River and raises a pirate flag, spending a year terrorizing farmers and hamlets in upstate New York. The play was written by Max Sparber, a Minnesota playwright with more than 40 productions to his credit, whose biological mother, Patricia Monaghan, was the author of "The En- cyclopedia of Celtic Myth and Folklore." The play draws from Irish folk songs, news- paper doggerel, and American poetry from the mid-1800s for its inspiration. Natalie Rae Wass is featured in this presentation.

Actress Natalie Rae Wass is well known to Minnesota Fringe Festival audiences. Called a ‘fringe theater icon’ by the press, Natalie has performed in a lead role at the Minnesota Fringe Festival almost every year since 2000. Natalie performs regularly with various groups in- cluding Green T Productions, American Civic Forum, the Encycloedia Show and at Can Can Wonderland. She’s been seen in ‘Almost, Maine’ and ‘Caught in the Net’ as well as in the titular roles in ‘Cinderella’, ‘Pinnochio’ and ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ as well as half of ‘Hansel and Gretel’ at the Old Log Theater and can be spotted in various TV commercials and industrials. Enjoy “Sadie the Goat” at the IMDA Landmark Center St. Patrick’s celebration.

IMDA Membership Renewals

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

The Center for Irish Music Dorain (Band) Peter and Karen Erickson The Inland Seas (Band) Paddy Wagon (Band) Rince na Chroi Irish Dance Mark Richardson

IMDA memberships are based on the calendar year. Please renew now.

All of our new and renewing supporting 2019 members will receive the following: . A one-year (January to December 2019) subscription to the IMDA’s monthly email newsletter, . “Priority listing” for bands, organizations, pubs and businesses in our popular on-line Community Re- sources Directory, used by people who are seeking local Irish musicians, bands, dancers and entertainers for performances, ethnic festivals, and other events. . Public recognition in a “New or Renewed Members” section of future IMDA newsletters and in related posts to the IMDA web site and Facebook page.

www.IMDA-MN.org Irish Music & 8 Dance Association

Every Irish Artist on Planet Earth (Almost) Will Perform in the Twin Cities During February and March See Them All on Pages 8 - 12

Celtic Junction Concert Series

The Celtic Junction Arts Center is located at 836 Prior Ave North, Saint Paul, MN 55104. Advance tickets are available online at celticjunction.org or by calling Vital Culture at 612- 874-8892 between 11 am and 7 pm M-F. CJAC is an all-ages venue. Concerts are general seating. Youth 18 and under admitted free. A senior discount is available on admission at the door.

Fiddler Eileen Ivers comes to Saint Paul

The Grammy awarded, Emmy nominated, original musical star of Riverdance, Nine Time All-Ireland Fiddle Champion, Eileen Ivers performs two concerts at the Celtic Junction Arts Center on February 9th! Eileen Ivers plays with renowned musicians Buddy Connolly (accordion, whistles, keyboard), Matt Mancuso (guitar, trumpet, fiddle, vocals), Lindsey Horner (upright bass, baritone sax), and Dave Barckow (guitar, percussion, vocals). First show starts at 6 pm. Second show starts at 8:30 pm. $25 advance tickets on sale now. Admission is $30 at the door.

Patrick Ball presents Come Dance With Me In Ireland: A Pilgrimage to Yeats Country

Come Dance With Me In Ireland is a musical and dramatic performance based on the life and works of William Butler Yeats. Join Celtic harper and storyteller Patrick Ball for an evening celebrating Ireland’s greatest poet. Patrick Ball tours extensively throughout the and Canada, is considered one of the premier Celtic harpers and storytellers in the world today. Join us for this unique one-man show on March 1. Show starts at 8 pm. Doors open at 7:30 pm. Advance tickets are $17, $22 at the door.

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Celtic Junction Concert Series continued….

Kickin' It Irish

Enjoy “Kickin' It Irish” at the Celtic Junction Arts Center, awarded Best Irish Cultural Center in North America by IrishCentral, and celebrate Saint Paddy's Day in true Irish style. Featuring Dublin native and origi- nal Riverdancer Cormac O'Sé, Kickin' It Irish is a modern fusion of show-style Irish dance and live Irish music. The lineup consists of 22 world-class dancers, including regional and national champions, and an international seven-piece band. Four evening and four matinee shows take place March 8 -17th. In the evenings, doors open at 7 pm and shows start at 7:30 pm. During matinees, doors open at 2:30 pm and shows start at 3 pm. Adults advance tickets are $20, admission at the door is $25. Children may sit up front on rugs right in front of the danc- ers. (Chairs are not guaranteed for youth.) Visit celticjunction.org for further details and tickets.

Téada in Concert

The world-renowned Téada comes to CJAC on March 10. Téada is driven by a fascination for the timeless, expressive force of music inherited from previous generations of musicians. Irish Music Magazine describes the band as “at the cutting edge of the next generation of Irish musicians…with a fierce familiari- ty with the old ways.” Téada recently added legendary West Ker- ry singer Séamus Begley, winner of 2013 TG4 Traditional Singer of the Year, into the line-up of Oisín Mac Diarmada (fiddle), Paul Finn (accordion), Damien Stenson (flute), Seán Mc Elwain (guitar), and Tristan Rosenstock (bodhrán). Music starts at 7:30 pm. Doors open at 7 pm. Advance tickets are $20, $25 at the door.

www.IMDA-MN.org Irish Music & 10 Dance Association

It’s a Hot Time in the Old Town(s) These Days!

Some of the best of International Irish music is coming to the Twin Cities in the next two months! Here’s the list – ordered by date. How do you choose?

Danú at Vieux Carré in St. Paul – March 1 for two shows (7:30 pm & 9:30 pm) For over two decades Danú’s virtuosi players on flute, tin whistle, fiddle, button accordion, bou- zouki, and vocals (Irish and English) have delighted audiences worldwide. Winners of numerous awards from the BBC and Irish Music Magazine, Danú has toured throughout Europe and North America with stops at The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles and Symphony Space in New York City. Danú takes its audiences on a musical journey to their native Ire- land, offering a moving and memorable concert ex- perience. Tickets at sa1.seatadvisor.com

Scythian at the Cedar in Minneapolis – March 1, 8 pm Founded by two classically trained brothers, Alexander and Danylo Fedoryka, they started out as street performers just out of school and became a band by accident. It was the good times and the people they played for that encouraged the band and pushed them forward into a career that really has matched the essence of our souls. 14 years and 2,000 shows later Scythian is still touring at festivals & music venues across the nation. Founded almost a decade ago, Nashville’s Music City Roots says Scythian is ‘what happens when rock star charisma meets Celtic der- vish fiddling’, and the Washington Post dubbed them "DC's most en- ergetic and eclectic band" and said “Scythian’s enthusiasm is conta- gious, and shows seem to end with everyone dancing, jumping around or hoisting glasses.” Tickets at www.ticketfly.com

Jigjam with Barbaro at the Cedar – March 3, 7:30 pm JigJam is a multi-award winning quartet from the heart of the midlands in Ireland. They blend traditional Irish music with bluegrass and Americana, group members interchang- ing between banjos, guitars, fiddles, mandolins and double bass. Barbaro, the 2018 Minnesota State Fair Americana- Roots Band champions, will open with their own progres- sive blend of bluegrass, , folk, hip-hop, and pop for a night of pushing the boundaries of genre. Tickets at www.thecedar.org

www.IMDA-MN.org Irish Music & 11 Dance Association

It’s a Hot Time in the Old Town(s) These Days! - continued….

Gaelic Storm at the Varsity Theater – March 5, 7:30 pm After nearly two decades and more than 3,000 live shows, Gaelic Storm's mix of traditional Irish music with modern influences, con- tinues to delight with a sound that's as wide-ranging as the band's own audience. From bluegrass fans and country cowboys to Dead- heads, rock & rollers and Celtic fanatics, Gaelic Storm has built one of the most diverse fan bases in modern music. Tickets at www1.ticketmaster.com

Looking for the IMDA Community Calendar?

The IMDA Community Calendar is your go-to place to find out what’s happening in Irish music, dance, lit- erature and cultural events in the Twin Cities and beyond.

Find it at www.imda-mn.org/calendar.

The calendar on our website is updated often – and is “searchable” for your favorite artist, venue or type of event. Check it out – and return often!

www.IMDA-MN.org Irish Music & 12 Dance Association

It’s a Hot Time in the Old Town(s) These Days! - continued….

We Banjo 3 at the Cedar – March 10, 7:30 pm For all the innovation and invention that goes into modern music these days, it’s the inspiration derived from one’s roots that proves the most enduring. So credit Galway, Ireland’s We Banjo 3 for finding common ground between old world tradition and authentic Americana by plying their banjo, fiddle, guitar and mandolin in an innovation fusion of styles that they dub “Celtgrass.” Tickets at www.thecedar.org

Cherish the Ladies at the Ordway – March 21, 7:30 pm

Cherish the Ladies has been performing as a traditional Irish music and dance ensemble for 33 years. After being established in New York in 1985, the group has produced 17 albums and has been a positive representation of female artists in the male dominated Irish music scene. Since their formation, the Grammy nominated band’s achieve- ments have been plentiful, and they have utilized their vocals, in- struments and step dancing to create truly phenomenal perfor- mances. They have played at the White House and The Olympics and have been listed as one of the Top 25 most influential Irish Americans of the past quarter century at The Irish Voice Newspa- per. Throughout their careers, members of the group have collabo- rated with traditional Irish band the Chieftains, folk group The Clancy Brothers, and orchestra The Boston Pops. Tickets at boxoffice.ordway.org

www.IMDA-MN.org Irish Music & 13 Dance Association

www.IMDA-MN.org Irish Music & 14 Dance Association

Lúnasa

Heralded Irish Acoustic Group Lúnasa returns to Minnesota Live at the Hanifl Performing Arts Center, White Bear Lake When: March 7th and March 8th at 7:30 pm Tickets: $19, $29 VIP (Lower Center Front), (VIP tickets purchased include a reception that begins at 6:45 pm prior to the start of the show that includes complimentary passed hors d’oeuvres and a complimentary Guinness, Glass of Wine or Soda) TICKETS ON SALE NOW To purchase tickets and for more information go to www.lakeshoreplayers.org Lúnasa’s inventive arrangement and bass driven grooves have steered Irish music into surprising and innova- tive territory. It’s a must see concert anytime of the year but especially as St Patrick’s Day approaches. It’s sure to get you into the festive Irish spirit. “Anybody who listens can’t help but find them contagious.” Bill- board (USA). Lúnasa has been performing and has proven its mettle time and time again, having sold over a quarter of a million records and performed more than 2,000 shows in high profile concert venues across 36 countries.

The band is comprised of five members, Kevin Crawford, Trevor Hutchinson, Ed Boyd, Colin Farrell, and Cillian Vallely each playing a number of instruments, including flutes, low whistles, tin whistles, double bass, guitar, fiddle, and uilleann pipes. Lúnasa’s new studio album Cas is their first studio album in seven years and it is also their first recording featuring guest singers, all prominent artists that the band recorded and toured with over the years. These include Natalie Merchant and Mary Chapin Carpenter, top bluegrass singer/songwriter Tim O’Brien, Blues recording artist Eric Bibb and Daoiri Farrell, who recently won the BBC Radio 2 Folk contest. The critically acclaimed album “Cas” was described as “Brilliant with a capital B...... a new feather in the cap of the talented and influential musicians we know and love as Lúnasa” – (Irish American News).

This concert is presented by TaLuk Presents and the Cossack Foundation with 100% of all proceeds will go- ing directly to Doctors without Borders.

For more information on Lúnasa visit www.Lunasa.ie Venue Information - Hanifl Performing Arts Center at 651-429-5674 or clicking: https://www.lakeshoreplayers.org/hanifl/

www.IMDA-MN.org Irish Music & 15 Dance Association

www.IMDA-MN.org Irish Music & 16 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. My hope is that others will learn some of these songs and make them their own as I have. -Brian Miller

ROLL HER TO THE WALL

“Hold your tongue you young man and do not bother me, Before you lie one night with me you must get me dishes three, Three dishes you must get for me; suppose I eat them all, Before you’ll lie one night with me at either stock or wall.

“For my breakfast you must have a fish without a bone, And for my dinner you must have a cherry without a stone, And for my supper you must have a bird without a gall, Before you lie one night with me at either stock or wall.”

“When the fish it is all in its spawn I’m sure it has no bone, When the cherry is in blossom I’m sure it has no stone, The dove it is a gentle bird, it flies without a gall, So you I in one bed lie, and you lie next the wall.”

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“Hold your tongue you young man and do not me perplex, Before you lie one night with me you must answer questions six, Six questions you must answer me if I should ask them all, Before you lie one night with me at either stock or wall.

“What is rounder than a ring? What’s higher than a tree? Or what is worse than womankind and deeper than the sea? What bird flies first? What flower blooms first? Or where does the dew first fall? Before you lie one night with me at either stock or wall.”

“The earth is rounder than a ring, heaven’s higher than a tree, The devil is worse than womankind, hell’s deeper than the sea, The thrush flies first, the lily blooms first and the dew on the leaves first falls, If those questions true I’ve answered you, now you lie next the wall.”

This couple they got married and happy now do dwell, It’s every night when they go to bed into his arms she’ll crawl, [use melody of 4th line] He’ll take her by the slender waist and roll her to the wall.

The collection of “English and Scottish Popular Ballads” compiled by Harvard English professor Francis James Child in the late 1800s was so comprehensive and influential that the designation “Child ballad” continues to be used today, often complete with the ballad’s “Child number.” Professor Child endeavored to limit his collection to “traditional” (i.e. older) ballads and to discard more modern creations including “come-all-ye”-type story songs. In the pine woods of the Great Lakes region, it was precisely these come-all-ye ballads, along with even newer popular forms, that made up the bulk of singers’ repertoires. Child ballads turn up in Great Lakes collections, but they are far outnumbered by these other types.

This month we have the first Child ballad that has appeared in this column. The above “Roll Her to the Wall” is my composite of two Michigan versions of Child 46: “Captain Wedderburn’s Courtship.” My primary source was Alan Lomax’s 1938 recording of Beaver Island singer Dominic Gallagher. To help the riddles make a little more sense, I borrowed some words from verses in another version collected by Gardner and Chickering from Eliza Youngs of Greenville, Michigan in 1939. As with all recordings of Gallagher (in my opinion) his plaintive and subtly ornamented singing is beautiful and worth a listen via the Library of Congress’ online archive!

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. www.IMDA-MN.org Irish Music & 18 Dance Association

Smidirini*

(*Irish for ‘Bits and Pieces’)

By Copper Shannon

. Comhghairdeas léi (Congratulations) and Best Wishes! to Kelly Pearson, who has just received her T.C.R.G., certifying her to teach Irish dance by An Coimisiún le Rincí Gaelacha in Ireland. (T.C.R.G. is the abbreviation for the Gaelic Teagascóir Choimisiúin le Rinci Gaelacha.) Kelly danced with Scoil na d’Tri and with Corda Mor and is a 2012 IMDA Educational Grant recipient. More recently she has been touring with the American Company of Irish Dance out of Milwaukee. Kelly also teaches with Corda Mor.

. There’s a new Irish pub in the greater Twin Cities area! (Otsego is the greater Twin Cities, right?) Drake O’Neill’s Irish American Pub in Otsego, northwest of Anoka, was established in 2018. Named for the grandson of the owner, Drake O’Neill’s has a special affection for fire fighters and first responders and seeks to help create a connection when you’re away from home, “a place to converse, to share good food and drink, to experience something that feels almost like home.” Look for music at Drake O’Neill’s (by the time you read this, Todd Menton will have played there) and stop in when you’re in the neighborhood! Get the whole story at their website - www.drakeoneills.com

. Go n-éirí an t-ádh le (Good Luck to) a new band in town! Purgatory Hollow plays Irish and American Roots music, with Dr. David Perry, Ann Viviano, Dee Brust, Elizabeth Hall, and . They tell us that ”their traditional and new music rallies around five part vocal harmonies, lead guitar and fiddle, bass, rhythm guitar and bodhrán. Members are deeply rooted in the Midwest, having committed years of reckless joy and musical abandon with bands like The Tim Malloys, , Boiled in Lead, The Tooles, Tramps and Hawkers, Reve du Faun, SisterTree, Lilting Banshees, and many more. Their music travels from Nashville to Belfast, with stops in between for blues, folk, country, bluegrass, Irish, and rock.” They’re debuting their new musical venture at the Dubliner Pub on Feb. 1, followed by Shamrocks on Mar. 14 and the Dubliner Mar. 16.

. Comhghairdeas léi (Congratulations) and Best Wishes! to Harpist Hannah Flowers! Hannah’s new album "Amhrán na Cruite/Song of the Harp" has been nominated for Album of the Year from the Renaissance Awards from Renaissance Magazine. Hannah is a regular performer at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival.

. Tiocfaidh crioch ar an t-saol, Ach mairfidh grá agus ceol: "An end will come to the world, b`ut love and music will endure.” Best wishes to the new owners of the Underground Music Café in Falcon Heights, Mai and Chai Vang. They live on the East Side where Mai is known as "The Eggroll Queen." They plan to continue the 25-30 year music tradition at the Underground, and will be adding egg rolls to the menu that already offers wood-fired pizza. While some changes in hours are anticipated, the Monthly Showcase, hosted by Paul Garding, will continue.

www.IMDA-MN.org Irish Music & 19 Dance Association

www.IMDA-MN.org Irish Music & 20 Dance Association

Ceili Corner By Bhloscaidh O’Keane 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. Today’s Date: Name:

Address: Where did you hear about us?

Membership Type (circle one) Individual $20 ______Family $25 ______by US Mail $35 ______

Band/Organization/Business $25 ______Name ______(Name of Band/Organization/Business)

Interests (circle all that apply) Music Dance Theatre Language Voluntee

E-mail Address: ______Phone Number: ______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 11/201

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.

www.IMDA-MN.org