MOHAWK VALLEY IRISH CULTURAL

Volume 15, Issue 12 EVENTS NEWSLETTER Dec 2018

Cherish The Ladies: A Celtic Christmas

One of the most engaging and successful ensembles in the history of Celtic music, Cherish The Ladies have shared timeless Irish traditions with audiences worldwide for over thirty years. Hailed by The New York Times as “passionate, tender and rambunctious,” Cherish The Ladies have released three critically acclaimed holiday , On Christmas Night, A Star In The East, and 2015’s Christmas In , and have recently released their 17th CD, “Heart of the Home.”

This year, A Celtic Christmas – part of their “Heart of the Home” tour – finds the ladies at two fairly close venues: on December 8th at the Walton Theater (30 Gardiner Place, Walton, NY) and again on Dec 18th at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall (30 Second Street Troy, NY).

In their Celtic Christmas program, the Ladies put their signature mark on classic carols such as “O Come All Ye Faithful” and “Silent Night,” in arrangements that highlight the group’s unique Celtic instrumentation, beautiful harmonies, and spectacular step dancing.

Tickets for the 7:30 PM Walton Theater show are $20, and are available on-line or by calling (607) 865-6829. Tickets for the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall performance -- also a 7:30 PM show -- range from $29-$34, and are available online. Best not tarry, though; many of their shows on this tour are already sold out!

The Turning of the Year: A Celtic/Americana Holiday Celebration

On Saturday, December 8, 2018, Proctor Theater’s 8th Step welcomes back award-winning John Whelan - original Riverdance cast member and legendary player - and some very talented friends for their holiday concert “The Turning of the Year: A Celtic/Americana Holiday Celebration.”

Seven-time All-Ireland Accordion Champion and Narada recording artist John Whelan teams up with members of American roots band Low Lily (Liz Simmons - vocals, guitar; Flynn Cohen - vocals, guitar, mandolin; Lissa Schneckenburger - vocals, fiddle; and Corey DiMario - double bass) and Scottish-style fiddler Katie McNally for a spectacular holiday celebration.

Featuring traditional and original music from Ireland, Scotland, and America, this diverse and energetic show ushers in the holiday season with a festive flair. Up-tempo jigs and reels take their place alongside Christmas carols and wintry classics, featuring two fiddles, accordion, guitars, mandolin, and lush, layered vocals. This delightful show brings the generations together for a fresh new take on roots music from both sides of the pond.

Tickets for the 7:30 PM show range from $26-$45 and are available on-line. Proctors is located at 432 State Street in Schenectady, NY

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“A Very Blarney Christmas”

Save the date Dec 21st on your social calendar, and make plans to attend the 14th annual “A Very Blarney Christmas” at Piggy Pat’s Smoke and Ale House. What better way could there be to go into the final weekend before Christmas, to celebrate getting your shopping done, or just to get together with friends and family over laughs and libations? Time’s up, I’ll have to give you the answer: There is no better way. The Blarney Rebel Band promises a night of music and madness, harmonies and humor, singalongs and something that starts with “s.” And of course, this special night would not be complete without their infamous set of traditional and classic , Irish dancers, guest vocalist Lisa Kopie stepping out from behind the bar, and the beautiful closing singalong, Silent Night. Reservations are going quickly, why not call today!

SING! An Irish Christmas featuring Keith and Kristyn Getty

On Sunday, Dec 16th, the Clemons Theater in Elmira presents a night of reverence, singalongs, celebration and harmony, as they bring in modern hymn-writers Keith and Kristyn Getty and their seventh annual Christmas concert tour, “Sing! An Irish Christmas.”

The Gettys, who have helped to reinvent the modern-hymn form, are now invigorating Christmas carol singing in cities across America. Keith Getty was recently awarded the “Officer of the Order of the British Empire” (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for his contribution to “music and modern hymn writing.” The Getty’s Christmas concert tour has grown to be one of the largest annual Christmas concert tours in the nation and has been broadcasted on public television to over 45 million households across the country. They will be joined by their award-winning band of instrumentalists – fusing Celtic, bluegrass, Americana, modern and classical music as well as cultural dance and the choral sounds of the holiday.

General admission tickets for the 7:30 PM performance are $30, and are available through NewCreationEvents.com. VIP packages are also available for $50. Included are refreshments with the artists, early orchestra seat selection, photo opportunities with the artists, and early entry 6 PM. Children 1 year old or under are free with accompanying adult in either general or VIP admission.

Save the D…

Hang on a sec…

SING! An Irish Christmas, continued

Okay, I’ve gotta ask. Are they really expecting any 1-year olds coming without an accompanying adult?

Save the Date: The Halfway to Great American Irish Festival Hooley

The Great American Irish Festival wants you to mark your calendar for one of the most fun winter parties of all: The annual Halfway to GAIF Hooley! The party, which marks the big reveal of the 2019 festival lineup and the announcement of the 2019 St. Patrick’s Day Grand Marshal, is set for January 25th, 2019 at the Saranac Brewery’s 1888 Tavern. Stay tuned for more details next month.

There is No Joy in the MVICE Office…

With this issue, our saintly cousin and MVICE co-founder, Beth Loftis, will be retiring from the newsletter. That’s right, after 182 months of doing whatever it was she did here, she’s calling it quits, qualifying her to roll over the IRA we promised her. And since zeroes are essentially O’s, they’ll roll quite nicely and for a long time. But seriously Beth, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all the grace, humor and diligence you brought to the job, month after month. You will most certainly be missed. Oh, and Kari says: “Clean out your desk.”

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Call of Caledonia – by Kari “McKendrick” Procopio For Auld Lang Syne, Times Long Passed

In November my Grandmother passed away.

I have fond memories of her mother (my Granny) sharing Scottish tales, but it was my Grandmother who truly raised me to know and honor my roots. Her passing during the holiday season and the coming of Hogmanay has given me pause to examine this festival of remembrance and renewal.

Hogmanay is the Scottish word for last day of the year and the New Year celebration which has early Norse and Celtic roots. Hogmanay is lively and spectacular – with parties that have lasted up to five days. It is also a holiday steeped in ancient ritual.

As I child, I remember my Grandmother explaining to much juvenile disbelief, “Oh, it’s much bigger deal than Christmas.” But as I later learned, Christmas was virtually banned in Scotland for over 400 years as a result of the Protestant Reformation and not celebrated until the 1950s. Up until the mid-20th century, many Scots worked over Christmas and celebrated their winter solstice holiday at Hogmanay when family and friends would gather to party and exchange presents.

I think of Hogmanay as a nod to new beginnings while honoring yesteryear. The firework displays we know today, and torchlight processions still enjoyed throughout Scotland are modern reminders of a country’s pagan past. And of course, there’s “first footing,” a Hogmanay superstition that calls to ensure good luck for a household, the first foot to cross the threshold after midnight should be a dark-haired male or female. The individual would bring symbolic pieces of salt, shortbread, coal, or whisky (lucky would be recipient of the whisky). It is believed that superstition arose from Viking days, when a blonde male stranger at your door could mean immediate trouble or for the year ahead.

Perhaps the most iconic Hogmanay tradition occurs at midnight of January 1. The sound of Robert Burns’ famous song, Auld Lang Syne, can be heard like a bell ringing across Scotland, and now the world over. However, the melody we know today was not the one Burns intended. The one that became famous was published by Edinburgh song editor, George Thomson, in the late 1790s. Burns died in 1796.

Burns’ inspiration for Auld Lang Syne was an existing song called Auld Kyndes Foryett, with the same line – “Should auld acquaintance be forgot.” There were many versions of the song that date back as far as the 16th century, with Burns’ likely inspired by print and performance versions he heard in the 18th century.

It is Scottish tradition to begin singing the song before just midnight, with revelers joined in a circle, holding hands, and rushing to the center as the song ends.

It’s true the Scots celebrate with wild abandon, but we’re also a practical sort. Amidst the joyful consumption of whisky and shortbread, music and dance, the Scots like to get their affairs in order before the New Year. There is the ritual of house cleaning, which includes sweeping out the fireplace to rid one of unwanted burdens. And clearing any debts before midnight is also considered an advisable practice.

It is said that Hogmanay is derived from the mid-winter impulse to chase away the darkness with light, warmth, and spectacular celebration. For me that embodies the Scottish spirit of savoring – not only times long past, but of life.

This holiday season if we find ourselves fortunate enough to steal moments with family, friends, or a friendly acquaintance; take a pint or a dram and raise it to those who have passed before us. I’ll be raising one for my Grandmother.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot, And never brought to mind? Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and auld lang syne. For auld lang syne, my dear, For auld lang syne. We’ll take a cup o’ kindness yet, For auld lang syne.

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The Wynotte Sisters’ Holiday Concert

The frontwoman and fiddle player of alt-country band Daisycutters; a bassist/ukulele player who has played everything from Hawaiian swing to noise rock; and a Norwegian power pop vocalist, all coming together to play holiday tunes? Well, Wynotte?

Sara Milonovich, Daria Grace, and Vibeke Saugestad are The Wynotte Sisters. All three members possess very distinct voices that complement each other perfectly. The Wynotte Sisters play original material as well as genre- crossing covers and they deliver an unexpected yet thoroughly enjoyable trove of holiday songs.

On Dec 1st, the ladies will be performing at Caffe Lena (47 Phila St., Saratoga Springs) for an intimate 8 PM show. General admission tickets are $20; $18 for members and $10 for students and children, and are available on-line or by calling (518) 583-0022.

From the Irish Kitchen (recipes suitable for clipping)

This month’s recipe – “Bushmills Boiled Fruitcake” By Margaret Johnson - This version of the popular Irish Christmas cake is an interesting one given the fact that the fruits are boiled with the butter and brown sugar before being added to the dry ingredients. This technique, along with the unusual addition of crushed pineapple, makes it exceptionally moist.

INGREDIENTS:

1 large (20 ounces) can crushed pineapple 1 cup self-rising flour 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon soda 2 cups sultanas or golden raisins 1 teaspoon Mixed Spice 4 ounces candied cherries 2 eggs, beaten (or at least seriously down on their luck) 4 ounces mixed peel 2 or more tablespoons Irish whiskey

METHOD:

In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the pineapple, butter, brown sugar, and fruit. Bring to a boil and stir continually for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely.

Preheat the oven to 325° F. Generously grease one 8-inch loaf pan or 4 mini-loaf pans.

In a large bowl, combine flours, soda, and mixed spice. Stir in the beaten eggs. Add this to the fruit mixture, and with a wooden spoon, blend thoroughly. Spoon mixure into pan(s) and smooth top with a wet spatula. Bake 8- inch cake for 60 to 75 minutes (test with a toothpick after 60 minutes); bake 4 mini-loaves for about 55 minutes (test with a toothpick after 45 minutes). When the cake is done, remove and cool on rack. Prick the top with a skewer, and drizzle with the whiskey while the cake is still warm.

Cool completely, wrap in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil. (For those who like the idea of a daily dose of “spirits,” unwrap and re-drizzle at your own discretion.) Cakes can be kept at room temperature for several days, or refrigerated for a week. They can also be frozen. Serves 10 to 12.

If you try this recipe, feel free to share your experience with all of us; and of course, if you have a recipe you’d like to share, don’t send it to Beth Loftis at [email protected]. She’s off the clock.

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“The Woman in the Woods”-- Book Review by Mark Sisti

A heavy rainstorm causes a tree to fall in a deeply wooded area. Revealed is the body of a woman, a woman who appears have given birth just before her death. But no baby, no grave, and no other corpse, was found at the site. So what happened to the child? Is it alive? And if so where is it? And what is the significance of the religious symbol carved into a nearby tree? These are the questions facing eternally troubled detective Charlie Parker in “The Woman in the Woods,” the latest installment in the mystery/horror series by Dublin-born John Connolly. After 15 previous books, we know Charlie Parker’s story: a private investigator who is often hired to solve cases no one else can solve, he has never gotten over the loss of his wife and daughter who were brutally murdered. He also has a daughter named Sam, who is more than she appears, and he thinks he communes with his dead daughter Jennifer. A recent near-death experience has brought him even closer to piercing the veil between this world and the next, and has him straddling both. It has given him a sense of fatality, but also a sense of purpose. Parker is retained by Moxie Castin, an attorney of his previous acquaintance – a fascinating character, but, then again, there are no real secondary characters in Parker books – to identify the woman and see if he can figure out what happened to the child. However, there are others also looking for the child and its connection to a missing book that will change the world irrevocably. And those others, the chilling Quayle and the psychopathic (and barely human) Mors, are not hesitant to use whatever means necessary to get what they want, leaving a trail of bodies in their wake as they travel the country in search of the mysterious book. Complicating matters, Parker’s oft-time companion Louis is dealing with the serious health problems of his partner Angel, which have him contemplating mortality – his own, not the kind he visits upon others. This can perhaps explain his somewhat rash – and certainly illegal – remodeling of a truck owned by the son a local racist slumlord, an act which brings about its own repercussions. Oh, and by the way, a toy phone belonging to a five-year-old boy starts ringing and on the line is the voice of a woman urging the boy to join her. It all sets Parker on a collision course with a number of dangerous people, including Quayle, a British attorney of indeterminable age who’s hunting a mythical book that could forever alter the theological pantheon. Quayle is one of Connolly’s darkest antagonists to date, oozing evil and coldly dispassionate about the methods he employs. The supernatural overtones of this series have gradually grown since the first Parker book, and they are on full display here. And, as always, Connolly leaves us with more questions than he has answered. I have said it before and I will repeat: this is simply the best series being written in any genre today (whichever genre you place it in.) Connolly manages to deftly balance a number of sub-plots and presents unsettling questions, all with an incongruous blend of humor and darkness, and still manages to tell a good story. The story is intricately plotted, complex without getting confusing, the characters are dynamic, and Connolly’s use of language, stunning on its own, blurs the line between the real world and the other worlds that swirl around Parker: “They were not simulacra, but neither were they real; rather, they represented the potential usurpation of one reality, its slow infection by another.” I mean, seriously, is there any other writer who writes like that? While you probably could pick up “Woman in the Woods” without prior knowledge of what has gone before and still enjoy it – it is, as much as anything, an intriguing story well told – to fully appreciate the magnitude of the universe Connolly has created, you really should start at the beginning of the series and read each installment in sequence. The mythology underlying everything is almost Lovecraftian in its scope, internally consistent, incredibly complex and elaborately woven. Besides, with writing this good, why would you not want to read the whole series? Charlie Parker has met a number of purely evil entities in this series, but perhaps none more evil than Quayle. I will say this, though: while Connolly’s villains revel in dishing out horrendous tortures, none can compare with what Connolly does to readers: now we have to wait at least a year for the next installment in this series.

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RANDOM RAMBLINGS

“Nuacht as Craobh Dugan” ---news from the Dugan Branch Chris Hoke writes: “Nollaig Shona!! (Merry Christmas)… Performances this month include: Dec 4 - Open Session at Nail Creek Pub, 7:30 PM; Dec 7 - Ceili Dance Class at Seton Center, 7 PM; Dec 14 - Ceili Dance Class at Seton Center, 7 PM; Dec 18 - Open Session at Stockdale’s, 7:30 PM; Dec 21 - Ceili Dance Class at Seton Center, 7 PM; Dec 28 - Ceili Dance Class at Seton Center, 7 PM. ”

2019 St. Patrick’s Day Parade Accepting Nominations for Grand Marshal The Great American Irish Festival is seeking nominations for the Grand Marshal of the 2019 St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The nominee, male or female, need not be of Irish descent, but should be someone recognized by the community for his/her commitment and contributions to the Irish in the Central New York area. The letter of nomination should include the individual’s background and a list of qualifications as to why he or she would be the proper choice to receive the shillelagh from the 2018 Grand Marshal, Judy Weeks. Nominations can be submitted online or by mail to: St. Patrick’s Day Parade, 623 Columbia Street, Utica, NY 13502. Nominations are due by January 19, 2019.

Celtic Club Calendar Finally, here’s the Irish Musical and Cultural calendar for December:

Dec 1 The Wynotte Sisters Caffè Lena Saratoga Springs 8 PM $10-$20 Dec 1 Rattlin’ Bog Park Coffee House Holland Patent 7:30 PM $10 Dec 2 Traditional Irish Session McCarthy's Irish Pub Cazenovia 4 PM Free Dec 2 The Stoutmen Coleman’s Irish Pub Syracuse 4-7 PM Free Dec 4 Nail Creek Sessions Nail Creek Utica 7:30 PM Free Dec 6-8 Arise and Go Solstace at the Cathedral Syracuse 7:30 PM and 2 PM Sat. $30 Dec 6 McKrells’ Christmas Show Daryl's House Pawling, NY 8 PM $15-$20 Dec 8 Cherish the Ladies Christmas Walton Theatre Walton, NY 7:30 PM $20 Dec 8 Traditional Irish Session Kitty Hoynes Pub Syracuse 2-5 PM Free Dec 9 Blarney Rebel Band Coleman’s Irish Pub Syracuse 4-7 PM Free Dec 14 Triskele Christmas The Parting Glass Saratoga Springs 7 PM $5 Dec 15 Syracuse Irish Session Funk’n Waffles Syracuse 2-5 Free Dec 16 Traditional Irish Session Irish Amer Ass’n Albany 2:30-6 PM Free Dec 16 Donal O’Shaughnessey Coleman’s Irish Pub Syracuse 4-7 PM Free Dec 16 Arise and Go w/Doolin O’Dey Cracker Factory Geneva 4 PM $10; $15 for two Dec 16 SING! An Irish Christmas Clemens Center Elmira 7:30 PM $30 Dec 18 Cherish the Ladies Christmas Troy Music Hall Troy 7:30 PM $29.50-$34.50 Dec 18 Traditional Irish Session Stockdale’s Oriskany 7:30 PM Free Dec 20-23 McKrells’ Christmas Show The Parting Glass Saratoga Springs 7 PM $15 Dec 21 “A Very Blarney Christmas” Piggy Pat’s Washington Mills 7-10 PM Free Dec 22 Traditional Irish Session Kitty Hoynes Pub Syracuse 2-5 PM Free Dec 23 The Stoutmen Coleman’s Irish Pub Syracuse 4-7 PM Free Dec 29 Get Up Jack The Parting Glass Saratoga Springs 8 PM $12 Dec 30 Flyin’ Column Coleman’s Irish Pub Syracuse 4-7 PM Free

If you have anything you want to share with us, feel free to send it to us ([email protected] or [email protected]), and we’ll be happy to include it. As always, while we strive for accuracy, we’re only human (at least that’s what we were taught to say if anyone figured out how to open the pods). It always makes sense to call ahead to confirm some of these further-out trips. Finally, from our homes to yours:

Beannachtaí na Nollag díbh go léir (“The blessings of Christmas to you all”).

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