Amari Usque... Gaelic Language Classes, Song Workshops, and Step All Summer Long

10 11 In which our intrepid correspondents give exposed to a range of Cape Breton Gaelic songs The Celtic College is the brainchild of (either originating in Scotland but popular in Cape Goderich folk music movers and shakers Warren us news from one coast of Canada to the Breton, or more often, songs composed by Cape and Eleanor Robinson, who organize the takeover other and to the other: Breton bards), ranging from love songs to milling of the Goderich high school for a week in August, songs. bring in elite Celtic (in this context, "Celtic" means Each evening, I attended different events "mostly Irish") musicians and craftspeople from Fail 2001: Cape Breton, hosted by Feis an Eilein at the Christmas Island around the world, and register hundreds of adult fire hall. One of the main attractions is their students for four days of intensive training Nova Scotia annual milling frolic. Milling frolics are known as ranging from beginner concertina to Irish song waulkings in Scotland and continue to be (sung in the original Irish language) to fiddling to By Heather Sparling practised in Cape Breton today. Originally, guitar accompaniment to tin whistle and flute, not milling frolics involved the shrinking of wool by to mention dancing and drawing and calligraphy ased on a number of trips to Cape Breton, I pounding it. Wool shrinkage was important for and even instrument repair. While the days are Bfeel relatively secure in asserting that tightening the weave of the wool, thereby making filled with classes, the evenings are filled with Scottish Gaelic culture in Cape Breton is not it warmer and more waterproof. Since it was a concerts by the instructors and, later, sessions so much visual as aural: the sounds of fiddles, step long and arduous process, neighbours were invited scattered around town. The whole enterprise dancers, and Gaelic singers. In the place of the for a night of singing and milling. Each person at wraps up on Friday when willing students take visual splendour of Highland Games, you'll find the table would take a turn singing a Gaelic song the stage on the opening afternoon of the Celtic ceilidhs, feisean, and milling frolics. "Ceilidh" is solo while everyone kept time with the beating of Roots Festival that runs throughout the weekend. the Gaelic word for visit and involves the the cloth and all would join in on the choruses. If it sounds overwhelming, I wouldn't community coming together for an evening of Although there is no practical need to shrink wool disagree. The instructors' roster was impressive if storytelling, songs, music, and dance. Some are anymore, Gaelic-speakers still look forward to not downright daunting: internationally widely advertised and are held at community fire milling frolics today as an opportunity to speak in recognized performers, here to share then- or legion halls. Others are spontaneous Gaelic and share their songs with each other. expertise and experience. The list included gatherings of neighbours in someone's kitchen. Now, most communities have a single milling Sharlene Wallace, Ken Perlman, Brian Taheny, "Feisean" are festivals where Gaelic culture is blanket that is used repeatedly and expressly for Lorretto Reid, Frank Edgley, Joe Grady, Patrick explained, performed, and transmitted. At the such events. Orceau, Ben Grossman, Julie Schryer and on and annual Christmas Island festival, Feis an Eilein, on. there is a pipers' ceilidh (at which both local and Milling frolics and other Scottish Gaelic Scottish pipers perform), several square dances, cultural events are held throughout Cape Breton "Who's Peter Horan?" I whispered to Jean AMari Usque... Gaelic language classes, song workshops, and step all summer long. They are also featured as part of Hewson, the accomplished singer and guitarist dance lessons. Although these events are open to each year's highly successful "Celtic Colours" from Newfoundland, one half of a duo with fiddler the public, including tourists, they are particularly festival, which will run October 5 to 13 this year. Christina Smith. We were sitting in the packed important for the education and promotion of Torontonians are also fortunate this year as the concert hall listening to a "concert" of Sligo tunes, Gaelic culture to Cape Bretoners, encouraging Celtic Studies Department at the University of which was really more bike an amazing session, children to learn the culture, and providing an Toronto is hosting a one-day conference called with Peter in the centre of it all. opportunity for more advanced students to teach "Words and Music of Cape Breton" on November Jean looked at me and just managed to keep rd and perform. 3 . Speakers and performers will include Mary the irony out of her voice as she informed me, This year, I attended both Feis an Eilein Jane Lamond, Jim Watson, Alistair MacLeod, and "Well, he's kind of a legend." Oops! I didn't know, events and a new, four-day Gaelic song workshop Cape Breton fiddlers Sandy Maclntyre and David but I do now. A learning experience. led by renowned Gaelic singer, Mary Jane Greenberg. But the aspect of the College that struck me Lamond. It was held in the nearby community of Heather Sparling is our web mistress. the most was how humbling it was to be a Iona at the Highland Village, an outdoor museum struggling beginner again. I can play a number of similar to Toronto's Pioneer Village. Mary Jane instruments reasonably well, but Frank Edgley's invited native Gaelic speakers and singers from Celtic College at Goderich, beginner concertina class brought me quickly to a the Island to speak about their singing standstill. It had nothing to do with the fact that experiences, and to share their songs with the Ontario the other members of the class were toting their students. We listened carefully in an attempt to beautiful hand made Lachenals and Stagis (and grasp, not only melody and pronunciation, but By Jean Mills even an Edgley) which towered, figuratively, over variation, ornamentation, and the more general my little red Hohner with its paper bellows and "Gaelic flavour" of their singing styles. Our he highlight of my summer was a week spent noisy buttons. No, it seemed to have more to do afternoons often ended with a little ceilidh, Tat the Celtic College in Goderich, Ontario. with the fact that I was the only one having involving any guests remaining and Jim Watson, Despite a heat wave that plastered our shirts trouble with the "pat the head and rub the an incredibly knowledgeable Gaelic speaker and to our backs and made contact with any kind of tummy" brainwork required. At the student singer on the Highland Village's staff. Students string and fretboard a sticky proposition, the concert on Friday afternoon I felt flight-or-fight could participate, but more often we simply experience was inspirational — and at times sweat break out when it was our class's turn to absorbed the Gaelic spoken, the stories told, and humbling. It's an exercise we should all play. My friends down on the grass watched with the songs sung. For the rest of our time, we were undertake at some point in our lives: to become a amusement as I struggled. Afterwards, safely off student again! stage, I laughed too. I have a lot of work to do if The Canadian Folk Music BULLETIN de musique folklorique canadienne The Canadian Folk Music BULLETIN de musique folklorique canadienne 10 11 In which our intrepid correspondents give exposed to a range of Cape Breton Gaelic songs The Celtic College is the brainchild of (either originating in Scotland but popular in Cape Goderich folk music movers and shakers Warren us news from one coast of Canada to the Breton, or more often, songs composed by Cape and Eleanor Robinson, who organize the takeover other and to the other: Breton bards), ranging from love songs to milling of the Goderich high school for a week in August, songs. bring in elite Celtic (in this context, "Celtic" means Each evening, I attended different events "mostly Irish") musicians and craftspeople from Fail 2001: Cape Breton, hosted by Feis an Eilein at the Christmas Island around the world, and register hundreds of adult fire hall. One of the main attractions is their students for four days of intensive training Nova Scotia annual milling frolic. Milling frolics are known as ranging from beginner concertina to Irish song waulkings in Scotland and continue to be (sung in the original Irish language) to fiddling to By Heather Sparling practised in Cape Breton today. Originally, guitar accompaniment to tin whistle and flute, not milling frolics involved the shrinking of wool by to mention dancing and drawing and calligraphy ased on a number of trips to Cape Breton, I pounding it. Wool shrinkage was important for and even instrument repair. While the days are Bfeel relatively secure in asserting that tightening the weave of the wool, thereby making filled with classes, the evenings are filled with Scottish Gaelic culture in Cape Breton is not it warmer and more waterproof. Since it was a concerts by the instructors and, later, sessions so much visual as aural: the sounds of fiddles, step long and arduous process, neighbours were invited scattered around town. The whole enterprise dancers, and Gaelic singers. In the place of the for a night of singing and milling. Each person at wraps up on Friday when willing students take visual splendour of Highland Games, you'll find the table would take a turn singing a Gaelic song the stage on the opening afternoon of the Celtic ceilidhs, feisean, and milling frolics. "Ceilidh" is solo while everyone kept time with the beating of Roots Festival that runs throughout the weekend.

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