irish music a full week of small group instruction locally at macalester college. as it happened,...

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Irish Music &

Dance Association 29th Year, Issue No. 12

December

2011

Mí na Nollag

The mission of the Irish Music and Dance Association is to support, coordinate, encourage and promote high quality activities and programs

in Irish music, dance, and other cultural traditions within the community and to insure the continuation of those traditions.

Piper Seeks New Challenges Piper Ryan Behnke received an IMDA Educational Grant in 2011 to study with the Balmoral School of Piping this last summer. The Balmoral School is one of the most prestigious in North America and their summer program offers a full week of small group instruction locally at Macalester College. As it happened, there were no other students at Ryan’s level, allowing Ryan the fantastic opportunity for individualized instruction. He was able to pursue his interest in Piobaireachd, the complex extended compositions which include elaborate formal variations. This genre of music for the pipes is well known and taught in Scotland, but not so commonly taught here in America, as it requires a personal connection – hearing a recording or having someone sing the music to you. (Wikipedia tells us that “traditionally, many pipers prefer the name Ceòl Mór, which is Scottish Gaelic, meaning the "Great Music," to distinguish this complex extended art-music from the more common kinds of popular Scottish music, such as dances, reels, marches and strathspeys, which are called Ceòl Beag, or "Little Music"). Instructors Willie

McCallum and Brian Donaldson gave him a rare opportunity to study this genre, sometimes called the classical music for the Highland bagpipes. Ryan says that working with these outstanding musicians, he started to “really

understand how the music works” – an outstanding experience.

Ryan, who is from Hastings, Minnesota, is a senior at Augsburg, pursuing a degree in Music Therapy. Ryan has been playing the bagpipes for about nine years, and first became interested when a friend inherited a set of pipes and enjoyed playing so much that he encouraged Ryan to try them as well. In addition to piping with the Macalester

College Pipe Band, Ryan plays several other instruments: piano, guitar, French horn, and whistles. Ryan is also studying the uilleann (Irish) pipes with Patrick McCormick and the Great Northern Irish Pipers Club. If you’ve attended the IMDA/Great Northern Irish Pipers Club Celtic Music Open Mic Nights, you’ve heard Ryan on uilleann

pipes with friends as part of the traditional group “Trout in the Milk.”

Ryan serves as Pipe Major for the Grade V (beginning) pipers with the Macalester Pipe Band as his schedule permits. As Pipe Major, Ryan helps the newer members learn the basics of competing in a pipe band and prepares and leads

them on the competition field. He also pipes for Highland dancers and for the Royal Scottish Country Dancers.

Ryan recently brought his new skills to IMDA Honors Lar Burke, piping Lar into the hall for the celebration and

playing the bagpipes as part of the program.

The Irish Music and Dance Association is pleased to help Ryan continue his study of Celtic music. Applications for

2012 are available on the IMDA website. The application deadline is April 15, 2012.

IMDA MEMBERS IMDA MEMBERS IMDA MEMBERS IMDA MEMBERS are invited to the Annual IMDA Membership Meetingare invited to the Annual IMDA Membership Meetingare invited to the Annual IMDA Membership Meetingare invited to the Annual IMDA Membership Meeting

Saturday, December 3, 2011 Merlins Rest at 2:00 p.m.Saturday, December 3, 2011 Merlins Rest at 2:00 p.m.Saturday, December 3, 2011 Merlins Rest at 2:00 p.m.Saturday, December 3, 2011 Merlins Rest at 2:00 p.m.

Inside this issue:

Tune of the Month 2

Gaelic Corner 3

Women’s Christmas 4

IMDA Membership 5

December Calendar 8-9

The Ceili Calendar 14

Smidirini 15

Puzzle 11

An Leabhragán 12

Cu Ceoil 13

Mac Grad Wins Award 6

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Irish Music &

Dance Association

�une of �he on�h by Amy Shaw

There was a feast of Sliabh Luachra music last month during the Sliabh Minnesota weekend. Matt Cranitch (fiddle), Jackie Daly (accordion), and Paul de Grae (guitar) played a concert and ceili, and also presented an after-noon of workshops. Sliabh Luachra, located on the border of Cork and Kerry, is well known for its polkas and slides. During the weekend, Matt spoke often about legendary fiddlers Denis Murphy (1910-1974) and his sister Julia Clifford (1914-1994), whose classic duo recording, The Star

Above the Garter, is exemplary of the Sliabh Luachra style. This month’s tunes come from the title track of that album. Denis and Julia came from Lisheen, Gneeveguilla [roughly pronounced guh-neev-gwill-uh], Co. Kerry. They were both pupils of the great fiddler Pádraig O’Keeffe. Denis spent a number of years in the U.S. before return-ing to Lisheen in 1965. Julia spent most of her life in England. Matt Cranitch remarked on how well-matched the two were stylistically on this recording, despite the fact that, as adults, they actually didn’t get to play together very often. During his workshop, Jackie Daly mentioned that you should tap your foot in a fast four for slides. If you only tap twice per bar, there’s a danger that your slide will start to sound like a hornpipe! Usual disclaimers: Any transcription errors are my own. The notation here is not meant to be a substitute for listening. It is simply an aid to learning the tune.

The IMDA Board is:

President: Lisa Conway

Treasurer: Mark Malone

Secretary: Jan Casey

Board Members: Suin Swann Ruth McGlynn Patrick Cole Editor: John Burns

IMDA Board Meetings are open to the membership.

The Board meets regularly on the First Tuesday of each month at 6 pm at Perkins in HarMar. Members are encouraged to verify the time and location shortly before,

as meeting times and locations can change.

Contact Information Write to:

Irish Music and Dance Association 236 Norfolk Ave NW Elk River, MN 55330

Call: 612-990-3122 E-mail: [email protected]

Newsletter Submissions

We welcome our readers to submit articles of interest, news, and notices of events to be published in the newsletter. The deadline is the 20th o f the preceding month.

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Irish Music &

Dance Association

It was an odd November, with warm weather rather late in the game. One of the oddest things, to me, was how long the trees hung onto their leaves! For "leaves," I would say bileoga. But this is one of those words that varies from place to place, and you can just as easily use the Irish word duilleoga for the exact same purpose. In fact, except for the b or d at the beginning of the word, they sound exactly alike. Admittedly, this may seem mildly bizarre, but, especially with the drifting apart of the dialects over the years, it is not unusual for these kinds of things to pop up. I could tell you to "Open the door!" with the command, Oscail an doras! But in some places, that first word would be foscail, rather than oscail. Similarly, to "fold" or "return" is fill in some places, pill in others, and you just have to live with the regional variations. Some of this has to do with the changes to the front of words we call "mutations." After all, "he closed the door" could be D'oscail sé an

doras or D'fhoscail sé an doras, and those end up sounding exactly the same. The most likely consonants that are likely to get swapped around at the beginning of words are p and b, b and m, and, as we have seen, p and f. So bileog/

duilleog is a little unusual, but hardly extreme. Speaking of which, whichever word you use, there are a few "leaf" expressions that are kind of fun. A bileog shúile, literally a "leaf of an eye," is an eye patch. And when something is "under the leaf," faoin

duilleog, it means there is something secret or even mysterious about it. So when I say, Tá rud éicint faoin duilleog aige, "He has something under the leaf," I mean he is "up to something." And if I tell you something in confidence and ask you to "keep it under your hat," I say, Coinnigh faoin duilleog é, "Keep it under the

leaf." Something we do not want you to keep "under the leaf" is our30th annual Christmas dinner, which we expect to hold at Kieran's on Monday evening, December 19. We have not nailed down all the details

just yet, but we do want to invite not just our students, but their family and friends, and friends of Gaeltacht Minnesota. It isn't a night of speaking Irish, it is a night of celebrating the community that supports us. All of our students get

encouragement (or at least tolerance of a strange hobby) from family and friends, and that's what this evening is about. Visit our web site atwww.gaelminn.orgfor more details, and to download your reservation, as we pre-order meals for this event. And if you have been hoping to get into our Monday evening classes, our web site is also the gateway to more information about our "Introduction to Irish

Gaelic" to be offered this winter through St. Paul Community Education. The class will run four weeks from late January into February, and students who complete the class can then join us on Mondays. Please note that registration, on-line, is handled by Community Ed,not by Gaeltacht Minnesota. It should open to take students on Monday, December 26, and it can close very quickly, as space is limited. Visitingwww.gaelminn.orgwill get you to links to the Community Ed site, along with more information about the class. Is iomaí duilleog ina leabhar!

"There's many a leaf in his book," that is, He knows a lot of stuff!

Will

�he �aelic �orner By Will Kenny

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Irish Music &

Dance Association

Keegan’s Pub Hosts Fifth Annual

‘Women’s Christmas’ Jan. 8 On Sunday, Jan. 8, 2012, Christmas celebrations will be over for most of the Twin Cities. But not at Keegan’s Pub, Minneapolis. On that day, Keegan’s will host one last holiday bash exclusively for women to celebrate the Irish tradition of “Women’s Christmas.”

The fifth annual Women’s Christmas at Keegan’s will take place noon to 4 p.m. on Jan. 8. Prize drawings for women and special food offerings will be featured, and local Celtic band Locklin Road will perform from 1 to 4 p.m.

On Women’s Christmas—celebrated on the feast of the Epiphany, the traditional end of Christmas season (aka the twelfth day of Christmas)—the custom is for Irish women to

take the day off, and for men to take on the household duties. Women fill the pubs, and go out and celebrate with their girlfriends. Gifts are given to women.

In keeping with the tradition of Women’s Christmas (also known as Little Christmas or Little Women’s Christmas), women are encouraged to bring small gifts to the pub Jan. 8 to exchange with their friends. Keegan’s will also have prize drawings. “Our first four Women’s Christmas events were wildly successful,” said Keegan. “The pub gets packed, filled with groups of women having the time of their lives. It’s a memorable day at the pub.”

Keegan’s brunch menu will be offered until 2 pm with the dinner menu thereafter. Following the Women’s Christmas event on Jan. 8, a traditional Irish Session will begin at 6 p.m.

For more information, contact Keegan’s Pub, (612) 252-0880 or go to www.keeganspub.com.

For more information about Locklin Road, go to www.locklinroad.com.

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Irish Music &

Dance Association

IMDA Annual Membership Meeting

Saturday, Dec. 3 at 2:00 PM – Merlins Rest, 3601 E Lake St, Minneapolis

IMDA members are cordially invited to attend this important meeting. In addition to a review of the highlights of 2011, the meeting will include election of board members and officers for the coming year. Board members serve for a two-year term. The following board members terms expire in 2011. All are standing for election to new, two-year terms:

Lisa Conway: IMDA President since 2003, Board Member since 2001. Lisa also partners with other organizations in her spare time to promote Irish arts and culture. In 2006, she assisted Fáilte Minnesota

in co-hosting the first annual Green Tie Gala to fundraise for the creation of an Irish community center, and in 2009 lent her help in the branding and creation of the Minnesota Irish Cultural Center (MICC) logo and website. Always looking for new relationships with other Irish organizations, Lisa is currently partnering with the Great Northern Irish Pipers Club, on behalf of IMDA, to host a quarterly Celtic Music Open Mic Night. Lisa teaches Latin dancing at the Elk River Y, was formerly a member of the Mooncoin Céilí Dancers and a ballroom dance instructor, and can still be found around town dancing to Celtic and other cultural music. She lives in the northwest metro with her daughter Clare and dogs Brian & Fergal, and is a Project Manager for a graphics communications company.

Jan Casey: IMDA Secretary since 2007, Board Member since 2005. Jan serves on the Entertainment Committee for our Landmark events, and co-chaired the planning for "IMDA Honors Ann

Heymann" (2009) and "IMDA Honors Paddy O'Brien" (2010). Jan helped to define the IMDA

Educational Grant Program, now in its seventh year, and coordinates the application process. Jan also manages IMDA's Decade of Dance Award program. Jan contributes regularly to the IMDA newsletter and IMDA's Facebook page. Jan and her husband Mike are both retired and live in St. Paul. You'll often find them dancing at the Dubliner or at an Irish music concert, céilí or play. Jan has one grown son, Brian.

Patrick Cole: IMDA Board Member since 2009. Patrick serves on the Entertainment Committee for our Landmark events. Patrick is from St. Paul, Minnesota, and is an active member of the traditional Irish music community in the Twin Cities. Patrick also serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Great Northern Irish Pipers Club. Patrick plays the uilleann pipes, whistles, and several other instruments. His daughter Cecilia Cole, is a sean nós dancer and performs at local events.

Mark T. Malone: IMDA Treasurer since 2003, Board Member since 2001. Mark has been a Business Management Consultant for over 15 years, providing a wide variety of services to many businesses in multiple industries. He has been a Certified Public Accountant since 1987, becoming inactively licensed since 2003. Mark’s experience, although wide ranging, has been focused in recent years on computer systems implementation, business process engineering, regulatory compliance, and acting as interim CFO/Comptroller. Mark is also the Treasurer and a Board Member of Fáilte Minnesota (both since 2003), as well as the Treasurer (since 2010) and Board Member (since 2003) of the Irish Fair of

Minnesota.

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Irish Music &

Dance Association

Mac Grad Awarded Watson Fellowship to Study Irish Language Revitalization By Jan Casey

Morgan Sleeper, Macalester Class of 2011, has been awarded a Watson Fellowship for a project with an Irish language and music connection. The Thomas J. Watson Fellowship offers

college graduates of "unusual promise" a year of independent,

purposeful exploration and travel -- in international settings

new to them -- to enhance their capacity for resourcefulness,

imagination, openness, and leadership and to foster their

humane and effective participation in the world community.

Here’s a description of Morgan’s project:

Ceol agus Comhra: Music & Language Revitalization in the Celtic Fringe. United Kingdom, Argentina, Isle of Man, Canada, France,

Ireland

Music has amazing potential as a tool for language revival. Taking the Celtic languages as his case study, he will travel to each of the Celtic nations and two diaspora regions to discover how people are using music to revitalize these endangered languages. By attending music festivals and language classes, speaking with musicians, language activists, and radio stations, and writing his own Irish-language songs, he will explore how music fits into the Celtic language revival, and how this model can best be used to help other endangered

languages around the globe.

We reached out to Morgan to find out more about him, his Twin Cities experience and his project.

Morgan is enthusiastic about the amazing Irish language and cultural scene here in the Twin Cities. He credits his opportunity to learn Irish with Fintan Moore at St. Thomas as the basis for his Watson project. He also did an Ethnomusicology project with the Center for Irish Music while at Macalester. Morgan came to a love of Celtic languages after hearing Welsh rock music. He grew up in a family of musicians, fueling a passion for music and songwriting. Living in Italy after high school began a chain reaction of learning new languages, leading to a Linguistics major at Macalester, focused on endangered-language revival. Morgan is co-authoring and writing songs for an Irish

textbook geared towards North American learners.

Here’s a recent update from Morgan:

“I've had an amazing couple of months with my project so far! I started out in Wales, was there for two months, and

then spent a month on the Isle of Man. I've got a blog going at www.allmusicisworldmusic.com, though I didn't start

really writing until I got to Patagonia, which is where I am now. Besides meeting with musicians, language learners,

native speakers, language activists & organizations, the other big part of my project is working on my own Irish-

language songs geared towards learners like myself! They're up on www.soundcloud.com/morgansleeper, and if you

click on the song titles you can view the lyrics! ('Ūlili Ē, Fraincis ar Bith, Slán Abhaile, and Mo Phiongain are the Irish

songs up at the moment!)

My next stop is Brittany, followed by another month in Wales, then Cornwall, Scotland, and Ireland from April

to May before heading to Ontario & Nova Scotia in June!”

We’re hopeful that he’ll be back in Minnesota to share his experiences next summer – perhaps at Irish Fair!

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Irish Music &

Dance Association

Celtic Celtic Celtic Celtic ChristmasChristmasChristmasChristmas Gift Gift Gift Gift GivingGivingGivingGiving

the the the the IMDAIMDAIMDAIMDA WayWayWayWay!!!!

Thinking about Christmas gift ideas

for those special folks on your gift list?

�ere are some especially �rish ideas�

IMDA Gift Membership – for that friend who is always asking you where to go to hear

Irish music, or for the one who just loves all things Irish and understands how lucky

we are to have so much going on in the Twin Cities!

IMDA’s “Hooley in the Heartland” Double CD – a wonderful collection of music from

our own local talent. (Available at Irish on Grand and the IMDA website.)

Classes at the Center for Irish Music – for that friend who used to love playing in the

school band, but hasn’t taken time to play for years. Or for a young person who loves

Irish music and would love to learn to play. (Contact the Center for Irish Music for

schedules and fees.)

Irish music recordings – great selection at Irish on Grand and Homestead Pickin Par-

lor (Richfield). And Young Irish Musician’s Weekend recordings from the Center for Irish Music.

Irish books – wonderful selection at Irish on Grand.

Irish and Celtic apparel and other gifts – Celtique Creations, T. R Hawkinson Jewelry,

Irish Blessings, Irish on Grand, Patty’s Pottery, and the St. Patrick’s Guild.

Addresses and website information for all of the above are on Resources tab on the IMDA website –

www.IMDA-MN.org.

Nollaig Shona DaoibhNollaig Shona DaoibhNollaig Shona DaoibhNollaig Shona Daoibh ---- A good Christmas to you! A good Christmas to you! A good Christmas to you! A good Christmas to you!

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Irish Music &

Dance Association

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Irish Music &

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10


Irish Music &

Dance Association

Slow Jam for Fiddlers Will Begin in January

Are you a beginning or intermediate fiddle player who wants to learn more about Old Time music? The Minnesota State Fiddlers Association will be kicking off a monthly slow jam for fiddlers wanting to learn old time, Irish, Scandinavian, Canadian, and hey, maybe even a Cajun tune or two. The first meeting will be on Saturday, January 7, 2012 at the Ridgedale Library, Meeting Room 172, 12601 Ridgedale Drive, Minnetonka, MN from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Each month, a MSFA volunteer will teach a tune or two; then the rest of the time would be spent in a “circle” jam ses-sion with the tunes slowed down so that everyone can participate. Fiddlers are en-couraged to bring recording devices.

So, if you’ve taken violin les-sons and want to try your hand at fiddling or are accom-plished in old time/bluegrass/Irish in another instrument and want to work on your fid-dling, come join us!

Guitar, mandolin and other non-fiddle players who want to benefit from the slower tempos to learn how to ac-company fiddlers are more than welcome to join us.

The Ridgedale Library will be open, and refreshments will be available for sale from the Dunn Brothers coffee shop located on the second level. All interested fiddlers are wel-come to join us; however, if you are under 14, please have a responsible adult come with you.

For more information on this and future SloJammers gatherings, “like” our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pages/Minnesota-State-Fiddlers-Association-SloJammers, or send an email to MFSA Board Member Mary Pat Kleven, [email protected].

11


Irish Music &

Dance Association

Celtic and IrishCeltic and IrishCeltic and IrishCeltic and Irish

Christmas ShowsChristmas ShowsChristmas ShowsChristmas Shows Add some Irish music to your Christmas season!

Take in one of these holiday concerts:

Celtic Woman: A Christmas Celebration with the Minnesota Orchestra

Friday, Dec. 16 – Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis

Laura and the Lads Celtic Holiday Concert – Laura MacKenzie, Gary Rue and Michael Bissonnette and Irish Step Dancers

Tuesday, Dec. 13 – Hopkins Center for the Arts, Hopkins

Katie McMahon’s Christmas Show with Corda Mór Irish Dancers: Friday, Dec. 2 – College of St. Scholastica, Duluth

Sunday, Dec. 4 – St. Michael’s Historic Church, St. Michael (no dancers at this event)

Friday, Dec. 9 – O’Shaughnessy Auditorium, St. Paul

Saturday, Dec. 17 – Richard G. Hardy Performing Arts Center, Cambridge

"Spiked Too!", Table Salt Productions delightful holiday variety show series with guest artists Laura MacKenzie and Gary Rue

Thursday, Dec. 15 – Lowry Lab Theater, St. Paul

And then there’s dancing…

The Celtic Junction/Twin Cities Ceili Band Christmas Ceili

Saturday, Dec. 17 – The Celtic Junction

12


Irish Music &

Dance Association

Away by Jane Urquhart paperback

Penguin Books

This sensuous, lyrical work of fiction reminded me a great deal of the magical realism of Garcia Lorca's Love in the Time of

Cholera. From the shores of Rathlin Island off Country Antrim to the shores of Lake Ontario, water flows in and out of the narrative, which is as fluid, dark and mysterious as the sea itself. The ordinariness of human routine blends seamlessly with magic from the first paragraph: a shipwrecked sailor washes onshore to die in the arms of a local girl gathering seaweed, and she is "away" from that moment throughout her whole life.

"Away" is the term in Irish mythology for humans spirited away by the fairies or other supernatural forces, often with a changeling left in the human's place. In three generations of one family, Mary, Eileen and Esther are "away", at various points over a span of 150 years; the symbol of water as a catalyst and as a metaphor for change and transformation infuses every chapter with a sense of movement and timelessness. An Irish family emigrates during the time of the Great Hunger from Northern Ireland to Canada, but their magic and their mythology are not left behind; they find a greater landscape to play out at the crossroads of fate and circumstances on the shores of Lake Ontario. From 1842 to the present, these women are the stuff dreams are made of, but their lives are as real and immediate as the present moment. Time is mutable, liquid as light on water, changeable and translucent. First

Peoples (Native Canadians) Anishinabe myths interweave with Irish legends; time stops, reverses, then begins again. The reader is aware of being on an epic journey, never quite sure where the stream will go next, but trusting that the trip itself, not the destination, is the important thing. Graceful, dreamlike and shimmering, this novel will leave you breathless.

Sherry Ladig, Saint Paul trad musician and former reviewer for the Hungry Mind

Bookstore's newsletter, Fodder, is a frequent contributor to this column. She welcomes

guest reviews from readers and suggestions for future books to review. You may reach

Sherry at [email protected]. Happy reading!

An LeabhragánAn LeabhragánAn LeabhragánAn Leabhragán (The Bookcase)

13


Irish Music &

Dance Association

Greetings, everyone! Pete McCauley here from the Hounds of Finn. I'm honored to have been asked to write a few words for the IMDA.

These days my music listening time is usually spent at the office, while I'm working on my computer, and as a result, much of the music I listen to comes via streaming internet radio. I've been very happy to find just how much Celtic folk music I can find on any number of internet radio stations. Because I'm proud to be a part of a talented and communal Celtic music scene here in the Twin Cities, I feel it most appropriate that I first mention Radio Heartland, the streaming radio service from Minnesota Public Radio (www.radioheartland.org). Radio Heartland plays lots of great acoustic, folky music, and a fair amount of Celtic music. Everything from traditional to contemporary can be found on their playlist, including a LOT of local Celtic groups - I'm honored to tell you that some Hounds material is on their playlist about once every other day! But look at their playlist and you'll see lots of familiar names from the Twin Cities Celtic music scene. Radio Heartland is also the place to catch The Thistle & Shamrock - one of the best Celtic music radio programs ever produced (in my opinion).

Another great streaming folk music service is Folk Alley (www.folkalley.com). They regularly add Celtic music to their primary stream, but they also have side streams - one of my favorites being the St. Patrick's Day stream!

Lastly I'd like to mention Radio Paradise (www.radioparadise.com). This one is very eclectic and programs lots of different genres; especially rock and pop - but they do mix in a goodly amount of Celtic folk as well - and very tastily I might add! This stream is one that I tune into at least once or twice a week.

For independent artists like us, Internet Radio is our inroad to new audiences around the world, and we need it to get our material out and listened to by the general public. I'm happy to report that as a listener, there are lots of great choices out there - and these three are just a small sampling. There are streams dedicated to Irish, Celtic, Scottish - any genre you like. You just need to spend a little time searching and you'll have a ton of great material at your fingertips (literally!).

Thanks for your time and happy listening!

Sincerely, Pete McCauley

Hounds of Finn

www.houndsoffinn.com

�u �eoil " Music to the Irish is a living delight, a mysterious key to a host of undiscovered

emotions hoarded in the secrets of the soul." Mairtin Byrnes

Our music hound this month is Pete McCauley here from the Hounds of Finn.

14


Irish Music &

Dance Association

�eili �orner By Bhloscaidh O’Keane

First Saturday Afternoon Céilí - Dubliner Pub, 2162 University Avenue in Saint Paul, from 2:00 to 5:00. The suggested donation is $2.00 per person. The dances are taught and called by Paul McCluskey. Third Saturday Night Céilí - The Celtic Junction, 836 Prior Ave., No, St. Paul.

Irish Dance Classes:

Céilí Dancing - Wednesday Nights

Dubliner Irish Pub - 2162 University Avenue in Saint Paul. Learn Irish dancing in a genuine Irish pub with a wooden floor that has known a whole lot of dancing feet. Steps and dances are taught by Súin Swann. Basic beginning steps are taught beginning at 7:30 (please note the time change), with advanced lessons and dancing continuing until 9:30 PM. Year-round; no children, and must be of legal drinking age to remain past 9:00 PM. Free.

Conway Recreation Center - 2090 Conway Street in Saint Paul. This class is held in a park and recreation gym, and is taught by fine dancers/instructors who will provide plenty of special attention for your particular level of experience. The class runs from 7:00 to 8:30 PM. Year-round and open to all ages. Free.

Set Dancing - Thursday Nights

The Ivy Building - 2637 - 27th Avenue South in Minneapolis, right along the Midtown Greenway. Set dances are taught and led by Tim McAndrew, usually with live music. Dancing from 7-10pm, year-round. $7 per person.

Lots more information at: Lóma mór Irish Dance Club, www.lomamor.org

The Center for Irish Music

Come check us out at

The Celtic Junction 836 Prior Avenue, St Paul MN

Please check the website for information on

our full range of instruction in traditional Irish music, language , culture and fun.

For class schedule and other information call or email 651-815-0083 [email protected]

Or visit our website

www.centerforirishmusic.org

Dedicated to Handing Down the Tradition

15


Irish Music &

Dance Association

Just 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

Name: Today’s Date:

Address:

Membership Type:

New? Gift? Renewal? Corporate? Family?

Interests:

(Mark all that apply)

Music

Dance Theatre Gaelic Volunteer

Where did you hear about the IMDA Newsletter?

IMDA Membership Want to know what’s going on in the local Irish scene? Interested in music, dance, theatre and culture? Be the first on your

block to subscribe to the IMDA Newsletter. It’s a mere $20 for an annual individual membership and $25 for a family membership. Sign up yourself or sign up a friend, but whatever you do, support your local artists!

Phone Number:

E-mail:

We will send your monthly newsletter electronically via e-mail unless you would prefer to have it mailed. _____ Prefer US Mail.

Smidirini* By Copper Shannon (*Irish for ‘Bits and Pieces’)

♣ Go bhfaighe sibh biseach (May you get recovery) to two stalwarts of our local Irish community who are recovering from surgery: Lisa Conway and Tim McAndrew. Hope they’re soon back in the thick of things!

♣ Go n-éirí an t-ádh leis an bpub nua! (Good luck with the new pub!) to McCormick’s Pub and

Restaurant on Broadway on the lake in beautiful Wayzata. McCormick’s opened in August. The Irish Brigade will be returning weekends in December. Their website is under construction (www.mccormickswayzata.com); in the meantime, check out the reviews at www.wayzatarestaurants.com/2011/06/mccormicks.html.

♣ Maith sibh! (Good on you!) to the St. Paul Irish Dancers on their exciting new website. Check it out at

www.stpaulirishdancer.com.

16


Irish Music &

Dance Association

Postmaster: Time/Dated Material

236 Norfolk Ave NW Elk River, MN 55330

All IMDA members are invited All IMDA members are invited All IMDA members are invited All IMDA members are invited to the to the to the to the

Annual IMDA Membership MeetingAnnual IMDA Membership MeetingAnnual IMDA Membership MeetingAnnual IMDA Membership Meeting Saturday, December 3, 2011Saturday, December 3, 2011Saturday, December 3, 2011Saturday, December 3, 2011

Merlins Rest at 2:00 p.m.Merlins Rest at 2:00 p.m.Merlins Rest at 2:00 p.m.Merlins Rest at 2:00 p.m.

irish music a full week of small group instruction locally at macalester college. as it happened,...

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