Ceili Tonight

Tonight is the monthly Irish ceili at First Christian Church.  Come on out and dance with us!
No partner, no experience is necessary.  All ages, all abilities are welcome.

Kerry Moran and Katie Degreef will be playing lively Irish tunes with dances called by Kathryn Difoxfiire.

$5 admission for adults, kids 14 & under attend free.   Beginners' lesson at 7 pm, dances start at 7:30. Dances start out easy and get a little more complex as the evening goes on.

Please wear clean, soft-soled shoes that won't scratch the dance floor.

Location: First Christian Church, corner of Walnut and Tenth Streets.  Park in the back and enter through the glass doors facing Ash St.

See you there!

David Munnelly Band Concert on Wednesday, September 14

7:00 p.m.
Unity Center of Columbia, 1600 W Broadway
$10 adults / $8 CMCAA members, students and seniors
1/2 price for kids 6 - 12,  free for under 6.

Accordion wizard David Munnelly brings his band of excellent musicians and singer Jodee James to Columbia next Wednesday night. This is one of those great opportunities thanks to Columbia being on I-70!  The band is on their way to play at the famous Walnut Valley Folk Festival in Winfield Kansas, one of the largest folk music festivals in the country. (See http://www.wvfest.com/ )

This will be an acoustic session-style concert with just a bit of sound reinforcement for vocals. Great fun!

In previous newsletters I gave you David's bio and a review of his album.  To further tantalize your musical tastebuds, here is a bit about the rest of the band:

Paul Kelly has been at the heart of the music scene in Ireland since the early eighties.
Although he had played with, and gained the respect of many of the countries top traditional musicians as a teenager, he first came to prominence as the fiddler with The Sackville String Band, a five piece bluegrass outfit who brought American Traditional music to a wider audience in Ireland and who had the legendary Doc Watson, Bela Fleck and Mark O Connor among many others as guests at their regular Dublin gigs.
Throughout that decade he concentrated on American Music playing with various bands such as Mick Hanly’s Rusty Old Halo and The Fleadh Cowboys as well as appearing on many albums as a session musician. The Fleadhs were very successful in the late eighties touring extensively and supporting such artists as The Pogues, Bob Dylan and U2.
He returned to his roots in the early nineties as a member of The Sharon Shannon Band, playing fiddle and mandolin and touring the U.S., Europe and the U.K. He also recorded with Sharon and appeared on the hugely successful Late Late Show special dedicated to the Clare accordion wizard.
Paul currently plays regularly with ex De Dannan singer Eleanor Shanley, ex Fleadh Cowboys singer Frankie Lane and is a regular guest with the very successful Jerry Fish and The Mudbug Club.

Jodee James is known among lovers of Welsh Celtic music for her "Voice like a nightingale" (Traditional Music Maker, UK) and her in-depth knowledge not only of
Welsh folklore & customs, but of the Welsh language.  A top MP3 selling Celtic artist, Jodee joins the David Munnelly Band on this U.S. Tour singing primarily
Irish traditional songs.  

Kieran Munnelly, Belmullet, County Mayo, Flute/Bodhran
Kieran Munnelly like his brother, he has also been playing music since the age of seven and is an accomplished flute player and a dynamic bodhran player. Kieran also credits his grandparents with being his main musical influence. In 2003, Kieran was selected as a Composer of the Year. Since then, Kieran has played and toured with some of Ireland's finest musicians including Matt Molloy, Martin O'Connor, Kieran Goss, Francis Black and many others. additioanlly, Kieran has toured extensively through America and Europe. He is currently studying for a BA in Irish Music and Dance from the University of Limerick under the leadership of Professor Michael O'Suilleabhain and Niall Keegan.

Gavin Ralston, Newtownmountkennedy, County Wicklow, Guitars
One of Ireland’s finest guitar players, Gavin Ralston’s musical roots combines that of Dublin, Wicklow & West Kerry. He is the son of Josephine Begley, the well known traditional singer, brother of Aonghus(Picture House) and nephew of the great Brendan  Begley(Boys of the Lough) and Seamus Begley (Begley & Cooney. Gavin began his musical career playing rock music until traditional music discovered him.
He has toured with Annuna (Riverdance), Arcady, Beginish, Maire Breatnach, Mike Scott, Picture House, & others as well as spending two years as guitarist with Sharon Shannon. He has also worked with Eleanor McEvoy, Francis and Mary Black, Charlie Lennon, Begley & Cooney, Donal Lunny, Alan Kelly & Mairead Nesbitt (Lord of the Dance).

For more, see www.davidmunnelly.com

his will be a terrific concert, I hope you can make it!

Concert Announcement: Gerry O'Beirne,  Sunday October 30

Venue: TBA

Irish singer/songwriter and virtuosic guitarist Gerry O'Beirne will make a welcome return to Columbia on Oct 30.  Previously, he was here in 2001 accompanying Scottish singer Andy M. Stewart, then in 2002 he played a solo house concert for us, impressing the shoulder-to-shoulder audience with his original songs and melodies.

Gerry's captivating music and clever humor are especially suited to a small, intimate venue such as a house concert offers, but based on attendance and reviews last time, I realize that just might not do this time around.  Therefore, I'm looking into other venues, but will keep it fairly small to preserve that intimate feel.

To read more about Gerry, hear clips from his album Half Moon Bay, and see some of his photographs from his journies around the world, see www.gerryobeirne.com

CMCAA Book Club

The Celtic-themed book club hosted by Erin Clair has gotten under way. They are meeting on the last Monday of every month at Cherry Street Artisan in Columbia from 6 - 8 pm.  The next meeting is SEPTEMBER 26.
The book they are currently reading is:
In Search of Ancient Ireland: The Origins of the Irish from Neolithic Times to the Coming of the English. By Carmel McCaffrey and Leo Eaton. (New Amsterdam Books, 2002. 288pp)

For more information about the club and summaries of the upcoming books, please visit: http://www.moceltic.org/book-club.html

Clear the Shelves! It's a BOOK SALE

I'm clearing the shelves of some music books we've had on hand for musicians and singers for the past couple years.  I'm selling all remaining books for 40% off their cover price.  Here's what I've got:

1 copy - Traditional Irish Guitar by Paul de Grae.  Cover price is $19.99. Sale price is $12.
             Gives chords for DADGAD tuning and discusses accompaniment in drop-D and standard tunings as well as DADGAD.
2 copies - 130 Great Irish Ballads with CD by Robert Gogan.  Cover price $24.95, Sale price is $15
             CD includes first verse and chorus of each song.  Book includes lyrics, notation and chords.
3 copies - Soodlums Irish Ballad Book.  Cover price 17.95, sale price $10.50.
             158 popular Irish songs with notation and chords.
1 copy - Traditional Scottish Fiddling, A Players Guide, compiled by Christine Martin. with CD. Cover price $22.95, sale price $13.
1 copy - MoonPenny: A collection of rhymes, songs and play-verse for and by children, gathered in Ireland by Bill Meek.  Sale price $6.00
1 copy - Folk Music and Dances of Ireland by Breandan Breathnach.  Sale price: $9.00.
            This is the definitive explanation of the basic elements of Irish folk music and dance traditions.

Drop me a note if you want any of these and we'll arrange pickup.

Regional Events
For a complete list, see http://www.moceltic.org/calendar.html
 

Back to the main page