Augusta Heritage Irish Week 2007

johnkerr · Post by **johnkerr** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 10:35 am

Cathy Wilde wrote:The ceili band last year was pretty democratic; kind of like a big loud session where no one can really tell whether you're screwing up because they can't hear you anyway. ....lots of people seemed to be able to pick up the majority of the stuff by the dance at the end of the week.

This discussion reminds me of the time, many years ago, when I was at Augusta and playing in the student ceili band. At the Friday night dance, we worked our way through the prepared dance program, for which we had carefully chosen sets of tunes to fit each dance. But at the end of the night the dancers wanted more, and we hadn't prepared for that. So Matt Shortridge, who was leading the ceili band class that year, asked for a suggestion of a tune that most everyone in the band would know. I threw out The Mountain Road, and off we went into it. But the dancers kept on dancing, and after five or six times through that tune - which is played single, not double - we were really ready for a new tune. However, trying to come up with a new tune on the fly and make the switch on the fly when you have over twenty people in the band is well nigh impossible, so we were stuck on The Mountain Road. We must have played it at least twenty times, maybe even thirty, before the dancers finally stopped. It was years before I could stand to play that tune again!

Jennie · Post by **Jennie** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 2:49 pm

Oops, double post.

Jennie · Post by **Jennie** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 2:49 pm

-make that a triple-

Jennie · Post by **Jennie** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 2:49 pm

Oh my. Better pass me some of that port. It's been about three weeks since I've touched a keyboard...

Jennie · Post by **Jennie** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 2:49 pm

I really enjoyed Matt Shortridge last year. What a tune encyclopedia he is!

Don't know if I'll do ceili band this time, or give my daughter a chance to get away from me for a little while and learn a little Irish... we'll see.

Thanks for all you patient friends waiting to hear from me. I'm taking a while to return to myself after the school year. Anyhoo, I'll be there with bells on! And a little freer to attend late-night events, with only one daughter in tow.

Jennie

dow · Post by **dow** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 3:08 pm

Hey Jennie,

Good to hear from you.

Steffi · Post by **Steffi** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 12:47 pm

Thanks for the information!
We registered Monday on line for Joanie Madden’s whistle class and the ceili band. My dad called to verify that Joanie’s class was not full and a staff member told him that I was registered but that on the first day of class the people would be split up between John Skelton and Joanie Madden. He said they would make sure that I would be in the right class for my skill level. The staff member didn’t explain how it would be done but said it would be determined on the first day of class.
So, I’m not quite sure what to expect…How do they plan on determining who goes where?
Well, either way I’m really looking forward to Augusta and hopefully to meeting you all.
Thanks again!

~Steffi

azw · Post by **azw** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 1:07 am

Thanks for that info, Steffi. I was wondering why I had received welcome letters from both whistle instructors.

Hoovorff · Post by **Hoovorff** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 6:30 am

Is there cell phone reception up there in the mountains? I noticed in the informational letter it talks about bringing a phone to plug into the outlets in the dorms.

Just wondering....

I'm looking forward to Augusta!

Thanks for the info, Jeanie

dow · Post by **dow** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 7:33 am

Hoovorff wrote:Is there cell phone reception up there in the mountains? I noticed in the informational letter it talks about bringing a phone to plug into the outlets in the dorms.

Just wondering....

I'm looking forward to Augusta!

Thanks for the info, Jeanie

Hey Jeanie,

I've got T-mobile, and it worked just fine last year. Sorry, I can't say about the other carriers.

Meadhbh · Post by **Meadhbh** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 8:17 am

Hoovorff wrote:Is there cell phone reception up there in the mountains? I noticed in the informational letter it talks about bringing a phone to plug into the outlets in the dorms.

Just wondering....

I'm looking forward to Augusta!

Thanks for the info, Jeanie

I have Sprint and my husband has Cingular...both of us had service in Elkins. During the drive up and back, there were some areas that were very weak or we did not have a signal though.

Cathy Wilde · Post by **Cathy Wilde** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 8:39 am

Verizon ... the phone worked, but the messaging and email and stuff on it didn't. It was kind of refreshing, really. I am pretty sure they have a wireless hotspot in the lobby of the student building, at least -- it was funny to see all my favorite Irish trad "rock stars" busily checking their email, etc. on their little MacBooks, etc.

squeezebox99 · Post by **squeezebox99** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 11:15 am

Hey
My friend Caty and I are coming from Oregon. We're flying into DCA the night before and driving down. It's possible we could carpool if anyone is on the way.
We're both bringing whistles, but I'm really more a fiddler and an accordion player than a whistler. I don't want to get stuck in the beginning class (I have a Ph.D. in music so maybe they'll have pity on me) - but I might do it if the whistle class is jammed to the gills.

I will bring my fiddle and my accordionthen I'll switch with someone if I have to. As for the mini-classes, I'd rather get together with other people and make our own little jam band and work on tunes. I'm a newbie to Irish - I play old time, jazz and classical - I know some reels, jigs, etc., but don't have a huge repertoire.

ANyway - see everyone there. My friend Catie is a superb flute player. She might bring her regular flute she says - but I think she should get an irish one. ANy suggestions on something decent I could buy for her for less than maybe $100? I'm open to getting something used of course.
She has a dixon whistle which she loves.
OK
over and out.
Margaret

ImNotIrish · Post by **ImNotIrish** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 6:37 pm

Hey folks,
This is my first time at Augusta. Can someone explin to me how the Ceili band works? Do you have to sign up in advance? Are they charging extra for this? Do people meet like a regularly scheduled class?

Arbo

Cathy Wilde · Post by **Cathy Wilde** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 5:03 am

ImNotIrish wrote:Hey folks,
This is my first time at Augusta. Can someone explin to me how the Ceili band works? Do you have to sign up in advance? Are they charging extra for this? Do people meet like a regularly scheduled class?

Arbo

Hi Arbo --

We signed up when we got there last year. I think it's $40 this year (it was $35 last year). It's a regularly scheduled class; meets right after dinner every night when some of the other mini-classes are going on. A couple of instructors run the thing and tell you how it works, rehearse the band, etc. If they do it like they have in previous years, the band will play for the ceili the last night of the camp. It's a hoot!

Hope that helps. We still haven't decided yet whether we're in or not, but I think we'll sign up again.

Chiff and Fipple Forums

Augusta Heritage Irish Week 2007

hello from oregon