This site includes the postings from the Irish Aires email list. This includes a listing of Irish/Celtic events in the Houston area and other information that the Irish Aires radio program posts.

Saturday, November 27, 2004

[Irish Aires] - Current Events

---------------------------------------------------------- Irish Aires on KPFT-FM, 90.1FM Saturday Nights 6:30PM Now on the internet. You are on the Irish Aires Email ALL list ---------------------------------------------------------- Irish Current Events in the Houston Area What's New? Hope you had a Good Thanksgiving! This version of Current events at: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Irish_Aires/houstons.htm Jim McNamara, the longtime piper from County Clare is quite sick with encephalitis. He is at Memorial City Southwest Medical Center. Michael Davitt, Irish performer & AOH activist, is continuing to undergo treatment for cancer. Please keep both of them in your prayers and please let others know about their condition. ****************************************** 11/27/04 - Saturday - Rogues at the Mucky Duck ****************************************** 11/30/04 - St. Andrews day at the Mucky Duck with Jiggernaut. Tuesday, November 30, 8:30pm, $12 (smoke- free) Most of the people sitting at the bar here with me are aware of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, who is credited as being the one who gathered up all the snakes in the country into his minivan under the ruse of a weekend holiday and drove them instead to west Texas, thereby enabling all peoples Irish to wander about Ireland barefoot without fear of rattling snakes and boa constriction. However, few people are aware of Scotland's patron saint, St. Andrew. The story goes that Andrew, a Galilean fisherman, preached the Gospel in the lands around the Black Sea and in Greece for which he was eventually crucified on an X- shaped cross in Patras. The geography of his mission explains the balalaika, for Andrew is indeed the patron saint of Russia and of Greece as well as of Scotland. The association with a land he never set foot on is, not surprisingly, based on a number of conflicting legends, the most colourful of which is the story of St. Rule. My favored legend is that three hundred years after Andrew's martyrdom the Roman Emperor Constantine, ordered that the saint's bones should be moved from Patras to his new capital city of Constantinople. Before the order was carried out a monk called St. Rule had a dream in which an angel told him to take what bones of Andrew's he could to 'the ends of the earth' for safe-keeping. St. Rule duly took what he could and after an epic journey with the aforementioned assortment was shipwrecked on the east coast of Scotland - which he deemed the 'ends of the earth'! But the whereabouts of the relics is unknown. Whatever the veracity of these ancient legends, St. Andrews Day is a day to celebrate all things Scottish. Many people wonder what they should eat on St. Andrew's day. Because Andrew was a fisherman, it seems appropriate to eat fish (and chips). Otherwise you could eat any traditional Scottish food. It used to be that a singed sheep's head was traditional, but they are really hard to find and harder to cook. Ros asks that I let you know that there is no truth to the legend that all Scottish food is the result of a dare. The Duck will be celebrating St. Andrew's Day beginning at 5pm November 30 with music, dance, Scottish food and and possibly grog. The musical strains of Scotland will be performed by Jiggernaut, and Tartanic, our rooftop piper E.J. Jones will be piping up a frenzied crowd of blindfolded lassies who will be in charge of judging the Bonnie Knees contest .... you might even learn to dance the Highland Fling. ****************************************** 12/02/04 - The GreenCards ( http://www.thegreencards.com/ ) at the Mucky Duck. South London native Eamon McLoughlin was classically trained through London's Royal School of Music, where he was awarded seven Violin Performance Qualifications. He first played country music professionally at the tender age of 13, but a keening, high lonesome sound and a desire for permanent work eventually drew him to Austin in 1997. Once Stateside, Eamon served as a member of The Asylum Street Spankers, The Austin Lounge Lizards, and the touring bands of noted Lone Star state troubadours Ray Wylie Hubbard and Bruce Robison. In addition, he notched up session work with such celebrated Artists as Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Peter Rowan, Tony Rice, Robert Earl Keen, Alejandro Escovedo and Kelly Willis. Raised in Coff's Harbour, New South Wales, Carol Young was nominated for 'Best Female Vocalist' and 'Best New Talent' by the Country Music Association of Australia (CMAA}. Carol also enjoyed two #1 Australian singles in 2000 ("True Blue Fool" and "Part Of The Past"), which landed her the 'Australian Independent Country Artist Of The Year' award. Kym Warner, from South Australia's capitol Adelaide, was a four- time National Mandolin Champion of Australia (1994-1997), earning a scholarship to the acclaimed bluegrass program at South Plains College in Levelland, Texas along the way. His "Mando On The Mainland" was nominated for 'Instrumental Of The Year' by the CMAA in 1999. Kym was a member of Kasey Chambers' touring band which played at Austin's world-renowned annual SXSW blowout near the end of Chambers' 2001 world tour. The incredibly fertile musical climate Kym discovered in Texas had a profound effect on him, to say the least. (Warner has since performed with Trisha Yearwood and Bruce Robison, played on Kasey Chambers' album, WAYWARD ANGEL, and appeared on Rodney Crowell's 2004 Live DVD.) ****************************************** 12/04/04 - Cluan at Mucky Duck at 9:30PM Cluan (pronounced 'clue-in') is based in Austin, Texas, with a firm grounding in traditional Celtic music. The name comes from a milepost sign indicating the distance and direction of 'Pairc Cluana' that we found in a local pub. We were told Cluana is a feminine name, and that the masculine version was Cluan; unfortunately, we discovered much later that the actual word is Cluain. Thanks, lads. The band was initially formed by Charles Branch (bouzouki), Christopher Buckley (fiddle), and Jeff Moore (guitar) in January, 2002. Stephan Paetzold (fiddle) and Chuck Wright (percussion) were added near the beginning, with the first gig occuring February 4th, 2002, at Fado Irish Pub in Austin. Erin Bobruk (vocals) joined the band in March, 2002. After Jeff left in April, 2003, Ryan Beavers (guitar/vocals) joined the band in July, 2003. ` ****************************************** 12/04-05/04 - The Rogues with EJ Jones at Dickens on the Strand, Galveston, TX ****************************************** 12/10/04 - Frid - The Blaggards at Brian O'Neill's Pub in Houston. 5555 Morningside, Houston, TX 77005 713.522.2603 ****************************************** 12/11 - 12/19/04 - EJ Jones a the Revels Houston Performances. December 11-12, 18-19 Revels Houston Revels Houston 2004: A Scottish Celebration Moores Opera House, University of Houston 713- 668-3303 ****************************************** 12/11/04 - Celtic Supporters Christmas Party, Bull & Bear with the Blaggards, 10:30pm, 11980 Westheimer, Suite A Houston, TX 77077 713.802.9370 Call the 'Blaggards hotline' (713.557.9979) for tickets. < http://www.thebullandbear- tavernandeatery.com/ > ****************************************** 12/19/04 - A Celtic Christmas Festival @ The Meridian - The popular blend of traditional and alternative Celtic music and dance with craft vendors, traditional food & drink. http://www.meridianhouston.com/ ? After a two year hiatus, the Celtic Festival Series has returned to Houston. This is the series that was held for years at Garden in the Heights, and is produced by the same team that created the series and ran it. There will be the same mix of great Celtic music and dance, traditional Celtic food and drink, exquisite Celtic crafts and wares that made these events such a memorable. Times Door: NOONPM Show: 2:00PM Admission Advance: $8 Day of Show: $12 Advance Tickets Available 713.629.3700 :: Beth Patterson: World-renowned bazouki player from New Orleans melding trad. Celtic with World Music :: The Trinity River Whalers: Members of the Blarney Brothers :: The Flying Fish Sailors: Ren-Fest favorites mixing trad. Celtic with comic original songs :: Godfrey's Rangers: Houston's longest running Celtic group :: The McTeggart Irish Dancers: The lively Irish step dancing made famous in "Riverdance" :: The Battle of the Oak King & The Holly King: Re-enactment of the ancient Celtic mythological struggle between Winter & Summer ****************************************** 12/19/04 - Blaggards @ ROCK THE SHELTER Benefit, The Continental Club, 3700 Main St, Houston, TX - 713.529.9899 ****************************************** 01/16/05, Sunday - Julian Calendar New Year at the Meridian: Still the best European bash in town - a colorful blend of ethnic music and dance from Russia and Eastern Europe. An exotic assortment of traditional Eastern European, Balkan and Russian food and drink will be served. The Gypsies: The most popular band for ethnic music in Houston - Russian, Eastern European, Polish, Middle Eastern, Jewish Klezmer, and Gypsy as well as Celtic, Cajun, jazz, and swing. ****************************************** 01/29/05 - The Rogues at the Mucky Duck ****************************************** 02/12/05 - Friday, The Greencards -7:30pm & 10:00pm, $12 (smoke- free) @ the Mucky Duck ****************************************** 02/22/05 - Tuesday, The Greencards - 8:30pm, $10 (smoke-free) @ the Mucky Duck ****************************************** 02/24-27/05: UST Hosts The American Conference for Irish Studies Southern Regional Conference with the theme Ireland: North, South, East and West at the Warwick Hotel, 5701 Main Street. The conference is open to the public, scholars and students. Contact Lori Gallagher at 713-525-3592 and check the Center Website at http://www.stthom.edu/irishstudies , which contains details, a registration form, the call for papers and a flier. ****************************************** 03/17/04, Thursday - Houston St. Patrick's Festival: The return of the biggest St. Patrick's Event in the southwest, formerly held at Garden in the Heights. ****************************************** 04/24/05 - Irish Tenor Ronan Tynan (3pm) at the Grand 1894 Opera House in Galveston. ****************************************** ON GOING Events: Wednesday Nights at 8ish PM. The Mucky Duck continues a twenty-five year tradition, hosting Houston's Irish Session. The Mucky Duck incarnation of the Session, if for no other reason than the frequent participation of younger musicians, gives a very real sense of tradition passed on and history handed down. The most visible Celtic-influenced traditional bands around Houston -- make participating in the Session a regular, energy-charging part of their regular routine. What is celebrated is the whole of Celtic culture, and a musical tradition that, over the centuries, has become as much American roots music as bottleneck guitar. The drums of western Africa are what gave American music its rhythm; more often than not, though, the melody is Celtic. The popularity of Celtic folk music is either a testament to the timeless appeal of these sometimes haunting, sometimes hilarious, sometimes jig-inspiring tunes, or perhaps an argument in favor of the nebulous theory of racial memory. Celtic blood-ties real, suspected and imagined have given many the impetus to learn the folk-arts of the ancient tribes; that's just one reason why the Wednesday night Session at the Mucky Duck is as much a school and tribal gathering as a musical event. This is a great way to explore Irish music and tradition. Music starts at 8pm, and there is no cover charge.2425 Norfolk Houston, TX 77098 713.528.5999 Phone Be sure to check our calendar in case we have booked a special show that might preempt our regular Irish Session ---- Ar mhaith leat Gaeilge a labhairt? Would you like to speak Irish? Beginning Irish Conversation Brian O'Neill's 5555 Morningside (Rice Village, near the intersection of University and Morning side) Brian O'Neill's Restaurant and Irish Pub: brianoneills.com If you are interested in learning a little Irish then come join us at Brian Ó Neill's on Wednesday evenings at 7:00 P.M. This Irish class is tailored to the beginning student who has had no prior exposure to Irish. You will learn basic conversational greetings, helpful phrases, informative tips for traveling through the Gaeltacht such as common signage, asking directions and most important of all how to pronounce those mystical Irish words. Pocket phrase books do the tourist no good unless they know how to pronounce what they are reading! This course provides the beginning student with phonetically spelled out Irish words, something most beginning tape and book courses fail to offer. If you have any questions please contact Tim Theisen (tyson) at Jeaniebotl@aol.com or phone me at (713) 263-9691 If you are interested please come join us on Wednesday evenings at 7:00 P.M. There is a $5.00 donation to cover cost of the handouts. Labhraímis Gaeilge is linne í ! Speaking Irish is cool ! ---- Wednesdays, 7-10 pm SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCING AND MORE website: http://home.att.net/~diannashipman New Dancers Welcome - Families Welcome (children must be accompanied by parent / guardian). $5 for those 14 and over; $2.50 those under 14 ($15 maximum per family) - fourth consecutive Wednesday free. Location: Oddfellows Hall, 115 E. 14th St. (Heights), Houston, Texas (3rd building on left traveling east from Heights Blvd. - 2 story red brick - entrance recessed about 15 feet from street - dancing upstairs). LINKS ON WEBSITE with map & photo MAP: http://home.att.net/~diannashipman/MapOddfellows.gif PHOTO OF HALL: http://home.att.net/~diannashipman/OddfellowsHall.jpg ---- Houston Highland Games Association has regular meetings at the Holiday Inn SW-Sugarland (11160 SW Frwy. Houston, TX 77031-3698 281-5301400) on the first Thursday of each month. We gather in the lounge around 6:30 or so and prime the pump for the 7:30 meetings. They usually last for about an hour and a half. More fellowship follows the meeting. ---- The Irish American Heritage Association of Katy, Texas has their monthly meetings on the fourth Tuesday of each month. The meeting is held at the MUD 81 Building (Harris Co. Municipal Utility Building) located on Cimmarron Parkway, off of South Mason Road in Katy, Texas. From the I-10 freeway driving south on Mason Road to the 4th light from the I-10 freeway is Cimmarron Parkway where you take a right turn to drive 2 blocks to the intersection on the left, there is Hidden Canyon Road where the MUD building is located. Plenty of lighted parking space is available across the street from the building. We have refreshments to share during the social gathering. Usually, by 9:15pm, the meetings adjourns. Membership is $20 annually due on June 1st. Each meeting features a different topic. Phone numbers for contact or information: Phil Connelly, President, Katy, Tx ph.281-492- 8780 Dennis McGuire, VP, Katy, Tx ph.281- 392-0894 IAHA Newsletter monthly advertising space is available too. A few Irish American Heritage Assoc. members and their friends have put together a deluxe bus tour of Ireland. The tour will leave Houston May 24th and return on June 4th. A private bus will be chartered to carry tourists to the very best adventures in Ireland. Plans include a banquet at Knappogue Castle, stops along the West Coast, a visit to the shrine at Knock, Donegal, Dublin, Waterford, and Kerry. The bus will make unique stops at places that are often off the beaten path. But the most unique feature of this tour will be the leisurely pace and flexible schedule. Unlike typical bus tours, you will not be required to wait on the pavement at the crack of dawn to begin an exhausting rigid daily schedule. Departures and stops will be adjusted to suit guests as the need arises. Each day will end in an overnight stay in a fine hotel. Your hosts for the tour will be Phil and Bridget Connelly. Bridget is from Ireland, and she and Phil make regular trips to the Emerald Isle. At least 20 persons will be signed up by February 5th to make this trip both affordable and luxurious, so don't delay! Call Phil or Bridget by February 5th (281) 492-8780. ---- Session on Sundays 6 'til 8:30pm at Rudyard's Pub (Rudz). Rudz is located at 2010 Waugh Drive. The best approach is from Montrose Blvd., turn west on Welch, when you get to Waugh, Rudz appears in front of you. The car park to your left is for Rudz' use. Julian Tribe ---- CELTIC CHORUS OF HOUSTON Do you like to hum or sing along with the music played on Irish Aires or The Three Irish Tenors? Then join us every Tuesday night: 1st Tuesday 6:30 TO 9:30 PM, other Tuesdays 7:30 to 9:30 PM 1ST TUESDAYS: BRIAN O'NEILL'S (6:30 pm practice singalong songs, 7:30 perform for Open Mic) 2nd, 3rd, and 4th TUESDAYS: KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS, COUNCIL 803 Officers (elected June 11, 2002): President: MICHAEL "GRIF" GRIFFIN Vice- President: DIANNA SHIPMAN ( diannashipman@att.net ) Secretary/Treasurer: ROBERT "BOB" DOWNS We will join together in a sing-a-long session and then later those who wish to learn four part music may stay and learn choral music of Ireland, Scotland and Wales. If you need more information contact Richard McGinty 713-943- 9600 or e-mail r.e.hourich@excite.com . The mission statement reads in part: "to provide a community meeting place for those interested in the Celtic heritages." The first half of the evening focuses on singalong songs and the second half on choral arrangements. The singalong songs: Will You Go Lassie Go The Minstrel Boy Sally Gardens Molly Malone (In Dublin's Fair City) Finnegan's Wake The Foggy Dew Black Velvet Band Mcnamara's Band Danny Boy When Irish Eyes Are Smiling The Unicorn Song I'm Lookin' Over A Four Leaf Clover Whiskey In The Jar The Wild Rover The Bard Of Armagh Choral Arrangements: Danny Boy The Minstrel Boy An Irish Blessing My Wild Irish Rose Summer Break - No Meetings July 2 Thru Aug 6 - Chorus Resumes Meeting Aug. 13, 2002 ---- Event: Irish Jam Session/Open Mic. Night Place: The Beverly Pub, 6325A Beverly Hill (one block south of Richmond, between Hillcroft and Fairview) Every Wednesday Time: 8:30 - Midnight More Info: 713-334-3474 or www.beverlypub.net Join host every Wednesday at the Beverly Pub for an Irish Jam Session and Open Mic. Night. All performers, professional or amateur, are welcome to join in or take the mic. for a few songs in a supportive, fun atmosphere, or just drop by for a pint and listen or sing along. Host Patrick "Paddy" Devlin of "On the Dole" fame and frequent guests jam on everything from Irish to blues to Elvis. The Beverly Pub is a cool place to find good music, good friends, great drink specials and most of all, it's fun atmosphere. It is relaxing and friendly, and the jolly good lads 'n lasses who make up the waitstaff offer good food and an impressive collection of draught & bottled beer and fine spirits. Need more information? Give us a call @ 713- 334-3474. (The Beverly won the Guinness trophy in the downtown St. Patrick's day parade. It is a nice cut glass trophy. Jay) ---- Celtic Voyage regularly plays at the Bayview Duck (just two miles south of the Kemah bridge on Hwy 146) on Sat night at 8pm. So bring your voices and your good cheer and join in for another song filled night. 3131 HWY 146, Bacliff, TX 77518, 281/339-3510 ---- "One hundred thousand welcomes!" This age-old Gaelic greeting is a timeless expression of Scottish hospitality and goodwill. We can't think of a better way to welcome you than to invite you to Houston's Heather and Thistle Society (H&T). The Heather and Thistle Society was founded in 1953 by Scots living in Houston who wished to "cultivate an interest in and fond recollections of Scotland, its history and traditions, its literature and ideals, its minstrelsy and song, its customs and amusements; and to provide opportunities for good fellowship and social contact through typically Scottish functions, so that the blessing of our Scottishculture may never die in our new homeland". The Heather and Thistle Society meets 10 times a year, September through June. Programs include "ceilidhs", lively lectures, slide shows and movies about Scotland. We are an organization that promotes our Scottish heritage in various ways. Membership in the Heather and Thistle Society is open to all with an interest in Scottish Heritage and Culture. Annual Dues are $10.00 for an individual and $15.00 for a family. H&T meets the fourth (4th) Monday of each month, September thru June, at 7:30 P.M. Current meeting location: Auditorium of St.Thomas Episcopal School, 4900 Jackwood, Houston, TX 77096 http://www.stes.org/contact.htm As of 25 March, 2002, current officers are: Walter May, Chieftain - 281-493-0016 - waltmaySFA@aol.com Becci Himes, Sub-Chieftain - 281-498-5746 - bhimes@houston.rr.com Aaron Buchanan, Sgt-at-Arms - 281-376-9749 - aaron.buchanan@dal.frb.org Brenda Barton, Secretary - 713-450-4042 Robert Moore, Treasurer - 713-774-0314 Past-Chieftains Committee: Wayne C. Barton (Chieftain 2001-02) - 713- 450-4042 - wcbarton@swbell.net Edgar W. Biddle (Chieftain 1999-01) - 281- 807-7892 - edbid@yahoo.com Paul E. Ross (Chieftain 1996-97) - 713-661- 5240 - threeoaks@earthlink.net David N. McLane (Chieftain 1991-92) - 281- 807-7892 W. Alex Munroe (Chieftain 1990-91) - 713-686- 2976 http://www.heatherandthistle.org/ ---- Royal Scottish Country Dance Society Dancing General Class Mondays - 7:30-9:30 p.m In progress Classical Arts Dance Studio, 530 N Illinois, League City - Contact Moon Weiss, 713-465-9650, mland121@aol.com Basic Class Tuesdays - 7:30-9:30 p.m. In progress DewAnn Cotten Dance Studio, 9423 Glenfield Court (By S. Braeswood/Hillcroft) South West Houston For info: Carol Palmer, 713-776-8531, carolhpalmer@hotmail.com General Class Thursdays - 7:30-9:30 p.m In progress DewAnn Cotten Dance Studio, 9423 Glenfield Court (By S. Braeswood/Hillcroft), South West Houston Teacher: Bill Zobel, For info: Carol Palmer, 713-776-8531, carolhpalmer@hotmail.com ---- Stepdancing & Ceili classes O'Maoileidigh School of Irish Dance Houston, TX Sundays starting at 9:30 AM For more information contact newmembers@omaoileidigh.com or see http://www.omaoileidigh.com/ ---- Step Dancing Lessons Stepdancing Lessons McTeggart Irish Dancers The Woodlands, Texas More info@ http://www.irishdancehouston.com 936-321-6583 *With over 60 dancers and 21 Championship dancers McTeggart Irish Dancers of South Texas have a lot to be proud of. *Last year they had 6 dancers travel to Killarney Ireland for the World's Championship in Irish Dancing. These dancers faced up to 150 of the world's top dancers in their age groups. Two of the dancers did very well: Zane Glotzbach placed 24th and was 5th out of all the U.S. competitors and Annelise Rubbo placed 33rd overall. *Last year they had 21 dancers travel to Norfolk, Virginia for the Southern Region Championships, also known as "Oireachtas". Most of these dancers placed high in their age groups, with 3 receiving first place: Annelise Rubbo, Zane Glotzbach and Shannon Powell. From this competition a dancer qualifies for the World's Championship and Annelise Rubbo, Jaclyn Rubbo and Zane Glotzbach achieved this accomplishment. *Another well-known International competition is the All-Irelands. Later in January 2004, Annelise Rubbo and Jenna Pace will be traveling to Ennis, Ireland to compete. *Also in 2004 several dancers are heading to Philadelphia for the North American Nationals Competition, held each July. In addition, McTeggart Irish Dancers of South Texas hopes to have over 25 dancers travel to North Carolina for the next Southern Region Championship. *A new beginner class started Sunday, Jan. 11.For information on classes or performances, go to http://www.irishdancehouston or call 936-321-6583. ---------------------------------------------------------- You are subscribed to the Irish Aires All List Send email to IAAll@swbell.net with: 1) Only the word HELP in the subject line to get help (learn how to get a DIGEST version of this list; how to SUSPEND receipt of this list for a given period of time) 2) Only the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line to unsubscribe. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jay Dooling (rdooling@swbell.net) Irish Aires - 90.1FM KPFT in Houston Home Page http://IrishAires.org KPFT/Irish Aires on the Internet http://kpftweb.mcleodusa.net/kpft.smi --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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