Friar's Green - this weekend!

Reminder!

Do not miss out on seeing and hearing Friar's Green this Sunday evening, 4 Oct 2015 at 7 PM. This magnificent duo of Irish traditional music will perform at the official residence of the Irish Ambassador to Canada (Dr. Ray Bassett) in Rockcliffe, Ottawa.

It is rare that Ottawa gets this level of talent visiting from across the big pond, so be sure to delight your ears and soul with this special evening.

Tickets MUST be purchased in advance.

For all the information and ticket purchase visit the Eventbrite page for the concert.

Van the Man, Friday 18 Sept 2015

In case you haven't heard, and most have, Van Morrison is performing at CityFolk FEstival this Friday night (tomorrow). Concert starts at about 8:30 PM and goes to about 10:30 pm.

More information:
http://cityfolkfestival.com/

Day passes are $60.

 

Irish Ceilis set to start again this Saturday night!

This Saturday night, 19 Sept 2015, sees the return of the Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann (CCE) Ottawa Branch monthly ceili. The event starts at 8pm, and Blessed Sacrament Church, in the basement hall, accessible from Fourth Avenue (Glebe). Free street parking is available. Kids 12 and under are given free admission! (save the babysitting fees, bring the kids!).

The CCE ceili is a social occasion for all ages, celebrated mainly with dancing to live Irish music, provided by the branch's highly regarded ceili band. Young and young at heart are encouraged to attend to enjoy a night of real Irish culture right here in the nation's capital, a city rich in Irish heritage going back to it's founding days.

What should you expect if you go to the ceili?
You should expect welcoming and smiling faces, people eager to help you learn the dances and support you during the dances. Refreshments are available (including home made Irish soda bread, with tea), door prizes, raffles, and halfway through the evening local talent is showcased as an entertainment period. Of course, mingling takes places when people aren't dancing. The dancing will go to about 11pm.

What kind of Irish dancing?
There are usually two kinds of Irish dancing at the ceilis in Ottawa. First is ceili dancing (sounds generic..), but these are very easy dances performed by the entire group at the same time in a large arrangement. They are very easy to learn, generally, and a lot of fun. Over the course of one dance you may interact with each and every other person on the dance floor. The other type is 'set dancing', which is very basic terms is 'Irish square-dancing'. Groups of 8 dance set moves to various kinds of Irish music (jigs, reels, etc.) in preset patterns. These are more complicated than the ceili dances, but before each set dance 'figure' instruction is given. Mistakes are often made and that is ok, as the emphasis is on having fun. People who want to improve the quality of their set dancing are encouraged to take up lessons which are taught on Monday nights.

Check the CCE webpage for more details, dates, and other activities.
http://www.ottawacomhaltas.com/

 

Friends of Fiddler's Green - 18 Sept 2015

Many have already bought tickets to the FoFG concert this Friday, and thanks for that. I`m just trying to get the word around that there are still tickets left. Details and tickets are at www.ianrobb.com/tix, and will be available in advance until Friday morning. Anything left at that point will be available at the door.

Please share with anyone you think might be interested.

Many thanks!
Ian Robb
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The Friends of Fiddler's Green are back on the road with a new CD, "Old Inventions", their first recording of the 21st century. Yes, it's been a while...

The legendary "Friends" boast six versatile musicians, five fine singers, three great songwriters, a brilliant joke teller, one Order of Canada, two Queen's Jubilee Medals, two electron microscopists, and the occasional Fiery Dragon. This totally uncategorizable collection has performed, in one form or another, for 44 years. Nobody, not even the Friends themselves, can predict what might happen during one of their concerts, but it always includes great songs and tunes, powerful vocal harmony, fine musicianship, social commentary and much laughter.

The Friends were recipients of the 2003 Estelle Klein Award, given by the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals for services to folk music in Ontario.

The current line up of reprobates: Alistair Brown, Laurence Stevenson,
Ian Robb, Ian Bell, Grit Laskin and Jeff McClintock.


 

Tales She Tells - Stories and Music from Ireland - 2 October 2015

On Friday October 2nd, Tales She Tells will play at the Shenkman Theatre. Weaving together the storytelling talent of Tess Mc Manus and the musical finesse of Celtic harpist Susan Toman, Tales She Tells takes you on an Irish Celtic Journey. Through tales of myth and wonder, our storyteller tries to understand love and loss – and why, in Irish fairy tales, the brave young princess always seems to die. Struggling to reconnect with her mother, she turns to the ancient tales of Irish folklore her mother used to tell her. Only to realize the stories she idolized might be far less romantic and fanciful than she once thought. Tales She Tells combines the musical and storytelling skills of two exceptionally talented young performers, both rising stars in the arts in Canada.

INFORMATION
7:30pm | October 2nd, 2015 | Shenkman Arts Centre (Richcraft Theatre)
Tickets: $24.50 (Adult) | $20.50 (Senior) | $18.50 (Student)
Contact: Tess McManus, tess@tessmcmanus.com

PERFORMERS

TESS MC MANUS, WRITER & STORYTELLER (www.tessmcmanus.com) Born to a Donegal father and an Irish-Canadian mother, Tess Mc Manus’ passion for her cultural heritage merges with her academic and artistic training to create the critically-acclaimed Tales She Tells. In June 2014, after graduating with honours from the University of Ottawa with a Bachelor of Arts with a Specialization in Theatre, Mc Manus launched Tales She Tells in Ottawa, then toured across Western Canada. Mc Manus has worked with a variety of established and independent artistic companies as an actor, creator, musician, and stage manager. In 2012, she founded Little Green Hat Theatre, a company that strives to educate, stimulate, and entertain audiences by presenting and touring productions that are visually appealing, full of girl-power, and promote Irish culture. Under the banner of Little Green Hat, Mc Manus has written, produced, and performed PANTS. (2014), Who Will Separate Us? (2013), and Donkey Derby (2012-14). She continues to work as an independent artist, acting and writing.

SUSAN TOMAN, CELTIC HARPIST (www.susantoman.com) Susan Toman is a versatile and engaging musician who divides her time between the Celtic harp and harpsichord. She completed intensive studies on the Celtic harp in Ireland with Grainne Hambly and William Jackson. Susan holds a Doctorate from McGill University, and is now on faculty at Carleton University.