IT'S FESTIVAL TIME! 36th Annual Philadelphia Ceili Group At the Commodore Barry Club, the “Irish Center,” 6815 Emlen St. Phila. Scroll Down for Information on Performers and links to Workshops
Traditional Irish Music and Dance Festival
September 9th, 10th and 11th, 2010
Wednesday, September 8th - A Special Pre-Fest Event! The showing of The Yellow Bittern: The Life and Times of Liam Clancy, 7:30 pm, co-sponsored by Marianne MacDonald of "Come West Along the Road" Irish Radio Show and Denise Foley of Irish Philadelphia. T H U R S D A Y, SEPTEMBER 9TH F R I D A Y, SEPTEMBER 10TH S A T U R D A Y, SEPTEMBER 11TH
Singer’s Night, celebrating the tradition of Irish Singers, come and hear the best Irish traditional singers in the Delaware Valley and beyond.
The Irish Center will have music and dancing rattling the rafters with a Ceili/Set Dance with Kevin McGillian and Friends, and a Fireside concert with Galway musicians Gary Quinn (accordian) and Anthony McGrath (guitar)
All day music in the Fireside room with a wide array of musicians; hands-on workshops (including various instruments at beginner and advanced levels, genealogy, Irish singing, and much more,) Evening concert featuring grammy nominated Liz Carroll and Daithi Sproule; followed by a House Party that promises to be a rollicking time! There will be food, Irish product vendors, children’s activities, dance demonstrations and much more.
Performer Information Enjoy hands-on workshops with some of the leading Irish Traditional Musicians of today listed below. The two hour, semi-private lessons provide an optimal way to learn from some of the best in Irish music in an intimate and comfortable environment. Students are encouraged to ask questions, bring tape recorders and be prepared to learn tunes and techniques to improve their individual skill level. Workshops are offered in guitar, accordion, harp, fiddle, and bodhran; taught by some of the performers of this year's Festival for an additional fee. (Performer's offering workshops are designated by **) Also available are free workshops in Irish Ceili and two hand dancing, language, children's theater and genealogy taught by local experts! Go to CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR WORKSHOPS and to get a $5 discount on your workshop! Dave Abe (fiddle) Myron Bretholtz (Bodhran)** Click here to sign up for Myron's Bodhran workshop
Dave Abe is a native of the Washington D.C. area. Dave’s fiddling is heavily influence by the northern, Donegal, style. Dave has taught fiddle over several years at the prestigious County Donegal fiddle week held every August in Glencollumcille in southwest Donegal. Myron is a native of Baltimore, Maryland, has lent his talents as a percussionist to nearly fifty recordings of Irish, Scottish, and other folk music, including albums by Irish fiddlers Brian Conway and Jim Eagan; singers Aoife Clancy, Danny Doyle, and David Kincaid; Uilleann piper Jerry O'Sullivan; accordionists Billy McComiskey and Patty Furlong; flutists Jimmy Noonan and Laura Byrne; Scottish fiddlers Elke Baker and Bonnie Rideout; bluegrass banjoist Tom Adams; and the groups Brave Combo, the Irish Tradition, Ensemble Galilei, and Magpie. Myron has taught bodhran and rhythm bones at many workshops throughout the United States and Canada over the past twenty years, including Boston College's Gaelic Roots, the Augusta Heritage Workshops Irish Week at Davis and Elkins College in West Virginia, Gaelic College in Cape Breton, and the Catskills Irish Arts Week in East Durham, New York. In March 2000, Myron was privileged to receive a Maryland State Arts Council grant for solo instrumental performance, and he also was honored to play at the White House on four occasions during the late 1990s. (note: photo reprinted with permission from Irish Philadelphia) -
John Brennan (guitar, fiddle)
Fiddler/guitarist John Brennan has had several of his original tunes recorded, including The Silver Hand by fiddler Liz Knowles, and Jane’s Waltz by the band Old New England.
Tom Cahill - (Irish Language Workshop) ** FREE WORKSHOP WITH ADMISSION
Tom Cahill was born and raised in Philadelphia of Irish parents from the counties of Sligo and Mayo. He became interested in Irish language after becoming involved with the Philadelphia Ceili Group in the summer of 1976. After attending classes in Philadelphia taught by Nora Campbell, Tom Standeven and Eoghan Ballard, he went to Ireland and spent time studying Irish in Belfast, in the Donegal Gaeltacht, in Ranafest and a the University of Ulster in Coleraine. Tom has taught Irish both at the Irish Center for the Ceili Group and at his home. You can also catch him playing whistle with the Philadelphia Ceili Band.
Liz Carroll (Fiddle)**
Liz was born in Chicago of Irish parents. She's a junior and senior All-Ireland Fiddle Champion, and has toured as a solo artist and with the Greenfields of America, Trian, String Sisters, and as part of the duo Liz Carroll & John Doyle. She's featured on nine albums and has appeared on many more, and in 2010 she became the first American-born tradition Irish musician nominated for a Grammy. In addition, Liz is a recipient of the National Heritage Fellowship Award (1994). She's currently celebrating the release of her book of 185 original tunes, "Collected."
Click here to sign up for Liz Carroll's Fiddle workshop
Cara Frankowicz (Fiddle)
Cara Frankowicz is known best as a player and teacher of Irish traditional music. However, her reputation as a versatile violinist and fiddler has spread beyond just one genre. She is equally at home leading a weekly pub session as she is as part of string section in an ampitheatre, playing bluegrass licks with a country band, writing and recording string arrangements or coaching young chamber music groups. Classically trained since age seven, Cara discovered Irish traditional music while visiting Ireland as a teenager. Three years later, Cara returned to live in Ireland where she cut her teeth among the local musicians in Galway. She returned to the U.S. to study at Berklee College of Music in Boston and graduated in 2006 with a B.M. in violin performance.
Cara has appeared all over the U.S. and Europe as a violinist and fiddle player, including appearances in Ireland, England, Germany, France and Canada. She has appeared as a featured guest with artists such as the Three Irish Tenors, The Chieftains, Mustang Sally and Ceili Rain. She performs annually at the Boston Celtic Music Festival, and has been featured on numerous radio shows, including the “Folk Show” on WXPN Philadelphia and on WUMB Boston.
Currently, Cara leads a number of weekly sessions in both Boston and Providence, maintains a studio of private students, and teaches several classes with the Hanafin-Cooley Branch of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann.
Dave Hanson (bodhran)
Dave Hanson is well respected bodhran player and teacher in the Philadelphia area. Dave, with John Brennan, has performed with Cara Frankowicz many times over the years and will surely produce a tight and dynamic show at this years festival.
Tim Hill (Uilleann pipes)
Our own young piper, Tim Hill, will be featured playing a set sure to be influenced by two (among many) of his mentors—Tim Britton and Gerry O’Sullivan with whom he has studied over the last several years. Tim is also a scholar of the music and will surely bring something new and interesting to his set.
Inis Nua Theatre - Acting and Face-painting Workshop** FREE WORKSHOP WITH ADMISSION
Acting is the craic! Inis Nua, Philadelphia's theatre dedicated to producing contemporary plays from Ireland, will conduct an acting workshop in the style of the upcoming production of DUBLIN BY LAMPLIGHT. Participants will wear stylized make-up and tell stories in this fun and interactive workshop. The workshop will be led by Inis Nua's artistic director Tom Reing who has taught workshops for fifteen years. Recommended for ages 8 to 14.
Jameson Sisters (Terry Kane and Ellen Tepper)**
Terry Kane grew up in Addison, New York. She learned to sing at a young age from her mother and siblings. She received her Masters of Music from Crane School of Music in Potsdam, NY. Since 1983 Terry has performed the traditional Irish music of her childhood. She began studying Irish Gaelic in 1998 both in Philadelphia and in Ireland. As a solo performer, she sings and accompanies herself on guitar and mandolin. Terry has been studying the Irish language and sean nós singing from native speakers both in the U.S. and in Ireland from singers like Áine Meenaghan and Seamas MacMathuna. She has won the Mid-Atlantic Fleadh Cheoil 4 times and has appeared on Irish Radio (Radio na Gaeltachta) and Irish Television (TG4). She has released two recordings of traditional Irish songs and dance music. She has performed at many festivals including Philadelphia Céilí Group Festival, Celtic Classic, and An Rí Ra Montana Irish Festival.
Ellen Tepper was born in New York but spent most of her childhood in Vienna, Austria, where she began studying classical harp at the age of eight. Her abiding interest in early music was inspired by a childhood spent exploring ruins in Europe and by her exposure to the multi-faceted cultural life of Vienna. After returning to the United States, she continued her studies to earn a degree in Harp Performance from the Philadelphia College of Performing Arts (now The University of the Arts). She has served on the Board of Trustees of the Historical Harp Society and has conducted workshops for the International Society of Folk Harpers and Craftsmen. As an authority on the early harp, Ellen is in demand as a lecturer and performer. Known for her humorous approach to historical anecdote, her slide show presentation “History of the Harp through Iconography” is both educational and entertaining. She has produced five recordings of traditional music.
Terry Kane and Ellen Tepper began their collaboration in January of 2009 as “Jameson Sisters” and have been delighting audiences since with their energetic music. They have a vast repertoire that includes all styles of Irish music from the most traditional Irish solo music composed in Gaelic to music of other Celtic lands and Irish-American songs, which they have performed from Cape May and Philadelphia to New York. With Terry’s lilting voice and Ellen’s sweet melodic strains and lush accompaniment, one forgets that the performance was also technically stellar.
For more information on performance engagements and recordings visit www.jamesonsisters.com
Click here to sign up for Ellen's Harp workshop and Terry's singing workshop
Paraic Keane (fiddle)
Paraic was born and raised in a well known musical family from Dublin, Ireland. Paraic’s father, Sean, was fiddler for the internationally famous band The Chieftains. Paraic’s fiddling style owes much to his Dublin roots—strong And lighting quick bowing with an equally strong melodic interpretive originality.
The John Kelly Session
John P. Kelly was born in Sligo, Ireland. John loved the Irish music and played it from when he was a child. He was open and giving to anyone who wanted to learn our tradition. He led the music for the Philadelphia Ceili Group’s Friday night ceilis from the mid 70’s until 1990 when he died. John’s music and his gift for passing it on is truly one of the foundations of Philadelphia’s Irish music tradition. Marian Makins (singer) Born and r
The John Kelly Session is a performance of tunes from his repertoire with anecdotes about John, by musicians who have learned from him and/or play in his tradition. The emphasis would be on ceili dance tunes such as The 3 Tunes, Sweets of May, High Caul Cap, Humors of Bandon, Siege of Carrick, Haymakers', Walls of Limerick, etc.
For a portion of the session we’ll be playing the tunes that John taught his students and then proceed to play the tunes that he used to play for the ceilis at the Irish Center—dancers welcome. We want to pay proper and deserved homage to one of the seminal figures of Irish music and culture in Philadelphia. Musicians performing at the session: Danny Flynn, Tom Cahill, John Donnelly, Ed Clarke, Chris Carpenter, Tom and Marian Gittleman, Tom Kelly, Mike Albrecht and Kitty Kelly-Albrecht.aised in Washington, DC, Marian Makins has been living in the Graduate Hospital neighborhood of Philadelphia since 2005. She is a regular at local trad sessions and has performed widely as a singer and bodhrán player in the Philadelphia and New York areas, often in the company of singer and multi-instrumentalist Gabriel Donohue and/or fiddler Páraic Keane. Notable venues to date have included the Irish Center in Philadelphia, the New York Irish Center, and the Sail, Power, and Steam Museum in Rockland, Maine, as well as private events for the W. B. Yeats Society of New York, the American Ireland Fund, and CIE Tours. This June, Marian was thrilled to share the stage with Gabriel Donohue and master box player John Whelan at the Sea Music Festival in Mystic, CT. She can also be heard singing backing vocals on recent recordings by Donie Carroll (Down the Slippery Gap) and Harry O'Donoghue (A Splash of No Regrets). Marian is currently pursuing a PhD in Classical Studies at the University of Pennsylvania and teaches in the Penn Critical Writing Program.
Kevin McGillian is father to Jimmy and John and is responsible for introducing and nurturing the love for and skill in Irish music in his family. Kevin began playing the button accordion at the age of 12 in Legfor Drum, Co. Tyrone. He is self-taught and he credits two accordion players from Co. Tyrone; Edward McNamee and Robert Finley, as early influences. Kevin came to Philadelphia in 1954, was honored in 2001 when he was inducted into the Comhaltas Hall of Fame along with Andy McGann.
Jimmy McGillian play banjo and bass (but not at the same time), Like his father, Jimmy knows how to please the dancers at local ceilis and set dances – he is fine dancer as well. Without the McGillians, Philadelphia’s sessuins and ceilis would not have the lift and spirit so often provided by these fine musicians.
John McGillian’s first musical influences were his own parents, Mary Boyce from Milford, Co. Donegal, and Kevin McGillian, who started John on a button accordion at the age of six. In the early days, John’s mother would often lilt the tunes to him in their kitchen, while Kevin pointed out the rudiments of musical notation. For John, John McGroary (a player with Blackthorn) remains a tremendous musical influence.
Over the years, John has played in a series of Irish bands that performed ballads and dance tunes. John plays accordion with a spirit and lift that belies his age, and he clearly has what fellow musicians fondly refer to as “big ears” – that is, he can hear the nuances of a tune and play them with panache and originality, while remaining true to the roots of the music.
Rounding out the Ceili band is Judy Brennan, locally renowned keyboard artist extraordinaire!
Keep your eyes out, it’s likely you may see the next generation of McGillian talent out and about at this years festival.
Click here to sign up for Anthony's Guitar workshop
Dan McHugh is a fine Uilleann piper and Whistle player. He was first taught by Bil McKenty of Philadelphia. He later organized a series of learning sessions for pipers at the Philadelphia Irish center under the instruction of Jerry O’Sullivan. Influences include classic pipers such as Willie Clancy and Seamus Ennis. He has also attended a number of workshops from pipers such as Mick O’Brien, David Power, Ivan Goff, and Benedict Koehler. Dan has been playing in the Philadelphia/Baltimore area for more than 5 years.
Lori Lander Murphy
Lori Lander Murphy's interest in her family history began in childhood, when she would listen to her grandmother recount stories that had been passed down through the years...including tales of a great-great grandfather who had supposedly fought for both the North and the South during the Civil War, and a great-great-great uncle who had ridden with southern folk hero John Mosby and his Rangers. She became the family repository for old photos, letters and keepsakes. It wasn't until 2000, after she'd received her masters degree in library science, with a specialization in archival studies, that she began the serious pursuit of researching her family's legacy. Days spent poring over old record books in Virginia courthouses, as well as DNA tests donated by a male cousin, allowed her to trace her Riley family back to Miles Riley who arrived in Virginia from County Cavan in 1645. Since 2008, she's become active in the Irish community here in Philadelphia, and in 2009 became the third partner and writer for www.irishphiladelphia.com alongside Denise Foley and Jeff Meade. Earlier this year, she met up with one of the area's leading Irish genealogists, Deb Fox, and is now working with her in the successful launch of Philadelphia's own Irish American Family History Society.
Next Generation of Traditional Irish Music
Every month during the school year, young musicians in the Delaware Valley get together at the Irish Center in Philadelphia to learn a new tune and to have an Irish seisiún (or session) with their peers. They also perform at the annual Irish-American Children's Festival at the Garden State Discovery Museum and have performed at the Comhaltas Ceoltoíiri Éireann convention,the New Jersey Folk Festival and the Philadelphia Ceili Group's Festival of Traditional Irish Music and Dance. Many of the musicians at the festival today have competed in the Mid-Atlantic Fleadh Cheoil and gone on to represent the United States in the All-Ireland Competition. Musicians playing at this years festival are: Patrick Glennan and Zach Fry, Morgan Hackett, Tom Krumm, along with Alexander Weir, Haley Richardson, Emily Safko and Katy Ely, all of whom traveled to Cavan in August for the Scoil Egise and the Fleadh.
Paddy O’Neill (flute)
Paddy will be playing tunes which associated with the music and musicians of the north of Ireland. Sessions in the north tended to have a more varied repertoire than sessions encountered in the rest of Ireland. You would get not only the usual jigs, reels and hornpipes, but also barndances, polkas, Germans, waltzes, marches and highlands. Expect to hear more of the latter than jigs and reels. Singers were a prominent feature of the northern sessions Paddy attended, so he might even chance a song. There is, of course, the Orange fifing and drumming tradition in the north and a fifing march.
Gary Quinn (accordion)** Gary was introduced to traditional music at a very early age - both of his parents have always had a great love of traditional music and in particular accordion music. Growing up, entertainment in the Quinn household was usually By 1989 Gary had won the all Ireland National PTAA accordion championship - an achievement which brought great pride to his family, and also to his local area. He still lives in Brierfield with his wife Jane and his 2 children who are already, at ages 4 and 6, learning their own instruments and showing signs of the family talent. Gary (who has now reached the tender age of 38) has travelled all over the world with his accordion. Along with his brother Kieran he travelled throughout New Zealand in 1996, and introduced traditional Irish music to many new fans!! As part of Ceoiltoírí Maghlocha in 1995 Gary travelled to North America, Hawaii, Australia etc... This was an 11 week tour, organised by Mr Thomas Mannion, where the musicans played a host of venues and delighted many an audience with their enthusiastic and talented playing. One of Gary's greatest memories of this tour was playing the Sydney Opera House, to an audience of over 6,500 people. His most recent travelling experience was to Canada with Sean Keane in August 2007, where they played to audiences in five different cities. Throughout his career, Gary has been influenced by some of the greats of accordion playing, such as Joe Burke, Finbar Dwyer and Joe Cooley... but the man has influenced Gary more than anyone would have to be Mairtín O'Connor. The way in which Gary can instinctively back songs and melodies seems to have come from Mairtín's influence. Gary has known Mairtín for many years, and is proud to say that Mairtín has contributed to his 2008 debut album. Gary Quinn comes from Brierfield near Moylough in Co. Galway. He is a former All-Ireland Champion Accordion player and has just recorded his debut solo album "Keep her lit !!". This features many well-known and respected musicians, including Sean de Burca, Sean Regan, Steve Simmonds, Kieran Quinn, Tom Giblin, Bruno Staehelin & Sinead Deely.
live - from banjo to guitar to beautiful voices... and of course the accordion. The whole family are gifted with great musical ability, although Gary has pursued his talent more so than the others.
Anna Ryan (St. Brigid's Cross Workshop) ** FREE WORKSHOP WITH ADMISSION
Anna Ryan hails from Ardara, County Donegal and is the foremost expert on making St. Brigid's Crosses in the greater Philadephia area, if not the world!
Dáithí Sproule (Guitar)**
Dáithí Sproule of Derry, whose first group was legendary Skara Brae, has lived for many years in Minnesota. Dáithí was one of the first guitarists to develop DADGAD guitar tuning for Irish music. As well as playing and singing with Altan, he has performed and recorded with two highly influential traditional music trios; Bowhand (with James Kelly and Paddy O'Brien) and Trian (with Liz Carroll and Billy McComiskey) and has played on recordings of Tommy Peoples, Seamus and Manus McGuire, Peter Ostroushko, and many others. In recent years he has been playing with another great trio, Fingal, with Randal Bays and James Keane, and performing locally in Minnesota with friends such as Laura MacKenzie and Jode and Kate Dowling. Dáithí's original compositions have been recorded by Skara Brae, the Bothy Band, Altan, Trian, Liz Carroll, Aoife Clancy and others. In 1995 he released his first solo album "A Heart Made of Glass" with songs in English and Irish. In 2008 he released an instrumental guitar album "The Crow in the Sun", featuring 13 original compositions. In addition to performing and recording Dáithí is a teacher and lecturer in subjects ranging from guitar styles and traditional songs to Irish language and myth.
Click here to sign up for Daithi's Traditional Irish Songs and their Histories workshop
John Shields and Cass Tinney - (Ceili and Set Dancing Workshop) ** FREE WORKSHOP WITH ADMISSION
John and Cass began Irish dancing during the 1980's with the Timoney Irish Dancers, learning both ceili and step dancing. They performed in shows and competed in feis'. Later, they began learning The Sets with the Shanagolden Set Dancers. A few years later they began their own set dancing class (Circle of Friends) at the Irish Center, concentrating on beginners. Their classes have increased and continued for 6 years. On any given Wednesday night you will find 3 or 4 lively, fun, groups dancing with John's voice shouting instructions above the music.
Gerry Timlin (singer)
A great favorite in the USA and Canada, this Pennsylvania based singer has enjoyed success all over the world. He was born in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, where he developed an early interest in traditional Irish music and in folk music. From the beginning, Gerry displayed a musical talent. He moved to the USA in the early seventies, and has been delighting audiences with his smooth baritone voice and his irreverent humor ever since. All are welcome at Gerry's home-base, The Shanachie Irish Pub and Restaurant in downtown Ambler, Pennsylvania.
Special Thanks to our Festival Corporate Sponsors - Keeping Irish Traditional Music Alive in Philadelphia!
