Celtic Roots Festival - Goderich 2004

Subject: Celtic Roots Festival - Goderich 2004
From: Mooh
Date: 02 Jun 04 - 11:00 AM

The Earth Air Fire & Water Goderich Celtic Roots Festival 2004 takes place in Lions Harbour Park, Goderich Ontario Canada, August 6th-8th.

The website at www.celticfestival.ca should be up to date now, but some of the performers are The Barra MacNeils, Liz Carroll & John Doyle, Alasdair Frazer with Tony McManus, Brian Peters, LOKA, and the ever present local darlings Kerrykeel, among others.

As usual there will be craft arts, demonstrations, workshops, children's area, dance, storytelling, and music.

Also as usual it will be preceded by the Celtic College, and for the first time the Celtic Kids Day Camp.

Tami and I are as always bogged under with duties of the festival, but we are always on site and welcome any Mudders who will come and share a hello.

Hope to see you there!

Peace, Mooh (Mike Crocker)

Subject: RE: Celtic Roots Festival - Goderich 2004
From: Inükshük
Date: 02 Jun 04 - 02:44 PM

Where's a good place to camp at Goderich? We have been using the Maitland Valley Marina. Very convenient and classy but expensive and not really for campers.
Any suggestions?

Subject: RE: Celtic Roots Festival - Goderich 2004
From: black walnut
Date: 02 Jun 04 - 03:09 PM

My husband and I tried to get a campsite a few weeks ago but they were all gone already (at our favourite place...Point Farms)!!!!!!!

Shoot.


~b.w.

Subject: RE: Celtic Roots Festival - Goderich 2004
From: GUEST,Penguin Egg
Date: 03 Jun 04 - 01:24 AM

When ever I see the word Celtic, I always scratch my head and wonder what it means. For the life of me, I cannot see the connection between Irish, Scottish, Brettonish (is that the right word)and the Cornish. Scottish music has as much in common (probably more) with English folk music than Irish. The DADGAD tuning that is so popular in Irish folk music was developed by an Englishman, Davy Graham. Strange.

Subject: RE: Celtic Roots Festival - Goderich 2004
From: Fear Faire
Date: 03 Jun 04 - 03:49 AM

And how is your scalp Penguin Egg after all this scratching?

Subject: RE: Celtic Roots Festival - Goderich 2004
From: Mooh
Date: 03 Jun 04 - 08:51 AM

There are phone and email contact links at the aforementioned website I think, and it's a good idea to use them because accommodation changes quickly. It's likely a little late to get camping close by, but friends had luck with the Pinery Provincial campground (about 40 minutes south) one year. There is a conservation area nearby called Falls Reserve which might have space, but don't delay if you're seriously intending to come.

My humble little home will already have guests, so we're full. It looks like a tent trailer and two tents in the yard and all beds in the house full. The best part of it is we get to spend some time with our friends, Cooper Nelson & Early, from Chicago.

Thanks for your interest!

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: Celtic Roots Festival - Goderich 2004
From: black walnut
Date: 03 Jun 04 - 08:03 PM

It's a wonderful festival. Good music, good stages, good crafts, good dancing, good size, good places to eat and walk around, and always good weather except for the rain and the wind and the wet tent....and I've loved watching it grow!

~b.w.

Subject: RE: Celtic Roots Festival - Goderich 2004
From: CET
Date: 03 Jun 04 - 09:32 PM

No, it's not Brettonish.

We're looking forward to going again this year. This has become our favourite festival.

Subject: RE: Celtic Roots Festival - Goderich 2004
From: Cluin
Date: 04 Jun 04 - 12:34 AM

Yes, a great festival. I went to it several times in the past (and once to the week of workshops that preceded it). If I wasn't already playing that weekend, I'd be going again.

Subject: RE: Celtic Roots Festival - Goderich 2004
From: GUEST,Penguin Egg
Date: 04 Jun 04 - 02:45 AM

My scalp is now itchy, Fear Fiare, since you asked.

Subject: RE: Celtic Roots Festival - Goderich 2004
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 04 Jun 04 - 04:24 PM

Mooh,

   Yup, we'll be there. Got the official time off work and Margaret and Kate are saving their money for the crafts. It's one of the few festivals I'd go to as a civilian.

Subject: RE: Celtic Roots Festival - Goderich 2004
From: black walnut
Date: 04 Jun 04 - 06:04 PM

Make sure you look at Catherine Crowe's jewellery. She's amazing.

~b.w.

Subject: RE: Celtic Roots Festival - Goderich 2004
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 04 Jun 04 - 11:17 PM

Catherine's gotten a lot of our money over the years. I like Brenda Roy's stuff as well. Great place to do early Christmas shopping and hear great music.

Subject: RE: Celtic Roots Festival - Goderich 2004
From: Mooh
Date: 04 Jun 04 - 11:38 PM

Phil...That's great! I should have a new instrument to show you too! Regards to the other civilians!

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: Celtic Roots Festival - Goderich 2004
From: black walnut
Date: 18 Jun 04 - 07:14 AM

Yes, I have some silver Roys, too. And our curtain rods are all Wareham Forge (he's amazing). No new instrument though!

~b.w.

Subject: RE: Celtic Roots Festival - Goderich 2004
From: Mooh
Date: 15 Jul 04 - 03:48 PM

...bump...

Main stage will start a couple of hours later than previous years due to the usual lack of shade until later in the day. However, one of the side stages will be much larger with a tent (and trees) to shade the audience. A huge improvement we expect.

Anyone coming?

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: Celtic Roots Festival - Goderich 2004
From: IvanB
Date: 15 Jul 04 - 07:54 PM

My wife and I will be in town from Sunday the 1st, as I'm attending the college and then we'll both attend the festival. It'll be our first time to the festival, although we've been in Goderich a couple times over the years. Does the bakery there still have the wonderful butter tarts?

Subject: RE: Celtic Roots Festival - Goderich 2004
From: Mooh
Date: 15 Jul 04 - 09:16 PM

IvanB,

The bakery is still going strong, but I couldn't be sure about butter tarts without calling. There's another bakery called Today's Bread which specializes in bread loaves, rolls and the like, which is very (!) good, and operated by a festival volunteer and all round good guy. Either way you can't go wrong.

See you there.

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: Celtic Roots Festival - Goderich 2004
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 16 Jul 04 - 03:36 PM

Can hardly wait.

Subject: RE: Celtic Roots Festival - Goderich 2004
From: Mooh
Date: 25 Jul 04 - 11:44 PM

...bump...Anyone else coming? Mooh.

Subject: RE: Celtic Roots Festival - Goderich 2004
From: mike_in_st_c
Date: 01 Aug 04 - 12:00 AM

I believe my wife and I will be going to the festival. We moved to St. Catharines last year after having lived in Winnipeg for a number of years. Had attended the Wpg Folk Fest on many an occasion and needed a replacement. jWe were quite pleased to discover the one in Goderich last year. I may even just play hooky from work, (but don't tell anybody!;-> Mike

Subject: RE: Celtic Roots Festival - Goderich 2004
From: GUEST,Obie
Date: 01 Aug 04 - 12:56 AM

In reply to Penguin egg the problem may be in this definition of Scottish music. The traditional music of the Highlands is indeed related to that of Ireland as are it's people (Celtic-Gaels). The music of the lowland areas of Scotland is more related to that of England as are most of it's people. (non-Celtic Saxon)
Guitar tunings have little to do with defining this traditional music as the guitar is a relatively new insturment in an ancient culture.
                        Obie

Subject: RE: Celtic Roots Festival - Goderich 2004
From: Mooh
Date: 01 Aug 04 - 09:05 AM

When this festival was formed, the name was a major consideration. How to describe itself in the fewest most direct words possible. There have been debates over "celtic" but the fact that so much music can be traced to celtic roots kind of protects this festival from argument. Just as virtually all music is derivative, virtually all music is (by the 21st century) interconnected or related. My own belief is that if a festival adhered to a srict "celtic" definition there would be very little music at all, simply because very little music that can be definitively traced to Celts survives. And as for period instruments, where would a festival find enough players to present a regular variety?

So then, roots, music played in the spirit of a tradition as we choose to know it. It has brought a lot of fine music to folks who otherwise wouldn't be exposed to it, and encouraged them to find their "inner celt" (so to speak).

Instrument update: the guitar-bouzouki won't be completed for the festival, but that's okay, I'll have a better idea of how to play it for the next one. I plan to play mostly celtic stuff on it too, neither of its forebears being celtic.

Went for a walk about the festival site this morning to run Rosie The Wonder Dog. It's magic how it transforms from quiet small town park to music festival and back again every year. Spirits!

Hope to see you there!

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: Celtic Roots Festival - Goderich 2004
From: GUEST,Obie
Date: 01 Aug 04 - 10:12 AM

Mooh,
I see that the Barra MacNeil's are on your docket. If you get a chance to corner Kyle and his fiddle ask him to give you a sample of "the old stuff" preferably in low bass tuning. They probably don't play much of this during their stage act, but there is a wealth of this music on Cape Breton and he plays it very well. Kyle, is a fantastic fiddler, every bit the equal of Alasdair Fraser, but too often plays a background role in the band.
                              Obie

Subject: RE: Celtic Roots Festival - Goderich 2004
From: Mooh
Date: 01 Aug 04 - 10:30 AM

Thanks Obie, I'll try to remember to ask. The BMs played here a couple of years ago in a different venue and they were quite good, arrangements spot on etc. Someone mentioned that Lucy is great with child, maybe we should have a pool?

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: Celtic Roots Festival - Goderich 2004
From: GUEST,Obie
Date: 01 Aug 04 - 10:31 AM

That should be "high bass". (I guess I'm still asleep.)
This tuning A-E-A-E was mostly used before the days of amplification. When two fiddlers played together, with one playing the melody on the two top strings and the other on the two bottom the volume would be increased. Some great tunes were composed or adapted to this style.
                      Obie

Subject: RE: Celtic Roots Festival - Goderich 2004
From: Mooh
Date: 05 Aug 04 - 10:37 PM

Bump for guest Harper.

Mooh.

Subject: RE: Celtic Roots Festival - Goderich 2004
From: GUEST,mike_in_st_c
Date: 09 Aug 04 - 10:36 PM

What a wonderful time! The wife and I could only make it there on Saturday, but I'm definitely putting in a request for the whole week off next yeare so i can attend the Celtic College! Mike (Absolute smashing performance by the BM's and other groups in attendance.)

Subject: RE: Celtic Roots Festival - Goderich 2004
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 09 Aug 04 - 10:57 PM

We had a great time. Got back in one piece, too.