Into the West: the celts in texas

Subject: Into the West: the celts in texas
From: JedMarum
Date: 23 Aug 02 - 09:58 AM

I have spent the last couple of months putting together a show called INTO THE WEST: The Celts in Texas with my friends, Michael Harrison and Judy Lanahan (both from Dallas). It is a two and a half hour multi-media presentation of songs, stories and images that celebrate the impact the Irish and Scottish immigrants have had on Amrican history and music.

We'll see how well the show goes over, but we've had a lot of interest in repeating the show in various venues throughout the region - so we may actually do it a few times over the next year or so. We've toyed with the idea of developing the show with different subtopics; The Celts in Texas may become The Irish / Mexican Connection or we may work on the Celts of Canada or some sort of twist involving both US and Canada (my mother's Scottish family emigrated to Canada - only came to the US to work the cotten mills in New England) and then maybe The Irish Cowboys (there's a wealth of material, history and stories for this one).

It's been a very interesting project. I've had a great time researching the subject, writing and learning songs for the show - and it's the first time I've worked on stage with a video presentation. I realize this thing could become a "career" and I don't want that - but it sure as hell has been fun - and I am very grateful for the wealth of information there is available on the subject - and by the way, the main focus of the show is music! We kick off the show this weekend with a house concert in Louisiana (a "dress rehearsal" for an intimate crowd of 65) and then we perform the first show in Dallas on Wed Aug 28. I'll let y'all know how it goes.

I've spent hours digging through the DT and then using that info to go off to there sites and research further. Great place, this mudcat.org/DT!

Just thought y'all might find this of interest.

Subject: RE: Into the West: the celts in texas
From: JedMarum
Date: 23 Aug 02 - 09:59 AM

looks like I hosed the HTML!

Sorry for the italics errors - but I guess it's readable!

---

I unhosed it. --JoeClone

Subject: RE: Into the West: the celts in texas
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 23 Aug 02 - 10:30 AM

Sounds wonderful Jed.

Hmmmmmm.....the Celts in Canada eh? Well my grandfather was Irish.....would that make up for all my other relatives who were pure Saxon?

Can I be your Roadie or Gopher?

Cheers

Rick

Subject: RE: Into the West: the celts in texas
From: MMario
Date: 23 Aug 02 - 10:38 AM

forget being a roadie - I'd just like a chance to SEE/HEAR the thing.

Subject: RE: Into the West: the celts in texas
From: JedMarum
Date: 23 Aug 02 - 10:42 AM

If the works, Rick - I'd love to bring it to Canada and work out a new show with you. I've already thought a lot about it. Songs like Angus Frazer are perfect (in fact we may use it for one of th US shows) - but there is some argument about the origins of Red River Valley though penned by an Irish American, it was possibly baesed upon a song from New York which in turn may well have been a Canadian song prior to that. Researching these links or possible links are half the fun. Who cares what the facts are - just play the songs! Also - the Peter Amberlay story and song - and there are so many other songs/stories just waiting to be uncovered and sung ...

Anyway - Rick, we'll have a recording of the first Dallas show. I'll send it up to you so you can see what you think.

Subject: RE: Into the West: the celts in texas
From: GUEST,toribw who should be working
Date: 23 Aug 02 - 11:00 AM

Jed, when you get the road show up and going, consider a trip south to San Antonio!

tori

Subject: RE: Into the West: the celts in texas
From: JedMarum
Date: 23 Aug 02 - 11:03 AM

tori??? We've already had a request from one of te San Antonio irish scoiety folks - looking for pricing and stage requirements ...

Subject: RE: Into the West: the celts in texas
From: GUEST,sorefingers
Date: 23 Aug 02 - 11:04 AM

Pre Colonist decades - land grants by the King of Spain to the Irish - San Patricio County ( in what became Texas )

Post Alamo Texas, Shamrock west state.

Irish Volunteers in Mexican Emperors Army and the Texicans rebellion against Mexico. It appears the Irish were long established in the region when the first settlers out of the north arrived.

Subject: RE: Into the West: the celts in texas
From: GUEST,toribw who should be working
Date: 23 Aug 02 - 11:07 AM

Great! I hope you can get all the details worked out soon. The show combines two of my favorite things: history and music and sounds great.

Best wishes for a successful show on Wednesday night, Jed.

tori

Subject: RE: Into the West: the celts in texas
From: JedMarum
Date: 23 Aug 02 - 11:15 AM

Yes sorefingers - the irish and mexico/texas have a very long and interesting history. one of th shows we are considering is the san patricios - and maybe include the irish settlements from those very early eras

Subject: RE: Into the West: the celts in texas
From: JedMarum
Date: 23 Aug 02 - 11:16 AM

thanks tori - how's the festival progressing?

Subject: RE: Into the West: the celts in texas
From: GUEST,sorefingers
Date: 23 Aug 02 - 11:24 AM

I suppose you already asked the silly question about the Tejano tradition - which may I say is the best kept secret in the entire world of Folk Music.

It would appear as if it is somehow linked but on research I found that it was German not Irish influence that created it.

Subject: RE: Into the West: the celts in texas
From: GUEST,toribw who should be working
Date: 23 Aug 02 - 11:27 AM

So far so good, we're still in the early stages. Did you get my reply to your e-mail?

I'll drop you a line soon with updates, we're meeting on Monday night. Noticed that you're playing Cassidy's the same weekend as the STCM festival. You're one busy man that weekend!

tori

Subject: RE: Into the West: the celts in texas
From: sian, west wales
Date: 23 Aug 02 - 12:03 PM

So ... we're back to defining Celts as Irish and Scottish? No - I don't really want to stir, but ... {{sigh}}

I've just finished reading Bill Malone's "Singing Cowboys and Musical Mountaineers". He certainly seems to want to deny the Celtic / C&W connection and I don't really think he puts forward enough evidence to prove his hypothesis. I do, though, think that people don't look at a broad enough spectrum when they're looking for the origins of American musical traditions.

Still, more power to your elbow and I hope the show is a 'hit'.

sian

Subject: RE: Into the West: the celts in texas
From: JedMarum
Date: 23 Aug 02 - 12:12 PM

No sian, I don't really define Celts as Irish and Scottish - but it is so much easier to use one word that has become a catch all phrase for the genre. In truth we will be using a song written by an imigrant from Wales in the show ... we are including songs and stories from Anglo Irish (which I presume may not be Celt) but there is no need to go into that much definition in a quick discussion where the commonly accepted genre name would work OK.

There is much immigrant history in the development of US culture and music. It is a fascinating story ...

Subject: RE: Into the West: the celts in texas
From: GUEST,sorefingers
Date: 23 Aug 02 - 01:37 PM

How about simply calling it Britceltic or Beltanic - then everyone will be included.

Just a thought - don't assume that England is NOT celtic - you'd quickly be corrected if in Cornwall, Cheltenham, Dorset etc!

Subject: RE: Into the West: the celts in texas
From: GUEST,SharonG
Date: 23 Aug 02 - 01:44 PM

Hi Jed

Just a little further west into Arizona, the Presidio of Tucson was founded by the Spanish (of course entering Arizona from what is now Mexico), accompanied by Hugo O'Connor, originally of County Roscommon.

Subject: RE: Into the West: the celts in texas
From: GUEST,sorefingers
Date: 23 Aug 02 - 02:36 PM

Tori where do you hang out in SA?

Thanks

Subject: RE: Into the West: the celts in texas
From: DougR
Date: 23 Aug 02 - 02:37 PM

Sounds like a winner, Jed! If you do decide to take the show on the road, I'd bet local Irish societies would be anxious to sponsor it. Sounds like it could be a good fundraiser for the societies. Also sounds like it might qualify for a state arts commission grant.

DougR

Subject: RE: Into the West: the celts in texas
From: sian, west wales
Date: 23 Aug 02 - 02:51 PM

Thanks for taking it as it was meant, Jed. I'm happy with 'Celtic' as long as it, indeed, does not exclude more countries than it includes.

In fact, if I have an 'issue' it's with books like Bill Malone's. I took his statement dismantling the Celtic argument for C&W at face value, then waited for him to back it up ... and it never really happened.

I'd be interested in knowing what song by which Welshman you're using ...

sian

Subject: RE: Into the West: the celts in texas
From: artbrooks
Date: 23 Aug 02 - 03:30 PM

Looking for you in New Mexico?

Subject: RE: Into the West: the celts in texas
From: JedMarum
Date: 23 Aug 02 - 06:01 PM

we will possibly take the show out west - since my interest in the immigrant history runs that way ... I know a bit about Hugo, Sharon - and that is exactly the type of story that interests me.

sian - John Thomas Rogers was a native of Wales - settled in NY and wrote a popular Civil War Song, among others. We will be including a song of his called The Soldier's Return in a show that focuses on the US Civil War.

Doug we may well get to Phoenix - NM too, artbrooks - if I have my way!

Subject: RE: Into the West: the celts in texas
From: JedMarum
Date: 28 Aug 02 - 09:44 AM

We ran the show last weekend in Louisiana - it was more or less a dress rehearsal for us - and we did it in a house concert venue for about 50 folks. It works! The show went over well, and we were pretty happy with the flow. We video taped the performance so we could review it, see what worked and what didn't. It was well worth our while.

Tonight is our first real performance. If you don't hear from me, you'll know we were swallowed live by our North Texas audience!