Celtic Corner - November

By Roz Carothers

Lots of wonderful things to report as we work our way into the holiday season. The biggest news is the benefit fund-raiser concert on November 16, 2002, entitled "A Night of Irish Music and Dance," which will be held at Bellarmine University in Wyatt Hall from 7-10 p.m. For those of you bemoaning the demise of the Irish Fest, now is the time to put your money where your mouth is, as the saying goes. The Louisville Irish Fest has been absent for five years and organizers are putting this concert together to shore up the coffers and usher in the return of the Irish Fest on the 3rd weekend of September 2003. Many of the favorites of the local scene will be on hand to perform. They are Ten Penny Bit, Galloglas, Drowsy Maggie, Cloigheann, Tenrec, Rashers, the Louisville Pipe Band and the McClanahan Irish Dancers. Tickets will be available for $15 the night of the event - open seating will be available in the Amy Cralle Theater auditorium. Advance ticket sales will begin in early November at Molly Malone's, the Irish Rover and Kitty O'Kirwans. Even if you can't attend the event, buy a ticket and show your support - not only for the event itself, but also to all the local musicians and organizers who donated their time and talent for the event.

Mark Your Calendars For Galloglas

Galloglas will be back at the Rudyard Kipling for their 7th Annual Celtic Christmas. The tickets sell out early, so make your plans now. The concert will be on December 7 at 8 p.m. You can make your reservations by calling (502) 636-1311. Galloglas will present its particular mixture of traditional, contemporary and original Celtic music along with some seasonal favorites, the majority of which are from the British Isles. Come sing along. Ken and Sheila Pyle prepare a special menu for these shows, which is sure to please. Rumor has it that there may be a long-awaited CD available for purchase that night.

Galloglas will be performing at the Blue River Cafe in Milltown, Indiana on Saturday, December 14 at 7 p.m. Known by canoeing enthusiasts everywhere, the Blue River is a beautiful spot and has developed a reputation for fine food and an eclectic atmosphere featuring original artwork. Reservations are strongly recommended as well (812) 633-7510. Check out their website at Bluerivercafe.com. To get to Milltown, take I-64 west, north on SR 66 and then back east on SR 64.

Cloigheann Dates

As mentioned before, Cloigheann will be one of the groups performing at the Irish Fest benefit and you can also see them as part of the Sunday evening concert series at Kitty O'Kirwans on December 8 from 7-9 p.m. If you haven't gotten to Kitty's on a Sunday evening, you are really missing out. I've had the opportunity to be there, both as performer and patron and it is definitely the happening place to be on a Sunday evening!

Silverwood Rescheduled

Silverwood finally got rescheduled for The Summit. You can find them at the Terrace (the restaurant area at the Summit) for the Santa Kickoff on Saturday, November 16, 7-9 p.m. They will be playing a mix of Christmas and Celtic tunes.

Fuel Up The Car If You Want Ten Penny Bit

If it's Ten Penny Bit you want to hear, you'll have to drive a bit to do so in the month of November. On November 1, they will be providing the music for the Charlottesville, WV contra dance and the 2nd finds them at the Greensboro NC contra dance. On November 30, they'll be a little closer to home, when they'll be at the Thomas Family Winery from 8-11 p.m.