We are grateful and blessed to have a St. Paddy’s Ceilidh (pronounced Kaylee) this year.
A Ceilidh, as you may know, is a social gathering with Celtic music, dancing and spoken word with storytelling and such. We will be having a lot of that at this year’s Ceilidh and so very proud to have so many of our local Nevada County musician and talents come and entertain us.
Three Times Through, one of Nevada County’s local favorite Celtic bands, with Jeff Peach on Irish Bouzouki, Bodhran and vocals. Gale Peach is on Fiddle, Greg Mirken on mandolin and concertina, and Margie Mirken on Guitar and Vocals. Playing everything from a Welsh hornpipe to an Irish Polka and then, on to a their well know mashups bringing a Beatles song into a Celtic tune.
The Irish Songbirds, also known as the Western Songbirds, — Maggie McKaig (vocals, accordion, guitar), Sally Ashcraft (vocals), Sands Hall (vocals, guitar), with special guest Luke Wilson (vocals, tenor guitar, banjo, dobro) — will be singing their gorgeous harmonies on hauntingly beautiful songs as well as others more lively and humorous. They’ll also be presenting spoken word from the deep literary wells of Ireland here and there throughout the evening.
The Celtic Amigos are local musicians from different backgrounds who are all Irish (once a year). Tom Wernigg, local singer songwriter with recent CD release with his band Royal Jam, “Nothing Wrong with Feeling Good,” will be playing mandolin. Margo Meredith, on fiddle from the Buffalo Gals, who always brings her Celtic charm. Michael Bremer, also from Buffalo Gals on resonator guitar, puts on his Celtic renditions as well. And lucky for the Celtic Amigos, Kate Canon joins them on flute to bring in that Celtic flare.
O’Carolan’s Trio, Anne Merdinger, Pam Hodges, and Kate Canan, can usually be heard every Thursday night at the National Hotel in Nevada City, as part of the ongoing Celtic session there. The music of Turlough O’Carolan (1670-1738), a blind harper, composer, and singer, takes the audience back to earlier Irish roots. For nearly 50 years, O’Carolan traveled all over Ireland composing beautiful songs and melodies honoring his many patrons. The delicate sounds of harp, mandolin, and flute will have an opportunity to shine outside of the National’s bustling pub.
The Earbuds, local favorites playing around town in our local pubs and eateries, with Nory Fussell on guitar and Bob Palucha on mandolin will also be charming us with some of their favorite tunes.
Kathi Keville, our local herbalist and author, will bring her Celtic spoken word to share some Celtic tales and wisdoms.
Celtic Breeze describes the music of four longtime friends who love playing traditional Irish and Scottish songs and tunes. The Breezies include Lonna Whipple, fiddle, Phyllis Grant, Irish whistles and flutes, Lisa Stine, Celtic harp, and Elizabeth Townsend, vocals and bodhran. You can find them creating music together in their living rooms, at the weekly Auburn Irish music session, and at various local gigs.
We’ll also be graced to have Annie O’Dea Hestbeck, host of KVMR’s long-running and beloved Wednesday evening Celtic Cadence show on board to make sure we are keeping our Celtic spirits up.
The event is hosted by the Unitarian Universalist Community of the Mountains who is happy to open its door again to this very special gathering in honor of St. Patrick’s Day.
