Music! (2010 Entertainment)

The Brian Boru Irish Pipe Band

The Brian Boru Irish Pipe Band is one of the oldest existing pipe bands in the Upper Midwest. Some of the music performed by the Brian Boru Irish Pipe Band comes out of the fierce historic eras of Ireland's past. Other pieces are more modern, and many are much, much older -- ancient reels and airs, timeless ballads and war marches, and lively, lighthearted jigs.

Aberdeen Fire & Rescue Pipe & Drum Corps

The Aberdeen Fire & Rescue Pipe & Drum Corps has 10 marching members that are all current, or prior, full-time firefighters. The hand-made, custom kilts chosen for these initial performances were made of Nomex,
the material used in a firefighter's protective bunker gear.

String Thaw

String Thaw is a family acoustic trio that has been performing a wide variety of traditional music in the Black Hills area for the past 13 years. The group features Benjamin (fiddle, mandolin, guitar, and accordion), Holly (Irish Whistle, recorder, and guitar), and Michael (mandolin, Irish bouzouki, and bodhran) Lemay and has appeared regularly at area Celtic events as well as at other festivals, community theater productions, and special events throughout the Black Hills . They have also incorporated other musicians over the years to fill in to include, Peter Roth, Paul Hayman, Si Issler, Carol Knowles, Alan Smoot and Dever Larson. They have recorded five instrumental CD’s including their latest release “Vintage”.

Debi Rogers

Debi Rogers is a colorful and talented folk singer, musician and storyteller. A North Dakotan of Scots-Irish-American descent currently living in Mandan, she performs all things traditionally Celtic (KEL-tik) with joyful exuberance. She is a music teacher, actress, director and recording artist performing throughout the region in venues ranging from schools to local clubs to festivals.

Awarded grants through the North Dakota Council on the Arts’ Traditional Arts Apprenticeship program, Debi learned traditional Irish songs in Gaelic (the Irish language) under Irishman Dáithí Sproule and céilí (KAY-lee) or Irish social dance with Maureen McDonald-Hins of Fargo, ND. She studies traditional wire-strung harp (cláirseach) under renowned harper Ann Heymann of Minnesota. This complex and difficult art form is very rare. Debi attended Scoil na gCláirseach - Summer School of Early Irish Harp, a unique school devoted to the early Irish wire-strung harp, in August, 2006 at the School of Music, Kilkenny, Ireland.

Her recording Faerie Harp is a delightful array of Celtic melodies and stories from the British Isles woven together in an aural tapestry that conjures images of a land steeped in magical enchantment. In addition, Debi has recorded Songs of the Seventh Cavalry (popular tunes from the 1860s American West), Stardust Twins (folk songs), contributed several Celtic songs and stories to a joint NDCA and Forestry Service project enhanced CD about trees and their folklore titled Spirit Woods, Traditional Stories and Songs of Forests and Trees and is included on the NDCA 40th Anniversary recording.

A popular member of the North Dakota Council on the Arts’ Artist-in-Residence Program, Debi goes to schools across the state teaching Irish folk arts in grades K-12. She’s hosted a weekly folk music show on North Dakota Public Radio, sang a soprano solo with the Bismarck-Mandan Civic Chorus on the stage of Carnegie Hall, was an artistic ambassador for North Dakota in Iceland and recently spent three weeks in Japan with the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher Program.

Storytelling!

Listen to the enthralling storytelling about Fairie Hills, Lochs, and Braes! Take a magical trip with Debi Rogers as she passes along the oral tradition of the Celtic peoples and learn about legendary and mythical figures of the Celtic culture!

Scotty Roberts, author and illustrator of The Rollicking Adventures of Tam O'Hare, will return and read excerpts from his newest book, Tam O'Hare and the Banshee of Ballyglenbarrow. Mr. Roberts will have prints of his original illustrations from the books available for purchase, along with copies of his books. Be sure to stop by to say hello, and get your book or print autographed!

Dance!

Guthrie School of Dance

The Guthrie school of Dance will return to present traditional Scottish Dance and to lead a workshop for beginners who would like to give Scottish dancing a try.

O'Shea Irish Dancers

The O’Shea Irish Dancers, under the direction of Cormac O'Se, inspires students to celebrate and perpetuate the rich tradition of Irish Dance while building character, confidence and a sense of community. Cormac was born in Dublin, Ireland, into a family where Irish dancing is a way of life. His professional career began in 1994 when he was chosen by Michael Flatley to be part of the team of dancers that stunned Europe in the original performance of Riverdance at the Eurovision Song Contest. While working on the first American tour of Riverdance, The Show, in February, 1997, he met his future wife, Natalie.  They married in June, 2001, and set up home in Ireland... but Cormac had fallen in love with America and Natalie was happy to return home. They relocated permanently in November, 2002 and live in Minneapolis with their three children, Adrienne, Liam and Ciara.

Ceili!

Saturday evening's festivities will end with a ceili or ceileigh (pronounced kay-lee) dance that will begin at 5 pm. Ceilis (or in Scotland, ceileighs) include traditional music played by a Celtic dance band, traditional Celtic social dancing (preceeded by instruction for everyone), storytelling and general socialization. Ceilis were the neighborhood social events, similar to an American square dance, that everyone - young and old - attended and participated in. Join us for the fun! No previous dancing experience is needed - we teach you everything you need to know.

Suin Lowary, will be the Ceili caller for our dance.

Times and stage venues are subject to change. Please check the schedule for most recent up-to- date information.