NEWS The Newsletter of the Shasta Celtic Society Mar-Apr 2004, Vol. 8, No. 2

Transcription

1 Shasta Celtic Society PO Box Redding, CA NEWS The Newsletter of the Shasta Celtic Society Mar-Apr 2004, Vol. 8, No. 2 THE CO-PREZ SEZ Greetings fellow Celtophiles. I hope our wee Celtic newspaper finds you all well and not too waterlogged from this wet and windy winter season. I have several topics to touch on, and may as well start with our own Shasta Celtic Society s special celebration the 7 th Annual Burns Night Supper. Once again, we hosted the event at the Holiday Inn, and from the feedback I received it was another rip-roaring success. Thanks go to the Burns Night Committee for a successful conclusion to all the hard work that made Burns Night 2004 a success. Thanks also to all the poem readers, singers, musicians and everyone else who worked to make it a success. A special thank you to Kilted Cook Herb Manoli for preparing what some have called the best tasting haggis ever served at a Burns Night Supper. Special thanks to musicians Olive Donaldson and Jim Bryant, Gerry Smida and all those Jefferson Pipe Band members who traveled south to play for a very appreciative audience. Special thanks, too, to Diane Elrick and her raffle lassies for the most successful raffle yet it s the raffle that allows us to continue holding Burns Night. But without all you guys, Burns would be just another expensive dinner out! Once again this year looks like it s going to be as busy for that small, but gallant band of volunteers: the Board of Directors, the Entertainment Committee and general membership volunteers who do so much to make SCS a success. We may be shaping up to put on as many concerts and events this year as we did last year. Entertainment Committee Chair Chris Alexander has put together our First Annual St Pat s Dinner and Concert for March 13, details for which can be found elsewhere in this newsletter, but suffice it to say that if Chris is involved, it will be fun! Then, if we re successful in locating a venue, we re hoping to put on a concert featuring Seamus Kennedy on April 30. Other irons in the fire include the return of the Scottish High Tea as well as Celts & Coffee, something fun for the summer months, and if we re really lucky, a big name come fall. Another all-important event coming up is the Annual General Membership Meeting (AGM), to be held on 1 April 19, where we will replace two Directors whose twoyear terms are up. We encourage all our members to participate in the AGM. It s a chance to really get involved with the SCS and what it tries to accomplish. Nominations Committee Chair, Holly Hooton, has all the details for you in her article on page 2. A word on volunteerism. The Society functions solely on the volunteer spirit of its members; nobody gets paid in our organization. So volunteers are essential in keeping the Society s mission to promote an awareness of Celtic culture in Shasta County alive and well. I encourage you to volunteer in any way possible. We always need help staging events, and there are a myriad of things to choose from that need to be done for them. Call Chris Alexander at Another great and easy way to volunteer is to contribute to the newsletter. Any material of a Celtic bent is grist for the mill. Call Laurie Burk at or your newsletter contribution to burk@c-zone.net. Another wee item. We ve been told that our monthly meetings are boring. Well, that s why they are called bored meetings! No folks, it s true. Our monthly meeting of the Board of Directors is mainly a business meeting. In the past we ve tried to hold more social events but they ve not been too successful. So, we re open to suggestions. Back in the auld country, folks meet at the pub and just chat or crack (craic) as the Irish have it. Great way to get to know people. If that s something we should perhaps try, by all means let us know. That s what we re after, after all getting to know you! Well I ve wasted more of your time than I intended, but just need to touch base with everyone once in a blue moon. We ll keep you posted on upcoming events as always. Do try our web page. It s truly kool our Webguy, Carl Skinner, does a brill job. Ta ta for now and see ye a at St. Pat s Night! -The Cockney Jock (Co-President, Bob Elrick)

2 LET LOOSE THE LEPRECHAUNS! The Shasta Celtic Society is proudly hosting its First Annual St. Pat s Dinner and Concert on Saturday, March 13, at the Veterans Memorial Hall on Yuba Street in Redding. And what a wonderfully fun, familyoriented way to kick off the Green Season! Our own Herb O Manoli will be cooking up vast quantities of corned beef and cabbage, with all the trimmings, to sate even the biggest of Irish appetites. And then, as if that weren t enough, we ve got the West Coast s most entertaining Irish band lined up to play for you. Darby O Gill s rollicking, oft raucous, stage tunes are sure to get even the most indulgent diner toe-tapping, if not up and dancing! Co-sponsored by the Shasta County Arts Council, part of the proceeds from this event will go to augment their very fine organization. Also there to lend a hand will be kids from a local 4H chapter, as well as some very goodhearted Vets. There are whisperings of door prizes, silent auctions and raffles none of which is yet set in stone, so you ll just have to come see for yourself how this all plays out! But play we shall, that part is guaranteed! Pre-sale tickets are on sale only between March 1 and 10, so do buy your tickets then as they are discounted for SCS and SCAC members, but you must ask for your discount! Dinner seating is limited, so buy early! (See details in Celtic Calendar, p. 6.) As always, help is needed and will be gratefully accepted for this event. In fact, volunteering will bring you good luck all year long! Please call Linda at or Chris at to volunteer. And don t forget to post those fliers! -Chris O Aleaxander, Entertainment Committee Chair A little heads-up: We are working our Celtic fingers to the bone trying to get Seamus Kennedy here for a concert on April 30. Cross your fingers that we can reserve the right venue! Seamus was here a few years ago and took Redding by storm. We hope to have him storm back in for your enjoyment. Details to follow; stay tuned. AGM NOMINATIONS The Shasta Celtic Society s Annual General Membership meeting is just around the corner. Held at Holiday Inn on Monday, April 19, at 6:30 PM, the actual meeting place is the small café area between the Braided Mane restaurant and the conference rooms where we hold our annual Burns Night Supper. All members are encouraged to attend. A very important part of the AGM process is the election of new members to the SCS Board of Directors. Of the seven Board seats, three are open this election year. The newly elected Board members will serve a two-year term, beginning this July through July Since the Society has shifted to a bimonthly newsletter, we wanted to bring the elections to your attention sooner rather than later. We will send you your ballot later this month. Write-in candidates are encouraged, and nominations will also be accepted from the floor during the general meeting. But for now, we are soliciting members willing to serve the Society as a Director on the Board. If you are interested in serving on our Board, please contact me ( ; hollyhooton@aol.com) to place your name on the ballot. Remember, this Society is your Society and the Shasta Celtic Society s Board of Directors is only as good as its members. You too can make a difference when you decide to join this terrific group of people. -Holly Hooton, Nominating Committee Chairperson Darby O Gill members, from left to right: Kenn Clulow (bass, vocals, flute, soundman), Scott Messer (guitar, vocals, bodhran) and Ken Andresen (accordion, bodhran, keyboards, vocals) 2

3 MUSIC REVIEW AN DIOLAIM BY CLANNAD 1998 Music Club release Last October, I traveled to Redmond, Oregon, to spend a few days with my brother and sister-inlaw at the Eagle Crest Resort. My sister-in-law, who was born and raised in Ireland, brought along several Irish CD s to listen to during our stay. I became particularly fond of one called An Diolaim by the group Clannad. The Irish singer, Enya, has been a favorite of mine for years, so I was surprised to hear that she is related to this group and actually sang with them for a couple of years. The quartet was originally called an clan as Dobhar, which means family from Dore. They later became simply known as Clannad. The group consists of Enya s sister and brother, Maire (pronounced Moya) and Ciaran (pronounced Keeron) Brennan, plus their uncles Padraig (pronounced Poric) and Noel Duggan. They have been performing for two decades. Much of their music is performed in Gaelic and includes a mix of original Clannad songs and traditional Irish music. The tune of one song on the CD, Siuil a Run, sounded like a song performed by Peter, Paul and Mary on their Moving album I had bought back in the dark ages of my youth entitled Gone the Rainbow, which I used to sing as a lullaby to my oldest son when his father was away in Vietnam Through the magic of the Internet, I was able to look up the lyrics of both songs. The verses of the songs refer to a lover s enlistment in the Irish Brigade that left Ireland after the Williamite War in 1691 to serve in the French Army. In Ireland, these soldiers were referred to as Wild Geese. I had heard the Gaelic version sung in a pub in Blarney, Ireland, where we had gone for an evening of entertainment provided by local villagers after having kissed the Blarney Stone. It was interesting to read up on the two songs. Nearly an hour long, this 14-track CD includes Two Sisters, Dulaman (Seaweed), An Gabhar Ban, Rince Philib A cheoil, and Eleanor Plunkett. It sells for approximately $16 and can be found on several on-line sites, including Amazon.com and CD Universe. -Linda Simpson Co-President BURNS NIGHT SUPPER 2004 Every year we say it can t get any better than this. And then every year we go and top the previous year s event! Our goal this year was to simplify and shorten the festivities and we achieved that end. Despite how some of us might like to listen to bagpipes and Robert Burns poetry for hours on end, it really can be too much of a good thing for some. So this year there was a nice balance to the variety of entertainment and the evening rolled smoothly along. And what a great time we all had! The music was enchanting, the food divine, the poetry presenters and pageantry impressive, the company engaging, our Master of Ceremonies charming and humorous to a fault, and the props well, masterful. I can say that because I was able to thoroughly appreciate them this year. As you may remember, last year I attended the evening with a patch over one eye after a piece of PVC pipe got the better of me while helping decorate the stage. Attendees will have noticed some new flags hanging from the ceiling. These flags represent all seven of the Celtic nations. Being that we are a Celtic Society, we were delighted to add flags from Cornwall, the Isle of Man, Galicia and Brittany to the flags of Scotland, Ireland and Wales that the SCS already owned. Linda Simpson wrote an excellent article on the flags origins in our January-February 2004 issue of the SCS News, which is still up on our web site and will most likely be archived for anyone who missed it the first time around. The Shasta Celtic Society hosts this event to honor the life of Robert Burns, as well as to show you a good time. We also try to make a little money to cover costs for future Society events and concerts. With the help of Diane Elrick s wonderful raffle, we do succeed very nicely in that endeavor. As our Co-President Bob Elrick is always quick to point out, this Society stays afloat only through the grace of our members volunteer spirit. What he doesn t tell you is that being part of the team that puts these events together is a blast. The Burns Night Committee is comprised of really fun people and putting on this event gives us lots of excuses to play. And we are always looking for volunteers to help, so come share in the fun! You ll love it, and we ll love having you! -Holly Hooton, The Two-eyed Jane of All Trades 3

4 RECIPE O THE MONTH: DREADED HAGGIS On January 24, we had the opportunity to once again celebrate Scotland s most beloved poet, Robert Burns. As is tradition, we partook o the Haggis wi bashed neeps an chappit tatties, followed wi wee nips o fine single malt. The haggis is a dish that is not universally enjoyed by all, to put it lightly, so what set this night apart from others is the large number of people who said that they very much enjoyed this version of haggis! Haggis recipes range from the very mild to the absolutely revolting. Many cooks have devised recipes that have ingredients that depart from the original and are intended to shock. If done traditionally, the stuff isn t half-bad, but is definitely an acquired taste. The version that Executive Chef James Leedy and staff prepared was my slightly modified version of the famous Fugar Recipe. I don t know who or what Fugar is. I only know that if you do a search on the Internet you get some pretty strange responses in various languages. Be that as it may, the following recipe was used for the Burns night version. Makes enough to feed a Mongolian horde. (You may scale the amounts up or down as you like.) -The Kilted Cook (Herb Manoli) Ingredients 4 lbs. ground lamb, (any cut will work) 4 lbs. ground pork, (any lean roast cut) 2 lbs. yellow onions or leeks finely diced. 3 lbs. dry oats. Pinhead (steel cut) is preferred Please do not use rolled oats. 4 oz. butter 1½ Tbs. white pepper 1 Tbs. turmeric for color (optional) 6 cloves fresh garlic, very finely minced 3 qts. chicken stock 1½ qts. beef stock HAGGIS NOUVEAU Sauté the onions or leeks in butter until just soft. (If using leeks, slit them lengthwise and wash thoroughly to remove any dirt. All of the white portion and some of the green tops should be used.) Remove onions/leeks and set aside. Combine the ground lamb and ground pork and sauté until lightly browned. In a suitably large stockpot, combine the oats, stocks, salt, garlic, white pepper and turmeric. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover pot and cook until oats are just barely done (soft). Stir once about halfway through the cooking process. Mind the flame as not to burn the oats. (Bloody nasty taste if that happens ey!) Combine the meats, onions and oat mixture and mix well. Form into loaves or wrap in parchment of desired size for serving. Place in a roasting pan. Lightly cover with an aluminum foil tent, similar to what you would do when roasting a turkey, and bake at 350 F until the internal temperature reaches 165 F. (I have given temperature only since the actual amount of time will vary according to how large you make your haggis. Instant read thermometers are something I advocate for every kitchen. They aren t very expensive and are available at most any housewares retailer.) You may add a small amount of water to the roaster to prevent the haggis from drying out too badly. Allow the haggis to cool for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving. AUTHENTIC HAGGIS Now, for comparison, here is an authentic version of haggis that most people find slightly less than palatable. Even many Scots find this one a tough go. Ingredients 1 sheep s stomach 1 sheep s heart 1 sheep s lung 2 sheep s kidneys 1 sheep s liver ½ lb. suet (fresh kidney fat is preferred) ¾ cup oatmeal, steel cut 1 tsp. salt ½ tsp. pepper ½ tsp. cayenne ½ tsp. nutmeg ¾ cup stock Wash it all, chop it up and stuff the stomach threequarters full. (The beastie will explode if it s full.) Prick a few holes in the stomach. Sew it shut, and boil it up. Serve warm and reekin wi chappit tatties and bashed neeps. Many drams of fine single malt whisky help ta wash it all down. 4

5 CABER CONCERNS The following letter, dated January 21, 2004, was furnished by Barbara Gard and is reprinted here with the author s permission. It is further evidence of an on-going campaign to make the caber toss an official Olympic sport. The recipient was Frank McAveety, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport of The Scottish Executive. Sir: Thank you and the Minister very much for your consideration of a meeting during my visit to Edinburgh next week. The other matter I wished to discuss was the inception of a campaign to petition the International Olympic Committee to admit Caber as an Olympic sport which, of course, we thought would be of interest to the Minister while wearing one of his other hats. The campaign has begun among Saint Andrew, Scottish, Caledonian, etc., Societies in North America. My purpose in discussing this uniquely Scottish matter with the Minister was to ascertain whether or not The Scottish Executive could, or would, take a position of support. We have the wholehearted, and unqualified support of The Scottish American Athletic Association and feel that the Scottish Executive s position viz. a viz. our attempts would further our cause. Sincerely, James B. Anderson, FSA Scot, Chairman, CEO The Saint Andrew Society of The Central Coast The Seaside Highland Games Unfortunately, in a follow-up note to Barbara about the letter and meeting, Mr. Anderson had the following to say: It was a complete waste of my time and money. Not one single person was interested. I did speak with Stuart Bathgate, The Senior Sports Editor of The Scotsman, and extended him an invitation to come to the Games and learn more about it. So we shall see! NEWS FROM MEN OF WORTH The Pattern Dance, Men of Worth s newest CD, was released on February 11 and is available for $15 plus $3 s/h, through their web site ( or by contacting Donnie (888/ ) or James (541/ ) directly. We will have a review of this new album for you next issue, but why wait? Men of Worth just keep getting better, and this album is no exception! Updating the band s tour information, their Ireland Tour, beginning May 11, had two couples cancel, leaving four spaces available. Itineraries and further information can be obtained through Laurie Burk ( ; burk@c-zone.net) or by contacting Donnie Macdonald directly at 888/ or minchmusic@comcast.net WELSH CAWL Yet another letter, received on January 21, 2004, by Bob Elrick via our internationally known and very groovy web site. Hi there, Came across your page and thought I d send you this Welsh recipe for cawl. My mum s is the best; it s a great meal in the tradition of Irish Stew. -James Owen Cardiff, Wales Ingredients 2 lb. best end of neck of Welsh lamb 1 small swede (turnip) ½ lb. carrots 1 lb. potatoes 2 large leeks 1 oz. parsley ½ oz. flour salt and pepper Instructions Put the meat into the saucepan, cover with cold water, add salt and pepper, bring slowly to the boil and skim carefully. (This can be done the night before and the fat allowed to set on the surface. This makes it easier to skim off.) Then add the carrots (cut in half), the swede (sliced) and the white of the leeks, and simmer gently for 2 to 2½ hours. Add the potatoes (cut in four) and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes. When the potatoes are almost cooked, thicken with flour and a little water. Lastly, add the green of the leeks and parsley (chopped) and simmer for a further 10 minutes and serve in basins while hot. Makes 4 servings. Cawl was the dish most commonly served for dinner on the farm during the winter months in the counties of South and West Wales. The broth itself would be served in basins or bowls, with bread, and the meat and vegetables served as a second course. 5

6 CELTIC CALENDAR March 8 Monday March 13 Saturday April 19 Monday April 30 Friday SCS Monthly Meeting, 6:30 PM at Holiday Inn, 1900 Hilltop Drive, Redding. Meet in the café area between the restaurant and conference rooms. For more Society information, please contact Kelly Brauning at First Annual Saint Paddy s Celebration, featuring a corned beef and cabbage dinner and traditional Irish music by Darby O Gill at the Veterans Memorial Hall, 1509 Yuba Street, Redding. Dinner from 5:30 to 7 PM; concert at 7:30 PM. Pre-sale tickets for both dinner and concert will be available at the discount price of $15, for SCS and SCAC members only, between March 1 and 10. Non-member presale tickets are $16. All tickets at the door are $18. Concert-only tickets are $10. Ticket outlets: Bernie s Guitar, Thompson Bros Clothing and Old City Hall. For more information or to volunteer to help out with this event, please contact Chris Alexander at gr8scot@citlink.net or Annual General Membership Meeting, 6:30 PM at Holiday Inn, 1900 Hilltop Drive, Redding. Meet in the café area between the restaurant and conference rooms. Most important meeting of the year please come! (See article, p. 2) For more Society information, please contact Kelly Brauning at Seamus Kennedy in Concert, provided it all works out! Details TBA. CELTIC DOINGS, FAR AND AWA 3/13-14 Calaveras Celtic Faire Angels Camp, CA 209/ /20 The Renegade Games Southgate, CA 818/ /27 Pozo Saloon Whisky Highland Games Pozo, CA 805/ /27 Dan Reid Memorial Challenge Recital A Festival of Piping Tickets $30 and up Oakland, CA 510/ /3 Tartan Day Family Gathering Fremont, CA 510/ CELTIC DOINGS, JUST O ER THE BRAE 3/21 Celtic Fiddle Festival Laxson Auditorium, CSU, Chico, 7:30 PM Chico, CA 530/ /1-2 Shasta Highlands Renaissance & Celtic Faire Anderson, CA (No phone contact.) 3/16-17 Riverdance Redding Convention Center Redding, CA 530/ /20 Patrick Ball Harper & storyteller, $40 for show & dinner The Keep, Palo Cedro, CA 530/ Tuesdays Wandering Minstrel Night Blarney Pilgrims and Lorraine Dechter The Keep, Palo Cedro, CA 530/ /3 Kern County Scottish Gathering & Games Bakersfield, CA 661/ /3 National Tartan Day Celebration Puyallup, WA 253/ /10 Oregon Scottish Heritage Festival Albany, OR 503/ /23-25 Sacto Valley Scottish Games & Gathering Woodland, CA 916/ /23-25 Henderson Highland Games & Celtic Festival Henderson, NV 702/ /24 Camarillo Celtic Festival Camarillo, CA 805/ /3-5/1 Tri-Cities Scottish Highland Games Kennewick, WA 509/ /1 Original Whiskey Highland Games Arroyo Grande, CA 818/ /1-2 Historic Celtic Bhealltain Festival Lane County, OR 541/ This event includes bagpipe competition 6 SHASTA CELTIC SOCIETY DIRECTORY ADDRESS: PO Box , Redding, CA WEB SITE: OFFICERS CO-PRESIDENT Bob Elrick ( ) CO-PRESIDENT Linda Simpson ( ) TREASURER Peggy Randolph ( ) SECRETARY Shirley Pritchett ( ) DIRECTORS AT LARGE Laurie Burk Don Cannon Herb Manoli ENT.COM CHAIR Chris Alexander ( ) MEMBERSHIP CHAIR Linda Simpson ( ) NEWSLETTER EDITOR Laurie Burk ( ) ASST. EDITOR Chris Newton (cjnewton45@hotmail.com) PUBLIC CONTACT Kelly Brauning ( ) WEBGUY Carl Skinner (cskinner@c-zone.net) WELCOME NEW MEMBERS! Mary Connolly-Jeffries, Redding Maggie Czajka, Redding Cynthia Menez, Redding Karen Modica, Shasta Jim & Pat Rohrbach, Cottonwood Michael Thomas, Redding Céad míle fàilte! (A hundred thousand welcomes!)