Spring greetings from the Center for Irish Music,
It is a busy time at the CIM with summer registration opening, only 12 days until the early-bird registration deadline for the Minnesota Irish Music Weekend, and upcoming recitals and adult student open mic - all following immediately after a momentous weekend at the Midwest Fleadh Cheoil in Chicago!
We are so proud of the 29 students from the Center for Irish Music who competed at the Midwest Fleadh Cheoil this past weekend. Out of 65 entries in solo, duet, trio and group competitions, 43 placed in the top three, with 38 qualifying to compete at the All-Ireland Fleadh in Drogheda this August.
Three groups from the Center for Irish Music entered the competitions; the under 15 céilí band, the Nick Coleman Céilí Band (u18) and the under 18 grúpa ceoil and
all three qualified for the All-Ireland.
Congratulations to all of the competitors for their achievements, and to the instructors and parents who have supported them every step along the way.
Also, I hope to see you tomorrow from 6-8pm at the Celtic Junction Arts Center for their 10-year Anniversary Reception. The reception will be full of music and chat, emceed by Tom Crann of MPR and attended by Irish Consul General Brian O'Brien. Our Young Adult Ensemble will be performing at 5:30pm, followed by music from Dáithí Sproule & Friends. Myself and Brian will be performing as well. It will be a lovely evening!
Enjoy the beautiful month of May!
Norah Rendell
Executive Artistic Director
Center for Irish Music
*CIM students: The "
students
" webpage is updated on a weekly basis. We request that current students bookmark this page and check in regularly to find out about upcoming dates, deadlines, events and student-related announcements. Thank you!
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Summer Term Registration is Open!
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Registration is now open for summer classes and lessons at the Center for Irish Music!
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Thursdays, June 20-August 22 | Instructor: Dáithí Sproule
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Dáithí Sproule will select songs from the recorded repertoire of Paddy Tunney (1921-2002), a singer with roots in Donegal and Fermanagh. He was renowned for his wide repertoire and his fine and distinctive style of singing, inspired by his mother Brigid, herself one of the great source singers.
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Mondays, June 10-24 | Instructor: Dáithí Sproule
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The 60s were an amazing era for growth in Irish music. Dáithí is looking forward to walking down memory lane and playing and teaching some of the music from the time and telling the story of the folk clubs and folk and traditional acts of the era (some now little known or forgotten in America), an era that laid the foundations for everything that has come since.
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Monday-Friday, July 15-19 | Instructor: Danielle Enblom
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Irish music is joyful and full of great rhythm and spirit! Come to the Center for Irish Music for this fun camp to learn songs, play games, listen to music and learn more about the Irish instruments. If you already play an instrument, bring it along each day. We will put together a performance to share with families and friends on Friday at 11:30am.
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WORKSHOPS · LECTURES · CONCERT · SESSIONS
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EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS MAY 15th!
The 11th Annual Minnesota Irish Music Weekend, presented by the Center for Irish Music, is a unique festival that pairs world-class traditional Irish musicians and teachers with learners of all ages for a weekend of workshops, lectures, and much more. Each of the visiting artists is recognized for their musical mastery, and will offer insights and techniques to help learners tap into the deep roots of traditional Irish music.
Register for workshops today!
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Opening Reception |
Thursday, June 13th, 7:00 pm
Featuring a conversation with the Friel Sisters and Dáithí Sproule followed by tunes and refreshments.
Location: 755 Prior Avenue. $15 (free for Trad Immersion or Teen Program registrants).
Get your tickets now
!
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Great Session Experience |
Friday, June 14th, 7:00-9:00 pm
FREE! Join in the fun as we fill every nook and cranny of the Celtic Junction with tunes and songs.
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Master Artists Concert | Saturday, June 15th, 7:30 pm
The signature event of Minnesota Irish Music Weekend, featuring visiting artists.
Get your tickets now
!
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BAR SERVERS
Did you know that the Center for Irish Music manages the bars for most of the events that take place at the Celtic Junction Arts Center? We are looking for volunteers who are interested in working the bar at the concerts & events. Each event needs at least two volunteers (couples, friends or partners work well, but individuals are also welcome). For a 7:30pm show, volunteers arrive at 5:30pm, and stay until after the show is over (appro
x 10:30pm). The job involves setting up the bar, hauling stock up and down stairs, or in elevators, serving patrons, collecting payment and packing up the bar after the show. Bar volunteers attend the concerts free of charge. If you're interested, please contact Mike Lynch at 952-944-3666 (work) or 952-474-5642 (home).
KEG PURCHASER
Before events, CIM has occasional need for someone who can a) pick up permit & check at CIM, b) purchase the keg from a provider in Lauderdale and c) deliver the kegs to the CIM. If you're interested, please contact Mike Lynch at 952-944-3666 (work) or 952-474-5642 (home).
YOUTH RECITAL & ADULT STUDENT OPEN MIC
We're in need of volunteers to help with set-up, clean-up, and potluck monitoring at the CIM Youth Recitals (May 12) and Adult Student Open Mic (May 18).
Click here to view the available shifts and sign up,
and email Aja McCullough Beers (abeers@centerforirishmusic.org) with questions.
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Spring Recitals & Adult Student Open Mic
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Join us for CIM's
Spring Youth Recitals
and Adult Student Open Mic! These events are open to the public and are a wonderful way to hear the tunes and songs our students have been working on. After each recital there will be a potluck celebration, so don't forget to bring a potluck item to share.
**We always need volunteers at our recitals! If you can help out, please
sign up here.**
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SUNDAY, MAY 12 | 1:00-6:00 PM*
Youth Spring Recitals & Potluck Celebration*
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SATURDAY, MAY 18 | 7:00-9:00 PM
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*Parents, please connect with your child's instructor(s) directly to confirm which recital your child will performing in. We want to make sure everyone who wants to be is in the program!
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Calling all young musicians!
Mary Vanorny will be leading the first Young Learners Session since January on Saturday, May 18th from 10:00am-11:30am at the Center for Irish Music. Join her for tunes, juice and a snack.
Parents are welcome to hang out and use the wifi, or listen to the session. FREE and open to all.
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Congratulations Midwest Fleadh Competitors!
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A hearty congratulations to all competitors in the Midwest Fleadh Cheoil, which took place April 26-28 in Chicago.
The Center for Irish Music had 29 musicians in solos, duos, trios, ceili bands, and one grúpa ceoil. 23 performances resulted in 1st place, 15 in 2nd place, and 4 in 3rd place. Detailed results will be available on our website soon. For now, visit our
Facebook page for photos and a preliminary list of results.
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Celebrating 10 Years of the Celtic Junction
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Join our friends at the Celtic Junction as they kick off the 4th Annual St. Paul Irish Arts week with a day full of free events, music, and entertainment, with Tom Crann, MPR radio host, as Master of Ceremonies and featuring guest speaker Consul General Brian O’Brien. We will be celebrating the Irish Fair of Minnesota‘s 40th Anniversary, the achievements and accolades of the Center for Irish Music and O’Shea Irish Dance, and YOU - the community that has made these last ten years possible. Visit
www.celticjunction.org
for more information and a complete schedule of events.
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Irish Arts Week Children's Fair
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A free open house for children and their families to see, hear, and play at Irish dance, music, and stories, with crafts, games, popcorn, and juice!
- Dance a jig with O'Shea Irish Dance (OID)
- Play tunes & try instruments with The Center for Irish Music
- Storytime & puppets with the Eoin McKiernan Library
- Games & prizes with the Irish Fair of Minnesota
- Face Painting with the Irish Music and Dance Association (IMDA)
- Art & Crafts with the Irish Dance Parent Association
Free and open to the public! Part of the 4th Annual Irish Arts Week.
Click here
for details.
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Upcoming Album: The Thrush Comes in Spring by Dòrain
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Dòrain (CIM instructor Iain Dove Lempke with Alexander Dove Lempke and Cara Weggler) will release their second album, The Thrush Comes in Spring, this summer.
The album features a whole fresh crop of new song arrangements and sets of tunes, from the songs of Scottish Romantics Robert Burns and Robert Tannahill, to Scottish Gaelic ballads, to jigs and reels on the fiddle and flute - even a song from the Minnesota Folk Song Collection! The Thrush Comes in Spring is loaded with 3-part harmonies, guitar-and-bouzouki arrangements and plenty of fiddle, flute, and Scottish smallpipes.
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Upcoming CIM Student & Instructor Events
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SATURDAY, MAY 4 | 6:00-10:00 PM
Norah Rendell, Brian Miller, Dáithí Sproule Celtic Junction 10 Year Anniversary
SUNDAY, MAY 5 | 2:00-4:00 PM
Irish Arts Week Children's Fair
SUNDAY, MAY 12 | 1:00-6:00 PM
CIM Spring Youth Recitals
SATURDAY, MAY 18 | 10:00-11:30 AM
CIM Young Learner's Session hosted by Mary Vanorny
SATURDAY, MAY 18th | 7:00-9:00 PM
CIM Adult Student Open Mic
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SUNDAY MAY 26 |
Trian (Dáithí Sproule)
FRIDAY, MAY 31 | 12:30-1:00 PM
Two Tap Trio (Brian Miller, Norah Rendell, Mary Vanorny)
SATURDAY, JUNE 1 | 10:00 AM
CIM Advanced Youth Ensemble
SUNDAY, JUNE 2 | 11:00-1:30 PM
CIM Ensembles at Grand Old Day
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12 | 7:00-8:00 PM
CIM Advanced Youth Ensemble
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The Center for Irish Music is a 501c3 nonprofit, and we depend on your support to continue passing down the tradition of Irish music and song. Please consider joining us as a volunteer or making a gift to the CIM today!
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This activity is made
possible by the voters of
Minnesota through
a Minnesota State Arts
Board Operating Support
grant, thanks to a
legislative appropriation
from the arts and
cultural heritage fund.
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