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Cór
Gaeilge
Texais - The Gaelic Chorus of Texas -
[from the Dallas / Ft. Worth area]
performs a
wide range of Irish and Scottish Gaelic songs in the
traditional, unaccompanied style.
Organized in 1997, the
group has performed at céilithe
(céilís), benefits, and
festivals,
including the 1998
Féile an
Phobail in West Belfast,
Northern Ireland.
Cór Gaeilge performs a diverse
range of songs - from hymns to drinking songs, and
marches to lullabies.
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In addition to performing, the group also teaches,
locally and at festivals,
as an important element in
maintaining interest in the ancient linguistic and
musical heritage of the Gaels.
As none of us are native
speakers, the members Cór
Gaeilge are constantly
honing their individual language and musical skills.
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Dedicated to learning and sharing songs in Gaelic,
the Cór is constantly on the
lookout for materials, workshops, and new friends
interested in maintaining their heritage.
The Cór
has one CD: Fosgail
an Dorus—Open the
Door. Listening samples:
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ROYAL SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCE
SOCIETY:
HOUSTON & DISTRICT BRANCH
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CELTAIRE STRING BAND
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from their website:
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(from Katy & Waller, TX) & we've had the
honor to play at and in The Alamo (our 4th year) for their 171st
anniversary events, the Alamo Irish Festival-in San Antonio &
Texas Shootists in Columbus, Texas. We had a blast! We also
specialize in playing "period" music (dressed in period clothing
from 1500s and 1800-1920s)....for other Texas events, private
parties, weddings and for SCOTTISH, IRISH & CELTIC festivals,
Texas Renaissance Festival, Historical George Ranch & Liendo
Plantation re-enactments & Dickens on the Strand (for the past
17 yrs.) & other Civil War re-enactments.
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All our band members are over 40: Sue
MacGuiness, Mel Peters, Wyatt Canady, Betty Peters and our
newest addition Clay Airington .... we all have day-jobs....but
we absolutely LOVE to play our music to young & old alike. We’ve
also performed & instructed at area elementary & secondary
schools. This is one way of enlightening our children with the
roots of our Texas music traditions, and preserving it now & for
the future Texas children. We get the kids involved in playing
along with us with hands-on activities & allow them to
appreciate the old-time music & how it was made..... before
batteries & amps!
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Our acoustic instruments are: fiddle, penny
whistle, concertina, bodhran, guitar, mandolin, vocals, banjo,
"bass-box", tambourine, autoharp, spoons, scrub-board &
limberjacks. We even get the audience to play along on
tambourines! We'd love to be in one of your future events or
festivals, especially anything for our great STATE OF TEXAS !
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We are passionate about keeping our Music
Heritage alive ... for this & future generations!
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DAVID SPARKS
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Based in the
Dallas/Fort Worth area of Texas, David Sparks plays with
balladeer style vocals and signature finger-picking on guitar,
bouzouki and mandolin.
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David has been
performing for fifteen years, as a solo, and with both the
Blarney Brothers and the Trinity River Whalers.
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He has learned his
craft performing in musical venues across the country.
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David brings his love
of singing to a lively mix of Irish, Scottish, and American folk
music, accompanied by his strong and unique guitar style.
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Performances at:
Milwaukee Irish Festival
North Texas Irish Festival
Texas Scottish Festival
Boston Seaport Festival
Glasgowlands Celtic Fest., Westfield,MA.
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SIA BEATON
- Sia LaBelle
Beaton has a long and rich musical history across many
musical genres. She has played American folk music in small
venues across Europe, and headed the popular all-girl
"Country Lace" in Hawaii. In the early Eighties she toured
with a 50's Rock Revival Show that included her
father, Nick Masters, who was also lead guitar for Bill
Haley's Comets for over 20 years.
A talented singer/songwriter
from Texas, Sia has contributed greatly to the awareness of
Scottish culture and influence in America through her songs
and research. She was instrumental in obtaining a designated
Texas holiday, "Day of the Scots", in recognition of
Scottish contribution to early Texas history
She continues her interest as
a founder of the Texas Scottish Heritage Society
(www.txscot.com), an organization dedicated to the research
of early Texas pioneers, a majority of whom were of Scottish
descent, and has been named as the official spokeswoman for
the Texas Bluebonnet Tartan. Her songs reflect her love of
the Celtic and American history and culture. With a
distinctly hopeful, inspiring outlook, she weaves the two
cultures into seamless art.
She is also spokeswoman for
the Texas Bluebonnet Tartan.
In August 1999, Sia completed
her "Never
Been to Scotland"
tour of Scotland, which included 9 radio stations, a
live television broadcast, as well as several live
performances. The highlight of her tour was when her song,
"Never Been to Scotland" played over the loudspeaker for
more than 8,000 people at the Tatoo in Edinburgh. She has
been featured twice on the TV Channel 8 Weeknight Edition
program. In 1998, Sia wrote and performed original music for
the St. Luke’s Methodist Winter Solstice Celebration in
Houston, Texas featured on TV Channel 2. Well known on the
Celtic/Scottish/pioneer/folk festivals throughout Texas and
Oklahoma, she performs at coffee houses, clubs, schools,
fundraisers, bookstores, and other events and is actively
involved in the Texas Scottish Heritage Society. Sia is a
member of the Clans MacLeod, MacGregor, and Ross; and
has family members in Clan Gordon.
Sia's self-titled debut CD offers a
great deal of variety as well as originality, while
retaining a link with the traditional. Sia's vocals and
rhythm guitar are accompanied by fiddle, harp and extensive
percussion on tracks including Never Been to Scotland,
Bonnie Scottish Lad, Remember Me, and Flowers
of the Heartland. Remember Me was
written and performed for the Dedication Ceremony of the
Texas State Historical Marker placed at Clapp Cemetery in
Trinity, Texas.
Her original song Flowers of the Heartland was written to the tune of
"Flowers of the Forest" as a tribute to the bombing tragedy
in Oklahoma City and has been placed in the archives of the
Oklahoma City National Memorial. Sia was an invited guest of
the Murrah Bldg. Survivors & Families Association at the
groundbreaking ceremony for the Oklahoma City National
Memorial.
To order a CD:
www.cdbaby.com/sialabelle
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THE ROVERS RETURN
Traditional Scottish Songs
and Dance Music
George Jamieson: guitar
Andrew Richardson: mandolin & vocals
Karen Sinclair: tin whistle
Thor Sinclair: fiddle
TO
HEAR SOME OF THEIR MUSIC CLICK
HERE!
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HUGH MORRISON
& Friends
(including
KENDALL ROGERS &
JONATHAN CHAMRAD)
HUGH MORRISON
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Hugh was born in 1973 in the town of Wick, Caithness, in the
far north of Scotland, and moved to Tain, Ross-shire, when
he was two.
While in Tain he learned to play the single row melodeon at
the age of ten with help from Cam MacKay, a family friend
and himself a fine melodeon player.
A year or so later he moved onto the 3-row button accordion
under the guidance of Willie Graham, another local box
player who is still playing regularly at ceilidhs and
accordion clubs at the age of 88.
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The biggest influence on his playing has been Ali MacGregor,
piano box player and leader of the Tain Scottish Dance Band.
When he was 14 he joined Ali's band, playing regularly at
ceilidhs, concerts and country dance rallies.
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One of the highlights of his learning years was a visit to
Auchtermuchty, in Fife, to see Jimmy Shand.
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He also played in a few Highland Music and Dance youth
groups, and toured Europe with them - to countries such as
Germany, France, Bulgaria, Italy & Russia.
He made his first recording at 16, entitled 'Button Box', a
solo effort with backing from Ali MacGregor. This album was
given quite a bit of exposure on the local radio station
Moray Firth Radio, and on BBC Radio Scotland. He's done a
few broadcasts on BBC Radio Scotland's 'Take the Floor'
program with the Tain Scottish Dance Band & appeared on
Gaelic TV shows on Grampian TV, the local TV station. He
won both the Junior and Senior Open Accordion Championships
(on the same day) at Keith Music Festival one year.
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He currently plays a Hohner Shand Morino and a 2 row B/C
Castagnari button accordion. Hugh plays at a good number of
Scottish Highland Games and Celtic Festivals around North
America and also plays with the Houston based progressive,
edgy Celtic group, Murder the Stout.
Since moving to Texas Hugh has recorded two albums with
Bungalow Studios in Houston, "Feet to the Floor" (2003) is a
solo album and "Far from Home" (2005) his latest album is a
mix of Celtic music recorded in collaboration with some of
Texas' finest musicians.
Hugh has been living in Houston, Texas, since 1998.
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KENDALL ROGERS is a talented keyboard /
piano player presently living in the Clear Lake Area near
Houston, Texas. He plays for English Country Dancing from
time to time.
- from Victoria, TX. He also plays with Murder the
Stout.
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DAVE HUTTON
- Dave, who is working
in Houston for a year, is originally from Scotland and a
talented singer of traditional Scottish songs!
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CELTIC CHORUS OF HOUSTON
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The Chorus currently
meets on Tuesdays in Houston at Griff's Pub;
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it's
mission statement reads in
part: to provide a community meeting place for those
interested in the Celtic heritages.
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MEET OUR MEMBERS!
They are also ready to welcome new members and visiting
singers.
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JULIAN TRIBE leads the Chorus on guitar.
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SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCE ALLIANCE
from their website:
We are a group of Scottish
Country Dancers in Austin, Texas,
who get together each week to dance, have fun and get some exercise......more
about us.
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COMHLAN OGANTA
(Celtic Youth Music Organization)
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"Comhlan
Oganta" is Scots Gaelic meaning, "Youth Band". Started in 1999
in Austin, Texas by a group of High School classical orchestra
members interested in playing Celtic music and performing at
Irish and Scottish events.
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The
not for profit organization is sanctioned by the "Austin Celtic
Association", "Gaelic League of Austin" and the "Texas
Highlanders".
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A
real crowd pleaser is seeing kids, several in kilts!, playing
Fiddle, Celtic Cello, Flute Whistle and even the Highland
Bagpipes.
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KENNEDY
INTERNATIONAL DANCERS (KIDS)
Led by instructor C J Gilson
- KIDs are
dedicated to community service through traditional cultural
dancing as well as the modern styles popularized by the Riverdance performances.
- They perform primarily to
Irish, Scottish, and English dances at nursing homes, school
festivals, and cultural events throughout the year.
- Call the studio at 281-480-8414 and ask for CJ to schedule a
performance.
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CLIF WIGINGTON
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GOOD TIME SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCERS
This lively
group meets Wednesdays in the Heights area of Houston and
welcomes new dancers.
For more information also see:
SCOTTISH
COUNTRY DANCING & MORE.
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IN MEMORIAM: TRIBUTE TO
William T. Robertson (1941-2007)
William T. Robertson
III 1941-2007 William "Robbie" Robertson III - husband, father,
brother, Vietnam Veteran, Bagpiper, Master Mason and Teacher - died
early Tuesday morning of heart failure. Along with having a 25 year
career in Houston ISD as a teacher, Bill was also an active member
of the Houston Highlanders Pipes & Drums, the Houston Fire
Department Pipes & Drums, as well as the Volunteer Fire Department
Pipes & Drums in Kemah. He leaves behind his beloved wife of 37
years, Nancy, along with two daughters, Jennifer and Jessica. He was
65. Visitation will be from 6:00 8:00 pm, Friday, May 11, 2007.
Services will be held 3:00 pm., Saturday, May 12, 2007 at Earthman's
Funeral Home located at 6700 Ferris, Bellaire, TX 77401
Published in the Houston Chronicle on 5/10/2007 |
