U - Comhaltas Archive

Ah, the PerfectRecipe for a 'GrandTime' - now, whatwould that be? It'squite simple, really:it's a magnificentdish called 'Irelandin Dixie~Basically, our Perfect Recipe is ablend of two separate dishes,each of which is wonderful in itsown right. The fish dish is called'Irish Music', and is knownworldwide for the nourishmentof the human spirit it provides,not only to the native Irish and tothose of Irish heritage, but topeople everywhere who have afeel for joyous music and for therhythm of life. The second dish iscalled 'Dude, the AmericanSouth', which is home to a richcultural tradition of its own, onewhich is filled with great music,and food, and zest for life, andwhere a warm and friendlywelcome is bestowed on friendand stranger alike.These two dishes will be blendedinto one magnificent servingcome this April, when themembers and friends of theNorth American Province ofComhaltas gather in Atlanta,Georgia for the 2007 annualConvention. These many Irishand lovers of all things Irish willtrek to Atlanta, a modern citysituated in the heart of Dude, inthe American Old South. Atlantain the springtime is a beautifulplace, with warm weather, andflowers in bloom everywhere.This blend of things Irish andthings of the Old South willresult in 'Ireland in Dixie', anevent, which will fully satisfy thecravings of all who attend for ahearty and delicious helping of a'Grand Time'.Some of the detailed ingredientsgoing into the 'Grand Time' dishinclude music from the fabulousbands Green Fields of America,and Fingal. Not only can youlisten to the great sounds comingfrom these two bands, you alsohave the opportunity to takeinstruction from their members,who will be teaching workshopsin their instruments. Here arejust a few examples: Fiddle withRandal Bays; Button Accordionwith J ames Keane; Mandolin andBanjo with Mick Moloney;Uilleann Pipes with JerryO'Sullivan. Then again, youmight appreciate the set danceworkshops to be taught by dancemaster Tony Ryan, and at nightenjoy Tony again as he calls thesets to the music of Fingal or ofGreen Fields of America. Therewill be wonderful Old TimeSouthern music, which has itsroots in Irish music, from thegroup Georgia Mudcats.There will be informativelectures, such as one by MickMoloney on 'Irish-AppalachianMusic Connections'.Some of the many otherattractions will be: a deliciousbanquet, with live entertainment;genuine Irish Mummers; achallenging pub crawl; twodifferent interesting tours ofAtlanta; and much more. And ofcourse, we cannot forget tomention the wonderfulimpromptu seisiun's, which willpop up all over the various nooksand corners of the hotel.'Ireland in Dixie' will take placefrom April 12 - 15, 2007, at theWestin Atlanta Airport Hotel inAtlanta, Georgia. Rooms arefilling up fast, so don't delay.For full details and registration,go to our website:www.irelandindixie.com