December Newsletter
Meeting Recap
We had another great meeting this month! Thanks to everyone who was able to make it. We had some great tunes today.
I'm very pleased to announce that the highly coveted Walsh Tune books are now available in our websites shop. We do have a limited supply at the moment, and future publications are unknown. So get yours while we have them!
(Please note that these books must be hand packaged and mailed. If you’d like to recieve a copy before Christmas, please order before Wednesday Dec. 13th. Any orders placed after that tim will be shipped out after the new year.)
Also, we are going to have our Annual General Meeting in January. Please make this meeting a priority! We'll be voting on new board members, which will help us handle non-profit and other financial issues, and we'll bring up any topics we want to focus on for the coming year.
Out next meeting will be the second Sunday, Jan. 14th 2pm-5pm at the Phinney Community Center. (Room number TBD)
Workshops & Concerts
MUSIC FROM IRELAND, SCOTLAND, AND WALES
The conductor of the Seattle Pro Musica has shared an upcoming event, A Celtic Winter. From their website:
Ring in the winter holidays with the joyous sounds of Celtic choral music! Your spirits will rise as we fill our gorgeous concert halls with lush harmonies from Ireland, Wales, and Scotland. Rousing carols, soothing lullabies, soaring spaces, and a candlelight procession. What better way to celebrate the season?
Featuring works by Judith Weir, James MacMillan, Tarik O’Regan, Paul Mealor, and more, with texts in Welsh, Gaelic, and English.
If you're interested, you can get tickets here:
https://www.seattlepromusica.org/celtic-winter
A CELTIC CHRISTMAS: THE PARTING GLASS
Our very own Tom Creegan will be joining fiddler Dale Russ, Harpist seamus Gagne, step dancers Olvia and Isabel Yamashita, and Gospel master Kent Stevenson for a festive evening of celtic music. They will be performing beautiful choral arrangements of treasured traditional songs from the British Isles including Loch Lomond, the Wexford Carol, Gower Wassail; as well as other well known and contemporary holiday songs.This is a one night only event on Saturday Dec. 16th at te Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church. You can get tickets here: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/6170794
JOEY ABARTA
We have confirmed Joey Abarta for the weekend of Janurary 20th. Details are still in the works, however you can purchase tickets for the workshop and concert in our shop here: Joey Abart Workshhop & Concert
More details will come to ticket holders as they develop.
WEST COAST TIONOL: LA
I’ve received more news for the LA Tionol from Larry Dunn.
2024 West Coast Tionól – Schedule & Travel Information:
Friday, February 16:
Meet & Greet/Session, 7:30-10:00pm Locaon: Smog City WestFriday night session
Torrance Moose Lodge. 1020 Sartori Ave., Torrance, CA 90501Saturday, February 17:
Workshops:
Doors open: 9:30am
Morning Workshops: 10:30am-12:30pm Lunch: 12:30-2:00pm
Afternoon Workshops: 2:00-4:00pm Location: Torrance Moose Lodge
Concert & Session: 7:30-11:00pm Location: Project Barley SquareSunday, February 18:
Brunch & Lecture: 11:00am-1:00pm Piper's Chair & Session: 1:00-3:00pmVenue Addresses:
Smog City West, 22755 Hawthorne Blvd., Torrance, CA 90505Saturday workshops
Project Barley Square, 1109 Van Ness Ave, 90501Notes: Smog City West is 3.5 miles from the Moose Lodge. The Moose Lodge and Project Barley Square are less than a block apart; there is ample parking behind the Moose Lodge.
Smog City and Project Barley both have several locaons, please note the address when looking up directions.
Travel Information:
Nearest airport: LAX (12 miles); Long Beach (LGB) is also close (20 miles).Ground Transportation: We have a couple of club members who live near LAX, so we can help with local transportation. Contact Larry Dunn (larry@socalpipers.com).
Hotels: There are numerous hotels with a few miles of the venue, here are a few suggesons:
Miyako Hybrid Hotel (0.8 miles)
21381 S Western Ave, Torrance, CA 90501 http://www.miyakohybridhotel.com/
Tel. 310-212-5111Best Western Plus Avita Suites (~2 miles) Locaon: Torrance Moose Lodge 3531 Torrance Blvd, Torrance, CA 90503
https://www.bestwestern.com/
Tel. 310-540-5051Howard Johnson by Wyndham (~2 miles)
3673 Torrance Blvd, Torrance, CA 90503 hps://www.wyndhamhotels.com/hojo/torrance-california/howard-johnson- torrance/
Tel. 310-316-5570You can download a PDF with this info here: LA Tionol PDF
Bits & Bobs
NPU is having a fantastic sale on their site. Keep on eye on it as things seem to be going fast.
https://shop.pipers.ie/collections/christmas-offers-1
This Geoff Woof video came across my youtube feed the ot her day. The quality is quite good. It's from the 2003 NPU Tionol in Dunmore East. He's joined half way through by Brian McNamara. Together they play some excellent music.
If you're interested in pipe making, I found this nice wee documentary about Aodán "Jaff" Mac Seafraidh, who makes pipes in Glengormley, N. Ireland. It's very well shot and his thoughts on pipe making make for a good watch. Have a look!
And if you want to learn about Jaff's pipes, you can visit his site here https://www.irishpipes.org/
Bandcamp Finds
I continue to find albums uploaded by NPU that are under the pipers name rather than NPU's primary account. Here's one of those albums. Some great piping by Caoimhn Fearghail.
Pro tip: Save all of your favorite albums and buy them on Bandcamp Friday when all money goes to the artists. Bandcamp Friday is rather random, so it's a good idea to get their newsletter, and subscribe to your favorite bands as well, as they will sometimes send messages about new music!
I want to send a special thanks to everyone who's been coming to meetings since we started back up in June. Even if' its just been one or two. It's a lot of work to organize all this stuff and you all showing up to play some tunes is the very reason I'm doing. So thanks, enjoy your holidays, and see you all next year!
