BILL BLACK'S "CAPEIRISH"
NEWS/INFO PAGE

A LISTING OF EVENTS AND RESOURCES RELATING TO IRISH TRADITIONAL MUSIC
IN THE CAPE COD AND NEARBY S.E. NEW ENGLAND AREA

email:bill@capeirish.com


updated: 12/21/24

Shortest day of the year!

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Getting my tree (and literature) up early this year!




Some say that ever 'gainst that season comes
Wherein our Saviour's birth is celebrated,
The bird of dawning singeth all night long:
And then, they say, no spirit dares stir abroad;
The nights are wholesome; then no planets strike,
No fairy takes, nor witch hath power to charm,
So hallow'd and so gracious is the time.
- Hamlet, Act I, Scene I

G.K. Chesterton on Santa Claus

“I think God must have said to Himself:
Man does not love Me because he does not see Me;
I will show Myself to him and thus make him love Me.
God’s love for man was very great
And had been great from all eternity,
But this love had not yet become visible….
Then, it really appeared;
the Son of God
let Himself be seen as a tiny Babe in a stable,
lying on a little straw." (Saint Alphonsus)

Zouki's Christmas selection

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I'll be happy to include your SE New England traditional event if you send me an email with the details - try to include as much information as possible, including ticket prices, relevant websites, etc.

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NEWS, NOTES, & COMMENTS

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THANKS AND THANKS AGAIN
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. . . to our Cat's Melodeon musicians, through whose efforts at the Auld Triangle session we raised:

% $3000 for the Cape Cod Veterans
% $1700 for Mass. Special Olympics
% $500 for Project Bread
% $2120 for Toys for Tots
% $400 for Kind Hearts for Kids

That's nearly $8000 for good causes. As I said in an email to the gang "Feel good about yourselves!"

Thanks also to Des & Terry and their staff at the pub, and of course to all the great patrons who made this achievement possible!

Good news: I think we'll take a break from fundraising for awhile and resume around March (that's the plan anyway).

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CHATHAM FIDDLE ACTIVITIES
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Ongoing Sessions:

The Red Nun, Dennisport, Saturdays 6-8PM

The Chatham Squire, Sundays 4-6:30PM

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SOUTH COAST MUSIC UPDATE
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From Colin Everett:

Here are the dates and times of some upcoming sessions:

Davoll’s session will continue on the third Sunday of the month, 2:30 to 4:30

Troy City Brewery Fall River: second Wednesday in December, 7:00-9:00.

The Mattapoisett library session is scheduled for the first Sunday of the month until May.
2:00 to 4:00 p.m.

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CAPE COD IRISH SESSION
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Saturdays 3 - 5 pm
featuring Bill Black and musicians of "Cat's Melodeon"
Auld Triangle Pub,  412 Main St., Hyannis
(formerly British Beer Company)
phone 508.771.1776
email info@theauldtriangle.com
JRHSP* for further orders, songs too

* jigs reels hornpipes slides & polkas

My sincerest thanks to "the regulars" (you know who you are!) and guests who make my job as "session alpha" so much more enjoyable.





The Cats at work (?) at the "inaugural session". Thanks to Mrs. Black for the photo!

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GOLDEN LANE
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After our Plymouth show on October 9th, all quiet until March. But if anything changes, I'll post it here!

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CAPE COD SESSION UPDATES
from Michael Pavan
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Cape Cod Scottish Session
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Scottish and Cape Breton tunes from sheet music.
1st Mondays 7-9 pm East Falmouth
(other dates and locations at times)
Info: https://CCSS.groups.io

Tuesdays - West Dennis
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5 to 7:30 pm
Olde Inne "Back of the House" slow session
host: Pam Paine
was Wednesdays; new day effective Jan. 1
Info: https://BotHSS.groups.io

Thursdays - Hyannis (Cape Cod)
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5pm to 7pm
Bogey's Pub
(off the main lobby of the Emerald Resort / Irish Village (the old  Resort and Conference Center across from the Melody Tent)
35 Scudder Ave., Hyannis.

A mix of genres, not exclusively Irish. Nice folks in charge.

host: Reese Brewer
Info: https://BotHSS.groups.io

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IRISH TRADITIONAL TUNE LIBRARY
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I'm pleased to announce that the "ITTL" - my digitized repository of over 9500 trad tunes - is finally finished and available to any musician willing to try it.  I have tried to make the site as user-friendly as possible. All the details are on the home page:

www.capeirish.com/ittl/index.html

Have a look when you can. Comments, criticisms, suggestions, etc. are welcome.

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WELLFLEET SESSION
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Following received from Denya LeVine:

Hi folks, Hog Island Surf Lodge, at 842 Route 6, in Wellfleet, is the new site of weekly indoor sessions every Tuesday from 6:30-8:30 beginning May 21.

Please please spread the word! If I left off anyone do forward to those who will be interested.

Musicians: just for the first session, let me know if you'll be there so I can arrange enough chairs.

Currently only open for breakfast and lunch, beginning 5/20 Hog Island Wellfleet will be open 7 days a week for breakfast through 9PM.

I understand the website is not always updated in a timely manner. [hogislandbeerco.com/wellfeet]

I'm happy to field any questions. I beg you not to Reply All.

Looking forward to seeing you soon. Denya 508-255-5090

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IRISH MUSIC INSTITUTE
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Earlier this year I received an announcement from piper Seán Gavin about the formation of a new entity called the "Irish Music Institute", which has been created to provide online traditional music training. Quoting from the announcement:

"It is my great pleasure to announce the launch of a new non-profit organization, the Irish Music Institute. Its purpose is to encourage people of all ages to explore the traditional music and song of Ireland. Based in Southeast Michigan, IMI connects a broad network of players, learners, and enthusiasts worldwide. We offer private, online lessons from a top notch faculty with instructors throughout North America and Ireland."

A complete copy of Seán's announcement is here. This sounds like a most worthy endeavor and I wish them the best of luck going forward!

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"SUPPORT FOR THE ARTS" Dept.
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Elizabeth Sylvia, wife of our good friend and bandmate Colin Everett,
has published a book of poetry inspired by women in the works of
William Shakespeare (you may have heard of him). If you're interested,
the website is:

https://www.elizabethsylviapoet.net

As an aspiring (expiring?) writer myself, I wish her the best of luck.

A very wise man named Don Marquis once described the process of
bringing out a volume of poetry as akin to dropping a rose petal into
the Grand Canyon and waiting for the echo. Let's hope that Elizabeth
has more success than he did!

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Please take advantage of our links to other websites to keep current on what these and other local musicians are doing these days!

Check out my Goods and Services area - let me know if you want me to list something for you. My commissions are negotiable - or should I say negligible?

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GOODS AND SERVICES DEPT.
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Various friends have asked me over the years to post information about goods and services they have to offer, which I am happy to do free of charge for anyone who provides me a short description of what's involved and a website or email contact where potential clients can find out more.

Disclaimers:
(1) I reserve the right to decide what goes on this website
(2) I'd like to think these folks know what they're doing, but no guarantees of any kind are implied.

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