Thursday, December 31, 2009

Twas a sweet night in Wilkes-Barre

A new twist on a timeless classic. Just thinking about the year that has been. Enjoy.

Twas a sweet night in Wilkes-Barre, and in this fine place
there was wonderful music full of beauty and grace.
The venue was buzzing that most special night
as one night from Heaven became a forum's delight.

Down go the lights and hush goes the crowd
as a form appears in a brightly lit cloud.
The haunting tune drifted and weaved 'mongst the seats,
and all sat there spellbound in her musical treats.

Then came four more angels to light up the room,
and no one who was there could feel a second's more gloom.
Sing Chloe and Lisa. Sing Alex and Lynn.
Play on pixie fiddler. Oh what a beautiful din.

Ray and Nick pounded the beat and became one with their drums.
If any of us tried that we'd sure be all thumbs.
Des and Eoghan plucked strings like in ages gone by,
and Tommy played pipes with such beauty you'd cry.

Out comes a choir with the rest of the throng,
and soon the whole venue was full up with song.
With smiles on our faces and tears in our eyes
the place glowed like sunlight as spirits did rise.

Then came those sweet moments when Chloe saw Kim,
and all felt the rapture like a beautiful hymn.
Chloe winked and waved and blew Kim a kiss.
That's one precious girl who would know Heaven's bliss.

So who are the angels that ran off with our hearts?
Well they're five Irish lasses from far away parts.
But this night they're ours in one gracious gift
as their souls and ours would dip, merge, and drift.

Yes Chloe we know that when you believe
not a thing you can't have what e'er you conceive.
You proved it that night with the smile on Kim's face,
and proved it all the more in your voice touched with lace.

Lisa came singing through fields of gold
as we went one by one into her heart's gentle hold.
In the blessings I'm touched as the voice takes me higher,
while she sings through the night in this heavenly choir.

Then what do my still bouncing eyes dare to see
but a fawnlike Lynn floating by singing to me.
One seaweed seller would win your fair hand
while dear Carolina gives us reason to stand.

Then a flash of blue comes drifting by.
Could it be lady Alex has captured my eye?
Yes it must be. That's her crystalline voice.
I'm swept up and cradled, and haven't a choice.

Spinning and twirling, and leaping about
comes a high flying fiddler with a hoot and a shout.
She kept us all breathless in airs sweet and low,
then flung us 'round madly in her rapid notes flow.

Now we are gathered to await who we'll meet.
The right two tonight would make this dream complete.
Here then comes Chloe with Mairead by her side.
Oh now what a thrill, what a beautiful ride.

Oh moscapoet, oh Dwight, oh Dave and fur face.
Oh John and Ralph, and Scott T's hearts will race.
Oh MrPeabody, Jim and Don, Tony too.
Oh Walter and Wickie can you believe this is true?

Smiles are abundant and tears flow in streams
as so many tonight have the night of their dreams.
So now we part with mem'ries not few
to gather next year for MaireadFest two.

c 2009 Scott Manke aka moscapoet

Saturday, December 19, 2009

A Christmas poem

Hello everyone!

I hope you are having a most joyous Hanukkah or advent season and will have a very special Christmas. Here is a poem I wrote back in 2008. No matter what your current state perhaps you'll look at this poem and know there are those who have it worse. If you have love, you have it all. God loves you.

SANTA LEFT ME LOVE

1) My daddy has gone far away,
and my mommy cries every night.
The bullies pick on me at school
'cause my old clothes just don't look right.
Our house is cold and dark sometimes,
and I'm hungry most ev'ry day.
But I'm happy 'cause it's Christmas.
Maybe Daddy's on Santa's sleigh.

2) The people at church brought a tree,
and a nice man brought us some food.
I decorated with popcorn.
Now my mommy's in a good mood.
Some people were singing carols,
and the snow was falling all night.
So this Christmas isn't so bad.
Baby Jesus made it alright.

R) No toys were left in my stocking.
No candy or fruit from the store.
But Santa left me love last night,
and that's really a whole lot more.

c 2008 Scott Manke aka moscapoet

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Support Mairead in the IMA awards

Hello!

Well, just a brief one here this time. I'll have a year in retrospect in a few weeks.

For now, please visit the following site: http://irishmusicawards.com/ and join the forum there. Once you do that you may vote in the IMA awards. Up for those awards for best fiddler is Mairead Nesbitt and rightfully so. While much of her recent work is not in the traditional vein, some is, and we all know she can do trad with the best of them. Please tell your family, friends and co-workers to check out Mairead, join the IMA forum and vote for her. I would love to be there in January and see her handed this award.

In addition to Mairead, Orlagh Fallon is up for several awards including best harpist. She has a wonderful repertoire of traditional pieces both on harp and vocals that place her at or near the top of this genre in my book. I was just in Cleveland for her solo show and it was a wonderful mix of Irish and English, vocals and harp. She was incredibly kind with her time and comments after the show as well. The artists we love so much deserve your support while with Celtic Woman and beyond.

Lisa Kelly and Celtic Woman are also in the slate of nominees so please vote for them as well. These folks have more than earned any awards they can receive, and if we can help them win those we should do so. Please also respond when these artists post a blog. I know Lisa, Chloe, and Mairead all have those and post when time allows.

Finally, just a brief thank you to all the forum folks who have been so kind in their support of the Mairead forum as well as myself and Olivia. My thanks as well to Mairead for her kind and continued support of her forum. That kindness translated into a $2000 check to Oxfam in her name from quite a few members of her forum. May you each have a blessed Christmas and a prosperous new year.

Dia dhuit, Scott

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Celtic Woman magic in so many ways

Hello everyone!

Well, since my last blog much has happened. You just can't go wrong with Celtic Woman artists past and present!!

November saw me attend a string of shows in the southwest US. Lubbock started it all off followed by El Paso, Albuquerque, and Tucson. We had large forum gatherings in the two middle cities. Along the way I had my uncle, brother, and niece whom I treated to shows and meet & greets. I was able to see each of the artists at one point or another after a show and each were delightful.

Most special of all though was Albuquerque where I had the honor of presenting Mairead with a $2000 check from her forum for her charity of choice, Oxfam Ireland Unwrapped. She was most gracious in accepting, posing for photos, and in her kind comments. As I told her that night she has a way of inspiring so much in so many and in so many ways. What a blessing from God she is for so many. I hope many will be blessed in the money given to that charity in her name and that of her forum.

This past night though was something else. I attended for the first time a concert held by a former member of Celtic Woman. Orlagh Fallon performed at the WVIZ studios in Cleveland. We had 14 forum folks there to greet and support her during the show and after. She was accompanied by Dan and Mary who were fine artists themselves. The show was a lovely mix of harp and vocals, Irish and English, in a setting that allowed for questions and interactions that were truly special. All of us who attended were incredibly impressed. After the show Orlagh spent a considerable amount of time with us forum folks and was most giving of herself for photos and signing things. She was presented with many gifts and her kind comments to each of us were very touching. We already supported her in her solo efforts, but now she has created the kind of special memories and moments that can energize those who were there to more active promotion of her to all we know.

Deirdre has been quite successful in her solo career after Celtic Woman. That is even more true now that she has been signed to perform with Celtic Thunder. Hayley Westenra already had a brilliant career before her brief stint with Celtic Woman, and that has continued to soar in the time since. Meav has been a bit less active but has a bright future if she wants it and does have some things on the horizon coming up. Orlagh is destined to be a very big success as she performs and wins hearts wherever she goes. There will come a time when others within Celtic Woman will move back to solo careers as well and there can be no doubt they will florish too. Certainly for me when that time comes for Mairead she will have built a committed and energized base of support from her forum. If she follows the paths she has already started and then looks at the success of those such as Orlagh, Deirdre, and Hayley, she will be an incredibly popular artist playing to ever increasing audiences. For now the current Celtic Woman status quo appears to be holding.

I encourage each of you to support the individual artists endeavors as well as the enesemble itself. We are their first line of promotion and certainly the most passionate. We don't do it for money but out of our love for these incredible artists who have touched us each so deeply. The new Celtic Woman show Songs From The Heart began to air last week and is another winner by David Downes and the artists on stage. I was blessed in having attended the show recording and the video certainly does it justice.

We have a lot to be grateful for in this season of light that is Christmas. Each of these artists deserve your support and I thank them each for following their hearts and doing what they were born to do. Merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah, and a wonderful new year to each of you. Special thanks to Mairead for a reamarkable year that saw so many special moments, and thanks to Orlagh or a truly lovely night.

All the best, Scott