Hello!
Well, the year is still seven weeks or so from over but certain things are done for the year. The touring of Celtic Woman is done for 2010, thankfully for them. It was yet another grinder year though it did not seem as bad as 2009 to me. Also done for this year is my first novel, Tales Of The Enchanted Fiddle. Those that know me can certainly guess who the main character and heroine of that book is!
The year began for Máiréad Nesbitt with fiddling in the new year in Berne Switzerland. Some YouTube videos are available though they are from a distance and not quite sure why. In any case, she and her brother Karl performed some wonderful tunes including the Tinker Bell suite. Gee is that appropriate! Máiréad was wearing the second act dress from the Celtic Woman Isle Of Hope Tour. Not one of my favorites but she looks amazing in anything.
Soon enough it was time for the spring tour of Celtic Woman which went from early February into mid May. It began with opening night of the new show in Roanoke. They would perform three nights there and it was a good thing they arrived a few days before as the winter weather was very challenging. There were only minor glitches as they billed these basically dress rehearsals. It was much like what one would find on the Powerscourt DVD but there were some changes. Gone was O America, Pie Jesu, Carolina Rua, and True Colors. Added was an incredible new song performed by Alex Sharpe, My Heart Was Home Again. There were more lumps in throats than in truck stop mashed potatoes!! It was stunning to say the least and at last Alex had a signature song. The other wonderful addition was a coupled pair of duets that made up Songs From The Heart. The first part was a lovely and very moving slow song called Walking The Night performed by the demur Lynn Hilary and Alex. That was followed by a fine Uilleann pipe bridge by Tommy Martin then a Lisa Kelly and Chloe Agnew upbeat song called Take My Hand. Lynn and Alex reappear later and it ends with a marvelous climax. Brilliant and beautiful and very moving. All three shows were very good and we had a meet & greet the first night with Lisa and Chloe. You should have seen them grabbing at the Cadbury's flakes that got laid in front of them!! Too cute. Another treat is the addition of outstanding bagpiper Anthony Byrne. Not only is he in the show but he performs in the lobby after each show! Nice touch and welcome!
My next adventure was to bowl the nationals again in Reno. My favorite place to do that and I cashed again. This would be my 25th nationals and my last. I began back in the 1980's and only failed to cash twice. It was a way to stay in contact with old friends from Nebraska but there is far too much now on my plate to continue.
Mid April saw me in Florida for a pair of shows in Jacksonville and St. Petersburg. Reason? Máiréad's birthday of course! There was not a meet & greet in St. Pete so that is why Jacksonville. Seats were not very good for the pledge but the main thing was to deliver birthday goodies to Máiréad and Lynn as well as outfit the remaining ladies with personalized fiddler crossing jackets. Now they could look just like Máiréad! Well, unlikely they'll see much use but they are very comfy! I sure like mine and it draws plenty of comments. It's all about promoting the pixie! Little did I know it would be the last time I would meet Alex as a Celtic Woman. St. Pete we had the absolute best seats in the house in a very nice venue. Perfect for what I had planned for the birthday girl! I made sure to chat with plenty of folks before the show and at intermission and it all went off just fine. Just before Máiréad introduces You Raise Me Up (BTW, each girl introduces a song now which is new to this tour and a lovely treat) as the applause die down we launch into singing happy birthday! The expression and her body language was priceless and it was so fun to give that to her. Now how often does that happen at a concert?!
I had one more show in Spokane towards the end of the tour mainly to take some friends to see the show in person and conduct some business. Weather was dicey flying in and we had to circle west of the airport for half an hour while a severe storm pounded away. Still a wild landing. The show was good as always and my seat decent. But it would be the last time I saw Alex Sharpe perform as a member of Celtic Woman. Alex departed the group right after the tour to spend time with family at home. The right decision to be sure as being part of that group gives you virtually no life outside of it. The money people see to that as their appetite is voracious and they will use up and burn out people and care not a wit. Alex can now return to the stage on her own terms and in her own time. Her two years with Celtic Woman and the appearance on the SFTH DVD were good exposure and she built a nice following.
The ladies have an all too short break then fly to Australia to promote their upcoming inaugural tour. I could not attend any of the events but Liv's dad Kim did and took video of the performances at a mall in Penrith west of Sydney. Aussie fan Karina complimented it with great photos. Add to that a few promotional photos and a couple recorded interviews and it was a nice treat. The ladies then went home for another too short break then would launch into a two month summer tour in North America. But it would be only four girls for he first time in the history of the group. What would that be like?
Summer tour starts in Canada but I and others join them the first night in the states outside Buffalo. I attended all four shows in The Empire State. Yes, I followed the same squirrely schedule they did criss crossing the state. Sorry, not good for the artists and I can't believe it is helpful to the bottom line. But neither the artists nor we who support them have a choice if we are to do what we do. It is stifling at Art Park and the ladies are melting. They pull it off no worries as always though. I almost missed the show though as I carried no cash to get back across the bridge at Niagara Falls from Canada! Whew, a nice lady at duty free gave me fifty cents! Silly. Then it was over to Bethel aka Woodstock and the dream venue for many an artist. A fine museum tour shared by supporter and artist alike was followed by a great show which at the end mother nature (or the ghosts of Woodstock) joined in!! Wow. Next up back across the state to Rochester and of course the weather broke and we are indoors! Best seats and interactions of the four shows! Finally we are in Saratoga Springs with a nice evening outdoors. We wrap it up with a forum chat in a restaurant parking lot under a full moon until the wee hours. I had meet & greet all four nights and it was perfect as I met each of them twice again.
Something very special then happened and i finished the novel I had begun after Red Rocks in 2009. I wrote whole chapters a day and finished it the 13th day of the 13th month since it began. Now to get it into the hands of the intended one who inspired it.
A month gap and then Albuquerque where it all began for me in 2007. This was my 50th show and the Máiréad forum folks went to great lengths to make it very special. I can't thank everyone enough for their kindness. But the biggest surprise came from the stage when Máiréad brought out the green Incredibow briefly in the second act to signify the special night. What a lovely thing to do. She is the best! Second night was on another level too as we helped a young single mother and her daughter get meet & greet as we had a couple extra. They already had great seats and Chloe even pointed out the little girl, Charlotte, at the end. Very sweet. Meet & greet was with Lisa and Máiréad and I thanked the latter for that lovely act of kindness the night before. It was another nice pair of nights with fine forum folks but a big finale was coming up. Red Rocks. Favorite venue of Celtic Woman and the best place to wrap up a tour as long as the weather cooperates. A huge multi-forum lunch started it off which was great. Some opted to stay away which is sad. Some folks just can't get over things. Their loss. Weather was good and it was a fine send off marred by a couple things. The lighting was the worst I had ever seen and it was clear the spotlight people had not been rehearsed. The other was Madstone Mitch bringing in his tattoo parlor buddies from that day that he gave free tickets and meet & greet to. They were vulgar and crude during the show with many inappropriate comments. they then butted right in then tried to come back for seconds until ushered out of the room. Not a perfect night by any means but still a fine show and it was an all paid forum meet & greet which is a first.
The final adventure of 2010 would be another trip down under. I had been there for a month over the holidays in 2008-9 staying with Liv and her family and creating songs. I so wanted to go back. Heck I didn't want to leave! In any case more of the very generous forum spirit came through and I was blessed with yet another trip. First off though a couple days in LA to spend with an amazing artist in his own right and his mom. Glenn Skinner is a marvelous sketch artist and has done some stunners of the Celtic Woman ladies. I call him rollin' Rembrandt. His mom was a good cook and between her and a nice dinner in Santa Monica, courtesy of another forum member, we were well fed. I spent one afternoon reading my novel to all gathered and they seemed very happy with it. It was a labor of love and meant for one specific little fiddler. Soon we were winging our way to Oz on Qantas and ready for an amazing couple weeks.
Sydney was our first show but not Celtic Woman's. They began in Newcastle the night before. That is right up near where the Grittens live. Oh well. Anyway we meet up day of show with two delightful Aussie gals and then dinner at an Irish pub with them and the entire Gritten mob. Liv is front row with us for the show but here we also have a pre-show cocktail and nibble with other fans. We brought tons of material to promote Máiréad with 130 fiddler crossing signs, cards, Oz tour buttons from Nichole, and a huge banner she created to have signed. The reaction from the artists when they see familiar faces from the states was funny! Thank you but you're crazy!! Ray actually said that with a laugh later in Melbourne! The show is great in front of a good sized crowd. We gave the delightful Sarah Burke a little birthday surprise too. Meet & greet is with all four ladies and photos are allowed. That in addition to a free autographed program, VIP pass on a lanyard, breast cancer awareness ribbon, a bottle of water, and more free drinks. Talk about bang for the buck!!! Yes Ovation channel you do it right!! Much better than Madstone in the states who are stingy with everything including time. Yeah its an elite NYC industry attitude. too bad as the artists themselves aren't like that at all. Good thing. Best thing though was handing each lady a rose and a poem with M getting the book laid right into her hands. She and Lisa had a great deal of fun with it and me. We got a bit of mileage out of that in later shows too!
Next few days are spent at Lake MacQuarie with the Grittens. BTW, train travel is very affordable as is bus. Not much else in Oz is though!! We have a treat and Liv and her band Skyepoint perform a live gig for us our first night there! Liv is still amazing and her blokes Tom and Tim and nice guys and gifted artists. They will be a known group sooner rather than later. Thank you for that Livvy! We spend one day driving around the large salt water lake and stopping up in Newcastle, and the next day out on Kim's boat with me doing my best Gilligan imitation. Skipper!!!!!! We get nice and toasted too! Then it is off for the long train trip to Melbourne. BTW, most days Irish weather follows the gorls just as in the states. It just so happened a decade long drought in Oz ended while they were there!! Coincidence? I think not.
We are in the bay side suburb of St. Kilda for the three Melbourne shows. We meet up with more forum folks from Japan, Canada, and Australia and have a great three shows. First night we had perfect seats and lots of fun. Well, until an old grump behind us gets huffy about us standing for Spanish Lady. Sourpuss. In fact the next two shows Chloe did not tell the audience she wanted them up on their feet! Yeah really too bad. Oh well. Meet & greet was special as I presented Máiréad with a copy of the Oxfam check from her forum. She was surprised and delighted. Next night we have a bar code glitch on out tickets but Ovation gets it fixed in time for us to get up to the pre-show. Third day is an afternoon show. Each show we were promoting like crazy and talking with everyone we could. Lots of folks signed the banner which was then shipped overnight to Nichole for the Brisbane finale. It was announced there that guitarist Des Moore was leaving. He is outstanding and will be missed. Thanks for the great work and memories, Des. It was marvelous each night and we sure would go back when they do. Although I have a funny feeling there won't be quite as much bang for the buck next time.
Within a couple days we are heading back to the states. It wrapped up quite a year for me and no doubt a memorable one for my favorite artists. Now they and I get a break. Me back to reality and they a blessed time of rest and reflection. What will 2011 bring? Something tells me there will be a lot of surprises. Main thing is to cherish each day and what you have. 2010 would not have been possible for me without some amazing forum friends and others. Thank you. And none of this would be possible without a certain pixie fiddler who owns my heart and carries it around in her fiddle case. God bless you Máiréad, and have a great break. See you all next year.
Cheers, Scott/moscapoet
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Celtic Woman, silver and emerald in Albuquerque
Hello everyone!
Well, Albuquerque sure is a special place every time Celtic Woman comes to town. I'm four hours from anywhere so here and up at Red Rocks are always the closest they get to me. But what better place to see my 50th show with them than where it all began for me in 2007. Then I was in row 20, had never met any of them, and had my little niece there to experience some quality in arts and not the garbage that dominates out there. Last fall Celtic Woman returned and we used that occasion to give Máiréad a check in her name and that of her forum to her charity of choice, Oxfam Ireland Unwrapped. This time it was another special event.
I had a great seat in the pit the first night and a pretty good one in front row orchestra the second. We also had plenty of forum folks attending so there would be lots of energy. Dinner both nights was with around 15 of us but I was given quite a surprise by Máiréad forum administrator, Mike Brown. A lovely cake with a graphic of Máiréad in icing was first followed by a series of very nice gifts. It was a very kind gesture by he and the forum and a great way to start the night. The show was marvelous with all the artists in fine form despite the near end of yet another tour and time away from home. For me, though, most special was Máiréad briefly bringing out the green bow which was her birthday gift in 2009 from myself and her forum. It was a lovely and very kind gesture to commemorate the event. There is no one of Earth like Máiréad Nesbitt with or without her 300 year old violin.
We were treated the next day to a tour of the KNME studio by the delightful Heidi Brown. She also gave those of us attending a nice tote bag and T-shirt. It is one of the better PBS stations in the country.
The show the second night was at an even higher level in both energy and emotion. It is clear the artists, Chloe Agnew, Lisa Kelly, Lynn Hilary, and Máiréad were feeling the end of the tour as well as the energy from the nearly 25 forum folks and friends situated up close. It is an amazing show by premier artists including the band and choir. Some are critical of the choreographed and polished production. Do they say that about Riverdance or Lord Of The Dance? Well, I can tell you that while it is a rehearsed and refined production, it is also spontaneous and a bit different each night. I have 51 shows now under my belt so can say that with great authority.
An example of that came the second night as a precious little girl, Charlotte, and her family took to the front row. We met them out in the lobby and they were equipped with buttons and fiddler crossing signs to make the event a bit more special. We also had a couple extra meet & greet passes and with that they were in for a most special night. The little one was smothered with attention and Chloe even singled her out later for comment from the stage. That is a rare thing and a very lovely touch by the ever delightful Chloe. At the after show meeting Charlotte again was the beneficiary of the amazing kindness of Lisa and Máiréad. It was such a beautiful thing to watch.
If folks out there want to know what class on stage and off is in the performing arts, it is Celtic Woman and the artists within it. So many stories I could recount from my many shows to prove the point. But all you had to do was look in Charlotte's eyes and that of her mom and grandfather and you'd know the effects of the people in this ensemble. I have profound disagreement with the apparatus that surrounds the artists but the artists themselves to a person are the best people you would ever want to know. It has not gone to their heads and they look upon what they do as just what they do.
So, my hat goes off to Máiréad (who owns my heart as well), Chloe, Lisa, Lynn, Des Moore, Eoghan O'Neill, Tommy Martin, Anthony Byrne, Ray Fean, Nick Bailey, Helen Kelly, Catherine Neylan, Sarah Burke, Dermot Kiernan, Niall McGrath, Andrew Nangle, Brian Connor, David Downes, and the entire road crew for this extraordinary experience night after night. Same goes for past members like Meav, Orlagh Fallon, Alex Sharpe, Roisin Dempsey, Amy Rivard, and Julian David Edwards. Each of the artists mentioned above and others from the past are well worth your support in whatever they do on stage or in the studio. Treat yourself to a DVD, CD, or better yet, a show in person. And when you go to a show, look up those silly folks with the fiddler crossing signs and buttons. It is family on stage and off.
Finally, my most sincere thanks to the members of the Máiréad, Chloe, Lisa, Lynn, and Alex forums for the support of the artists and the kindness you show to each other as members. It is what has been inspired by each of the artists. Fifty two shows is a bit over the top in the minds of many, and that is what I will have when Red Rocks wraps this tour up on the 12th. But when you are inspired to write almost 400 poems and lyrics, a novel, and have eight songs recorded by yet another artist, it simply becomes a part of you. Fifty is the silver anniversary, but for me it had a splash of emerald in the hands of a lovely fiddler and in her eyes. God bless her and the others for being on the road sharing their gifts away from home for so much of the past nearly six years.
Until next time, Scott
Well, Albuquerque sure is a special place every time Celtic Woman comes to town. I'm four hours from anywhere so here and up at Red Rocks are always the closest they get to me. But what better place to see my 50th show with them than where it all began for me in 2007. Then I was in row 20, had never met any of them, and had my little niece there to experience some quality in arts and not the garbage that dominates out there. Last fall Celtic Woman returned and we used that occasion to give Máiréad a check in her name and that of her forum to her charity of choice, Oxfam Ireland Unwrapped. This time it was another special event.
I had a great seat in the pit the first night and a pretty good one in front row orchestra the second. We also had plenty of forum folks attending so there would be lots of energy. Dinner both nights was with around 15 of us but I was given quite a surprise by Máiréad forum administrator, Mike Brown. A lovely cake with a graphic of Máiréad in icing was first followed by a series of very nice gifts. It was a very kind gesture by he and the forum and a great way to start the night. The show was marvelous with all the artists in fine form despite the near end of yet another tour and time away from home. For me, though, most special was Máiréad briefly bringing out the green bow which was her birthday gift in 2009 from myself and her forum. It was a lovely and very kind gesture to commemorate the event. There is no one of Earth like Máiréad Nesbitt with or without her 300 year old violin.
We were treated the next day to a tour of the KNME studio by the delightful Heidi Brown. She also gave those of us attending a nice tote bag and T-shirt. It is one of the better PBS stations in the country.
The show the second night was at an even higher level in both energy and emotion. It is clear the artists, Chloe Agnew, Lisa Kelly, Lynn Hilary, and Máiréad were feeling the end of the tour as well as the energy from the nearly 25 forum folks and friends situated up close. It is an amazing show by premier artists including the band and choir. Some are critical of the choreographed and polished production. Do they say that about Riverdance or Lord Of The Dance? Well, I can tell you that while it is a rehearsed and refined production, it is also spontaneous and a bit different each night. I have 51 shows now under my belt so can say that with great authority.
An example of that came the second night as a precious little girl, Charlotte, and her family took to the front row. We met them out in the lobby and they were equipped with buttons and fiddler crossing signs to make the event a bit more special. We also had a couple extra meet & greet passes and with that they were in for a most special night. The little one was smothered with attention and Chloe even singled her out later for comment from the stage. That is a rare thing and a very lovely touch by the ever delightful Chloe. At the after show meeting Charlotte again was the beneficiary of the amazing kindness of Lisa and Máiréad. It was such a beautiful thing to watch.
If folks out there want to know what class on stage and off is in the performing arts, it is Celtic Woman and the artists within it. So many stories I could recount from my many shows to prove the point. But all you had to do was look in Charlotte's eyes and that of her mom and grandfather and you'd know the effects of the people in this ensemble. I have profound disagreement with the apparatus that surrounds the artists but the artists themselves to a person are the best people you would ever want to know. It has not gone to their heads and they look upon what they do as just what they do.
So, my hat goes off to Máiréad (who owns my heart as well), Chloe, Lisa, Lynn, Des Moore, Eoghan O'Neill, Tommy Martin, Anthony Byrne, Ray Fean, Nick Bailey, Helen Kelly, Catherine Neylan, Sarah Burke, Dermot Kiernan, Niall McGrath, Andrew Nangle, Brian Connor, David Downes, and the entire road crew for this extraordinary experience night after night. Same goes for past members like Meav, Orlagh Fallon, Alex Sharpe, Roisin Dempsey, Amy Rivard, and Julian David Edwards. Each of the artists mentioned above and others from the past are well worth your support in whatever they do on stage or in the studio. Treat yourself to a DVD, CD, or better yet, a show in person. And when you go to a show, look up those silly folks with the fiddler crossing signs and buttons. It is family on stage and off.
Finally, my most sincere thanks to the members of the Máiréad, Chloe, Lisa, Lynn, and Alex forums for the support of the artists and the kindness you show to each other as members. It is what has been inspired by each of the artists. Fifty two shows is a bit over the top in the minds of many, and that is what I will have when Red Rocks wraps this tour up on the 12th. But when you are inspired to write almost 400 poems and lyrics, a novel, and have eight songs recorded by yet another artist, it simply becomes a part of you. Fifty is the silver anniversary, but for me it had a splash of emerald in the hands of a lovely fiddler and in her eyes. God bless her and the others for being on the road sharing their gifts away from home for so much of the past nearly six years.
Until next time, Scott
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Celtic Woman, from quintet to quartet
New York state. Warning.....this is very long. This post is a tour perspective about my latest experiences On the Celtic Woman tour. I'll break it down into categories and hope you'll get just a little flavor of what it is like to be on the road in support of Máiréad and the others, and about this new quartet version of SFTH. So, let's get to it shall we?
Firstly, the travel experience. I've been doing this now since 2007. I'm used to travel as I grew up with a dad who was a Navy pilot, and then I worked in the airlines for quite a few years. I've always had the travel bug. Typically, though, I tend to get very little sleep on these excursions into my never ending search for pixie dust. When I was in Ireland last summer for the Powerscourt and High Kings shows I had about 36 hours sleep total in eight days. Two nights I never slept at all as I needed to get reviews in for the folks back home and for the artists. It is part of my responsibility as is promoting and supporting Máiréad and I take it seriously. Same thing happened on my extended spring touring in 2009. This time I averaged about four hours per night sleep. I do this in short bursts. Imagine doing it for months on end as these artists do. I could do it but that doesn't mean it is healthy. I travel by air as it would be even more exhausting if I drove for all of this and it would also be dangerous on the short sleep I get. On this trip I used Southwest Airlines as I do the majority of the time. I flew into Buffalo on Thursday but re-routed myself away from inclement weather and possible lengthy delays or cancellations. Those flights earned me another free ticket, my second, for future travel next year. The return today was using a non-revenue, space available, buddy pass from my old airline buddy in Spokane. I had ample seats available but the routing was through Las Vegas. I literally flew over my house in Colorado on the way in this five hour flight. Southwest agents were extraordinary both directions and the level of customer service with this company is second to none in the industry domestically. When I travel I seldom if ever rent a car. I either stay close to the venue or am granted extraordinary kindness by forum members who transport me. On this trip I had your forum administrator, MrPeabody, carting me around. Thank you, Mike, for doing that and doing so safely just as you did on the spring 2009 tour. Hotels I usually get via bidding on Priceline but they were way too high this time and Mike kindly allowed me to room with him as did Rick in Liberty. When I tried to pay Mike today he designated my half of the hotel charges to Máiréad's charity. That is the sort of class act that typifies this place and you should all be very proud of his leadership.
The venues. Art Park in Lewiston is very nice. Rather like an auditorium with the back taken out of it. On a normal day it would have been pleasant but on Friday the warmth and humidity just sat in there and both artist and audience sweltered. Acoustics were fine and our seats good. Bethel aka Woodstock was amazing. It has become a huge facility on a vast acreage of land. The amphitheater itself is a stage with simply a roof over the audience. Again, under normal circumstances just fine, but not when a storm sends the rain in sideways! There is also a very long walk to parking and nothing like a shuttle to get you there. Most folks exited in the driving rain and wind for which they did not come prepared. Hmmmm kinda sounds like.......Woodstock! Auditorium theater in Rochester is an older facility but with fine acoustics. It was the only indoor venue on this stretch of the tour. There had been some concern about no air conditioning but that had been remedied and all was fine. SPAC in Saratoga is another amphitheater and the acoustics were great. Loved the vibrating floor in the pit when the woofers were barking loudly!! Perfect night and a venue much like Wolf Trap. All in all great venues.
The forum experience is next up. I met several folks I had not prior to this trip. That included forum members Btimerson (Brad), Apollomoon (Dave), Scuilly (Kelly), needleworklady (Annie), Connye (Ralph's sister Connie), and also some spouses along with renewing meeting up with those met previously. In my time with forum members which began on the spring 2008 tour I have yet to meet anyone who isn't an incredible fan in support of Celtic Woman. Each has an artist special to them. Each has a story to tell and in many cases they are incredibly moving. So many times I fight tears listening to these very moving accounts. We have shared incredible memories during this time. This tour swing was no different. From the smothering humidity in Lewsiton, to the hallowed Woodstock and the events of that day and night, to the awesome show in Rochester, to the perfect weather and another meeting with Máiréad in Saratoga this trip had memories aplenty. Some inside jokes always come from these things. Let me tell you, there is nothing like sharing these shows and meetings with your forum friends even if you aren't seated together. We talked last night and it is clear to me, as it has always been, that this place is an amazing family. Celtic Woman talks about how close they have become and that it is a family. So too has that happened with their supporters. To a person I saw our family promoting Máiréad and the others at every chance. Celtic Woman may not quite understand the incredible partnership that exists between their ensemble and ours. But it is real, it is productive, and it is free to them offered up by grateful hearts and incredibly talented people in one way or another. The items created for this tour swing alone by forum folks were marvelous. Alexa created a beautiful graphic at my request that depicted Máiréad on stage with Hendrix at Woodstock. Mike created really funny signs that Máiréad just loved last night. Dave created a massive book that had every review this forum has done thus far with SFTH including my initial review from Ireland. I wrote a poem about the PS22 experience for the ensemble and the school. Rick has his amazing Pixieland site. Scuilly brought gift bags. Mike brought more Cadbury's. I mean the list goes on and Máiréad and the others received all of that in one form or another. Let me tell you that these folks appreciate such tokens but much prefer those creative things from your heart over anything from a store, though they gratefully accept the latter. But the best treat for the artists, and it has been referred to by more than one of them, is to see those familiar faces in the crowd who are there so often for them. That is both love and respect especially in the crummy economy this past couple years. So, again this swing the wonderful interaction between forum folks and between them and the artists is such a joy to behold. you should also be very proud of the conduct of the members who had ample opportunity to intrude into private space and time of the artists in New York and did not.
The artists. What can one say about the level of talent and the willingness to share their gifts and be away from the comforts of home and country for so long every year? Is thank you enough? Well it goes back to being there for them and reminding them when you can how much we appreciate it. The Aontas choir is incredible. I have been blessed at times to hear the current crop acoustically at times and they are the best. I have been in choirs a few times and it is not easy especially when you add complex choreography to the mix. On this tour we have been given a gift with the return of Lisa's sister Helen. Always a dynamic and a bit mischievous one on stage. You have the old timers in Niall and Andrew. Though they seldom if ever interact with the audience in any sort of selective way. Catherine too has been with them for quite awhile and along with Rosin, who is on the tour but not in it this time, forms a nice core group. Then you have my two personal favorites, Dermot and Sarah. Both are willing to interact with audience members and that holds them in great favor. Amy Rivard found that out as did Julian David Edwards when they were with the choir. It builds a core of support for the future. Dermot and Sarah are fun to watch and fun to interact with and both have great voices. The band has been solid from the start with Des, Eoghan, and the incomparable Ray. Nick has been with them much of the time too. Des and Eoghan as well as Brian at the piano are unsung heroes who you could not do without. While they may not interact with us they certainly do with each other on stage and it is fun to watch. Ray and Nick are simply the best. And they are genuinely nice people and willing at times to interact with specific audience members. I think they know who their best supporters are. Then we have the amazing Tommy on pipes and new addition Anthony. When the two of them join forces in Amazing Grace you simply can't breathe. Tommy's jam session at the end is a hoot too! Each of these folks are pieces to a puzzle that would not be complete without them.
Chloe Agnew. We have watched her grow up before our eyes and what an amazing woman and premier artist she is. Her role has increased with Alex's departure. She does both duets now in the coupled songs that make up Songs From The Heart. She has assumed Alex's role in At The Ceili and is absolutely comfortable in it. And she has added bits in other songs to fill the Alex void. That is in addition to her solo songs that are dynamite and perfect for her. She is constantly interacting with her friends on stage, with her audience, and with her songs. Both her solos are signature pieces in my book. Chloe is also delightful to meet and what you see on stage is what you get at a meet & greet. She has become the de facto spokesperson and has no trouble with it at all.
Lynn Hilary. When Lynn first appeared to take on Meav's role in the fall of 2007 no one out here knew what to expect. Well, David did and it has paid off handsomely. She has grown into her role superbly. Perhaps that DVD from Powerscourt cemented it in her own mind and this show has benefited greatly from it. She is connected to her songs, passionate in the delivery, and engaging. She will not give you lots of direct looks or frequent interactions but when she does you will know it. Her solo pieces on this tour swing were just nailed and her speeches from the stage delightfully delivered and very well received. She too has been given more material and has not skipped a beat in it. She now Joins Lisa to make a duet out of Alex's My Heart Was Home Again. Those are enormous shoes to fill when it was her signature song. She is still a bit more reserved than the others at a meet & greet but still delightful.
Lisa Kelly. Veteran in so many ways and a core element. Lisa again this tour is a focal point for so many people. She has made The Moon's a Harsh Mistress a signature song. However, for the vast majority, it will never replace The Voice. That is a song synonymous with Lisa. She owns it and always will. But with Moon she conveys the pain within the lyrics effectively. I certainly feel it. She too has an added role as the other in the duet of the former Alex song. Lisa is engaging and interactive from the stage and will not hesitate making you part of the show. She draws you in. Lisa excels at meet & greet. I know my two experiences with her this tour were wonderful. She knows the role of making those personal connections and does so very well.
Máiréad Nesbitt. Where to start. Where to end for that matter!! The incomparable Máiréad Nesbitt is like no other on the planet at her craft and as a person. No video can truly do her justice nor can any audio. You only scratch the surface of her energy and ability on a video. On audio only you can certainly feel her emotion flow through the music. But you miss out on the priceless expressions on her face and in her body language. You simply must experience the entire package to know Máiréad's gift adequately. Once you do you will not be able to resist. She's like a bag of crisps. You just have to have the entire bag! As I have said elsewhere, she is like human champagne that will fizz all over you and tickle every sense. When she spots that familiar face be ready because you are about to be buried in pixie dust. She did on this tour swing as she has done without exception and that is bathe myself and others in a never ending shower of notes, looks, movements, and smiles. And when she lights up, and she does often, the sun goes into eclipse. The soul inside that diminutive and lovely form is the definition of beauty in all its many forms. At a meet & greet be prepared for that firm grip, ready smile, engaging eyes, and a voice that could melt the most frozen of hearts. There are none better at what she does the way she does it. I can't imagine there ever will be. She is simply, and wonderfully, Máiréad.
The show. Some subtle changes and some dramatic ones as a result of Alex's departure. It does not affect the Chloe, Lisa, Lynn, or Máiréad solos. None of those have changed yet each has a nuance each night. Folks have asked me on this trip if the show is the same each night. I tell them the song set is the same but each night is different. Attend a few shows in a row as I do and you discover that quickly. The Alex departure has not been felt in a major way in Nil Se'n La, Non Ce Piu, Danny Boy, Mo Ghile Mear, Amazing Grace, The Call, Isle Of Hope Isle Of Tears, Orinoco Flow, or You Raise Me Up. The other artists have taken up the parts and done so very well. Some of the choreography has changed. Danny Boy now includes Máiréad. Gee, that is hard to take. Orinoco flow has an amazing new vocal twist to it that I cannot describe but it will give you goose bumps. It is fantastic. YRMU now has the choir doing what PS22 did and it sounds lovely. Alex's role in At The Ceili has been filled very well by Chloe. The show is now one song shorter as You'll Be In My Heart has been dropped and not replaced. But where you will note the biggest change, or at least where I do, is in Alex's signature piece My Heart Was Home Again, and in her duet in Walking The Night. The Lynn Lisa combo in MHWHA is lovely. If you had never heard Alex do this song you would be impressed and love it. It is done very well now but for the core group of supporters and frequent concert attendees it will take awhile for this to grow on us again. Alex lived that song and her stage experience sold the song right into your soul. It was incredible when we first heard it in Roanoke and shows since. As I said in my other reviews, Lisa had not connected with that song. She sang it just fine but she did not convey its essence. In Rochester that changed. Again I was moved to tears. Lynn feels this song and you can see it in her eyes. As long as Lisa continues to then all will be fine in time. In Walking The Night the pairing of Lynn and Alex was brilliant. The Lynn Chloe pairing was awesome in Pie Jesu. For me though the complimentary nature of the two voices doesn't quite reach the level it did with Alex. Again, it is because of Alex's stage experience that she was able to connect with the message in the lyrics. It may also be a function of age. It is not a matter of talent which Chloe has in abundance but simply a different sound and different emotion that can be best conveyed by one who has lived that pain. Again, it will be fine and if one had never heard the Alex and Lynn duet in this you'd never know and it would stand on its own as beautiful. It is. Yet it is not what it was. The only other major change in the show is the song Goodnight My Angel which now operates as a duet and not a trio. Lynn's gentle presence is needed in my opinion. She has the gift for a lullaby. It has to be hard to dial it back and not use the incredible power that Chloe has. But the song demands a softness that only Lynn has. Lisa, of course fits right in. I mean after all she's a mom!! Again, this is no slam on Chloe. I mean none of the others up there could do equal justice to L'Assenza or When You Believe! For those of us attending these shows though it just seemed like a more appropriate duet for Lynn and Lisa. So, while the show differs in many ways, it is still the magnificent creation of David Downes and the artists on stage. It is worth seeing again and again. If you have the chance to see this show in person and up close you will be rewarded with every moment of it.
So, there you have another moscapoet novel. Saratoga was my 49 th show and I think Mike's 73rd. So, you have the top two show attendees at these events. I hope the others who attended these four shows will add their own opinions, and that is exactly what this is, to the mix here. Thank you Mike, Celtic Woman, Rachel,Dave, and most especially Máiréad for four delightful nights. Oh and one more note of change. Kelly Martin had taken Rachel's role at the meet & greets on the spring tour. I for one thought that a good move to take a bit off of Rachel's plate. But Rachel is back and no wicked witch in sight. She now sports a Glenda the good witch mood and was absolutely delightful. In fact it was as much fun chatting with her as the others at times. She has been most accommodating in the past but not always in a public contact frame of mind. But in these four shows anyway, she was amazing. Very nice indeed. On the other hand, Mitch from Madstone was a bit of a grump pretty much every night. Maybe he needs a dose of whatever Rachel has been ingesting! Actually, no maybe about it.
Until September, Scott
Firstly, the travel experience. I've been doing this now since 2007. I'm used to travel as I grew up with a dad who was a Navy pilot, and then I worked in the airlines for quite a few years. I've always had the travel bug. Typically, though, I tend to get very little sleep on these excursions into my never ending search for pixie dust. When I was in Ireland last summer for the Powerscourt and High Kings shows I had about 36 hours sleep total in eight days. Two nights I never slept at all as I needed to get reviews in for the folks back home and for the artists. It is part of my responsibility as is promoting and supporting Máiréad and I take it seriously. Same thing happened on my extended spring touring in 2009. This time I averaged about four hours per night sleep. I do this in short bursts. Imagine doing it for months on end as these artists do. I could do it but that doesn't mean it is healthy. I travel by air as it would be even more exhausting if I drove for all of this and it would also be dangerous on the short sleep I get. On this trip I used Southwest Airlines as I do the majority of the time. I flew into Buffalo on Thursday but re-routed myself away from inclement weather and possible lengthy delays or cancellations. Those flights earned me another free ticket, my second, for future travel next year. The return today was using a non-revenue, space available, buddy pass from my old airline buddy in Spokane. I had ample seats available but the routing was through Las Vegas. I literally flew over my house in Colorado on the way in this five hour flight. Southwest agents were extraordinary both directions and the level of customer service with this company is second to none in the industry domestically. When I travel I seldom if ever rent a car. I either stay close to the venue or am granted extraordinary kindness by forum members who transport me. On this trip I had your forum administrator, MrPeabody, carting me around. Thank you, Mike, for doing that and doing so safely just as you did on the spring 2009 tour. Hotels I usually get via bidding on Priceline but they were way too high this time and Mike kindly allowed me to room with him as did Rick in Liberty. When I tried to pay Mike today he designated my half of the hotel charges to Máiréad's charity. That is the sort of class act that typifies this place and you should all be very proud of his leadership.
The venues. Art Park in Lewiston is very nice. Rather like an auditorium with the back taken out of it. On a normal day it would have been pleasant but on Friday the warmth and humidity just sat in there and both artist and audience sweltered. Acoustics were fine and our seats good. Bethel aka Woodstock was amazing. It has become a huge facility on a vast acreage of land. The amphitheater itself is a stage with simply a roof over the audience. Again, under normal circumstances just fine, but not when a storm sends the rain in sideways! There is also a very long walk to parking and nothing like a shuttle to get you there. Most folks exited in the driving rain and wind for which they did not come prepared. Hmmmm kinda sounds like.......Woodstock! Auditorium theater in Rochester is an older facility but with fine acoustics. It was the only indoor venue on this stretch of the tour. There had been some concern about no air conditioning but that had been remedied and all was fine. SPAC in Saratoga is another amphitheater and the acoustics were great. Loved the vibrating floor in the pit when the woofers were barking loudly!! Perfect night and a venue much like Wolf Trap. All in all great venues.
The forum experience is next up. I met several folks I had not prior to this trip. That included forum members Btimerson (Brad), Apollomoon (Dave), Scuilly (Kelly), needleworklady (Annie), Connye (Ralph's sister Connie), and also some spouses along with renewing meeting up with those met previously. In my time with forum members which began on the spring 2008 tour I have yet to meet anyone who isn't an incredible fan in support of Celtic Woman. Each has an artist special to them. Each has a story to tell and in many cases they are incredibly moving. So many times I fight tears listening to these very moving accounts. We have shared incredible memories during this time. This tour swing was no different. From the smothering humidity in Lewsiton, to the hallowed Woodstock and the events of that day and night, to the awesome show in Rochester, to the perfect weather and another meeting with Máiréad in Saratoga this trip had memories aplenty. Some inside jokes always come from these things. Let me tell you, there is nothing like sharing these shows and meetings with your forum friends even if you aren't seated together. We talked last night and it is clear to me, as it has always been, that this place is an amazing family. Celtic Woman talks about how close they have become and that it is a family. So too has that happened with their supporters. To a person I saw our family promoting Máiréad and the others at every chance. Celtic Woman may not quite understand the incredible partnership that exists between their ensemble and ours. But it is real, it is productive, and it is free to them offered up by grateful hearts and incredibly talented people in one way or another. The items created for this tour swing alone by forum folks were marvelous. Alexa created a beautiful graphic at my request that depicted Máiréad on stage with Hendrix at Woodstock. Mike created really funny signs that Máiréad just loved last night. Dave created a massive book that had every review this forum has done thus far with SFTH including my initial review from Ireland. I wrote a poem about the PS22 experience for the ensemble and the school. Rick has his amazing Pixieland site. Scuilly brought gift bags. Mike brought more Cadbury's. I mean the list goes on and Máiréad and the others received all of that in one form or another. Let me tell you that these folks appreciate such tokens but much prefer those creative things from your heart over anything from a store, though they gratefully accept the latter. But the best treat for the artists, and it has been referred to by more than one of them, is to see those familiar faces in the crowd who are there so often for them. That is both love and respect especially in the crummy economy this past couple years. So, again this swing the wonderful interaction between forum folks and between them and the artists is such a joy to behold. you should also be very proud of the conduct of the members who had ample opportunity to intrude into private space and time of the artists in New York and did not.
The artists. What can one say about the level of talent and the willingness to share their gifts and be away from the comforts of home and country for so long every year? Is thank you enough? Well it goes back to being there for them and reminding them when you can how much we appreciate it. The Aontas choir is incredible. I have been blessed at times to hear the current crop acoustically at times and they are the best. I have been in choirs a few times and it is not easy especially when you add complex choreography to the mix. On this tour we have been given a gift with the return of Lisa's sister Helen. Always a dynamic and a bit mischievous one on stage. You have the old timers in Niall and Andrew. Though they seldom if ever interact with the audience in any sort of selective way. Catherine too has been with them for quite awhile and along with Rosin, who is on the tour but not in it this time, forms a nice core group. Then you have my two personal favorites, Dermot and Sarah. Both are willing to interact with audience members and that holds them in great favor. Amy Rivard found that out as did Julian David Edwards when they were with the choir. It builds a core of support for the future. Dermot and Sarah are fun to watch and fun to interact with and both have great voices. The band has been solid from the start with Des, Eoghan, and the incomparable Ray. Nick has been with them much of the time too. Des and Eoghan as well as Brian at the piano are unsung heroes who you could not do without. While they may not interact with us they certainly do with each other on stage and it is fun to watch. Ray and Nick are simply the best. And they are genuinely nice people and willing at times to interact with specific audience members. I think they know who their best supporters are. Then we have the amazing Tommy on pipes and new addition Anthony. When the two of them join forces in Amazing Grace you simply can't breathe. Tommy's jam session at the end is a hoot too! Each of these folks are pieces to a puzzle that would not be complete without them.
Chloe Agnew. We have watched her grow up before our eyes and what an amazing woman and premier artist she is. Her role has increased with Alex's departure. She does both duets now in the coupled songs that make up Songs From The Heart. She has assumed Alex's role in At The Ceili and is absolutely comfortable in it. And she has added bits in other songs to fill the Alex void. That is in addition to her solo songs that are dynamite and perfect for her. She is constantly interacting with her friends on stage, with her audience, and with her songs. Both her solos are signature pieces in my book. Chloe is also delightful to meet and what you see on stage is what you get at a meet & greet. She has become the de facto spokesperson and has no trouble with it at all.
Lynn Hilary. When Lynn first appeared to take on Meav's role in the fall of 2007 no one out here knew what to expect. Well, David did and it has paid off handsomely. She has grown into her role superbly. Perhaps that DVD from Powerscourt cemented it in her own mind and this show has benefited greatly from it. She is connected to her songs, passionate in the delivery, and engaging. She will not give you lots of direct looks or frequent interactions but when she does you will know it. Her solo pieces on this tour swing were just nailed and her speeches from the stage delightfully delivered and very well received. She too has been given more material and has not skipped a beat in it. She now Joins Lisa to make a duet out of Alex's My Heart Was Home Again. Those are enormous shoes to fill when it was her signature song. She is still a bit more reserved than the others at a meet & greet but still delightful.
Lisa Kelly. Veteran in so many ways and a core element. Lisa again this tour is a focal point for so many people. She has made The Moon's a Harsh Mistress a signature song. However, for the vast majority, it will never replace The Voice. That is a song synonymous with Lisa. She owns it and always will. But with Moon she conveys the pain within the lyrics effectively. I certainly feel it. She too has an added role as the other in the duet of the former Alex song. Lisa is engaging and interactive from the stage and will not hesitate making you part of the show. She draws you in. Lisa excels at meet & greet. I know my two experiences with her this tour were wonderful. She knows the role of making those personal connections and does so very well.
Máiréad Nesbitt. Where to start. Where to end for that matter!! The incomparable Máiréad Nesbitt is like no other on the planet at her craft and as a person. No video can truly do her justice nor can any audio. You only scratch the surface of her energy and ability on a video. On audio only you can certainly feel her emotion flow through the music. But you miss out on the priceless expressions on her face and in her body language. You simply must experience the entire package to know Máiréad's gift adequately. Once you do you will not be able to resist. She's like a bag of crisps. You just have to have the entire bag! As I have said elsewhere, she is like human champagne that will fizz all over you and tickle every sense. When she spots that familiar face be ready because you are about to be buried in pixie dust. She did on this tour swing as she has done without exception and that is bathe myself and others in a never ending shower of notes, looks, movements, and smiles. And when she lights up, and she does often, the sun goes into eclipse. The soul inside that diminutive and lovely form is the definition of beauty in all its many forms. At a meet & greet be prepared for that firm grip, ready smile, engaging eyes, and a voice that could melt the most frozen of hearts. There are none better at what she does the way she does it. I can't imagine there ever will be. She is simply, and wonderfully, Máiréad.
The show. Some subtle changes and some dramatic ones as a result of Alex's departure. It does not affect the Chloe, Lisa, Lynn, or Máiréad solos. None of those have changed yet each has a nuance each night. Folks have asked me on this trip if the show is the same each night. I tell them the song set is the same but each night is different. Attend a few shows in a row as I do and you discover that quickly. The Alex departure has not been felt in a major way in Nil Se'n La, Non Ce Piu, Danny Boy, Mo Ghile Mear, Amazing Grace, The Call, Isle Of Hope Isle Of Tears, Orinoco Flow, or You Raise Me Up. The other artists have taken up the parts and done so very well. Some of the choreography has changed. Danny Boy now includes Máiréad. Gee, that is hard to take. Orinoco flow has an amazing new vocal twist to it that I cannot describe but it will give you goose bumps. It is fantastic. YRMU now has the choir doing what PS22 did and it sounds lovely. Alex's role in At The Ceili has been filled very well by Chloe. The show is now one song shorter as You'll Be In My Heart has been dropped and not replaced. But where you will note the biggest change, or at least where I do, is in Alex's signature piece My Heart Was Home Again, and in her duet in Walking The Night. The Lynn Lisa combo in MHWHA is lovely. If you had never heard Alex do this song you would be impressed and love it. It is done very well now but for the core group of supporters and frequent concert attendees it will take awhile for this to grow on us again. Alex lived that song and her stage experience sold the song right into your soul. It was incredible when we first heard it in Roanoke and shows since. As I said in my other reviews, Lisa had not connected with that song. She sang it just fine but she did not convey its essence. In Rochester that changed. Again I was moved to tears. Lynn feels this song and you can see it in her eyes. As long as Lisa continues to then all will be fine in time. In Walking The Night the pairing of Lynn and Alex was brilliant. The Lynn Chloe pairing was awesome in Pie Jesu. For me though the complimentary nature of the two voices doesn't quite reach the level it did with Alex. Again, it is because of Alex's stage experience that she was able to connect with the message in the lyrics. It may also be a function of age. It is not a matter of talent which Chloe has in abundance but simply a different sound and different emotion that can be best conveyed by one who has lived that pain. Again, it will be fine and if one had never heard the Alex and Lynn duet in this you'd never know and it would stand on its own as beautiful. It is. Yet it is not what it was. The only other major change in the show is the song Goodnight My Angel which now operates as a duet and not a trio. Lynn's gentle presence is needed in my opinion. She has the gift for a lullaby. It has to be hard to dial it back and not use the incredible power that Chloe has. But the song demands a softness that only Lynn has. Lisa, of course fits right in. I mean after all she's a mom!! Again, this is no slam on Chloe. I mean none of the others up there could do equal justice to L'Assenza or When You Believe! For those of us attending these shows though it just seemed like a more appropriate duet for Lynn and Lisa. So, while the show differs in many ways, it is still the magnificent creation of David Downes and the artists on stage. It is worth seeing again and again. If you have the chance to see this show in person and up close you will be rewarded with every moment of it.
So, there you have another moscapoet novel. Saratoga was my 49 th show and I think Mike's 73rd. So, you have the top two show attendees at these events. I hope the others who attended these four shows will add their own opinions, and that is exactly what this is, to the mix here. Thank you Mike, Celtic Woman, Rachel,Dave, and most especially Máiréad for four delightful nights. Oh and one more note of change. Kelly Martin had taken Rachel's role at the meet & greets on the spring tour. I for one thought that a good move to take a bit off of Rachel's plate. But Rachel is back and no wicked witch in sight. She now sports a Glenda the good witch mood and was absolutely delightful. In fact it was as much fun chatting with her as the others at times. She has been most accommodating in the past but not always in a public contact frame of mind. But in these four shows anyway, she was amazing. Very nice indeed. On the other hand, Mitch from Madstone was a bit of a grump pretty much every night. Maybe he needs a dose of whatever Rachel has been ingesting! Actually, no maybe about it.
Until September, Scott
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Independence Day, how independent are you/we?
Hello everyone!
Firstly let me wish all of you a safe and happy Independence day. I hope each of you will remember what we are celebrating today. Take it to heart and treasure it and the documents that came from that precious time in our history. For the nation as constituted to have made it this long is amazing. But don't be looking for another 200 years of it. In my opinion, don't be looking for another decade of it! Why?
Have you noticed in the past decades a reduction in your freedom and in your ability to be independent? If you haven't then you have not been paying attention. How independent are you now? When it takes six months for the average American to generate enough income just to pay their income tax is that freedom? If you own your own home yet fail to pay your property tax the government can take that away from you. Is that freedom? Where did your property rights go? When you said no to government bailing out auto companies, banks, insurance companies, and others did your "representatives" hear you? When your hard earned money is spent on pork projects or sent overseas and you the constituent given no say in it, is that freedom? Are dependent on the government for anything? Social security? Health care? Disaster relief? Don't be.
Has the economy gotten better? No, it can't without job growth. They phony up that unemployment is down and support it with numbers that are false because so many have fallen off the roles and are no longer counted. Job growth is happening in only one sector, government. When everyone works for the government what sort of nation will we have? The very sort we supposedly fought against. Are we an independent nation? No. We are dependent on other nations for resources and goods we no longer produce. That is intentional. All of it is.
Ever read the Communist Manifesto? I highly recommend it. When you do you will see clearly where we have been going and where our own government wants to take us. Not just here either but in other nations as well. Here are just two planks of the ten in Marx's book. A heavy progressive or graduated income tax is one plank. Sound familiar? Free education for all children in public schools. why would that be important? So you can indoctrinate the young minds to the "proper" way of thinking. Another plank is a central bank that makes monetary decisions. Ladies and gentlemen that is called the Federal Reserve Bank. Both the income tax and Fed were created in 1913 and both are illegal as constitutional procedure or quorums were not present.
Why all the spending by government? To destroy the currency and create a pathway to a unified world currency controlled by an even larger bank. Our constitution provides for the coinage of money only by government. When we were taken off the gold standard then inflation could run rampant. When there was no central bank for 100 years from 1813-1913 the total inflation rate for that 100 years was 0.5%. From 1913 to 1981 the inflation rate was 279%!!! Sound like a good idea? That removes your buying power and ability to even make ends meet. Did your wages go up 279%? Of course not. In addition, as the value of the currency drops, even if prices stay the same you are losing ground. It is still inflation. And we haven't even hit the truly bad inflation yet. Remember Weimar Germany? You don't? well of course not since the government does not want you to know any history that hasn't been sanitized or isn't politically correct. Inflation was so bad in the 1920's it took a wheel barrow of money to buy a loaf of bread. Such desperation allowed Hitler to rise to power, and that history is ready to repeat itself.
Here are a few quotes you might like. First let be preface things by saying if someone is a member of the CFR (council on foreign relations), Trilateral Commission, Royal Institute of foreign affairs, the Bilderbergers, or is a Rhodes scholar, then you can bet that equals they are in favor of totalitarian socialism and the removal of sovereign nations. What is the EU? One building block toward a single world government. Why are our borders not secured? Easy, because those in power don't want borders. They are running headlong into a North American Union. It is easier to build regional unions of former nations then integrate them into a single government than to do so with all the separate nations we have now. Conspiracy theory silliness? Sorry, to many dots are connecting now as the arrogant elite in charge get greedy and grab for too much too soon. People are waking up. Here are just a few quotes:
"The standard of living of the average American has to decline..I don't think you can escape that." (Paul volcker, Fed chairman, 1979)
"The power to tax involves the power to destroy" (John Marshall, Supreme Court Justice, 1819)
"By a continuous process of inflation, governments can confiscate, secretly and unobserved, an important part of the wealth of their citizens. By this method, they not only confiscate, but they confiscate arbitrarily: and while the process impoverishes many, it actually enriches some......The process engages all of the hidden forces of economic law on the side of destruction, and does it in a manner that not one man in a million can diagnose." (John Maynard Keynes, economist, 1920)
There are two theories of economy, one is Keynesian, and the other is Austrian. It is clear we have been following Keynes though not the people willingly or knowingly. Keynes was a radical Socialist and one of many who sought destruction of sovereign nations.
All of this may look gloomy and dark on a day we should be celebrating. But what I am trying to do is let you know just how fragile what you are celebrating is and how quickly it can be lost when we the people lose control. Abraham Lincoln once said that the United States could not be overcome from outside but from within. We have allowed this to get away from us. If what the founding fathers created is to endure then it is the people who must make it happen. The constitution is not a limitation on the people but is a limitation on government. Our rights erode with each "crisis" be it economic, environmental, terrorism, crime, etc. and that too is intentional. Have any issues ever been solved? Drugs, crime, poverty, terrorism, health, environment? No, and they won't be either because each provides further means of government imposing additional restrictions on we the people in the name of addressing an issue that never gets solved. Are they really that stupid or incompetent that they can cure nothing? Of course not. They don't want better education, better health care, lower crime, reduced drug use or anything else. Yet many die fighting for the causes.
So what do we do about it? Today look at the flag, read the pledge of allegiance, read the Star Spangled Banner......all four verses!! Think about what has been said here and do some research of your own. Be informed, be educated, and pay attention. This is an election year. One of the most important in many years. It is a year when we can send the message that we the people will not be duped any more. It is not about party as both have been thoroughly corrupted. It is about leadership. It is about the constitution as written. Make the effort to read the Federalist Papers and the writings of the nation's founders. If you want a sovereign nation, governed by the documents that created it then you can help make that happen. Many have fought and died fighting against the very thing we are becoming. But we must be united as people without hyphens. This is a struggle against an arrogant, ruling elite who think they know what is best for you and everyone else. We are so far away from the constitution that you have to use a telescope to see it. We have very little time to change the course of this ship. A brave governor in Arizona is trying to do so in the name of states rights.
One more note. I was in Poland in 1986 when it was still Communist. It was a shocker I have to say, but the people were amazing. Tow things stuck with me about that visit. One was the folks we stayed with taking days away from work to attend us. I asked if they were paid for the time off. They laughed and said, "we're paid whether we work or not, and whether the work we do is good or shoddy". Yet that pay was subsistence. Where was the incentive? Gone. See that happening here? The other event was we were watching the news one night and a friend was translating. It was the usual anti-American rhetoric. I asked the people in the room if they believed it. They laughed and one of them said, "Of course not but it's the only thing on TV! We know it is propaganda". They knew in spite of the oppression and the current state of marshal law. Yet here so many swallow the media garbage fed to them without question. Those from over there are stunned. The Russians are laughing at us and wondering why we are allowing ourselves to go down the very path we decried them for and which broke their nation.
Do not depend on government at any level for anything. When they say they are going to help, know that the only ones they truly want to help are themselves. They write laws and exempt themselves. They divide the people against each other by race, gender, class, region, and other ways. We cannot allow that. We must be united, and we must take independence seriously as individuals and as a nation. Stand up, speak out, vote, and if it becomes necessary, fight for your freedom and the constitution. Right now most who have taken the oath of office are in violation of it. Send a message this year and vote for your independence and that of your nation from the hands of an arrogant ruling elite. God bless you and God bless this nation.
Patriotically yours, Scott
Firstly let me wish all of you a safe and happy Independence day. I hope each of you will remember what we are celebrating today. Take it to heart and treasure it and the documents that came from that precious time in our history. For the nation as constituted to have made it this long is amazing. But don't be looking for another 200 years of it. In my opinion, don't be looking for another decade of it! Why?
Have you noticed in the past decades a reduction in your freedom and in your ability to be independent? If you haven't then you have not been paying attention. How independent are you now? When it takes six months for the average American to generate enough income just to pay their income tax is that freedom? If you own your own home yet fail to pay your property tax the government can take that away from you. Is that freedom? Where did your property rights go? When you said no to government bailing out auto companies, banks, insurance companies, and others did your "representatives" hear you? When your hard earned money is spent on pork projects or sent overseas and you the constituent given no say in it, is that freedom? Are dependent on the government for anything? Social security? Health care? Disaster relief? Don't be.
Has the economy gotten better? No, it can't without job growth. They phony up that unemployment is down and support it with numbers that are false because so many have fallen off the roles and are no longer counted. Job growth is happening in only one sector, government. When everyone works for the government what sort of nation will we have? The very sort we supposedly fought against. Are we an independent nation? No. We are dependent on other nations for resources and goods we no longer produce. That is intentional. All of it is.
Ever read the Communist Manifesto? I highly recommend it. When you do you will see clearly where we have been going and where our own government wants to take us. Not just here either but in other nations as well. Here are just two planks of the ten in Marx's book. A heavy progressive or graduated income tax is one plank. Sound familiar? Free education for all children in public schools. why would that be important? So you can indoctrinate the young minds to the "proper" way of thinking. Another plank is a central bank that makes monetary decisions. Ladies and gentlemen that is called the Federal Reserve Bank. Both the income tax and Fed were created in 1913 and both are illegal as constitutional procedure or quorums were not present.
Why all the spending by government? To destroy the currency and create a pathway to a unified world currency controlled by an even larger bank. Our constitution provides for the coinage of money only by government. When we were taken off the gold standard then inflation could run rampant. When there was no central bank for 100 years from 1813-1913 the total inflation rate for that 100 years was 0.5%. From 1913 to 1981 the inflation rate was 279%!!! Sound like a good idea? That removes your buying power and ability to even make ends meet. Did your wages go up 279%? Of course not. In addition, as the value of the currency drops, even if prices stay the same you are losing ground. It is still inflation. And we haven't even hit the truly bad inflation yet. Remember Weimar Germany? You don't? well of course not since the government does not want you to know any history that hasn't been sanitized or isn't politically correct. Inflation was so bad in the 1920's it took a wheel barrow of money to buy a loaf of bread. Such desperation allowed Hitler to rise to power, and that history is ready to repeat itself.
Here are a few quotes you might like. First let be preface things by saying if someone is a member of the CFR (council on foreign relations), Trilateral Commission, Royal Institute of foreign affairs, the Bilderbergers, or is a Rhodes scholar, then you can bet that equals they are in favor of totalitarian socialism and the removal of sovereign nations. What is the EU? One building block toward a single world government. Why are our borders not secured? Easy, because those in power don't want borders. They are running headlong into a North American Union. It is easier to build regional unions of former nations then integrate them into a single government than to do so with all the separate nations we have now. Conspiracy theory silliness? Sorry, to many dots are connecting now as the arrogant elite in charge get greedy and grab for too much too soon. People are waking up. Here are just a few quotes:
"The standard of living of the average American has to decline..I don't think you can escape that." (Paul volcker, Fed chairman, 1979)
"The power to tax involves the power to destroy" (John Marshall, Supreme Court Justice, 1819)
"By a continuous process of inflation, governments can confiscate, secretly and unobserved, an important part of the wealth of their citizens. By this method, they not only confiscate, but they confiscate arbitrarily: and while the process impoverishes many, it actually enriches some......The process engages all of the hidden forces of economic law on the side of destruction, and does it in a manner that not one man in a million can diagnose." (John Maynard Keynes, economist, 1920)
There are two theories of economy, one is Keynesian, and the other is Austrian. It is clear we have been following Keynes though not the people willingly or knowingly. Keynes was a radical Socialist and one of many who sought destruction of sovereign nations.
All of this may look gloomy and dark on a day we should be celebrating. But what I am trying to do is let you know just how fragile what you are celebrating is and how quickly it can be lost when we the people lose control. Abraham Lincoln once said that the United States could not be overcome from outside but from within. We have allowed this to get away from us. If what the founding fathers created is to endure then it is the people who must make it happen. The constitution is not a limitation on the people but is a limitation on government. Our rights erode with each "crisis" be it economic, environmental, terrorism, crime, etc. and that too is intentional. Have any issues ever been solved? Drugs, crime, poverty, terrorism, health, environment? No, and they won't be either because each provides further means of government imposing additional restrictions on we the people in the name of addressing an issue that never gets solved. Are they really that stupid or incompetent that they can cure nothing? Of course not. They don't want better education, better health care, lower crime, reduced drug use or anything else. Yet many die fighting for the causes.
So what do we do about it? Today look at the flag, read the pledge of allegiance, read the Star Spangled Banner......all four verses!! Think about what has been said here and do some research of your own. Be informed, be educated, and pay attention. This is an election year. One of the most important in many years. It is a year when we can send the message that we the people will not be duped any more. It is not about party as both have been thoroughly corrupted. It is about leadership. It is about the constitution as written. Make the effort to read the Federalist Papers and the writings of the nation's founders. If you want a sovereign nation, governed by the documents that created it then you can help make that happen. Many have fought and died fighting against the very thing we are becoming. But we must be united as people without hyphens. This is a struggle against an arrogant, ruling elite who think they know what is best for you and everyone else. We are so far away from the constitution that you have to use a telescope to see it. We have very little time to change the course of this ship. A brave governor in Arizona is trying to do so in the name of states rights.
One more note. I was in Poland in 1986 when it was still Communist. It was a shocker I have to say, but the people were amazing. Tow things stuck with me about that visit. One was the folks we stayed with taking days away from work to attend us. I asked if they were paid for the time off. They laughed and said, "we're paid whether we work or not, and whether the work we do is good or shoddy". Yet that pay was subsistence. Where was the incentive? Gone. See that happening here? The other event was we were watching the news one night and a friend was translating. It was the usual anti-American rhetoric. I asked the people in the room if they believed it. They laughed and one of them said, "Of course not but it's the only thing on TV! We know it is propaganda". They knew in spite of the oppression and the current state of marshal law. Yet here so many swallow the media garbage fed to them without question. Those from over there are stunned. The Russians are laughing at us and wondering why we are allowing ourselves to go down the very path we decried them for and which broke their nation.
Do not depend on government at any level for anything. When they say they are going to help, know that the only ones they truly want to help are themselves. They write laws and exempt themselves. They divide the people against each other by race, gender, class, region, and other ways. We cannot allow that. We must be united, and we must take independence seriously as individuals and as a nation. Stand up, speak out, vote, and if it becomes necessary, fight for your freedom and the constitution. Right now most who have taken the oath of office are in violation of it. Send a message this year and vote for your independence and that of your nation from the hands of an arrogant ruling elite. God bless you and God bless this nation.
Patriotically yours, Scott
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Celtic Woman Songs From The Heart first tour
Hello everyone!
Well, the inaugural tour of Celtic Woman's Songs From The Heart wrapped up last night in Salt Lake City. It began in mid-February in Roanoke, Virginia. Weather could have prevented that from happening as snow was frequent and heavy.
I had the great blessing of having been able to go to Ireland to see the show recorded last summer. That too could have been a wash due to weather the first night. Funny but it seems these little rays of sunshine like to bring Irish weather with them. Perhaps a little Celtic Woman could cure drought in your area?! Anyway, back to it. The show I saw in Ireland was brilliant and so many of the avid supporters of this ensemble were very happy at what would now be preserved forever. David Downes is the creative spirit and genius behind each and every show. A one off night in the Helix late in 2004 has turned into a phenomenon. One could say they have never looked back yet they have if for no other reason than to see what an amazing journey it has been. Once more David has sought with this new show to take the audience on an emotional roller coaster. His endeavors have always been to give you something really big at times and intimate at others. He and this marvelous troupe of artists have never failed to do just that. OK, some are critical because it is a "show" with choreography and lights and glitz and such. So? I don't hear those criticisms of Riverdance or Lord Of The Dance. While it is a professionally packaged show it is also very much a personal one and there is no shortage of individual expression. Each night is subtly different from the other and is based upon the audience reactions and support as well as the mood of each artist involved. I have now attended 45 Celtic Woman shows and have never been disappointed in a performance.
So, what does this new show give you? Well, some twists on what you may see on TV or the DVD. You will not see Oh America in the touring show as the show is meant to travel the world. Song would not work elsewhere. You will also not see Pie Jesu even though it is in the program. You will not see Alex performing True Colors. Instead you will be treated to a beautiful song that fits her style and voice perfectly called My Heart Was Home Again. I found it incredibly moving and it is interspersed with the marvelous pipe playing of Tommy Martin. You will not see Slumber My Darling as the slow piece in Máiréad Nesbitt's slow/fast combo. Instead you are treated to one of the most stunning slow airs performed by anyone and that is her rendition of Last Rose Fantasia. That piece is led in by a lovely guitar solo by the amazing Des Moore. You also have new addition Anthony Byrne who is a world renown bagpipe player. He is very well represented in a lovely Irish piece that Chloe Agnew sings called Galway Bay. Then he will make an appearance through the audience later for Amazing Grace which is followed by the vocalists of the group singing it. This piece has been done so many times yet I have never heard a more beautiful rendition. It gets me very emotional to be sure. One other new addition is a coupled song that is Songs From The Heart. It begins with a slow and melancholy song called Walking The Night sung as a duet between Lynn Hilary and Alex Sharpe. Really beautiful and again very moving. Then Tommy transitions on pipes to an upbeat song called Give Me Your Hand. That song is a duet with Lisa Kelly and Chloe Agnew. The other two girls join in later and it ends on a very high note. All in one song David takes you from intimate and a bit sad to huge and joyful.
These artists are on the road the greatest part of every year. They spend that time on long road trips nearly every night in buses. Living in hotel rooms and away from home and family for months on end. They are supported by a great road crew. The scheduling is not all that well done and never really has been. That adds to fuel costs and travel stress and can shorten after show paid meet & greets as well as the artists' sleep cycles. Yet, when I saw the show in Spokane the other night they were as fresh and full of life as they were at the opener in Roanoke. The only difference is that the show is more polished now and nearly second nature to the folks performing it. One cannot appreciate the grind of such tours unless you experience it yourself. No artist or group in entertainment has toured more in the past five years than Celtic Woman. I doubt the artists are paid in a tour near what some of the sleazy pop divas get in a week. Yet there they are every night. Why? Well, it is what their fantastic drummer Ray Fean once said to some forum folks, "This is just what we do". They would be doing this at home on the street or in pubs for far less. It is simply what they were each born to do, and while they do need to make a living, I have never gotten the impression from any of them that it is about money.
So, what are the highlights of the show? Well, there are really a steady stream of them. But for me each solo or ensemble piece has a special place.
Alex Sharpe has grown on me so much since filling in for the then pregnant Lisa Kelly back in 2008. Her theatrical background is evident in her performances. Her eyes will grab you and the voice hold you. She does a great duet with marvelous percussionist Nick Bailey for the cover You'll Be In My Heart. By the way, it is his great percussion band, Extreme Rhythm, that you see on the DVD pounding away. But for Alex, the new song My Heart Was Home Again is a signature piece.
Chloe Agnew has grown up while with Celtic Woman having started at age 15 and now nearing 21. Her voice has gone from sweet and childlike to full and with great depth and power. She too has transitioned and is effectively the spokesperson for the group. Not only on stage and in interviews but also at the after show meetings Chloe steps in instantly to say what others may have difficulty saying. Chloe's rendition of Galway Bay brings across both pride and protest of the Irish nation. She also does the cover song When You Believe and belts it out better than anyone. In my book she owns the song now. On stage she is ever bubbly and full of life. How can she not charm?
Lisa Kelly has been there from day one and it helps when you are married to the CEO. Regardless of that she would still be there as David has found in her his voice and muse. Her signature piece, The Voice, is not in the show. It has been replaced by one from an American composer called The Moon's a Harsh Mistress. It is a very emotional piece accompanied with piano and with Máiréad on violin. It does not have the soaring long high notes of The Voice but is a worthy addition. She also does the cover Fields Of Gold and I sure like it much better than the individuals who did it before. Lisa is ever expressive and frequently interactive from the stage and a real delight and fan favorite for a great many.
Lynn Hilary comes off as a bit shy and demur. Well, be careful of the quiet ones! She does a pure vocals rendition of the Irish piece My Lagan Love which is sung with choir backing. That choir is shown off more than once in this new show and is excellent. No better showcase for that than the above mentioned piece. Lynn also does a song called Dulaman which is sung entirely in Irish and accompanied by Ray and Nick. It is a fun piece and Lynn's introduction to it shows her to be really very funny. That is another great addition to this show, and that are the verbal introductions that the girls make now and then to a song. They have to know that many of us could listen to them speak forever. I joke about handing them each a phone book to recite!
The ensemble pieces are marvelous. Nil Se'n La is a really fun frolic. Only thing that would make it better is to have them in their ceili dresses and barefoot. Non C'e Piu is a song set to Dworak's World Symphony. It leaves the room breathless until time to applaud and quite often in a standing position. Gorgeous. They continue with tradition as well doing You Raise Me Up. They added the second verse and it really is a group signature. The Call is another song that has every element in play including Máiréad's marvelous violin intro to it. Mo Ghile Mear still wraps up the second act and serves as the basis for the show finale. It is another one of those huge show moments that leaves you wanting more. That finale has been even more jazzed up by the full band jamming during part of it. Even the poker faced but excellent Eoghan O'Neill has fun with this one.
One last mention goes to what many of us see as the focal point of the show. She is the driving force, the one who sets the tone, the one I hear most frequent comments about at intermission and at the end of the show. Oh yes I pay very close attention to what folks are saying. The one I speak about of course is that feisty fairy with a fiddle, Máiréad Nesbitt. Certainly the externals are extremely important here as the costume and physical presence grab immediate attention. No one does what she does the way she does it though. She is an accomplished artist of the first order and this the latest in a series of great things she has been involved with. Yet while with Celtic Woman she also found time to do the music for the Tinker Bell movies and also a brilliant performance in Switzerland this past January where she and brother Karl were showcased. Máiréad makes a signature piece out of everything she does. Whether it is the saucy Coast Of Galicia with its Latin sway, Granuaile's Dance with its never ending energy, her slow fast combo of Last Rose and The Mason's Apron, or accompaniment in ensemble pieces, Máiréad is the heart and soul of the ensemble. It simply could not exist without her or attract the large audiences it does in my opinion. She is constantly interactive with her artist friends on stage and with her audience. Even when in the shadows she is part of the music and interacting in subtle ways. Some of what she does by necessity must be choreographed, yet the major input on that comes from her as she knows how a given piece will effect her movement. And my does she move! She does so at risk of injury and she has sustained them in the past yet has never missed a show from them. A consummate professional and performer, gifted artist, and yet as warm and genuine a person as you'll ever meet.
So, the spring tour ends and yet another one in the states from mid-July to mid-September looms. Then a short tour in Australia comes in late October. They have waited a long time for them in Oz and they will not be disappointed with the show that comes to them. This is a marvelous creation that will entertain, enchant, amuse at times, and take you on a really amazing two hour ride. It is well worth seeing in person and I certainly plan to attend many more of these shows. It never gets old. Until next time have a great summer.
All the best, Scott
Well, the inaugural tour of Celtic Woman's Songs From The Heart wrapped up last night in Salt Lake City. It began in mid-February in Roanoke, Virginia. Weather could have prevented that from happening as snow was frequent and heavy.
I had the great blessing of having been able to go to Ireland to see the show recorded last summer. That too could have been a wash due to weather the first night. Funny but it seems these little rays of sunshine like to bring Irish weather with them. Perhaps a little Celtic Woman could cure drought in your area?! Anyway, back to it. The show I saw in Ireland was brilliant and so many of the avid supporters of this ensemble were very happy at what would now be preserved forever. David Downes is the creative spirit and genius behind each and every show. A one off night in the Helix late in 2004 has turned into a phenomenon. One could say they have never looked back yet they have if for no other reason than to see what an amazing journey it has been. Once more David has sought with this new show to take the audience on an emotional roller coaster. His endeavors have always been to give you something really big at times and intimate at others. He and this marvelous troupe of artists have never failed to do just that. OK, some are critical because it is a "show" with choreography and lights and glitz and such. So? I don't hear those criticisms of Riverdance or Lord Of The Dance. While it is a professionally packaged show it is also very much a personal one and there is no shortage of individual expression. Each night is subtly different from the other and is based upon the audience reactions and support as well as the mood of each artist involved. I have now attended 45 Celtic Woman shows and have never been disappointed in a performance.
So, what does this new show give you? Well, some twists on what you may see on TV or the DVD. You will not see Oh America in the touring show as the show is meant to travel the world. Song would not work elsewhere. You will also not see Pie Jesu even though it is in the program. You will not see Alex performing True Colors. Instead you will be treated to a beautiful song that fits her style and voice perfectly called My Heart Was Home Again. I found it incredibly moving and it is interspersed with the marvelous pipe playing of Tommy Martin. You will not see Slumber My Darling as the slow piece in Máiréad Nesbitt's slow/fast combo. Instead you are treated to one of the most stunning slow airs performed by anyone and that is her rendition of Last Rose Fantasia. That piece is led in by a lovely guitar solo by the amazing Des Moore. You also have new addition Anthony Byrne who is a world renown bagpipe player. He is very well represented in a lovely Irish piece that Chloe Agnew sings called Galway Bay. Then he will make an appearance through the audience later for Amazing Grace which is followed by the vocalists of the group singing it. This piece has been done so many times yet I have never heard a more beautiful rendition. It gets me very emotional to be sure. One other new addition is a coupled song that is Songs From The Heart. It begins with a slow and melancholy song called Walking The Night sung as a duet between Lynn Hilary and Alex Sharpe. Really beautiful and again very moving. Then Tommy transitions on pipes to an upbeat song called Give Me Your Hand. That song is a duet with Lisa Kelly and Chloe Agnew. The other two girls join in later and it ends on a very high note. All in one song David takes you from intimate and a bit sad to huge and joyful.
These artists are on the road the greatest part of every year. They spend that time on long road trips nearly every night in buses. Living in hotel rooms and away from home and family for months on end. They are supported by a great road crew. The scheduling is not all that well done and never really has been. That adds to fuel costs and travel stress and can shorten after show paid meet & greets as well as the artists' sleep cycles. Yet, when I saw the show in Spokane the other night they were as fresh and full of life as they were at the opener in Roanoke. The only difference is that the show is more polished now and nearly second nature to the folks performing it. One cannot appreciate the grind of such tours unless you experience it yourself. No artist or group in entertainment has toured more in the past five years than Celtic Woman. I doubt the artists are paid in a tour near what some of the sleazy pop divas get in a week. Yet there they are every night. Why? Well, it is what their fantastic drummer Ray Fean once said to some forum folks, "This is just what we do". They would be doing this at home on the street or in pubs for far less. It is simply what they were each born to do, and while they do need to make a living, I have never gotten the impression from any of them that it is about money.
So, what are the highlights of the show? Well, there are really a steady stream of them. But for me each solo or ensemble piece has a special place.
Alex Sharpe has grown on me so much since filling in for the then pregnant Lisa Kelly back in 2008. Her theatrical background is evident in her performances. Her eyes will grab you and the voice hold you. She does a great duet with marvelous percussionist Nick Bailey for the cover You'll Be In My Heart. By the way, it is his great percussion band, Extreme Rhythm, that you see on the DVD pounding away. But for Alex, the new song My Heart Was Home Again is a signature piece.
Chloe Agnew has grown up while with Celtic Woman having started at age 15 and now nearing 21. Her voice has gone from sweet and childlike to full and with great depth and power. She too has transitioned and is effectively the spokesperson for the group. Not only on stage and in interviews but also at the after show meetings Chloe steps in instantly to say what others may have difficulty saying. Chloe's rendition of Galway Bay brings across both pride and protest of the Irish nation. She also does the cover song When You Believe and belts it out better than anyone. In my book she owns the song now. On stage she is ever bubbly and full of life. How can she not charm?
Lisa Kelly has been there from day one and it helps when you are married to the CEO. Regardless of that she would still be there as David has found in her his voice and muse. Her signature piece, The Voice, is not in the show. It has been replaced by one from an American composer called The Moon's a Harsh Mistress. It is a very emotional piece accompanied with piano and with Máiréad on violin. It does not have the soaring long high notes of The Voice but is a worthy addition. She also does the cover Fields Of Gold and I sure like it much better than the individuals who did it before. Lisa is ever expressive and frequently interactive from the stage and a real delight and fan favorite for a great many.
Lynn Hilary comes off as a bit shy and demur. Well, be careful of the quiet ones! She does a pure vocals rendition of the Irish piece My Lagan Love which is sung with choir backing. That choir is shown off more than once in this new show and is excellent. No better showcase for that than the above mentioned piece. Lynn also does a song called Dulaman which is sung entirely in Irish and accompanied by Ray and Nick. It is a fun piece and Lynn's introduction to it shows her to be really very funny. That is another great addition to this show, and that are the verbal introductions that the girls make now and then to a song. They have to know that many of us could listen to them speak forever. I joke about handing them each a phone book to recite!
The ensemble pieces are marvelous. Nil Se'n La is a really fun frolic. Only thing that would make it better is to have them in their ceili dresses and barefoot. Non C'e Piu is a song set to Dworak's World Symphony. It leaves the room breathless until time to applaud and quite often in a standing position. Gorgeous. They continue with tradition as well doing You Raise Me Up. They added the second verse and it really is a group signature. The Call is another song that has every element in play including Máiréad's marvelous violin intro to it. Mo Ghile Mear still wraps up the second act and serves as the basis for the show finale. It is another one of those huge show moments that leaves you wanting more. That finale has been even more jazzed up by the full band jamming during part of it. Even the poker faced but excellent Eoghan O'Neill has fun with this one.
One last mention goes to what many of us see as the focal point of the show. She is the driving force, the one who sets the tone, the one I hear most frequent comments about at intermission and at the end of the show. Oh yes I pay very close attention to what folks are saying. The one I speak about of course is that feisty fairy with a fiddle, Máiréad Nesbitt. Certainly the externals are extremely important here as the costume and physical presence grab immediate attention. No one does what she does the way she does it though. She is an accomplished artist of the first order and this the latest in a series of great things she has been involved with. Yet while with Celtic Woman she also found time to do the music for the Tinker Bell movies and also a brilliant performance in Switzerland this past January where she and brother Karl were showcased. Máiréad makes a signature piece out of everything she does. Whether it is the saucy Coast Of Galicia with its Latin sway, Granuaile's Dance with its never ending energy, her slow fast combo of Last Rose and The Mason's Apron, or accompaniment in ensemble pieces, Máiréad is the heart and soul of the ensemble. It simply could not exist without her or attract the large audiences it does in my opinion. She is constantly interactive with her artist friends on stage and with her audience. Even when in the shadows she is part of the music and interacting in subtle ways. Some of what she does by necessity must be choreographed, yet the major input on that comes from her as she knows how a given piece will effect her movement. And my does she move! She does so at risk of injury and she has sustained them in the past yet has never missed a show from them. A consummate professional and performer, gifted artist, and yet as warm and genuine a person as you'll ever meet.
So, the spring tour ends and yet another one in the states from mid-July to mid-September looms. Then a short tour in Australia comes in late October. They have waited a long time for them in Oz and they will not be disappointed with the show that comes to them. This is a marvelous creation that will entertain, enchant, amuse at times, and take you on a really amazing two hour ride. It is well worth seeing in person and I certainly plan to attend many more of these shows. It never gets old. Until next time have a great summer.
All the best, Scott
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Happy birthday Máiréad
Well, the dust (pixie dust that is) has settled on yet another birthday for the amazing Máiréad Nesbitt. This incredible professional, artist, and delightful woman has enchanted countless thousands in her career and does so with each passing show. In that time she has perhaps passed in the chronological calendar but she is younger now than when she started with Celtic Woman. Her passion, energy, talent, and never ending generosity in spirit simply moves forward and sweeps all before it gathering up hearts like a beautiful bouquet.
Last year her forum gave her the gift of a lovely, emerald green fiddle bow. Green to match her eyes and her isle and as a reminder of the living thing music becomes in her gracious care. She did her forum a huge honor and used it in both the final shows at Red Rocks that wrapped up the spring 2009 tour. This year her forum gave her a video DVD birthday card with the well wishes and creations of several forum members. At the end of it was a birthday wish recorded in December 2009 in Cleveland by former Celtic Woman artist Orlagh Fallon. Just another special moment to share with Máiréad. But the best gift I could think of to give to her from myself and from her forum was to find a way to make her experience on stage the other night memorable. So, I had planned this for a very long time and put it in place from the moment I entered the venue. I began passing out cards created by a forum member with her website and forum site on them and letting everyone know they were here on a very special night. I did not know if anyone would cooperate and if I would be standing there alone at the appropriate moment. Had that been the case I would have done the performance alone but that was not the case. At the right time late in the second act it began and one by one a large section of the audience of 2500 or so joined me in singing happy birthday to her then most of the place gave her an ovation. It was something I had always wanted to give her. It was personal yet very public and I am grateful to the folks in St. Petersburg for joining me. The looks on her face and that of the others on stage were moments I so wish had been captured in pictures. In the aftermath of that she referred to the event in a Twitter post which was very sweet. Prior to that she had put up a very kind blog that had so many lovely parts to it and was so very kind and supportive. It has been such an amazing time for her and it was my goal to give her the most special of moments out of genuine love and respect. She is like no other and is deserving of all the accolades, awards, and support we can give her.
She is most kind in her generous spirit of giving and I encourage all who read this to support her charity of choice, Oxfam Ireland Unwrapped as well as another one in her friend Darragh who will be working in the rebuilding of Haiti in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake. Please treat yourself to a Celtic Woman performance by this consummate performer and splendid artist who is the very best at what she does and unique in the way she does it.
To you, Máiréad, may you know a great many more birthdays. May they all be special ones surrounded by those who love and cherish you. May the years be healthy, safe, productive, and kind as they progress. May your mind, body, and spirit be forever young. May the gift that lives in you continue to inspire and uplift and those blessings return to you tenfold. Happy birthday, Máiréad.
Le gra, Scott
Last year her forum gave her the gift of a lovely, emerald green fiddle bow. Green to match her eyes and her isle and as a reminder of the living thing music becomes in her gracious care. She did her forum a huge honor and used it in both the final shows at Red Rocks that wrapped up the spring 2009 tour. This year her forum gave her a video DVD birthday card with the well wishes and creations of several forum members. At the end of it was a birthday wish recorded in December 2009 in Cleveland by former Celtic Woman artist Orlagh Fallon. Just another special moment to share with Máiréad. But the best gift I could think of to give to her from myself and from her forum was to find a way to make her experience on stage the other night memorable. So, I had planned this for a very long time and put it in place from the moment I entered the venue. I began passing out cards created by a forum member with her website and forum site on them and letting everyone know they were here on a very special night. I did not know if anyone would cooperate and if I would be standing there alone at the appropriate moment. Had that been the case I would have done the performance alone but that was not the case. At the right time late in the second act it began and one by one a large section of the audience of 2500 or so joined me in singing happy birthday to her then most of the place gave her an ovation. It was something I had always wanted to give her. It was personal yet very public and I am grateful to the folks in St. Petersburg for joining me. The looks on her face and that of the others on stage were moments I so wish had been captured in pictures. In the aftermath of that she referred to the event in a Twitter post which was very sweet. Prior to that she had put up a very kind blog that had so many lovely parts to it and was so very kind and supportive. It has been such an amazing time for her and it was my goal to give her the most special of moments out of genuine love and respect. She is like no other and is deserving of all the accolades, awards, and support we can give her.
She is most kind in her generous spirit of giving and I encourage all who read this to support her charity of choice, Oxfam Ireland Unwrapped as well as another one in her friend Darragh who will be working in the rebuilding of Haiti in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake. Please treat yourself to a Celtic Woman performance by this consummate performer and splendid artist who is the very best at what she does and unique in the way she does it.
To you, Máiréad, may you know a great many more birthdays. May they all be special ones surrounded by those who love and cherish you. May the years be healthy, safe, productive, and kind as they progress. May your mind, body, and spirit be forever young. May the gift that lives in you continue to inspire and uplift and those blessings return to you tenfold. Happy birthday, Máiréad.
Le gra, Scott
Monday, March 22, 2010
My nation died last night
It is with profound sorrow that I mourn the death of a nation. A nation that was conceived in we the people. A nation that once held truth to be self evident. a nation that could look at itself rightfully as different and a shining city on a hill. We were the envy of the world, proud, free, and strong. we held firm to our values and beliefs and they made us stronger.
Last night at the hands of a ruling elite who think they no better than the rest of us, the dreams of our founding fathers were dashed. All of them are millionaires yet they talk like they are one of the regular people. Don't get me wrong, I am not into class warfare. But when the wealthy elite talk against the wealthy elite in an effort to fool us into thinking they stand with the common people when they do not, I am not impressed. Those we sent to DC have become arrogant and look down at the people as incapable of running their own lives. Perhaps in some ways they are right because it is they who created the deplorable "education" system that has created a mass ignorance of both history and our founding documents. They have dumbed down sufficient Americans now that they can convince them of nearly anything. So many have become what one talk show host has called, sheeple. Baaaaahhhhhh. Well, last night we were all fleeced.
Many I know bought into the lie that government can do health care better. Show me the evidence? Name for me the last program that government put into place that ran well and was successful. Government is a mass of red tape where nothing gets done except at an enormous cost. They told us that this would take the money out of the health care system and make it affordable. Really? What just happened is the same thing as mandating you have liability insurance on your car. Did the cost of that insurance come down? No, it went up as people have no choice if they want to drive. Is the money now going to be out of health care? Well 1/3 of doctors say they will quit under this new plan. Not exactly the money we thought would be taken out of it. Take a look at stocks of both insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies in the aftermath of this vote. They backed this whole thing. Now if the money was going to be taken out of it don't you think they would have been against the bill? No, because now they are assured of millions more paying who previously did not.
There is precedent for what happened late last night. what other unpopular things have passed the halls of Congress in the dead of night? The Federal Reserve Act which put all money in the hands of bankers. The Income tax and its payroll deduction aspects did so as well while America slept. Fully 1/6 of the nation's economy will now be added to government control. Private section jobs continue to decline in this country. The only growth sector is government and health related industries. The latter will now be effectively part of government now too.
So what gave the elite leftists in DC the idea they could do this with impunity? A couple examples. When the banks were failing at the end of the previous administration congress had the bright idea of bailing them out and taking nominal control. Polls showed over 90% of the American public against it. They did it anyway. when the auto manufacturers of this country were about to go under congress again stepped in to bail them out. The people did not want it. Same for the airlines after 9/11. So what message have they been sending us? We are going to do what we want whether you like it or not. Are there consequences to that? Well, there should be but while many were sleeping they have been busy Gerrymandering districts to make them safe for themselves. Then they give themselves a pay raise every year. Can you do that? Will any if them have to live by the system they just created? Nope. Just us rabble out here.
Can they pay for this? No. The revenue stream has shrunk due to the loss of jobs and the many who are under employed. Many others have simply fallen off the radar screen as they could not survive if they had to pay all the taxes. So what are they doing in DC to pay for all this spending? Printing more money. It will become increasingly worthless as they print more. Our debt to other nations climbs and soon the dollar may no longer be the currency of international trade which will further devalue it. Hyper inflation kicks in and soon you can't pay for anything.
Do the people running the show in DC see all this? Yes, but they aren't going to tell you that. Would a group of people actually set about to destroy their own nation on purpose? Yes. Want to know how? Read The Communist Manifesto and see just how accurate this past few decades has been in following that path.
Ladies and gentlemen your new "health care" system is not about health. It is about power and control. Is the current system perfect? Not in the least. Frankly, it is not in the best interest of the medical industry, and that is what it is, to cure anything. The money is made in treating you, not curing you. In a similar way is it in the government's best interest to educate all of us? Not in their minds it isn't. If you are truly educated you can think for yourself and be independent. Our government does not want people who think for themselves. They want people you believe what they are told by their propagandists in the traditional media. Do they want you independent? No, they want dependents who will do what they are told. So are there still good doctors and teachers who aren't part of all of that? Sure, there are lots of well meaning folks. But the longer they remain in the system and the more indoctrinated they are in government schools, the fewer there are of them.
I have watched this socialized medicine thing in action, if you want to call it that. Trust me, while your out of pocket expense will be low, your insurance will be higher as will your taxes. In addition, your quality and promptness of care will diminish. You will be placed by a bureaucrat, not an doctor on a waiting list for testing and then again for treatment. Only government prescribed treatment. It may be as you get older and therefor less productive as a taxpayer that you will be lower on the list for testing and treatment. I witnessed that first hand in Australia. Oh well, he died, it wasn't his turn yet for the heart surgery he needed. Think I'm wrong? Wait and see. After all these elitists believe in population control anyway. That at both ends of life for the yet to be born and the elderly. They are merchants of death and the people put them there.
So, a very long novel here as I mourn the death of the U.S.A. as I knew it. For us now we have a choice to let it stand or take our country and constitution back at the ballot box. What will you do? Will you stand up for your freedom or just let it go. When they raid your bank account to force you to pay for something you don't want will that be enough? Sadly, by the time that happens it will be too late. We were given a great gift by our founders in the constitution and declaration of independence. We are told today those are archaic and "living" documents open to reinterpretation. When words no longer mean what they did when written then the rule of law itself is dead. We have very little time to take our nation back. Get out and vote and throw out every incumbent who refuses to maintain their oath to protect, uphold, and defend the constitution. That will be nearly all of them.
We must do this peacefully and at the ballot box or face far worse as the nation continues to sink into the abyss. Please pray for our nation and her people, and please stand up and be counted and do something about it. God bless you each and God bless the United States.
Peace, Scott/moscapoet
Last night at the hands of a ruling elite who think they no better than the rest of us, the dreams of our founding fathers were dashed. All of them are millionaires yet they talk like they are one of the regular people. Don't get me wrong, I am not into class warfare. But when the wealthy elite talk against the wealthy elite in an effort to fool us into thinking they stand with the common people when they do not, I am not impressed. Those we sent to DC have become arrogant and look down at the people as incapable of running their own lives. Perhaps in some ways they are right because it is they who created the deplorable "education" system that has created a mass ignorance of both history and our founding documents. They have dumbed down sufficient Americans now that they can convince them of nearly anything. So many have become what one talk show host has called, sheeple. Baaaaahhhhhh. Well, last night we were all fleeced.
Many I know bought into the lie that government can do health care better. Show me the evidence? Name for me the last program that government put into place that ran well and was successful. Government is a mass of red tape where nothing gets done except at an enormous cost. They told us that this would take the money out of the health care system and make it affordable. Really? What just happened is the same thing as mandating you have liability insurance on your car. Did the cost of that insurance come down? No, it went up as people have no choice if they want to drive. Is the money now going to be out of health care? Well 1/3 of doctors say they will quit under this new plan. Not exactly the money we thought would be taken out of it. Take a look at stocks of both insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies in the aftermath of this vote. They backed this whole thing. Now if the money was going to be taken out of it don't you think they would have been against the bill? No, because now they are assured of millions more paying who previously did not.
There is precedent for what happened late last night. what other unpopular things have passed the halls of Congress in the dead of night? The Federal Reserve Act which put all money in the hands of bankers. The Income tax and its payroll deduction aspects did so as well while America slept. Fully 1/6 of the nation's economy will now be added to government control. Private section jobs continue to decline in this country. The only growth sector is government and health related industries. The latter will now be effectively part of government now too.
So what gave the elite leftists in DC the idea they could do this with impunity? A couple examples. When the banks were failing at the end of the previous administration congress had the bright idea of bailing them out and taking nominal control. Polls showed over 90% of the American public against it. They did it anyway. when the auto manufacturers of this country were about to go under congress again stepped in to bail them out. The people did not want it. Same for the airlines after 9/11. So what message have they been sending us? We are going to do what we want whether you like it or not. Are there consequences to that? Well, there should be but while many were sleeping they have been busy Gerrymandering districts to make them safe for themselves. Then they give themselves a pay raise every year. Can you do that? Will any if them have to live by the system they just created? Nope. Just us rabble out here.
Can they pay for this? No. The revenue stream has shrunk due to the loss of jobs and the many who are under employed. Many others have simply fallen off the radar screen as they could not survive if they had to pay all the taxes. So what are they doing in DC to pay for all this spending? Printing more money. It will become increasingly worthless as they print more. Our debt to other nations climbs and soon the dollar may no longer be the currency of international trade which will further devalue it. Hyper inflation kicks in and soon you can't pay for anything.
Do the people running the show in DC see all this? Yes, but they aren't going to tell you that. Would a group of people actually set about to destroy their own nation on purpose? Yes. Want to know how? Read The Communist Manifesto and see just how accurate this past few decades has been in following that path.
Ladies and gentlemen your new "health care" system is not about health. It is about power and control. Is the current system perfect? Not in the least. Frankly, it is not in the best interest of the medical industry, and that is what it is, to cure anything. The money is made in treating you, not curing you. In a similar way is it in the government's best interest to educate all of us? Not in their minds it isn't. If you are truly educated you can think for yourself and be independent. Our government does not want people who think for themselves. They want people you believe what they are told by their propagandists in the traditional media. Do they want you independent? No, they want dependents who will do what they are told. So are there still good doctors and teachers who aren't part of all of that? Sure, there are lots of well meaning folks. But the longer they remain in the system and the more indoctrinated they are in government schools, the fewer there are of them.
I have watched this socialized medicine thing in action, if you want to call it that. Trust me, while your out of pocket expense will be low, your insurance will be higher as will your taxes. In addition, your quality and promptness of care will diminish. You will be placed by a bureaucrat, not an doctor on a waiting list for testing and then again for treatment. Only government prescribed treatment. It may be as you get older and therefor less productive as a taxpayer that you will be lower on the list for testing and treatment. I witnessed that first hand in Australia. Oh well, he died, it wasn't his turn yet for the heart surgery he needed. Think I'm wrong? Wait and see. After all these elitists believe in population control anyway. That at both ends of life for the yet to be born and the elderly. They are merchants of death and the people put them there.
So, a very long novel here as I mourn the death of the U.S.A. as I knew it. For us now we have a choice to let it stand or take our country and constitution back at the ballot box. What will you do? Will you stand up for your freedom or just let it go. When they raid your bank account to force you to pay for something you don't want will that be enough? Sadly, by the time that happens it will be too late. We were given a great gift by our founders in the constitution and declaration of independence. We are told today those are archaic and "living" documents open to reinterpretation. When words no longer mean what they did when written then the rule of law itself is dead. We have very little time to take our nation back. Get out and vote and throw out every incumbent who refuses to maintain their oath to protect, uphold, and defend the constitution. That will be nearly all of them.
We must do this peacefully and at the ballot box or face far worse as the nation continues to sink into the abyss. Please pray for our nation and her people, and please stand up and be counted and do something about it. God bless you each and God bless the United States.
Peace, Scott/moscapoet
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Let the wolves eat the sheep
OK, been awhile. Lots to say but best not to say it. Lots to think but been told it is wrong to think it. Evil flourishes when the good do nothing. We are told we are our brother's keeper so it is that some defend the innocent victims of those who attempt to cause harm to them. Yet we are told to look the other way. In so doing others down the road will be victimized.
When the first victim of a rapist refuses to press charges how many more will be victims of the man's violence? When millions of unborn are slaughtered every year should we just meekly sit by and say nothing about it? When radicals threaten innocent children in a far away land should we just look the other way and let it happen without saying a word?
What are the lessons learned in silence? How many Jews went to their death in Nazi Germany when good people looked the other way and said nothing? How many were saved by people willing to stand up and risk death or persecution by harboring the innocent? Does a shepherd watch the wolf eat the sheep or does he poke at the wolf with his staff and defend his flock?
There is no Gospel without the law. In fact there is no need for Gospel without the law. By like token if we strictly look at the law and ignore the Gospel then we are in a hopeless state. One without the other does not work. People, including myself, need to know the state they are in. They need to know the consequences of staying in that state. Then they need to be forgiven and embraced and loved. I know the state I am in. I know the consequences of remaining in that state. I choose by the Grace of God to not remain there.
So, an earlier blog has been removed along with the comments that went with it. It is a message of forgiveness that I do so. We shall see if the hate ends or if it simply sends a signal for the wolves to go after the sheep. My staff is ready.
May His peace always be yours, Moscapoet
When the first victim of a rapist refuses to press charges how many more will be victims of the man's violence? When millions of unborn are slaughtered every year should we just meekly sit by and say nothing about it? When radicals threaten innocent children in a far away land should we just look the other way and let it happen without saying a word?
What are the lessons learned in silence? How many Jews went to their death in Nazi Germany when good people looked the other way and said nothing? How many were saved by people willing to stand up and risk death or persecution by harboring the innocent? Does a shepherd watch the wolf eat the sheep or does he poke at the wolf with his staff and defend his flock?
There is no Gospel without the law. In fact there is no need for Gospel without the law. By like token if we strictly look at the law and ignore the Gospel then we are in a hopeless state. One without the other does not work. People, including myself, need to know the state they are in. They need to know the consequences of staying in that state. Then they need to be forgiven and embraced and loved. I know the state I am in. I know the consequences of remaining in that state. I choose by the Grace of God to not remain there.
So, an earlier blog has been removed along with the comments that went with it. It is a message of forgiveness that I do so. We shall see if the hate ends or if it simply sends a signal for the wolves to go after the sheep. My staff is ready.
May His peace always be yours, Moscapoet
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