Greetings!
Mayday corresponds with the Irish festival of La Bealtaine, which officially heralded the beginning of the summer. Its name appears to derive from the Old Irish words
Bel taine meaning ‘bright fire’ and it was surrounded by a large number of folk beliefs some of which had possible pagan origins. As the name of the festival suggests, bonfires played an important part in the activities and were often lit on prominent local landmarks with the Hill of
Uisneach in Co. Westmeath being the most famous example. May flowers, such as primrose, gorse or hawthorn blossoms, were gathered before dawn and placed in bundles on door posts to ward off evil. Similarly sprigs of rowan or hawthorn could be placed over the byre door or even across the horns of the cows to prevent ‘milk thieves’, the prevalent belief being that someone could steal your summer’s milk supplies through the incantation of specific curses. [
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In May, the Celtic Society welcomes Kevin Burke (May 5) and Henneke Cassel (May 16). And in June, check out Molsky's Mountain Drifters (June 18), a collaborative acoustic departure that will delight!
The
Celtic Society of the Monterey Bay is honored to bring these and other outstanding musical groups to the Santa Cruz area! Please visit
www.celticsociety.org to see all our upcoming shows! And please visit our
Community Listings page for more wonderful local Celtic music events!
COMMUNITY MUSIC SCHOOL
Teen Music Camp
Redwood Adult Music Camp
To donate to Community Music School of Santa Cruz:
https://humanracesc.org/npo/community-music-school-of-santa-cruz
SPECIAL PERFORMANCES
Santa Cruz women's choral ensemble, Zambra, lends their haunting renditions of songs from around the world to an evening of food, music, and dance called
Choreocopia at 418 Project, Santa Cruz on May 7 and May 14. For more information, visit our
Community Listings page.
IRISH SET DANCING
In association with
Irish Culture Bay Area and the
Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann Cooley-Keegan Branch, San Francisco, join the vibrant Irish set dancing community at several Bay Area locations every week. On Facebook:
www.facebook.com/irishdancebayarea/
On Meetup:
www.meetup.com/irishdance/
THE CELTIC TATTOO
Written by fluent Irish speaker and local harpist, Audrey Nickel, The Irish Gaelic Tattoo Handbook offers inspiration for your next tattoo - including illustrations of real-life Irish tattoo mistakes! Coming out in May, 2017, get your copy at:
www.bradanpress.com/irish-tattoo-handbook/
IRISH MUSIC RADIO SHOW ON KBCZ 90.1 FM
Now broadcasting live every Wednesday at noon: "The Mountain Road," a new Irish music and culture show produced locally and streaming globally from KBCZ 90.1 Boulder Creek Community Radio! Stay tuned:
www.kbcz.org/
JOIN THE SOCIETY
The Celtic Society depends on your membership to be able to attract world class musicianship. Individual and family memberships are available, starting at $20 per year. Two-year individual: $36 | One-year family: $30 | Two-year family: $50
Help us to continue to bring world class musicians to the area by becoming a member. You can join online at
www.celticsociety.org or print a form at the page and mail it to us with your check.
Savor the sunny days and see you at one of our tremendous shows soon! Thank you for your support.