Tonight's Music

Julie Fowlis - Hùg Air A' Bhonaid Mhòir

Tonight's Music

Another, somewhat more traditional, Eluveitie video.

Tonight's Music

My Three Kilts. I'll be seeing them Friday night at Jack of the Wood in Asheville.

Tonight's Music

Sardinia



M'Ionam

Two from Camercaillie's CD Beautiful Wasteland, one of their best.

However their fan base disagreed. The band's willingness to go beyond the traditional Celtic mold and incorporate other musical styles into their music infuriated many of their most loyal fans. After this CD the band retreated into more traditional Celtic musical forms, even titling their next all original CD Nàdurra , (Naturally, for its reliance upon traditional instruments, rhythms, ect.).

Although the band's later work has been excellent it has never matched what it could have been had they continued to expand their horizons and blend the best of what the rest of the world had to offer with their traditional Celtic sound.

Today's Music

I haven't posted music in a while so here are three nice videos:



Altan - Dúlamán. The nicest song ever about seaweed.



Rathlestair - Dragonfly



And finally Poor Man's Fortune performing at the North Texas Irish Festival. Yes, that is E.J. Jones sitting in.

Tonight's Music

Sharon Shannon - Galway Girl

Tonight's Music

Celtic Woman performs there new song O, America!

The group describes the song as a tribute to the American Dream.

Chloe Agnew said at a recent concert:

"'O, America!' is a dedication to you to thank you for being the first country to embrace us as Celtic Woman. We feel as though we are part of your family now and for that we are very honored and proud. You are our true inspiration!"

Tonight's Music

Rathkeltair performing Dragonfly.

Tonight's Music

Part 6 of the Six Mile Bridge concert.

Tonight's Music

Part 5 of the Six Mile Bridge concert.

Tonight's Music

Part 4 of the Six Mile Bridge concert.

Tonight's Music

Part 3 of the Six Mile Bridge concert.

Tonight's Music

Part 2 of the Six Mile Bridge concert.

Tonight's Music

This is Six Mile Bridge from back in 1998.

Tonight's Music

Karan Casey with SARAH Watkins.

Tonight's Music

Narsilion - Beltane

Beltane is the anglicized spelling of Bealtaine (Irish pronunciation: [b-al-t-ən-ə]) or Bealltainn (Template:IPAgd) the Gaelic names for either the month of May or the festival that takes place on the first day of May.

In Irish Gaelic the month is known as Bealtaine and the festival as Lá Bealtaine ('day of Bealtaine' or, 'May Day'). In Scottish Gaelic the month is known as either an Cèitean or a' Mhàigh and the festival is known as Latha Bealltainn or simply Bealltainn.

As an ancient Gaelic festival, Bealtaine was celebrated in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. There were similar festivals held at the same time in the other Celtic countries of Wales, Brittany and Cornwall. Bealtaine and Samhain were the leading terminal dates of the civil year in Ireland though the latter festival was the most important. The festival survives in folkloric practices in the Celtic Nations and the diaspora, and has experienced a degree of revival in recent decades.

For the Celts, Beltane marked the beginning of the pastoral summer season when the herds of livestock were driven out to the summer pastures and mountain grazing lands. Due to the change from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, Bealltainn in Scotland was commonly celebrated on the 15th of May while in Ireland Sean Bhealtain / "Old May" began about the night of the 11th of May.[citation needed] The lighting of bonfires on Oidhche Bhealtaine ('the eve of Bealtaine') on mountains and hills of ritual and political significance was one of the main activities of the festival. In modern Scottish Gaelic, Latha Buidhe Bealtuinn ('the yellow day of Bealltain') is used to describe the first day of May. This term Lá Buidhe Bealtaine is also used in Irish and is translated as 'Bright May Day'. In Ireland it is referred to in a common folk tale as Luan Lae Bealtaine; the first day of the week (Monday/Luan) is added to emphasise the first day of summer.

In ancient Ireland the main Bealtaine fire was held on the central hill of Uisneach 'the navel of Ireland', one of the ritual centres of the country, which is located in what is now County Westmeath. In Ireland the lighting of bonfires on Oidhche Bhealtaine seems only to have survived to the present day in County Limerick, especially in Limerick itself, as their yearly bonfire night, though some cultural groups have expressed an interest in reviving the custom at Uisneach and perhaps at the Hill of Tara.[3] The lighting of a community Bealtaine fire from which individual hearth fires are then relit is also observed in modern times in some parts of the Celtic diaspora and by some Neopagan groups, though in the majority of these cases this practice is a cultural revival rather than an unbroken survival of the ancient tradition.

Another common aspect of the festival which survived up until the early 20th century in Ireland was the hanging of May Boughs on the doors and windows of houses and the erection of May Bushes in farmyards, which usually consisted either of a branch of rowan/caorthann (mountain ash) or more commonly whitethorn/sceach geal (hawthorn) which is in bloom at the time and is commonly called the 'May Bush' or just 'May' in Hiberno-English. Furze/aiteann was also used for the May Boughs, May Bushes and as fuel for the bonfire. The practice of decorating the May Bush or Dos Bhealtaine with flowers, ribbons, garlands and colored egg shells has survived to some extent among the diaspora as well, most notably in Newfoundland, and in some Easter traditions observed on the East Coast of the United States.

Bealtaine is a cross-quarter day, marking the midpoint in the Sun's progress between the spring equinox and summer solstice. Since the Celtic year was based on both lunar and solar cycles, it is possible that the holiday was celebrated on the full moon nearest the midpoint between the spring equinox and the summer solstice. The astronomical date for this midpoint is closer to May 5 or May 7, but this can vary from year to year.

Placenames in Ireland which contain remnants of the word 'Bealtaine' include a number of places called 'Beltany' - indicating places where Bealtaine festivities were once held. There are two 'Beltany's in County Donegal, one near Raphoe and the other in the parish of Tulloghobegly. Two others are lcoated in County Tyrone, one near Clogher and the other in the parish of Cappagh. In the parish of Kilmore, County Armagh, there is a place called Tamnaghvelton/Tamhnach Bhealtaine ('field of the Bealtaine festivities'). Lisbalting/Lios Bealtaine ('fort or enclosure of Bealtaine') is located in Kilcash Parish, County Tipperary. Glasheennabaultina ('the Bealtaine stream') is the name of a stream joining the River Galey near Athea, County Limerick.

Tonight's Music

Drumshamboo Jig - Banshee Celtic Band at the concert in Krakow, march 2008.

Tonight's Music

To all the people who are wondering where I've gone off to I promise I'll post something about that tomorrow. Until then here is a nice music video to entertain you.



This is the Rogues with the United States Air Force Band in Washington DC.

Tonight's Music

Mike Oldfield's version of Flowers of the Forest, a lament for those who have fallen in battle.

I've heard the lilting, at the yowe-milking,

Lassies a-lilting before dawn o' day;

But now they are moaning on ilka green loaning;

"The Flowers of the Forest are a' wede away".

Dool and wae for the order sent oor lads tae the Border!

The English for ance, by guile wan the day,

The Flooers o' the Forest, that fought aye the foremost,

The pride o' oor land lie cauld in the clay.

I've heard the lilting, at the yowe-milking,

Lassies a-lilting before dawn o' day;

But now they are moaning on ilka green loaning;

"The Flowers of the Forest are a' wede away".

Tonight's Music

Clandestine's Cannonball, from their CD The Haunting.

My son John was tall and slim
And he had a leg for every limb
Now he's got no legs at all
They're both shot away with a cannonball

Well were you drunk or were you blind
To leave your two fine legs behind
Or was it from walking upon the sea
That took your legs from the ground to the knee

I wasn't drunk and I wasn't blind
To leave my two fine legs behind
Was a cannonball on the fifth of May
Took my two fine legs away

And all the foreign wars I'll now denounce
'Twixt this king of England or that king of France
I'd rather my legs as they used to be
Than the king of Spain and his whole navy

For I was tall and I was slim
And I had a leg for every limb
Now I've got no legs at all
You can't win a race with a cannonball

For I was tall and I was slim
And I had a leg for every limb
Now I've got no legs at all
You can't win a race with a cannonball