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“Thank You, Soldier”

I wanted you all of a special experience that the Conchords were a part of about 5 years ago.  Jeremy Walker had written a song, “Thank You, Soldier”  to honor a close friend and all servicemen and women for their sacrifice.  I was asked to listen to the song.  When it was over, I knew it was something that we should take part in.  With Jeremy’s permission, I arranged it for choir, soloist, guitar and piano.  What you will hear is our recording of it.  We ended up performing with Jeremy on the waterfront in downtown Portland as part of the Rose Festival’s Memorial Day event.  Thousands showed up, including vets, their families, and others.  A parameter of vets on motorcycles and flags was very stirring.

So here is that recording to honor our vets once more.

Don Anderson

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Annual Christmas Party – RSVP

Christmas Party Will Be on Saturday, December 10.

This year the Christmas party will be a luncheon buffet at the Holiday Inn near the Portland Airport from 1-4:30PM.  We had a truly enjoyable lunch and entertainment last year.  We all went home with a gift, selected by Rose Ann Ranft. Cost will be $27 for members and $30 for non-members.  This is a great deal for a nice meal, gifts, games, entertainment, and a good time.  We will have the drawing for the Molly Malone statue.  Call the club phone, 503 286 4812, and send your payment to AICS of Oregon, PO Box 3411, Portland, OR, 97208 by December 3.

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Felicity Dyall to perform November 19 – General Meeting

Felicity Dyall will play the harp in the program portion of the November event of the All-Ireland Cultural Society on Saturday, November 19th – which is this coming Saturday. The place to be is the Oregon Stamp Society building at 4828 NE 33rd Avenue in Portland. The genealogy group meets at 6 p.m. A lesson in the Gaelig language by Bruce Kenny will follow a short business meeting. After a time to socialize, we will have the pleasure of listening to Felicity play the harp. Cead Mile Failte (a hundred thousand welcomes). For more information call 503-286-4812.

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Irish Christmas in America – The Show

Irish Christmas in America – The Show

With – Niamh Farrell vocals
Séamus Begley vocals / accordion
Oisín Mac Diarmada producer / fiddle
Gráinne Hambly Irish harp /concertina
Samantha Harvey – dance / piano
Sean Gavin – flute / uilleann pipes

Produced by Sligo fiddler Oisín Mac Diarmada, the hugely popular Irish Christmas in America show features top Irish music, song and dance in an engaging performance rich in humour and boundless energy. The 2016 tour features special guest singer Niamh Farrell, a Sligo vocalist who has toured with UK singer/songwriting star David Gray. Niamh teams up with legendary West Kerry singer Séamus Begley, famous for his charming wit and stunning voice.

This family-friendly performance features lively instrumental tunes on fiddle, flute, uilleann pipes and harp, along with thrilling Irish dancing from Samantha Harvey. In addition, evocative photographic images provide a backdrop to some of the rich historical traditions of Ireland. Take a memorable glimpse into the enchanting spirit of Christmas, as the finest traditional artists from Ireland, bring you on a fun-filled start to the holiday season of 2016.

The holiday show was first conceived in 2005 with past tours featuring such stellar guest vocalists as Séamus & Méabh Begley, Teresa Horgan, Lumiere (Pauline Scanlon & Eilis Kennedy), Karan Casey, Cara Dillon, Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, Cathie Ryan and Michael Londra. Mac Diarmada enthuses about the program as a way to bring traditional and often unknown Irish customs to the States. One of the most heartfelt themes of Irish Christmas is emigration, says Mac Diarmada. Music was a way that people stayed close to home.

A sparkling tradition among holiday events, Irish Christmas in America is a special show to see this season. For more information visit irishchristmasinamerica.com.

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