Monday, January 17, 2011

Hibernian Hall, Watertown, January 16, 2011

I'm a party animal, I guess. Today there were three events I tried to get to: the once-monthly Hibernian Hall session in Watertown, a house session in Cambridge, and a playoffs/birthday party in Brookline. I couldn't quite squeeze all three into the afternoon, despite my noble intentions, but I did manage to get to the Watertown session and the Brookline party.

I'm so glad I made it to the Hibernian Hall, because Dennis Galvin was there with a group of his young students. What a joy to see and hear these kids play their fiddles - a delight - taking me back to the days when my son Jonathan and I were studying violin on the Cape with Miss Sykes (taking the ferry over from the island every week), and my life was a steady stream of little kids and violins. How wonderful to see the music being passed to the next generation, and how lucky these kids are to be learning the music at a young age - though they don't know it yet, of course. I told Braden, age eleven, since I only started playing this music one year ago, "You've got a fifty-year head start on me." Hearing the children play was a treat, an honor, really.

I thought the attendance would be low due to the big Pats/Jets game scheduled to kick off at 4:30, but clearly football is not a priority with this crowd, as the hall was filled with musicians, dancers, families, and children of all ages (and the game would not have been a draw for me either had it not also been the birthday party of a friend).

It occurs to me that a People that makes music and dances together stands as good a chance as any, as a culture, to survive - probably more so. Let's throw staying in touch with its children in there, too.










Hibernian Hall, Watertown
Fiona, Braden, and Brigitte, with Billy in the background.








Hibernian Hall, Watertown
Fiona










Hibernian Hall, Watertown
Fiona and Braden.








Hibernian Hall, Watertown
Dierdre










Hibernian Hall, Watertown
Frank and Flan.










Hibernian Hall, Watertown
Dennis, Billy, and Braden.










Hibernian Hall, Watertown
Frank, Tom, and Mike.










Hibernian Hall, Watertown
Tom and Frank.










Hibernian Hall, Watertown











Hibernian Hall, Watertown
Connie, (Dennis, hidden), Billy, Braden, and Brigitte.










Hibernian Hall, Watertown
Braden










Hibernian Hall, Watertown
Braden, Brigitte, Billy, and Siobhan.










Hibernian Hall, Watertown
Fiona










Hibernian Hall, Watertown
Braden and Brigitte.










Hibernian Hall, Watertown
Frank and Tom.










Hibernian Hall, Watertown











Hibernian Hall, Watertown
Peter(?) and Connie.










Hibernian Hall, Watertown











Hibernian Hall, Watertown
Flan









Hibernian Hall, Watertown
Frank


Hibernian Hall, Watertown
Peter (?)










Hibernian Hall, Watertown










Hibernian Hall, Watertown











Hibernian Hall, Watertown











Hibernian Hall, Watertown











Hibernian Hall, Watertown











Hibernian Hall, Watertown










Hibernian Hall, Watertown










Hibernian Hall, Watertown










Hibernian Hall, Watertown

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