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Hello AmeriCeltic Reader, • Founder Tony reports on the Bi-Monthly Song Swaps hosted by the San Francisco Folk Music Club. These live singing sessions are accessible world-wide, Online via Zoom, from 7 PM PDT until late every 2nd and 4th Friday. (See Below)
• Co-founder Tony presents the free service website, https://VDO.Ninja which empowers Real Time Music collaboration among Neighbors while they are all safe in their homes. (See Below)
• Guest author Eamon O'Kelly, Esq. offers us an update on the latest DNA research into Irish and Scottish Ancient Origins. (See Below)
• Co-founder Cecilia Fábos-Becker follows up with an introduction to the 'Beaker People', which Eamon suggests are the antecedents of the British and Irish 'Celts'. (See Below)
• Your feedback has been successful! This Tuesday, August 31st, at 6:00 PM, the KALW FM (91.7 MHz) board will host a public forum Live on Zoom, to hear your concerns for all their Saturday Celtic shows, and Bay Area Folk maven JoAnn Mar makes a special appeal for your attendance. (See Below)
• From Friday, August 27th - Wednesday September 1st, Heart of VOM, the reimagining of Valley of the Moon Fiddle Camp, returns Online via Zoom. (See Below)
• On Friday August 27th at 6:00 PM, through Saturday, August 28th, the The New World String Project, continues their tour of Oregon with stops in Alpine, Springfield, Roseburg, McMinnville, and Salem, OR. (See Below)
• On Saturday, August 28th, at 12:00 PM PDT, Berkeley based Erica and Friends, perform at Peralta Community Garden in Berkeley, CA. (See Below)
• On Saturday, August 28th, from 3:00 - 8:00 PM, at the United Irish Cultural Center, Wawona Gates is serving hot food and a full bar, with LIVE Irish Music from 4:00 - 6:00 PM from The Gasmen, under their 1800 sq.ft. 'Big Top', all in our spacious facility in San Francisco, CA. (See Below)
• On Saturday, August 28th at 5:00 PM, the fabulous Shipwrecked Shanty Band are back in person (keepin' their distance) and online via Facebook Live from Sláinte Irish Pub in Jack London Square in Oakland, CA. (See Below)
• On Sunday, August 29th, at 11:00 AM PDT, fresh, new band Stepwise will present a live in-person show at O'Connor's Pub in Lakewood, CA, and then four live shows in the Bay Area, CA. (See Below)
• On Sunday, August 29th at 11:00 AM, Piper Sundays, an hour and one half long Zoom meeting is hosted Patrick D'Arcy, returns with guest Kara Doyle joining us from Schenectady, New York. (See Below)
• On Labor Day Weekend, Saturday, September 4th & Sunday, September 5th, from 9 AM to 6:30 PM, its the World's Largest Celtic Festival, aka the 155th Scottish Highland Gathering and Games at the Alameda County Fairgrounds, in Pleasanton. (See Below)
• From Saturday, September 4th, 12:00 PM (ish) until Monday, September 6th, 2:00 PM, the San Francisco Folk Music Club offers their regular Labor Day Weekend Campout and this time it will happen at the Boy Scouts Camp Herms in El Cerrito, CA. (See Below)
• On Monday, September 6th, 11:30 AM - 3:00 PM, join the California Revels for picnicing and Abbots Bromliad Antler Dancing at Joaquin Miller Park Outdoors in Oakland. (See Below)
• On Sunday, September 12th, 1:00 PM PDT the San Francisco Irish Mexican Association will present San Patricios Day @ #Wawona Gates, a special extravaganza, outdoors at the UICC in San Francisco. (See Below)
• On Saturday, September 18th at 9:00 AM, its the 44th Annual Fresno Highland Games, at Kearney Park in Fresno, CA. (See Below)
• On Saturday, September 25th, at 11:00 AM The Johnson Girls will give a concert of Sea Music, presented by The San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park. (See Below)
• On Saturday, October 2nd, at 6:00 PM indefatigable Celtic Rockers Tempest will begin a West Coast Fall Tour with stops in Eureka, NV, and McCloud, Woodland, Blue Lake and Fresno CA. (See Below)
• On Saturday and Sunday, October 16th - 17th the re-scheduled Midsummer Fairy Tale, An Indie Music & Faire Fantasy Experience, happens at the Amador County Fairgrounds in Plymouth, CA. (See Below)
• From Thursday, October, 21st 7:00 AM CDT through Sunday October 24th, the O'Flaherty Irish Music Retreat, the Irish Music Camp Like No Other, convenes in Midlothian, TX. (See Below)
• On Fridays, from 1 - 4 PM PDT, the An Góilín Traditional Singers Club, host live singing sessions accessible world-wide from Dublin, Ireland, Online via Zoom. (See Below)
• On Fridays, at 5:30 PM, the Cross Keys band, Cormac Gannon, Stacy Samuels, Neil O'Neill, sing out at the Way Station Smokehouse & Beer Garden in Fairfax, CA. (See Below)
• On Saturdays, at 1:00 PM, Sin Silver, performs her 70th piano bar show, and this week the theme is '1970s'. Stay safe at home, and stream it online from from 'Murray's Pub' (her recreation/piano room) in Concord, CA. (See Below)
• On Tuesday evenings, from 7:00-8:30 PM Pacific Time, its the Andronicos San Francisco Jam, hosted by Dinah and Noah Stroe on Zoom from San Francisco, CA. (See Below)
• On Thursdays, multi-instrumentalist Michael Eskin hosts the best and most popular online Irish traditional music online, The Ould Sod Virtual Irish Session. (See Below)
• Co-Founder Cecilia Fábos-Becker's e-book Ancestry & DNA: Beyond the basics, is available for download now! (See Below)
• The Chieftain Irish Pub & Restaurant, the local Irish Pub bringing the culture of Ireland to downtown San Francisco at 5th and Howard. (See Below)
• Music is returning to the cherished San Francisco Celtic cultural institution, The Plough and the Stars, now open from Wednesday through Sunday, 4:00 PM to 12:00 AM. (See Below)
• Sláinte Pub Jack London Square in Oakland, CA is open Tuesday - Sunday, with a full menu of great food and drink with outdoor and limited indoor dining service and on Sundays from 4 PM to 7 PM offers traditional Irish music from their house band, Buncrana. (See Below)
• On the first Sunday of each month, a small group of Starry Plough regulars stream a re-newed online Irish Session from 8:00 to 10:00 PM. (See Below)
• Multi-genre violin teacher (especially Irish Traditional Music) and performer Darcy Noonan is available for gigs and lessons. (See Below)
• Sport your Celtic heritage! AmeriCeltic offers a colorful array of items, each emblazoned with the AmeriCeltic logo. (See Below)
• The Celtic Tea Shoppe, in San Jose is your source for Celtic and Celtic inspired carry-out fresh baked foods, confections and rare teas! (See Below)
• While Lark In The Morning in Berkeley, CA and Exploring Music in the outer sunset neighborhood of San Francisco, CA are closed for walk-ins, both stores are open for online sales and lessons. (See Below)
• Publican Stan Gamble has re-opened The Duke of Edinburgh Pub & Restaurant, offering outdoor service 7 days a week from 4pm to late. (See Below)
• The Celtic Society of Monterey Bay, has a 32 year record of producing Celtic Concerts in various venues in and around Santa Cruz and Monterey, CA. (See Below)
• Catherine Barry's Irish Culture Bay Area , offers a succinct listing of Irish events around Bay Area. (See Below)

Scan our feature articles below, or as always, you can click here to check the full listings on our website.

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Bi-Monthly Song Swaps
hosted by the San Francisco Folk Music Club

2nd and 4th Fridays 7:00 PM PDT

Online via Zoom

The San Francisco Folk Music Club invites you to it's regular 2nd & 4th Friday of the month song swaps. In non-pandemic times, these events are held at Cyprian's ARC/St. Cyprian's Episcopal Church in San Francisco, but for now, they are held on online via Zoom, and so they are accessible to anyone.

Guests are always welcome, and no one is expected to 'perform' — we take turns singing songs but you can also pass or request a song.

Lots of genre's are included, including Scottish, Irish, Welsh and other Celtic songs, and on this Friday, August 27th, there will also be an Irish 'Chief'less Session', with lots of Celtic tunes, held in a Zoom breakout room.

Learn more about …
San Francisco Folk Music Club: http://www.sffmc.org

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The SF Folk Music Club Friday night musical meeting tradition began at Faith Petric's home, and until the current pandemic, continued at Cyprian's ARC, located at 2097 Turk Street @ Lyon in San Francisco, CA.

Cyprian's ARC has plenty of easy street parking, but if you can't find anything closer, you may park in the blood bank lot at Turk and Mason. If you do plan to park in the lot, drive up to the front door of the church and come in for a parking pass.

We use a 'Singing Room' style circle, with finger pointer and theme, as well as abundant space for singing and jamming in four other rooms. 

At Cyprian's, there is a big upstairs jam in the sanctuary area that doesn't follow a particular theme. There you might hear everything from jug band/pre-war blues and string band to Beatles, with all stops in between.

Volunteer jobs include: Set Up, Host, Singing Room (you pick the theme), and Clean Up.

Donation Request: Cyprian's needs to charge us rent to cover their costs for lights, heat, maintenance, etc. We will be asking those who can to donate $5 to $10 per evening, but if you can't donate, we still want you to join us!

Food and Drink: The money we collect is solely for rent but, if you are so inclined, you are welcome to bring treats to share.

Please note that only service dogs are allowed at Cyprian's ARC. In consideration of members' allergies, all our events are fragrance-free.

Learn more about …
Cyprian's ARC at: http://cyprianscenter.org/info/

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Website https://VDO.Ninja Empowers
Safe, Real Time Music among Neighbors

Peer-to-Peer Technology made Easy
Distance and Bandwidth Limits still Applicable

Published 2021-08-27 - By Tony Becker

With the more infectious Delta variant of the novel coronavirus running amok, many regions, including California, Oregon and Washington are ramping up mask wearing requirements, and there may be more restrictions coming.

But don't despair. As you may know, Tony is a very techy guy, and here at AmeriCeltic, we not only track all the in-person Celtic Events around the West Coast, but also the COVID-complient virtual events and the tools that make them accessible.

As a user of all the free, peer-to-peer communication software you've possibly heard of, (SonoBus, Jamulus, etc.) I'm aware that all these peer-to-peer systems that can enable folks to sing together if they are nearby in Internet terms. Unfortunately, they also require users to have technical skills that are well beyond most of our instrumentalist and singers skill sets, AND, they mostly don't include video of the other participants.

Thankfully, there is an exceptionally easy to use option as well, which goes by the catchy name VDO.Ninja.

A decade ago some far-sighted people established an Internet standard called 'web real-time communication' (webRTC). (You can check it out here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WebRTC). The WebRTC standard is supported by all the browsers, and so it will work on ANY device, including computers, phones, tablets, and even chromebooks.

When the pandemic hit, multi-disciplined techy Steve Seguin (@steveseguin) began building a head end based on it:

'My main reason for releasing the VDO.Ninja software was because I saw a need for it at the start of COVID more than anything, especially since webcams were all sold out and no one knew how to use their phone as a webcam. I had been doing live streaming software development and productions since 2015, and had built a prototype of the idea for myself some years previously, so, when COVID hit, it was just a matter of releasing a polished and user-friendly version. I've since just listened to the needs of the community and added refinements. Many VDO.Ninja users are indeed students, including professors, teachers, and yoga instructors.' — Steve Seguin

Steve built VDO.Ninja to feed into Open Broadcast Software, (OBS), for fancy 'control room' enhancements, and then livestream the result, but OBS is an extra step and NOT NEEDED to use this tool.

19 months later, VDO.Ninja is a well-tested service, and easily accessed from home through Steve's website https://vdo.ninja.

Since https://vdo.ninja is an entirely web hosted stand-alone system, there is NO signing up, NO downloading and NO installing. Most times, a 'leader' will create a Room, and then share the 'Room Name' with other participants. Other participants just point their browser to https://vdo.ninja, type in that 'room name', choose their audio and video (most folks only have one choice), and then press the 'Start' button, and be transported into the 'room' with their friends.

Once you are there, you will find that the 'room' looks, feels and operates very much like a Zoom meeting, but with peer-to-peer connecting the participants computers directly (no servers involved), the 'delay' between your colleagues audio signals will be very much less, and like Zoom, you will NOT be exposed to COVID infection from random members of the public!

Now, of course, if you live hundreds of miles apart, or if your Internet connection is not very good, those limitations will cause their own delays and you may not be able to stay together, but if you are all living in the same city, this free service might make real-time music possible for you!

Really. It is so very simple to use that even technophobes have been able to jump in on short notice and sing with me (sans OBS streaming). Try it, and I think you will like it.

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Irish and Scottish Ancient Origins

DNA science has revealed our roots!

© 2021 by Eamon O'Kelly

Earlier this week, I read an answer to a question posted on Quora authored by Eamon O'Kelly, Esq. Here is a reprint of the question and O'Kelly's answer:

How much of the Irish and Scottish today are a mix of Celtic and Viking as opposed to more directly descended from the Celts who arrived much earlier in the late bronze-early iron age?

Revolutionary breakthroughs in ancient DNA research in the past 15 years or so have revealed that the peoples of Ireland and Scotland are predominantly descended from the Bronze Age settlers known as the Beaker Folk. Depending on which studies you rely on, from 80 to over 90 percent of our genetic makeup is of Bronze Age origin. The next biggest element (but less than ten percent) comes from the neolithic farmers who left us such wonders as Newgrange and Callanish, and a small trace of the blood of the original, post-Ice Age hunter-gatherers flows in our veins as well. But the imprint of the people who came in historic times—Norse ('vikings'), Anglo-Saxons, Normans, and the rest—is surprisingly light.

There is no 'Celtic DNA,' however, and it is now generally agreed that the 19th century belief in an Iron Age Celtic invasion of Great Britain and Ireland was based on little more than wishful thinking. There is simply no evidence (DNA or archaeological) of the arrival of a significant wave of settlers in the last millennium BC who replaced the descendants of the Bell Beaker Folk: we are still here.

The term 'Celts' has been applied to a variety of tribal peoples who lived in central and western Europe (and even further afield) prior to and coterminous with the Roman era. Some of these tribes spoke what were much later labeled Celtic languages and others did not. The La Tène/Hallstat culture has long been classed as 'Celtic' but was largely unknown to many supposedly Celtic peoples (including those in Ireland and Scotland). Nowadays, there is an increasing tendency among scholars to use the term 'Celtic' only in connection with the languages, and the idea of a 'Celtic race' that came with a complete linguistic and cultural package has largely been abandoned.

Celtic languages did, however, arrive and take root in the islands of Great Britain (Brythonic) and Ireland (Goidelic) by no later than the last few centuries BC. How, why, and even exactly when this came to pass is not really known, and is a matter of considerable inquiry and debate among scholars.

You also asked about the Norse (who were much more than just 'vikings,' i.e., seafaring bandits). Although the Norse contribution to the Scottish genome as a whole is fairly small (no more than a couple of percent), it is much more significant in parts of western Scotland, the Hebrides, Orkney, and Shetland. This is not surprising because these were areas extensively colonized by the Norse. The Norse imprint on the Irish gene pool is smaller, but many of us (including me) claim some Norse ancestry.

In sum: (a) the Irish and Scots are largely descended from Bronze Age settlers; (b) although our ancestors acquired Celtic languages perhaps 2,500 years ago, we have no 'Celtic genes' (because there are none); and (c) the Irish, on average, have some Norse ancestry but the Scots have more, especially in the west and the isles.

You can contact Eamon by email here: eokelly@aol.com

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Who were the 'Beaker People'?

Antecedents of the British and Irish 'Celts'

By Cecilia Fábos-Becker - Published 2021-08-27

In the previous article in this week's newsletter, Eamon O'Kelly, Esq., an accomplished lawyer who also has a history degree from Fordham University, the British and Irish Celtic people are identified as predominantly descendants of originally what archeologists named 'the Beaker people' for a unique pottery style, not, as long believed, descended from the Hallstatt culture in Austria. They were not the first post-ice age settlers of Britannia and Ireland but the earlier groups were smaller. The Bell-Beaker culture people did not build either Newgrange (ca. 3200 BCE) or Stonehenge (ca. 2500 BCE), but came later and used some of the previously built megalithic sites. Their Bell-Beaker DNA, though, became dominant. Eamon O'Kelly's comments are further substantiated by what is known about the genetics of the Beaker people, and in particular, the geographic concentrations of the by far most dominant genetic haplogroup. Here is a link to the first of several articles that should be interesting to those interested in the prehistoric origins of what we now call Irish and British Celts. This article is from the British Natural History Museum's 'Discover' magazine. https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/2018/february/the-beaker-people-a-new-population-for-ancient-britain.html

The modern descendants of the Beaker people and skeletal remains of the Beaker people themselves who brought their culture to Britannia and Ireland, have a predominance of a particular haplogroup, R1b (with various subclades) that is concentrated most heavily in West Europe, not central Europe, though it may have originated much further east in the Bakshir area of the Urals and north of the Caspian sea steppe, which also has a high percentage of the same haplogroup along with a small area of the Caucasus between the Black and Caspian seas. When you look at the map in the third link in this article from 'Eupedia' it is easily seen that the greatest concentrations of all the R1b haplogroup and its subclades in West Europe are in the northwest of the Iberian peninsula, Brittany and adjacent areas in France, Britannia and Ireland. The Beaker people arrived in Britannia and Ireland beginning about 2200 BCE, about 500 years earlier than many of the oral traditions for what became called the Celts in Britain. Here is an article from the British magazine 'Current Archeology' on the DNA of the Bell-Beaker people: https://archaeology.co.uk/articles/features/prehistoric-pop-culture-deciphering-the-dna-of-the-bell-beaker-complex.htm
See also the 'Eupedia' link to maps and sub-links on the R1b haplogroup and its origins. https://www.eupedia.com/europe/Haplogroup_R1b_Y-DNA.shtml

The highest concentrations of the Beaker culture haplogroup are interestingly in the same areas in the ancient oral histories of what we now call British and Irish that were described in these traditions as the places they lived before coming to Britannia and Ireland. The haplogroup and associated culture is not dominant in central Europe, where the Hallstatt 'Celtic'' culture developed. It was the eastern Hallstatt culture peoples whom the Greeks knew and referred to as 'Celtoi/Keltoi', from which the term 'Celt' comes. The Romans called the western peoples of France, which included a large number of 'Beaker culture R1b descendants, Gauls from which the terms Gaels and Gaelic come. The British and Irish 'Celts'' developed in the west of Europe. While the haplogroup exists in central Asia, and originated there, the cultural artifacts that defined the Beaker culture that became 'Celtic' Ireland and Britannia did not exist in central Asia. The pottery style developed much later than the haplogroup. The R1b haplogroup itself developed later than the earlier, related R1a group that is more predominant in central Europe. The Bell-Beaker culture also largely spread through trade, not migration, though trading peoples have certainly intermarried in places where they engaged in trade.

What is now known by archeologists is that the Beaker culture people did become very sophisticated metallurgists and their techniques and styles spread to central Europe--to the descendants of the Hallstatt culture.

Read More...

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KALW Saturday Programing
Public Forum for YOUR CONCERNS

Tuesday, August 31st, 6:00 PM

Online via Zoom

The Folk Music & Beyond is just one of the threatened shows on the KALW FM 91.7 MHz. This Tuesday, August 31st, at 6:00 PM, the KALW FM (91.7 MHz) board will host a public forum Live on Zoom, to hear your concerns. JoAnn Mar is calling for you to SHOW UP AND EXPRESS YOUR CONCERNS!

Hey Everyone-

The KALW Public Forum is on Tuesday August 31st at 6 pm on Zoom and You're Invited!

Reductions To Saturday Music Programs went into effect last month on KALW. Folk Music & Beyond, A Patchwork Quilt, Bluegrass Signal, and Tangents were cut back from 9 hours to 5.

Over 500 listener complaints were sent to KALW station manager Tina Pamintuan over the last few weeks, with copies to members of the San Francisco Board of Education (which holds KALW's operating license).

KALW Board Commissioners Want To Hear From You! We are holding a public forum with members of the San Francisco Board of Education (which holds KALW's license) to discuss the weekend programming reductions and their impact on KALW.  We'll express our concerns about how this is one of many examples of KALW drifting away from its mission as a community station responsive to the needs of YOU, its listeners. Board President Gabriela Lopez and Commissioner Matt Alexander will be present to hear your concerns and comments.

We Want A BIG Turn-Out! There is strength in numbers!

The KALW Public Forum will be virtual on Zoom. Please RSVP me, JoAnn Mar, at kalwfolk@sonic.net and let me know that you can attend, and we will send you a zoom invitation shortly before August 31st.  Thanks! — JoAnn Mar

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Heart of VOM
(Re-imagined Valley of the Moon)

Scotland, Galicia, and Beyond!
Friday, August 27th - Wednesday September 1st

Online via Zoom

Heart of VOM, the online reimagining of Valley of the Moon Fiddle Camp, returns Aug 27 - Sep 1, 2021 as an intensive 5 days of instruction, camaraderie, and spontaneous zaniness. You are invited to join this joyful adventure in music and community.

THE PROGRAM: An expressly-designed website at https://heartofvom.com will provide the gateway to 'Zoom' spaces that recreate our beloved VOM Fiddle Village. From there, participants can venture into classes led by our fabulous instructors, meander into village gatherings, forums, and even morning yoga. Evening sessions will include a camp ceilidh, late night socializing and games, and more. Active participation and creative collaboration with other online campers will be encouraged. Technical assistance will be available. Please see current draft schedule for details. Classes will be recorded and made available to registrants in the Heart of VOM archive for 3 months after camp.

Let's create some memories to share when next we all meet. What better way to do that than around music, dance and song – with shenanigans thrown into the mix! Whether you attend on your own, or in embrace of a 'pod' of fiddle-minded folks learning and jamming together, we hope you'll be uplifted with a sense of shared experience and connection.

Contact us at heartofvom@gmail.com
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/4813337181
Website Address: heartofvom.com

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The New World String Project

98 Strings | Mostly True Stories

John Weed • Aryeh Frankfurter • Lisa Lynne • Stuart Mason

This Celtic Supergroup brings together four mighty players who weave a shimmering sonic tapestry from Celtic, Nordic and American folk traditions. Fiddler John Weed and guitarist Stuart Mason also play together in the long-running Celtic band Molly's Revenge. And Celtic harp master Lisa Lynne, who gained international renown via recordings and tours with the label Windham Hill, often performs in a duo with NWSP-mate Aryeh Frankfurter, an expert on harp and Swedish nyckelharpa. Together, these intrepid string explorers take audiences on a thrilling, melodically exuberant musical ride.

Click Here for their videos.

Check out all their info at https://newworldstringproject.com, or email Lisa Lynne

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Erica and Friends

Erica and Friends is a Berkeley based folk and traditional band that you really should hear if you get the chance, for example, at their concerts around Berkeley!

Their debut album, Hillside Avenue (2018), received wide acclaim, and is widely available on all the main music platforms. Their next album is expected later this year.

For Erica Hockett and Friends videos, just Click Here!

Erica Hockett — Vocals/Bodhrán Erica Hockett grew up in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, nestled in the English Cotswolds, home of Fairport Convention. Growing up singing in the local pubs, Erica came to love folk music from the British Isles and Ireland, especially the tales of woe and the history embedded in the old ballads. Erica met Anne Goess while performing in The California Revels vocal ensemble.

Anne Goess — Violin/Vocals/Tin Whistle Fiddler Anne Bingham Goess has played for many a ceili, English Country and contra dance in the Bay Area, with The Raggedy Annes and Raven Hill, among other bands. She has also arranged instrumental music for several theater productions, including Bloomsday and a commemoration of the Easter Rising. When she's not fiddling, she's singing with the Christmas Revels and directing the Revels Solstice Singers, a traditional music vocal ensemble that entertains year-round. For more on Anne, Click Here.

Chris Hammond — Guitar/Vocals Chris Hammond's first musical love is Bluegrass and Appalachian music. He plays several acoustic guitars, including a beloved model made in the 1930s. and he loves to sing those high lonesome harmonies.

Charlie Hancock — Accordion/Keyboards Charlie plays with The Bogues, an SF based Pogues cover band and for Contra and International Folk Dance in and around the Bay Area from his base in Berkeley.

Jason Courtney — Bouzouki Jason is a seasoned player at Bay Area sessions and has played in the Elderberries band.

Thomas Lindemuth — Vocals, Winds, Percussion Thomas is a Oakland based multi-instrumentalist and recordist, and is well known Bay Area Traditional music scene. He and Anne Goess have produced their own album, Letters from Abroad (2017), also widely available.

For more on Erica and Friends, check their Website, or Facebook Page
For even more music, check their Soundcloud site, or their Reverbnation site!

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United Irish Cultural Center

Wawona Gates 2nd Year!
Saturday, August 28th featuring 'The Gasmen'
Outdoor Dining and limited Indoor Dining

2700 45th Avenue, San Francisco, CA

On Saturday, August 28th, we feature NEW FOOD MENU from SF's Hole in the Wall Pizza , and LIVE music from The Gasmen from 4:00 PM on the #WawonaGates stage!

Despite the pandemic, the United Irish Cultural Center has successfully operated a large event facility near the Zoo in San Francisco, serving the Irish and other Cultural communities, in the Sunset District of San Francisco. Thanks to our hard working small staff and dozens of volunteers, the UICC Wawona Gates Outdoor Dining has operated a bustling outdoor dining space under a 1,800 square foot open-sided canopy since January 2021.

And now, the UICC is also offering Private Events in their spacious Saint Patrick's Room!

Anne Cassidy Carew is busy collating photos and stories for the San Francisco Irish Dance Exhibition later on this year.

Facebook Event
UICC website
UICC Facebook Page
'Irish Shoppe' Facebook Event

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Sláinte's Sea Shanty Saturday

Saturday, August 28th at 5:00 PM

Live at Sláinte Pub, 131 Broadway, Oakland, CA
Also Online via Facebook LIVE

Shipwrecked Shanty proves once again that sea shanties are cheaper than therapy, and they sound even better with beer!

Born out of Covid, kicked out of venues, a rag-tag group of Sea Shanty lovers became shipwrecked...but the band played on! The Shipwrecked Shanty Band, appears LIVE and LIVE STREAMIN' on Facebook for you land-locked, from Sláinte in Oakland! For the live stream, just navigate to the Shipwrecked Sea Shanty Crew Facebook group, click 'Join', and then look for the little red LIVE button.

The Shipwrecked Shanty Band:
• Jim Nelson - Banjo
• Micha Dunston - Whistle, Bodhran
• John Palme - Guitar
• Steven Strauss - Stand up bass

Micha says:
Come and SHANTY with us OUTSIDE, AGAIN at Sláinte's! Sláinte's is OPEN for drinks and take out food, so Bring yer' mask and Keep yer' distance!

Sláinte! host Jackie says:
Welcome back to Sláinte Oakland! We’re here Tuesday through Sunday, 12-8pm with over 75 whiskeys, the perfect pints and a delicious new menu. Come on by. Cead Mile Failte!!!

We love you all so very much xxx.

The menu at Sláinte features Irish cuisine from Irish-born Executive Chef, Jackie Gallanagh, with dishes that include both imported & local ingredients and a bar menu of classic cocktails, a well-stocked selection of whisky, premium spirits, and local & imported beers.

More Details on the Sláinte Facebook Page.

Check the Sláinte's & Shipwrecked Sea Shanty Crew Facebook group
for updates. Contact them at (510) 823-2644 @slainteoakland or check the website https://slainteoakland.com.

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Stepwise Tour

Celtic duo featuring native Angeleno fiddlers
Olivia Breidenthal and Liam Lewis

Stepwise is a traditional Celtic folk duo consisting of Liam Lewis (mandolin, guitar, fiddle, voice) and Olivia Breidenthal (fiddle and voice). They perform a mixture of traditional Irish songs with tight vocal harmonies and traditional Irish tune sets. Olivia is a practitioner of the Galway fiddle style with influences including Kevin Burke, the Kane Sisters, and Liz Carroll. Together, their instrumental arrangements feature intricate twin fiddles or groovy rhythm guitar fit for a traditional Ceili or the discerning ears of an Irish-enthusiast audience.

Seeking a safe and socially distant place to meetup and play tunes, Stepwise was created very organically in the park; purely because it was too much fun to play so many good tunes together and not share it with an audience.

Check the Facebook Website.
Check their Facebook Page.
Email Stepwise: stepwisemusic@gmail.com

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Piper Sundays

Sundays at 11:00 AM
Southern California Uilleann Pipers Club

Online via Zoom
Join the Zoom Event:

Event Website: http://socalpipers.com/piper_sunday.html

Host Patrick D'Arcy says:
'It's every Sunday from 11:00 AM (PDT) for about 90 minutes. I try to get high profile Uilleann piper guests from Ireland and elsewhere. It's not so much a concert as it is a talk show with the guest playing a handful of tunes throughout. Drop by this Sunday to check it out. Our guest will be Kara Doyle joining us from Schenectady, New York.

Here is a video preview: Piper Sunday trailer with Tom Klein

• August 29th, Kara Doyle — Details
• Sepember 5th, Debbie Quigley — Details

From 1:30 PM on this will become our monthly So Cal Pipers Club social call

Southern California Uilleann Pipers Club Facebook Events: https://www.facebook.com/SCUPC

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155th Scottish Highland Gathering and Games

Alameda County Fairgrounds, Pleasanton — Labor Day Weekend,
Saturday, September 4th & Sunday, September 5th
8:00 AM to 6:00 PM PDT

Alameda County Fairgrounds, 4501 Pleasanton Ave., Pleasanton, CA

Come join us for some Celtic Craic!

This year's Games will be an outdoor-only event featuring Scottish country and Irish dancing, celtic heritage stages, folk singers, heavy athletics, gathering of the clans, highland dancing, living history, piping and drumming, opening & closing ceremonies, Scottish vendors and whisky tasting.

Entertainers:
• Fiddler, singer and & guitarist Michael Mullen
• Scottish folk singer and guitarist Peter Daldry
• Scottish trad band The Fire with fiddler Rebecca Lomnicky, piper David Brewer and guitarist Adam Hendy.
• Celtic rock duo Brother featuring guitarist & piper Angus with Aka on steel guitar
Check the Stage Schedule here!

Check our event website, https://thescottishgames.com for updates.

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Labor Day Weekend Campout 2021

Saturday, September 4th, 12:00 PM (ish) until Monday, September 6th, 2:00 PM

Camp Herms, 1100 James Place, El Cerrito, CA

Join with friends new and old for an in-person camp, where we will have participatory workshops, concerts, 'open mic', and open sessions for singing & playing, Jokes, Stories, Friends, late-night singing.

Fees: Adults: $25/night per person. Day use rate for adults: $15/person per day.  Kids under 15:  $10 for day use, $10 per night.

Activities: similar to those we had at our previous summer campouts in Boulder Creek: workshops, open mics, and informal singing and playing sessions. (There will be no swimming and no potluck dinner this time.)

Workshops: Anyone can lead a workshop. This year we will be setting up workshops in advance of camp. You may also sign up to lead a workshop after you get to camp if there are spots left. A sign-up board will be located near registration. One workshop per person please. Email Daniel Hersh at hrshsand@earthlink.net if you are interested in leading one.

Of course, with the COVID pandemic, there are many details you must be aware of to make this event happen safely. Please check out the posting on our website at Full Details for Labor Day Weekend Campout 2021.

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Abbots Bromliad
Picnic and Dance

Monday, September 6, 11:30 AM - 3:00 PM

Pinewood & Fernwood Picnic Areas, Joaquin Miller Park, 3594 Sanborn Drive, Oakland, CA

Bring a picnic and join California Revels for live music and dancing the Abbots Bromley Horn Dance together!

Like so many traditional celebrations, the Horn Dance (or more properly, Antler dance) has a long and ultimately obscure history. The earliest documentary evidence dates from 1686 although it is has been suggested that the custom might date back to August of 1226 at the Barthelmy Fair in Staffordshire, England. Today the Horn Dance takes place annually on Wakes Monday, a date falling in early September. The antlers, large sets from caribou or reindeer, mounted on small carved deer heads are kept in the parish hall of the St. Nicholas Church in Abbots Bromley. There are six sets - three painted white and three painted blue (actually brown, but the earlier coat of blue paint shows through). How these antlers came to this parish is a mystery. In the 1970’s, one of the white sets was damaged, and while being repaired underwent carbon dating which showed it to be over 900 years old. Since there were no Reindeer in England in 1065, the horns are presumed to have come from Scandinavia.

Antlers and other props as seen in our annual Christmas Revels will be provided. You may also bring your own!

More details on our Website: Abbots Bromliad

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San Patricios Day #Wawona Gates

Sunday, September 12th, 1:00 PM PDT

United Irish Cultural Center, 2700 45th Ave, San Francisco, CA

On Sunday, September 12th, 'San Patricios Day' will be presented at Wawona Gates by sponsoring organizations the United Irish Cultural Center, Dowling Library, Irish Culture Bay Area, AmeriCeltic and the San Francisco Irish Mexican Association.

The St. Patrick's Battalion was made up of Irish conscripted soldiers who deserted the U.S. army to bravely defend Mexico during the Mexican-American War of 1846-48. This event honors the San Patricios' legacy and celebrates the commonalities and kinship of Mexican and Irish people and cultures, featuring Mexican and Irish traditional music and dance performances.

Performers include the Michael Dillon School of Irish Dancing, Grupo Danza Colibrí, Son de la Bahía, and Buncrana.

Renowned historian Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz will give a talk on 'The San Patricio Battalion, a Lesson in Anti-Colonial Solidarity'.

Free admission, all ages welcome. Food and drink available for purchase.

More Details at https://www.facebook.com/events/3156250464606812

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44th Annual Fresno Highland Games
A Family Event To Be Enjoyed!

Kearney Park, 6725 W Kearney Blvd, Fresno, CA

Saturday, September 18th 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

The tradition of gatherings of the clans dates back to the origin of the clans, and in Summer we gather, renew old acquaintances and friendships, make new friends, catch up on news of the clans, and compete. On September 18, 2021 we celebrate that tradition here in California’s Central Valley.

You will have the opportunity to hear the pipes, watch, or participate, in the heavy athletic competitions, taste a bit of highland fare, and listen to music both traditional and more contemporary.

Company of The Gauntlet and Rose will perform armored combat — Your paid Admission to the Scottish Games allows you to see their exhibition show. Check them out at https://www.companyofthegaunletandrose.org

Advance tickets and full details available at fresnoscottishsociety.com

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Sea Music Concert: Johnson Girls

Saturday, September 25th, 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM

Online via givebutter.com website

This Saturday, September 25th, 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM Pacific Daylight Time (USA), Johnson Girls will be performing a virtual sea music concert, presented by the The San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park. Registration required to receive the livestream link. Registration, plus photos and bios of the performers at: Get Tickets Here: https://givebutter.com/JohnsonGirls

Formed in 1997, The Johnson Girls are the leading all-woman maritime song group in the world. Sea chanteys and songs, as the first real 'world music', captured their imagination. Just as sailors who were heavily influenced by the songs they heard while traveling the world over, each of the Johnson Girls brings a special style to the ensemble. Their extensive repertoire of both traditional and contemporary material includes sea chanteys and work songs of other traditions, African-American, Canadian, Caribbean, Irish, French, Italian as well as songs from the inland waterways and fisheries. Widely acclaimed for their powerhouse performances of rousing work songs, sensitive renderings of haunting ballads and laments, and hair-raising harmonies, The Johnson Girls dazzle audiences wherever they perform. Learn more at thejohnsongirls.com

Please note that our staff will electronically "check-in" your device automatically at 10:55AM on event day. Your browser should automatically start streaming the event around 11AM. If not, please refresh your screen and click on the large image to activate the live event.

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Celtic Rock with Tempest

October 2020 West Coast Tour

Since forming in 1988, Tempest has delivered a globally-renowned hybrid of high-energy Folk Rock fusing Irish reels, Scottish ballads, Norwegian influences and other world music elements. The last 30 years have seen the San Francisco Bay Area based act release seventeen critically acclaimed CDs and play more than 2,500 gigs. It's also enjoyed an evolving line-up that's enabled musicianship and creativity to rise with each new member.

Signed to Magna Carta Records, Tempest's releases are acclaimed worldwide.

Last year, during the height of confinement, Tempest produced two great CDs; 'Live At SoundTek Studios' The Lockdown Sessions, and 'Live On The Air' The Radio Sessions 1992 – 2018. Both CDs have received tremendous response, and totally energized our mail order business! But you should know, these albums are limited edition, collectors items, and autographed copies are only available from the Tempest Web Site http://www.tempestmusic.com/html/cdorder.html while supplies last.

Mail order CDs directly from Tempest: tempestmusic.com/html/cdorder.html

FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/TempestCelticRock
TWITTER: http://twitter.com/Sorbye
Artist sites and sounds: www.tempestmusic.com.

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Midsummer Fairy Tale
An Indie Music & Faire Fantasy Experience

Saturday, October 16th 10:00 AM - Sunday, 17th, 5:00 PM

Amador County Fairgrounds, 18621 Sherwood St, Plymouth, CA

Come and get lost in dance to the thrilling tribal drums, watch in awe of Indie, Celtic, and Folk bands, be a part of amazing stage shows that will keep you on the edge of your seat, and entangle yourself with otherworldly entertainers and beings…

Buy Tickets NOW! https://midsummerfairytale.eventbrite.com

Full Details at https://kingdomofharron.online/midsummer or on the Facebook event https://www.facebook.com/events/773778636903396.

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Starry Session Online

First Sunday of each month, from 8:00 to 10:00 PM

Online via YouTube for The Starry Plough, 3101 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley, CA

The pandemic shut down the well loved Starry Plough in Berkeley a year ago, halting the Sunday night Irish session and Monday night Irish dancing that had been hosted there for decades.

A small group of Plough regulars are convening electronically, and have begun a monthly open session online, on the first Sunday of the month, running for two hours and starting at 8:00 PM. It kicked off on Easter Sunday, as that holiday has always been a time for new beginnings--particularly in Ireland.

The online Starry Session is live-streamed on YouTube allowing other people listen, play, sing or dance along. It works like this: individuals among a pre-selected group of musicians will be called upon to lead a dance tune or song in rotation. Everyone else is on mute; they can follow the music at home with their own instruments or voices or whatever. It's not as magical as being able to hear each other, but it can still be surprisingly therapeutic.

You can tune in on THIS YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMR8XRkX_HX9NdL7bRKCp-g

Other ringleaders of this effort are Don Clark, Sean Wahl, Michele Delattre and Shay Black, so you might see communications from any of them as this process goes forward.

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Darcy Noonan

Available for Performances or Lessons

darcynoonanviolin@gmail.com

Darcy Noonan is an accomplished violinist based in the Bay Area. Following her heart, she has studied and performed a variety of musical genres including classical, ragtime, mariachi, Greek, and (closest to her heart) Irish traditional music. In fact practically the second after graduating from High School she was off to Ireland to study with her idols for a few years.

Darcy has played with numberous bands and orchestras, including Jammy Dodgers, Violins of Hope, Noonan, Howard, and Straw, The Get Happy String Band, Disciples of Markos, Tipsy House and Mariachi Femenil Orgullo Mexicano.

Darcy is now back in the Bay Area, and Darcy is accepting students as an expert fiddler and Suzuki certified teacher with years of experience performing and teaching.

If you are interested in booking Darcy for a gig or for violin lessons, send her an email at darcynoonanviolin@gmail.com or visit her website at darcynoonanviolin.com

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→ AmeriCeltic Logo Gifts! ←

Shirt, Hat, Mug, Apron or Patch

5 FULLY EMBROIDERED - MADE IN USA

Celebrate your rich AmeriCeltic history and heritage in style and class and support AmeriCeltic by sporting a shirt, hat, mug, apron or patch, all except the mug, embroidered in full color with the AmeriCeltic logo! And don't forget to give one to yourself!

Click Here for the full line-up of AmeriCeltic Logo items.

The AmeriCeltic logo, styled like a coat of arms, commemorates your MIXED, Scots, Irish, Welsh Celtic American heritage! Wales, Scotland, Ireland and the thirteen colonies of mostly Scots, Scots-Irish, Irish and Welsh who joined with many others from many other countries, and together fought tyranny to assert our Independence from the United Kingdom of Great Britain.

Click for more information about the AmeriCeltic Logo design

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The Celtic Tea Shoppe

Home of Artisan Candies

4432 Pearl Avenue, San Jose CA | 408-267-7090

The Celtic Tea Shoppe offers a great selection of Celtic and Celtic inspired foods, including:
• Meat Pies
• Sausage Rolls
• Liquor Cakes
• Irish Soda Bread
• Salted Caramels
• Gift Boxes
• Premium Loose-leaf Teas

Everything is handmade at our shoppe in San José, CA and curbside pickup service and shipping are available.

To check The Celtic Tea Shoppe Facebook Page, Click Here!

Call us directly at 408-267-7090 or check our website www.celticteashoppe.com for all our other baked goods and confections. To order, contact Kristen Scott with a call to 408-267-7090, or an email to sales@artisancandies

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Lark In The Morning Stores in Berkeley and San Francisco

Tuesday - Saturday, noon - 6 PM
Sundays, noon - 5:00 PM

Lark In The Morning, 1001 Camelia Street, Berkeley, CA
and Exploring Music, 814 Clement Street, Inner Richmond of San Francisco

Eric says:
"Our Berkeley location, 1001 Camelia Street, Berkeley, CA, is open for online lessons and instrument sales and Exploring Music, 814 Clement Street in San Francisco, CA, is open and actively seeking new online students. Lark Berkeley is open Tuesday – Saturday from 12:00 – 6:00 PM, and is offering free lessons with the purchase of a ukulele or guitar!"

Thorn Land and Eric Azumi

Lark in the Morning has been a folk musician's favorite since 1974 and has musical instruments and instructional material from all over the world.

You can shop online at https://larkinthemorning.com, call us at 707-964-5569, or check out our Facebook Page www.facebook.com/LarkInAM.

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Duke of Edinburgh Pub & Restaurant Across from Apple Park

The Duke of Edinburgh Pub & Restaurant

Open 4:00 PM - 10:00 PM every day of the year

10801 N. Wolfe Road, Cupertino, CA

Many of you have heard the rumors about the The Duke of Edinburgh Pub & Restaurant.

The Duke is, and will remain, THE only Authentic, (and we do mean AUTHENTIC!), British Pub in the Bay Area, located across the street from Apple Headquarters on Wolfe Road in Cupertino.

The atmosphere at the 'The Duke', is the same as you would find in any pub in the British Isles, full of friendly patrons who come in to socialize, play darts, have a pint or two, and eat a meal. If you are looking for a comfortable elegance, pints of beer and authentic food, in an authentic English Pub, there is no a better choice in the Bay Area. The Duke offers a large number of beers on draft and by the bottle. Almost anything English, Scottish or Irish is available. Murphy's Irish Stout brewed in Cork, Ireland and Scotch Eggs is always a good choice.

The servers are excellent and very knowledgeable about the beer and food menu. The menu is expansive and worth exploring. The dark pubsy feel with old regulars in their respective, but not crowded corners around lunch hour in Cupertino, is a great boon.

You can't find more 'authentic' atmosphere, because the entire building was built in jolly old England, then disassembled, shipped and reassembled on site in Cupertino. With the red velvet seating and wall paper and ornate, dim lighting, you are transported to London as soon as you enter the etched glass door.

More info. on The Duke Facebook Page, website www.theduke.com or call 408-446-3853.

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Celtic Society of the Monterey Bay

The venerable Celtic Society of the Monterey Bay has a 32 year record of bringing world class Celtic musicians to the Monterey Bay Area and is a key sponsor of AmeriCeltic.

ALL EVENTS CANCELLED DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Click here for full details of All Celtic Society of Monterey Bay Concerts on the CSoMB website! (Click on 'Video' button for videos.)

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Irish Culture Bay Area

Catherine Barry maintains a separate Irish Culture Bay Area website, with a calendar focused on Bay Area Irish events, supported by the Consulate of Ireland in San Francisco.

ALL EVENTS CANCELLED DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Click here for details of these events and more on the Irish Culture Bay Area website!

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Wanna help, comment or get published?

We publish articles or comments that relate to our Mission (see below), to our thousands of Celtic concordant readers. If you have one, email us: Tony and Celia Becker, americeltic@gmail.com

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AmeriCeltic Mission

AmeriCeltic is a user supported, non-profit service organization. Our Mission is to restore awareness, celebrate and preserve the culture and history of Celtic Americans by promoting live Celtic music, festivals, history & ancestry as well as report and comment on related current events. To help fund our efforts, click here or click on the Donate Button on our AmeriCeltic Website www.americeltic.net.

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