manx celtic music and dance

Manx Music Concert for Schools at the Gaiety Concert

02 Aug 2012

 

by Chloe Woolley

During Yn Chruinnaght week, Chloë Woolley (MHF) and Jo Callister (DEC) organised two performances of Manx music and dance for 900 school children in the spectacular Gaiety Theatre. The daytime concerts featured Manx trad power trio Barrule, dancers Grainne Joughin and John Kilgallon, harpist and whistle player Erika Kelly along with MCs Liam Moorhouse and Lewis Kelly from Simply Stupid Circus. Virtuosic musicians Barrule wowed the young audience with lively clap-a-long numbers such as ‘Mylecharaine’s March’ and ‘Euro-pop Vona’, plus an action-song version of ‘The Laxey Wheel’. Grainne and John performed the face-slapping dance ‘Return the Blow’ as well as dazzling solos ‘Men’s Stick Dance’ and ‘Women’s Jig’. Between the music and dance acts, Liam and Lewis provided plenty of slap-stick humour while they juggled fruit and vegetables and had a disastrous Manx dancing lesson with Grainne! As a welcome break amongst all the excitement, Youtube sensation Erika evoked absolute silence around the theatre with her beautiful renditions of ‘Dooraght’ on Celtic harp and ‘Gyn Ennym’ on whistle. Organised and funded by the Manx Heritage Foundation, free tickets were offered to all Manx schools and the DEC arranged transport to and from the concerts. After a very enthusiastic response from schools, it is hoped that the concerts will become a regular event. As well as being educational, the variety show format was a fun way to introduce traditional music and culture to children of all ages around the Island.

 

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