manx celtic music and dance

Manx music & dance at Galeforce Summer School

03 Sep 2012


Gale Force Theatre School’s Summer School was an unqualified success again this year, with a healthy injection of Manx music and dance from the MHF Manx Music Development Team. In its fifth year, the summer school this time took the theme of ‘THE SEA’ and water was certainly evident in their dance, in their song, in their scripts and in their poetry.

Manx Music Specialist, Dr Chloë Woolley, had prepared two sessions themed on the sea. Together with her colleague, Dr Breesha Maddrell, she taught Flitter Dance, a new, simplified version of Illiam y Thalheur dance, songs such as ‘Noon as noal’ (Row, row, row your boat), Birlinn Ghorree Chrovan, and Smugglers’ Lullaby. As well as telling the youngsters the legends surrounding the Island’s mythical first ruler, Manannan Mac y Lir, they also played tunes like ‘The Tiger’ and ‘3 little boats’. Part of the week involved performances outside to visitors and locals - Port Erin Train Station provided the venue for the Wednesday. Chloe had cunningly adapted Annie Kissack’s ‘Ta mee gimman ayns my ghleashtan’ (I’m driving my car) to make it train-worthy and the students added movement.

Barbara Gale said ‘The staff at the station were wonderful, encouraging them to give an impromptu concert in the waiting room between trains arriving and departing, and hot tea, cakes, lollipops were in great supply, The students aged 4 to 17 sang/danced/played in both Manx and English for over 2 hours and finished their programme with the ‘run-a-way train’ song and locomotive engine ‘Huddersfield’ obliging with ‘tooting her steam’ in all the right places!’

In their final Concert at the end of the week they were able to conclude a very busy week with songs/ dance/poems/dance all connected with ‘THE SEA’.

Tutors included John Riley LRAM, Dr Breesha Maddrell, Dr Chloe Woolley, Paul Bradford, Jo Colgan, and Wendy Sutcliffe. Mrs Barbara Gale Founder/Director wanted to thank all her seniors, who, despite ‘waiting with nervous anticipation’ for their exam results, supported all the under 14’s with great enthusiasm and fun, Moira Pain, Torin Lakeman, Katie Gudgeon, Katie Colgan and Lauren Harvey.

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