| Coming Up, Briefly | Betwixt and Between, 2008 | |
| Manager's Message | The Ballachulish Ferry | |
| SCD Classes All Around Clark County | Calendar of Events |
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| Robert Burns turns 250 this month |
- It's a new year and classes are starting up all over the county. Check the article below for details, and be sure to sign up!
- The Folk Dance Potpourri is coming up
Feb 21stMarch 7th. Note the new date!. As many of you know, this is an immensely popular annual event. - In March, the Portland branch will be holding their 30th annual workshop and ball. Space is limited, so be sure to sign up soon!
I started off writing this long philosophical dissertation about how cyclical life is. How we go round the wheel of the year, always seeming to be starting something when in actuality we're just on the carousel going round again. It got too long, too deep, and too weird. I think the following will be sufficient and far more satisfying:
Happy New Year Scottish Country Dancers!
Nice and simple.
We have a lot of fun activities coming up, and could sure use some additional help with some of them. Please consider volunteering to help with the Winter Dance Potpourri, and/or the Scottish Afternoon, and we're especially hoping that a special person will step up to co-chair the Dinner Dance. None of these are solo efforts. You'll be working with a wonderful team of people who know how to work together to get things done. In fact, that's just what Scottish Country Dancing is all about.
Hope to see you all in class again soon. I'm certainly looking forward to getting back to dancing after all the non-dancing snow cancellations and consumption of holiday goodies.
All the best in the New Year!
Let's treat ourselves to a happy and healthy New Year with a Scottish Country Dance class. You can check out the class list below for a place and time that fits your location and schedule.
You can always visit www.vancouverusa-scd.org for the latest SCD activities.
The Vancouver classes, teachers, students, and friends, held their latest Betwixt and Between Dance on Saturday, December 27. The dance lived up to its name this year, not only because it was held between Christmas and New Years for the enjoyment of those who didn't leave town for the holidays -- and their guests, who were visiting. In retrospect, it appears that may have been the one relatively settled weekend sandwiched between snow and ice storms that made this one of the more memorable Decembers of recent years. More than one dancer was heard to remark how glad they were to be able to get out of the house to attend!
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| All of them |
The evening began with the ceilidh acts, which were all done at the beginning of the evening to minimize the impact on the floor and the schedule. First up, students from Linda Mae's Celtic Tap class performed a dance choreographed by Linda Mae to the tune All of Me, by Willie Nelson. Don Morrison looked elegant in a tuxedo and cane as the star dancer, while Martin MacKenzie, Van Hord, and Tom Halpenny, sporting colorfully embroidered Burmese vests, provided rhythmic backup.
John Shaw then read a poem by Alice Jacqueline Shaw (no relation), One Thing I Know, recounting an incident in Jesus' career (see John 9:1-41) from the point of view of the blind man. This was followed by a Quebecois musical set played by Cynthia Soohoo (piano), Nathaniel and Alex Soohoo-Hui (fiddles), and Martin MacKenzie on guitar. Geri Stuart wrapped up the acts with a bow of giggles when she told how a Scottish father had connived to get his adult children to come home for Christmas, at their own expense!
After we cleared away the chairs from the dance floor, our musicians Lisa Scot (piano) and Leslie Hirsch (fiddle) got our ghillies going as we proceeded with the evening of dance. The program included such favorites as The Australian Ladies, their cousin The Cranberry Tart, and The Reel of the 51st Division.
The reward for such jovial exertions was, of course, The Tea afterwards, with the chatter of camaraderie mingled with the appreciation of little sweet things, warming our hands and hearts, before we all headed home.
In a recent Level 3 class, Marge Van Nus taught the dancers an interesting dance named The Ballachulish Ferry. Following the dance (and for weeks afterward!) there was quite a discussion of the subject in the title.
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| Ballachulish Ferry |
From the Wikipedia:
The
village of Ballachulish (from the Gaelic Baile Chaolais) in
Lochaber, Highland, Scotland, is centred around former slate quarries. The
name Ballachulish (pronounced Bah - lah - hoolish) was more
correctly applied to the area now called North Ballachulish, to the north
of Loch Leven, but was usurped for the quarry villages at East Laroch and
West Laroch, either side of the River Laroch, which were actually within
Glencoe and South Ballachulish respectively.
The name Ballachulish means "the Field by the Narrows". The narrows in question is Caolas Mhic Phadraig - Peter or Patrick's Narrows, at the mouth of Loch Leven.
Beginning in 1733, a ferry service carried people and goods between Ballachulish on the north shore and the quarry villages on the south shore. This service continued until December 1975, when the Ballachulish Bridge was opened.
Here, via Martin MacKenzie, are the
words to the Gàidhlig song, Gleann Bhaile Chaoil (meaning 'Glen of
the Village of the Narrows') followed by the translation: Gleann Bhaile Chaoil
[Séisd:]
O nach robh mi thall sa' ghleann a' fuireach,
O nach robh mi thall an gleann Bhaile Chaoil,
Nan robh mise thall sa' ghleann a' fuireach
Chan fhàgainn e tuille, gleann lurach mo ghaoil.
Sa' mhaduinn nuair dh'éirinn gun èislean, gun ghruaim,
'Se thug sòlas do m'inntinn bhith sealltainn riut suas;
Chan eil gleann eil' air Gàidhealtachd bheir bàrr ort an snuadh,
Gur mis' tha fo chràdh-lot bhith 'n dràsd' cho fad' uait.
Gleann farsaing fìor mhonadh, dhìrinn e suas,
Gleann maiseach fìneagach 's mìorbhuileach tuar;
Ri samhradh is geamhradh do chleòca cho uain';
Chan eil nì a rinn nàdur nach fàs air do bhruaich.
Nuair dh'éireas a' ghrian air bu chiatach bhith ann,
'S i cho fial flathail coibhneil a' boillsgeadh air chrann,
I dùsgadh nan lòn-dubh 's nan smeòrach air ghèig,
Chur fàilte, le'n ceòl, air a mòrachd san speur.
[Faclan: Iain Camshron]
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| Waterfall at Glen Ballachulish |
English: Glen of Ballachulish
[Chorus]
O, I was not living over in the glen
O, I was not over in the Glen of Ballachulish,
If I was over living in the glen
I would not ever leave, beautiful glen my love.
In the morning when I would rise without grief, without
gloom,
It would illumine to my mind to look up at you;
There is not another glen in Gaeldom that could be more
beautiful than you,
And now I am in piercing pain, to be so far from you.
Truly a wide moor, that I would praise,
Glen fair, fruitful, and wonderful altogether;
Through summer and winter your cloak so green;
There is not anything that nature makes that does not
grow on your slopes.
When the sun will rise delightfully there,
And she so generous, majestic, shining on the trees,
Waking the dawn and the thrushes on the branches,
Welcoming, with music, in the grandeur of the sky.
[words by Ian Cameron]
Calendar of Events
Jan 10,
2009: Portland Holiday Party
Tigard Grange, 7:30 PM. |
Jan 25:
Robert Burns' Birthday
People are encouraged to gather in their homes or places of libation, to raise a toast (of sparkling cider) to the memory of the life, times, and literary works of one of Scotland's greatest poets, born this day, 250 years ago. (That would be 1759 for those more into poetry than arithmetic.) |
Mar 7: Folk
Dance Potpourri
A great fun way to sample the folk dance traditions of many cultures! Instruction will be provided, no partner necessary. Soft-soled shoes recommended. |
Mar 14:
Portland 30th Anniversary Workshop and Ball
Where: Masonic Friendship Center, 5625 NE Alameda St., Portland, OR. |
Apr 4:
Tartan Day / Scottish Afternoon
Watch for details as they emerge. |
Apr 25: 24th
Annual Dinner Dance
Save the date! (Note: this is the new date.) More info to come, so keep checking back. |
| Do you have an item of Celtic interest you would like to see in print? | ||
| You can contact me in any of the following ways: | ||
| By mail: |
| John Shaw | |
| PO Box 2438 | |
| Battle Ground, WA 98604 |
| By email: |
| The Scottish Country Dancer is a bi-monthly publication of the Vancouver USA Scottish Country Dancers, a non-profit educational organization. For changes of address, please contact John Shaw, PO Box 2438 Battle Ground, WA 98604, . The editor reserves the right to alter or edit any material submitted for publication for reasons of taste, style, or clarity. All materials for publication should be sent by email to the editor at the address above, preferably in straight text. Deadline is one week before the end of the month prior to publication date. Editors of other newsletters may use or adapt any materials in the Scottish Country Dancer unless a specific copyright notice is included. Please credit author and original source. |