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THE CELTIC CONNECTION » NOVEMBER 1996
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Two Fine Musicians Share Their Heritage
By CATHOLINE BUTLER
VANCOUVER — Danny Doyle, the Irish balladeer, was recently here on a short visit and thanks to Danny Burns, yours truly was invited along with a few other Danny Doyle fans to Culpeppers Restaurant on Broadway for an impromptu session.
In a cozy, snug corner there, the dark creamy pints were flowing as we had an opportunity to see and hear Danny once again. When he introduces a song, it's almost as interesting as the ballad itself, because he shares the history of Ireland from his own personal experiences.
I spoke to Danny about the Caribbean cruise in which he and several other Irish entertainers, will participate in, next January 12 to 19.
This will be the sixth annual Irish Festival Cruise to feature an all-Irish entertainment lineup. Aboard the vessel will be musicians, comedians and dancers. There are daily Celtic workshops also offered.
Danny said that he is also now working on an exciting new project outside the music industry which he could not yet di-
TONY MACDONALD
Ex-Patriot Newfoundlander
vulge but he promised to contact The Celtic Connection when he "goes public."
Another musician at the same gathering was Tony Macdonald, an ex-patriot Newfoundlander whose flowing mane of blond hair has no doubt been the envy of many-a-woman.
He was singing songs from his newly released CD called, Tony MacDonald, My East Coast Home and he is now awaiting final confirmation on his tour of Atlantic Canada. After several years' ab-
sence, MacDonald returned to his native Newfoundland last year and re-discovered his culture and rich heritage. He was so overwhelmed with what he found, that he wrote most of the album in Newfoundland.
He has a very strong and clear voice and it's easy to follow the flow. When I listened to him, I could almost feel the rolling of the sea. His salt-tinged lyrics were sung with passion and empathy for the strong Scots and Irish who settled on those rocky shores.
MacDonald and Danny have much in common, since they both tell stories about their cultural history and in doing so, they become part of the great oral tradition by preserving their heritage through song.
We can't have pride in our country if we don't know our history. It seems to me that the East Coast is doing a fine job in preserving their rich Celtic heritage, judging by the wave-after-wave of excellent musicians coming from the Maritime provinces.
Special thanks to Jackie, Catherine and Linda at Culpeppers for their hospitality that evening.
Prison Play Tells Story of Hunger Strikers
By GERARD MILLAR
BELFAST — Recently, over 600 people packed into St, Agnes's Parish Hall in Andersonstown, west Belfast, to watch a play called The Crime of Castlereagh.
The play was presented by eight republicans who had been released from the H-blocks of the Maze Prison ne^r Lisburn, a few hours earlier.
The drama, adapted from IRA hunger-striker Bobby Sands's trilogy of poerns The Crime of Castlereagh, Diplock Court and H-block Torture Mi//, was first performed in the jail last summer.
After the initial showing in H-
"This caused some prolonged periods of laughter which of :ourse helped us all become comfortable with each other."
Makers of the hunger-strike film Some Mother's Son have been accused of not consulting families of the hunger strikers. The prisoners made sure the same could not be said about their play.
Relatives of most of the ten hunger-strikers arrived as guests — 38 seats had been set aside for them.
The walls had been decorated with huge pictures of the hunger-strikers and framed facsimile copies of Bobby Sands's original poems, now kept at the National Museum in Dublin.
nSlirJ'nwfn^y ^-P" The trilogy, which has 200 stan
publican wings inside the jail
Last year, the play was included in the program f0r Feile an Phobail, the West Belfast Community Festival, even though it was held in the H-blocks.
The play grew out of drama workshops frorn inside the jail. Drama expert T0m Magill of the Community Arts Forum visited the prison regulariy to guide the prisoners.
Frankie Quinn, from County Tyrone, who has been in jail since 1989 and who plays the main character, Bobby Sands, says that "within days, we were standing in a circle holding hands, singing to each oth^r.
zas and stretches to 60 pages in book-form, were scribbled on prison toilet paper and on the fly sheets of a bible, before being smuggled out.
Many of the relatives wept as the tragic tale unfolded on stage.
When they are all released, the prisoners hope to tour Ireland and abroad with the play
Anyone who would miss Some Mother's Son because of alleged inaccuracies should be consoled by the fact that there is one authentic account of the hunger strike in the public domain. •
Condensed from an article in The Irish News
Van Morrison to Appear at Belfast Festival
BELFAST — One of the highlights of this year's Belfast Festival — November 4 to 23 — will be the appearance of the legendary Van Morrison at the Grand Opera House, on November 10.
The festival will contain a rich mixture of theatre, music, dance, visual arts and comedy. Queen's University Film Theatre will contribute their most comprehensive presentation to date, with more than 50 films to be screened.
A truly historic mini-season of films has been announced, with some films which have not been seen publicly for many years.
There will be a strong lineup of Irish films from the north and south, including the lavishly-praised sci-fi The Boy from Mercury, John T. Davis's The Uncle Jack (a portrait of John McBride Neil, the director's uncle and one of Northern Ireland's finest architects), The Disappearance of Finbar and films from the Northern Lights and Six Pack projects.
Classics will include The African Queen, Battleship Potemkin (with a group of live musicians), Top Hat, Brief Encounter, Scarface and The Kid and Easy Street.
Across the city, at Belfast Civic Arts Theatre on Botanic Avenue, the festival program kicks off on November 4 with the stage production of the controversial film, Trainspotting. On November 12 to 16, Macnas present the final part of their Celtic trilogy, Balor.
•
Condensed from Irish News