Tursachan

The Newsletter of the Callanish School of Celtic Arts

Dear Students and Parents,

Happy Celtic New Year! Did you know that Halloween was considered to be New Year’s Eve in the ancient Celtic calendar? We actually get a lot of our Halloween customs from Ireland and Scotland, including dressing up like ghosts and goblins. Our Winter Solstice Ceilidh is quickly approaching, so remember to practice your steps and tunes during the coming weeks!

Mòran Taing,

Maggie Carchrie

Fall Fundraiser

During the month of November, the School will be involved in a candle sale. Students will be selling “April’s Scents”, which are jar candles available in 3 sizes and in over 20 scents. The dates of the sale are November 1st - December 1st, so you’ll still have the sale forms to hit up those Thanksgiving guests :-) Items should be delivered within 10 days, so in plenty of time for Christmas. Please consider purchasing candles for all those little presents you give, like the post man, trash man and Yankee swaps. This sale could potentially bring in thousands of dollars for the school as the profit is between 50-60% of the sales plus there is no shipping charge over 200 candles. Our goal is for each dance and fiddle student to sell 10 candles. Money will be used to reimburse the Callanish savings account for our most recent kilt and hose order and to purchase tartan ties and sashes for the fiddle students.

Callanish Winter Fling

Yes, everyone, it’s time to start planning our third annual Callanish Winter Fling. All dancers ready to compete or be medal tested should have received by an entry form. Please try to turn this form in as soon as possible as the kitty needs your money to pay for things in advance such as the judge’s plane ticket and medals. Medal testing for all Callanish Dancers will be held on Friday, January 30th between 3-6 PM at the WBCB. There will be plenty of jobs during the weekend for Callanish Families, so please stay tuned. For now, we are looking for raffle donations and trophy donations. Trophy donations are $40 and a set of medals is $25, payable to the School.

Bagpipe Lessons Scheduled

Bagpipe lessons with Donald Lindsay of Albany, NY will be held on Friday & Saturday, November 14/15 and December 12/13. The band class for Colum Cille will be from 2-4 PM on each Saturday. Please contact Maggie directly to schedule private lessons in desired.

Natalie MacMaster Concert

The Callanish School will be taking a trip to see world-famous Cape Breton Fiddler, Natalie MacMaster, on Sunday, January 11th at 3 PM, Symphony Hall, Boston. The cost per ticket is $25, which includes a group discount if 20 or more tickets are purchased. Please have your payment in full to Maggie by 12/1 if you are interested in attending. Checks are payable to the School. Carpooling will be available if interested. Dancers – this is the fiddler on our warm up CD!

Hats Off!

Congratulations to the following dancers who earned medals and trophies at recent competitions:

Congrats!

Congratulations to the following students on their recent accomplishments in the Celtic Arts:

Some Things to Consider . . .

Thomas and Maggie will be a part of a Harry Potter Read-a-Thon, sponsored by Mary Carchrie’s agency, RSVP. The Retired Senior Volunteer Program has been providing reading tutors for the past eight years to area elementary schools as part of President Clinton's America Reads Program. Volunteers, including Maggie and Thomas, will be reading all five Harry Potter Books at Barns and Nobles from 4 PM on November 7th - 11 PM on November 14th. Maggie and Thomas’ personal goal is to raise $180 for the program, $1 per minute they read. They hope that you will please consider making a donation next time you see them and come hear them read, in costume, later this month!

Shari MacArthur, mother of Vicky, James and Michaela, all Highland dancers, runs a program called “Free Computers for Learning Disabled Kids”. She takes donated PCs and rehabs them, giving them to special needs children who would not be able to afford a computer otherwise. So, next time you purchase a new computer and you don’t know what to do with your old one, please consider donating it to this worthy cause. You may contact Shari at: amazonhect@msn.com

Upcoming Events

16 November Cape Regency Nursing Home, C’Ville (Arrive 2 PM for 2:30 Show)
20 December Winter Solstice Cèilidh, 5:30 PM
30 January-1 February Callanish Winter Fling, Cape Cod Community College
11 February Thirwood Place Assisted Living, Yarmouth (Arrive 5:30 for 6 PM Show)
6 March CCCC Multicultural Fair, 10am–4pm
7 March Cape Regency Nursing Home, C’Ville (Arrive 2 PM for 2:30 Show)
13 March Corned Beef & Cabbage Dinner (Fundraiser) Bookstore and Restaurant, Wellfleet, MA
20 March Celtic Thunder Concert (Rù-Rà & Lissa), Carleton Hall, Dennis, 7 PM
27 April Orleans Woman’s Club, 1:30 PM

Need more info on festivals? See the official Highland Games web site at: www.maclachlans.org/games.html