Question? About The Saline Celtic Fest In Michigan

Whistle
1

All you michiganders tomorrow I think i’m going to the saline celtic festival.I never been and have a question, will any one their be selling high end whistles Overton burke copeland weasels anything. Or are their just irish nick nack type stuff. Also I love my cheap whistles but thats not what I’m shopping for.

Trying to decide if I should bring whistle money. :slight_smile:

Please respond!

2

I’ve never seen any high end whistles there. (For sale, anyway!) I wouldn’t worry about whistle money.

Just got back from the session after the Friday evening workshops and ceili. Very excited to have Patrick Ourceau’s new CD…

3

Always helpful to know was just curious, Doubted it, but would kick myself if I did not bring money and saw a whistle I’ve been looking for.

How many attend the saturday events. is it crowded or are people far and few between. I have been to other celtic gatherings where it is pretty sparse.

4

About 10,000 people, I think? It’s pretty crowded.

5

I had no idea..how long does it run??..and where exactly do they have seshuns in the metro area?

6

The festival was today and was the last day. Sorry
I just got back it was pretty fun sorry to rub it in. Post where you are and I am sure someone can lead you to a session.

7

Yes, the festival was quite nice. It had a bit of the RenFaire thing, but the focus on music, lack of bizarre foods like tacos(!), the unobtrusiveness of the vendors, the presence of the Scottish clans, and the lack of fake accents helped a lot.

I saw:

  • Bonny Rideout on Scottish fiddle (good, very charismatic). I think she played a song by the Swedish group Vasen, one of my favorite bands.
  • Navan, an a capella group, singing old songs or modern arrangements for old text, in five different Celtic languages (uneven singing in solo sections, but as a group generally pretty decent, and definitely unusual)
  • Chulrua, a guitar-violin-box trio, playing (to my ears) quite traditional Irish music, very little flash or gimmicks, good quality.

The Duhks were delayed, and I didn’t get to see them. :sniffle:

Also went to the whistle workshop on Friday, with NPR’s Bryan Kelso Crow. It was very basic, but it gave me a chance to play in front of other people (and sound three times worse than I do on my own), and I learned a couple of things. For instance, that my Generation D doesn’t like breezes, and that it’s virtually inaudible when playing with other whistles.

8
  • Bonny Rideout on Scottish fiddle (good, very charismatic). I think she played a song by the Swedish group Vasen, one of my favorite bands.
  • Navan, an a capella group, singing old songs or modern arrangements for old text, in five different Celtic languages

Watched them both you probaly where sitting by me in both of them :laughing:

I was captivated by navan, but I think to some they are a aquired taste.

The event was very nice and I will return for sure, Only thing that I missed that other festivals have is more participation such as more kilt wearing and period dress.

I can live without the fake accents any day though.

9

I missed both of their stage sets, alas, so I still haven’t heard more than a couple of numbers from this new lineup. But I get to hear them playing for dancing, and at the sessions both nights. Paddy and Patrick are awesome traditional musicians, and Pat is a fine guitar player.

The Duhks were delayed, and I didn’t get to see them. > :sniffle:

I saw their big set. They did mostly new numbers, which will presumably be on their next CD (to be recorded this fall). The sound was pretty muddy, so it wasn’t the greatest setup for hearing stuff I hadn’t heard before.

10

Didn’t know about it. I’ll have to go there next year.

…and the lack of fake accents helped a lot…

That bothers me as well. I don’t do that when I’m ren fairing.