Schedule Of Events

Sep 19,2024

Welcome Gathering And Open Session At Cuchara Mercantile - For Festival
And Retreat Participants, Tutors And Artists

11:00am – 2:00pm Free Cuchmerc
Join Us Around The Lunch Hour To Meet Up With Old Friends And New.
All Participants Are Invited To Play A Tune In The First Open Session Of The Festival.

F01 Ceili Dancing – All Levels – The Byrne Brothers, Cassieandmaggie
11:00am – 12:00pm Free Cuchmerc
Don’t Miss The First Chance To Kick Up Your Heels This Weekend. Live Music.

F02 Picnic Lunch Break: Lunch And Conversation
12:00pm – 12:45pm Free Cuchmerc
Bring A Picnic Lunch And Your Favorite Blanket Or Folding Chair Or Sit At One Of Our Tables And Meet Up With Old Friends And New Friends. There Will Be Food And Beverage Options For Sale As Well.

F03 Ceili/Session - The Byrne Brothers, Cassieandmaggie, And Friends
1:00pm – 2:00pm Free Cuchmerc
Open To All, So Bring Your Instruments, Dancing Shoes, Voices, And Join The Party!

F04 Introduction To Whistle Beg
Jim Remington
2:30pm – 3:30m Free Cuchmerc
An Introductory Class For People Who Have Never Played The Whistle. Learn Whistle Types, Playing Basics And Learn A Simple Tune. Whistles Provided Or Bring Your Own.

F05 Introduction To Bodhran Beg
Dempsey Byrne
2:30pm – 3:30pm Free Cuchmerc
Dempsey Teaches You How To Position A Bodhran, Execute Basic Strokes, And Get Down To Playing With Some Basic, Solid Technique. Bodhrans Provided Or Bring Your Own.

C01 Concert: The Lads At The Dog Bar
Johnny B. Connolly, Cary Novotny
4:30 – 6:00pm $25 Dog Bar Cuchara
Join Johnny And Cary In The Relaxed Setting Of Cuchara’s Dog Bar For Rousing Songs, Tall Tales, And General Merrymaking.

C02 Concert: Kevin Fitzgerald, Dave Curly And Colin Farrell In Concert (Advance Tickets Only)
7:30pm $30 La Veta Mercantile
Join Us For A Fun Evening Of Comedy And Celtic Music

Sep 20,2024

F06 Introduction To Whistle Beg
Jim Remington
9:00am – 10:00am Free Lvsa
An Introductory Class For People Who Have Never Played The Whistle. Learn Whistle Types, Playing Basics And Learn A Simple Tune. Whistles Provided Or Bring Your Own.

W01 Session Playing Pt. 1a Melody Int/Adv
Joanna Hyde And Friends
9:00am – 10:30am $30 La Veta Mercantile
Learn What It Means To Play A Melody Instrument In A Session Context. Topics Covered Will Include Building A Set, Creative Transitions, Adding Harmony, Session Playing Vs. Performance, And Understanding The Meaning Of A Tune.

W02 Session Playing Pt. 1b Rhythm Int/Adv
Tadhg Ó Meachair
9:00am – 10:30am $30 Theater
Learn What It Means To Play A Rhythm Instrument In A Session Context. Topics Covered Will Include Building A Set, Creative Transitions, Adding Harmony, Session Playing Vs. Performance, And Understanding The Meaning Of A Tune.

D01 Demo: Travelling People Of Scotland All
Barbara Yule
9:30am – 11:00am $30 Library
The Scottish Travellers (Or Tinkers) Have Roots In Ancient Scotland And Remain A Mystery To This Day. They Managed To Preserve Their Oral Storytelling Traditions As A Major Part Of Their Culture Well Into The 20th Century. It Wasn’t Until 1950 That Scottish Folklorist Dr. Hamish Henderson Discovered That Among The Travelling People Were Master Tellers Of Long Forgotten Folktales. These Tales Had Been Borrowed From Interplay With Outside Sources And Became Their Own Or Were Purely Invented By The Travellers Themselves. This Crucial Discovery Brought To Light An Incredible Collection Of Traditional Tales In English That Even After Hundreds Of Years Were Still Fluid And Growing, Free From The Printed Page. Learn More About The Travellers And Enjoy A Sample Of Their Stories That I Learned From Master Storyteller, Stanley Robertson When I Recorded Him In The 1970’s.

D02 Demo: Mostly True Stories From Ireland All
Jim Remington
11:15am –12:15pm $20 Library
Just About Everyone Enjoys A Good Story. Experience The Magic Of Story Through Jim’s Tales Of His Travels Through Ireland.

W03 Intermediate Bodhran Int
Dave Curley
11:00am – 12:00pm $20 Lvsa
For Intermediate Bodhran Players, This Class Features Strokes, Patterns, And Embellishments In The Context Of Various Celtic Music Songs And Dances.

W04 Flute - Expanding Technique Int/Adv
Dave Migoya
11:00am –12:30pm $30 Mthdst Church Ll
Attention Is Given To Ornamentation, Breathing, Style And Repertoire, While Continuing To Emphasize Rhythm And Phrasing In The Music. Tunes Will Be Taught By Ear So Bring A Flute And A Recording Device.

W05 Fiddle – Expanding Technique Int/Adv
Winifred Horan
11:00am –12:30pm $30 Mthdst Church, Ul
For Those With Strong Intermediate To Advanced Fiddle Skills. Will Address Advanced Technique, Style, And Interpretation.

D03 Demo: Buttons Meet Beast All
Tadhg Ó Meachair And Johnny B. Connolly
11:00am – 12:30pm $30 Theater
This Demonstration Will Contrast Two Similar But Different Instruments Of These Two Great Musicians. Sure To Be Informative And Entertaining.

D04 Demo: Beginning Scottish Dance All
Cassie And Maggie
1:00pm – 2:00pm $20 Lvsa
Learn Basic Technique And A Few Simple Scottish Dances, With Bits Of Interesting Info On Scottish Dance And Its History Sprinkled In-Between.

W06 All Instruments – Variations And How To Do Them – Pt. 1 All
David Migoya
1:00pm – 2:00pm $20 Mthdst Church, Ll
Find The Musical Niche That Each Tune Offers And Best Represents And Showcases Your Style Of Play. This Two-Part Class Delves Into How Variations Are Constructed, How To Devise Them, And, Depending On The Instrument, What Works And What Doesn't. The Class Will Look At A Pair Of Well-Known Tunes That Most Players Already Know And The Variations From Them And Will Offer The Player A Pair Of New Tunes With The Opportunity In The Second Hour Of Finding Their Own Voice Within Them. The Ability To Read Music Is Helpful But Not Necessary. Understanding Basic Abc Notation Is Also Helpful And Similarly Not Necessary. The Tunes Will Be Made Available Before The Festival.

D05 Demo: Media Presence And Production All
The Byrne Brothers
1:00pm– 2:00pm $20 Library
Join The Byrne Brothers In A Discussion Of Many Of The Current Platforms Used In Creating An Online Presence For
Marketing And Promoting A Musical Group.

W07 Guitar – Advanced Accompaniment: Embellishment And Nuance Int/Adv
Cary Novotny
1:00pm– 2:00pm $20 Mthdst Church, Ul
This Class Looks At Some Of The Best Approaches To Adding Effective Embellishments And Style Nuances For
Accompanying Various Traditional Tunes.

D06 Demo: Ragas To Reels All
Utsav Lal, Winifred Horan
2:00pm – 3:30pm $30 Theater
Bringing Together Indian Classical Music And Traditional Irish Music, This Presentation Will Truly Entertain And
Inform You.

W08 Flute Beg/Int
Dave Migoya
4:00pm – 5:00pm $20 Mthdst Church Ul
Flute – Beg/Int Basic Technique

F07 Concert: 6th Street Hooley All
5:00pm - 6:00pm Free Miner’s Plaza 6th St, Walsenburg
Join Us Outside At Miner’s Plaza For A Performance By Morgan Toney And Keith Williams!

C03 Concert: One For The Foxes/ Cassie And Maggie All
7:00pm $30 Washington School, Walsenburg
Join Us For An Evening With One For The Foxes, Followed By Cassie And Maggie. This Is Sure To Be An Exciting
Evening!

Late Night Sessions (From 10:00pm To Closing)

Join Us For A Fun Evening Of Comedy And Celtic Music

Sep 21,2024

D07 Demo: How To Work With Sound Engineers (Even The Weird Ones) All
Dana Burgess
9:00am – 10:00am $20 Library
Ever Worry About Your Show Sound? Nervous About Working With A Sound Engineer You Don't Know? Want To Know How To Make The Whole Process Go Smoothly? This Class Will Go Through The Ins And Outs Of Producing A Live Show, And How You As A Performer Can Work With The Sound Crew To Make The Whole Process Efficient And Pleasant. From Stage Plots To Sound Checks To Special Instructions, The Whole Process Will Be Examined And Explained, With Examples, Stories, And No Shortage Of Humorous Comments. Come Withyour Questions!

D08 Highland Dress And Celtic Weaponry All
Don Lowe
9:00am – 10:00am $20 Fort Saloon
This Presentation Will Entertain And Inform You. It Features An Explanation Of The Kilt And Its History Including
Traditional Highland Attire And Accessories. Celtic Weaponry And A Brief History For Each Is Featured. Items From
A Collection Are Included To View As The Presenter Speaks.

W09 Session Playing Pt. Ii Int/Adv
One For The Foxes And Friends
9:30am – 11:00am $30 La Veta Mercantile
We Bring Together The Melody And Rhythm Groups From Friday To Combine Those Good Session Playing Skills. Attendance At The Friday Workshops Strongly Recommended.

D09 Demo: Music Of Modern Irish Poetry All
Bill Nevins
10:15am – 11:15am $20 Library
A Look At Some Of The Irish Poets Who’ve Given The World A Century Of Wild, Weird And Wonderful Lyrics, Epics And Songs. Works By Seamus Heaney, Sinead Mcclure, Thomas Kinsella, Radie Peat, Eavan Boland, Christy Moore, Shane Macgowan And Maybe Even Those “Belfast Bad-Boyz” Kneecap Will Be Touched Upon, In A Lighthearted Introductory Trip Through Contemporary “Celtic” Verse In The New Eire.

W10 Guitar: Dadgad Accompaniment Beg/Int
Dave Curley
11:15am – 12:15pm $20 Mthdst Church, Ul
This Class Is For Newer Guitarists And Those New To Irish Traditional Music. We Will Focus On How And When To Use Dadgad Tuning For Effective Accompaniment.

D10 Demo: Morgan Toney All
Morgan Toney
11:15am – 12:15pm $20 Theater
Join Morgan For An Exploration Of The Mi'kmaltic (Mi'kmaq + Celtic) Music Genre And How It Came To Be.

D11 Demo: Fiddle Styles And Technique All
Winifred Horan, Joanna Hyde, Colin Farrell
11:15am – 12:15pm $20 La Veta Mercantile
Learn About Different Approaches To Fiddle Playing As These Three Expert Fiddle Players Compare And Contrast Their Individual Styles.

F08 Tunes And Steps: Music And Dance All
Byrne Brothers, Cassie And Maggie
11:15am – 12:15pm Free Lv Park Pavilion
Ever Wonder About How Dance And Music Work Together? This Demonstration Will Help The Musician Understand The Role Of Dance And Help The Dancer Understand The Role Of Music As We Explore Jigs, Reels, Hornpipes, Slides, Etc. This Demo Will Help Prepare You For A ‘Ceili In The Park’ To Follow.

F09 Ceili In The Park All
Byrne Brothers, Cassie And Maggie
12:15pm – 1:15pm Free Lv Park Pavilion
Join Us For An Hour Of Dance And Fun In The La Veta Park. Bring A Lunch And Be Prepared To “Kick Up Your Heels”

D12 Demo: The Real Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald All
Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald
1:30pm – 2:30pm $20 Theater
With A Background That Ranges From Being A Bouncer With The Rolling Stones And The Who, A 25-Year Career In Veterinary Medicine That Saw Him Named “Specialist Of The Year In Private Practice” In 2006, And Over 20- Years Of Performing As A Professional Stand-Up Comedian; Kevin Fitzgerald Is A True Renaissance Man. He Believes That Laughter Is An Incredibly Important Part Of Everyday Life, And That Nobody Could Ever Laugh Too
Much.

W11 Whistle Beg/Int
Dave Migoya
2:00pm – 3:00pm $20 Mthdst Church Ll
Whistle – Beg/Int Basic Technique And Tunes.

D13 Demo: Songs Of Nova Scotia All
Cassie And Maggie
3:30pm – 4:30pm $20 Theater
Learn About The Musical Style And Background Of The Music Of Nova Scotia: Where It Came From And How It Developed.

W12 All Instruments: Variations And How To Do Them Pt. 2 Int/Adv
David Migoya
3:30pm – 4:30pm $20 Mthdst Church Ul
This Workshop Is Part 2 Of The Series. Make Sure To Sign Up For Both For The Best Experience!

C04 Concert: The Byrne Brothers, Connolly/Farrell/Novotny Trio And
Friends All
7:00pm $30 Washington School, Walsenburg
Festival Favorites Unite For A Delightful Evening Of Music! Late Night Sessions (From 10:00pm To Closing) In La Veta: La Veta Mercantile In Walsenburg: Crafty Canary

Sep 22,2024

F10 Sunday Tea And Scones All
9:00am – 11:00am Free Estelle Center
Enjoy Conversation, Camaraderie, Tea And Scones.

F11 Pop-Up Sessions All
11:30am – 12:30am Free Various
This Is Your Chance To Get Together With Your Mates For One Last Chance To Play Your Favorite Tunes Together. Find A Spot In The Park, Outside The La Veta Mercantile, Near The Festival Office, Or Wherever You Can Create Music Together!

C05 Final Concert: Morgan Toney And Friends All
(Advance Tickets Only)
1:00pm $30 La Veta Mercantile
Final Concert And Farewell From The 2024 Spanish Peaks International Celtic Music Festival

Date : Sep 19-22,2024

Location :Various Location in CO

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