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Pub
Musicians at Fleadh Cheoil Festival, Ireland Photo
by Michael St. Maur Sheil
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Irish Pub Hopping By Dan Carollo | posted 03/15/2002 At a recent bachelors party, me and some guys went Irish
pub-hopping in Seattle. We started at Fado Irish Pub on 1st
Avenue, where they serve “bangers and mash”, Irish soda bread
and potato leek soup. After
that, the Owl ‘n Thistle just around the corner, and finishing off
the night with a pint of rousing Irish folk-rock music at Kells on
Post Alley. One delightful feature of many Irish pubs is the
“traditional session” – a sort of open forum where musicians
bring their own instruments; fiddle, bodhran, guitar, whistle or
pipes. Everyone comes with a song to share such as “Irish Molly
O”, “Finnegan’s Wake”, “All For Me Grog “, “The Rocky
Road to Dublin”, “Paddy
McMahon's Jig” or
“Woods
of Old Limerick” And
everyone who knows the tune just joins right in. (click on a link
above to hear a sample). A couple years ago, Susan and I and our friends from Kent
visited Dublin during a three-week trip in the British Isles.
During our stay, we went to this traditional Irish music
house where we met some of the most friendly and hospitable people.
The house included a dance hall, a room for the musicians to play,
and a bar where pints of porter and Guinness flowed freely from taps
the size of fire hoses. The highlight of the evening, of course, was the
traditional music session. What
impressed me most was watching this community of people coming
together, playing the tunes effortlessly, as if engaged in their own
common language. With
kind of a spirit-led spontaneity, one musician would start a new
song, and without missing a beat, the rest would fall in line,
filling the room with a continuous stream of jigs, ballads and
reels. Perhaps the most intriguiging part of these sessions is the
solo singer (known in traditional Irish as “Sean-nós”,
or “singing in the old style”).
The atmosphere suddenly becomes very solemn as everyone
quiets down to hear the beautiful, melancholy voice.
During the singing, nobody plays his instrument and nobody
says a word - but simply sits still in reverent silence. As I listened during the course of the evening, I was
struck by what a wonderful model for the church this is.
Ephesians
5:19 reminds us to “speak to another in psalms, hymns and
spiritual songs, singing and making music to God”.
Acts
2:42 describes how the early Christians “devoted themselves to
the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of
bread and prayer”. And
I
Corinthians 12:4-7,12-13 tells us about the “different kinds
of gifts, but the same Spirit” and how the Church is a unified
body, comprised of many parts under one Lord. Perhaps this is really what the church is about - Groups of people
getting together in a community of true worship and fellowship;
everyone bringing their own song or prayer.
Imagine a “Worship Pub”, so to speak, where people come
together to drink pints of Diet Pepsi, pound drums, strum guitars,
pray and sing their hearts out to God, or maybe - just listen in
silence This week, perhaps look for ways you might “bring a song” to
others – whether it be an encouraging word, an act of service,
making music, or getting a group together to swap prayers over
coffee. And while you’re at it, break out the fiddle, pipes, Irish
whistle, and grab a “pint” of whatever good thing you can get
your hands on. “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and
though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with
Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one
body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given
the one Spirit to drink” – I Corinthians 12:13-14 “Speak
to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make
music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God
the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”
-- Ephesians 5:19-20 To
respond to this message, please send your emails to: dcarollo@hotmail.com .
. . Irish things to check out…
Fado
Irish Pub - Downtown Seattle (the corner of 1st and
Columbia). Every Sunday at 4pm, you can bring your whole
family to Fado Irish Pub and enjoy rounds of reels and jigs in the
non-smoking area of the pub. The Celtic
Bayou - Downtown Redmond. “Irish
mood – Cajun food”. See
schedule of live entertainment, including traditional Irish jam
sessions. Victors Celtic
Coffee Company – Downtown Redmond. Great coffee and food with live music (not necessarily Irish)
on Friday and Saturday nights. Irish Week 2002 – The Seattle Center. Features include the St.
Patrick’s Day Parade, various exhibits, traditional Irish music
and dance. COMHALTAS
CEOLTÓIRÍ ÉIREANN -
An Irish organization dedicated to reviving traditional Irish
culture, language and music. The
organization has branches in Ireland, England, the U.S. and several
other countries. LiveIreland.com
- 24-hour internet radio featuring traditional and modern Irish
music. . . . |
