 | CHICAGO’S CELTIC FEST 2004 |  |
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ONLINE ONLY SPECIAL BONUS FEATURECHICAGO’S CELTIC FEST 2004by Tom LoungesIt is the ancient and timeless music of distant lands, and it is getting increasingly popular all across America, including it seems here in Chicagoland. It is pipe and harp driven Celtic music; being celebrated this September 18-19 in Grant Park (100-700 S. Columbus Drive) at Chicago’s 8th Annual Celtic Fest.
The festival runs from 12pm to 9:30pm in Grant Park each day, but kicks off early on Friday, September 17th with a free 11am concert by the Celtic vocal ensemble, Song Of The Lakes, in the Claudia Cassidy Theatre at the Chicago Cultural Center (78 E. Washington St.)
Also on September 17, from 7 to 9 p.m., a free indoor “showcase concert” will be presented at the Chicago Cultural Center’s Preston Bradley Hall, with performances by Scottish vocalist Mary Jane Campbell and the French Celtic band, Genticorum. Fans can meet Genticorum at 12:30 that same day at Border’s Books & Music (150 N. State St.) when they do a CD signing and “meet ‘n’ greet.”
“It’s probably the most very laid back of all the festivals. It’s a lot of fun, but it definitely takes a lot of work,” said event coordinator and talent buyer Erin Bauer of the Mayor’s Office of Special Events. It takes Bauer and her staff nearly a full year of listening to demos, attending committee meetings, making phone calls, sending faxes and fielding emails, to make this weekend a reality.
Given that Chicago is very rich in Irish heritage and prone to dying it’s river green, that Celtic Fest is relatively new compared to the quarter century old Chicago Jazz Fest, might seem surprising.
“That’s a good question,” commented Bauer. “There was always an Irish Fest in Chicago going way back, but it was not run by this office. The idea of doing a full-fledged Celtic Fest was brought up eight years ago, which incorporates the music and culture of seven different nations, including of course that of the Irish.”
Aside from that of the Emerald Isle, the annual event represents the lands and people of Scotland, Cornwall, Wales, Isle Of Man, along with those from Brittany, France and Galicia, Spain.
Ten performance areas in Grant Park will showcase 120 Celtic acts this year, ranging from music and dance to storytelling and spoken word. “There is just so much to offer to people when you present a true Celtic event,” reminds Bauer. “It’s not just Ireland and Scotland. We take pride in presenting what we feel is a very well-rounded event that is very representative of all the Celtic nations.
There are many specialized areas. For example: The harp is the most prominent instrument of the Celtic world, so there is a special “Harp Tent.” There is also a “Dance Stage” with demonstrations of traditional Celtic dances; a “Bagpiping Circle” where colorfully kilted pipers perform a medley of marches, jigs and waltzes; a special stage designated for Uillean pipers; and the “Celtic Voice Tent” where poets and orators recite classic Celtic tales, legends and verse.
Plenty of Celtic crafters will be hawking wares as well, in tents at the “Art Fair”, where items like hand sewn kilts and hand-made silver jewelry can be purchased. “Only Celtic crafters are allowed at this, and everything there is hand-made the Old World way,” emphasized Bauer.
New to this year’s festival will be a 30-minute sheep herding demonstration each day at 2:00pm in Millennium Park’s Butler Field. “Sheep herding is very prominent in Scotland, so we thought it would be fun to bring someone in who is a professional sheep herder, to demonstrate it for us using live sheep and border collies,” mused Bauer.
A special attraction of this year’s festival is the combined Petrillo Band Shell performances (5pm on Sept. 18 and 4 p.m. on Sept. 19) of two world-famous, award-winning French pipe ensembles –– Ronsed Mor and Kevrenn Alre’. “There will be a total of 21 pieces playing and this is the first time these two bands will perform together as one ensemble,” said Bauer.
“We loved it the last time we played in the park there,” said Saw Doctors’ lead guitarist Leo Moran. “The backdrop of the city and the proximity to the lake made it special. Chicago treats us well and we’ve always loved playing in the different venues there, but playing in the park is really special.”
Their 90-minute set at 6:30pm on September 19 at Petrillo Band Shell will close out the 2004 Celtic Fest. The Saw Doctors are out supporting their new live DVD and CD companion set, Live In Galway.
“We’ll probably be using most of the older ones [songs] in our Chicago Celtic Fest set, but I’m hoping that maybe we might include a new one or two,” said Moran, noting they are currently writing material for their next studio album.
“We’re flying in [from Ireland] just for this special festival of yours. And I’m hoping to get in a bit of [Michigan Avenue] shopping while there as well,” mused Black, who began singing in Dublin pubs and folk clubs with her brothers while in her young teens.
“Sandy Denny and Billie Holiday were two of my biggest influences early on,” she continued, while also crediting her musical parents. “My father came from Rathlin Island off the North Coast of Antrim and played fiddle and mandolin. My mother loved to sing and played bagpipes.”
Black most recently was featured on the Black Family album, Our Time Together, along with her singing siblings – three brothers and one sister. That album is currently available to American audiences only as an import or via her web site: www.mary-black.net
“I may do one or two [songs] from that album,” she said of her Celtic Fest set, along with a few new ones from her forthcoming solo album. “I’m long overdue and I will start working on [my] new album in October, before returning to the U.S. in March 2005 for a three week tour that will stop in Glen Ellyn, near Chicago.
For those who have not gotten their fill of Celtic music, even after three days of free performances by 120 artists, there is a special “After Hours Ce’ili” being held at 10p.m. on September 18 at the Hilton Hotel (720 S. Michigan), where several of the festival’s artists will perform and mingle with guests. Unlike the festival, where the music is free, there is a $10 fee to attend the “After Hours Ce’ili’”.
“A ‘ceili’ is a huge party that were originally held in kitchens from what I am told, where musicians would gather and drink, dance and play together. Musicians take turns getting up and performing for everyone,” said Bauer, likening it to a giant “open mic” night. “We’ve taken it out of the kitchen and put it at the Hilton, but this party will have that same spirit, I’m sure!”
For more information: (312) 744-3370 or online at www.cityofchicago.org/specialevents.
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Veterans of the 2002 Celtic Fest, Ireland’s 
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