The Celtic Festival was magnificent! The music, the people, the fun! Oh gods it was a blast. It was also a lot of hard work. Most days were spent working lights and for me, running up and down the stairs at the Fox theater. Dan worked with David Enke to provide co-ordinated lights and sound.
I’d be hard pressed to say who I liked the best. It was just so amazing. Friday’s concert was light in attendance, but we blame it on the presidential debates. The best part was where Jack Yule was cracking jokes. He is normally so dower in demeanor that you really do a double take when he makes a joke. The concert was intitled “From Tango to Jig”That night we listened to Alfredo Ortiz, Kevin McElroy, Jerry O’Sullivan and Aine Minogue.
On Saturday, I was up early to go out to La Veta and help at the mining museum where Joe Lang and my dad, Jon Sudar were talking about coal mining.
I no sooner got back from La Veta then it was time to get ready for Carl Holzhauer’s memorial service. It was at the Baptist church my great grandma, Nanny went to. I remember going there with her as a child. Remembered getting in trouble too, for playing on the little organ’s foot pedals. The service was really very nice. However, I do wish they had sung the hymns in something other than the key of off! After being around such beautiful music all week, it really stood out.
We went home, changed clothes and headed back for the concert. By this time, I had gotten us each a tee-shirt. Saturday was really packed. The concert was “An Irish Hooley at the Fox”. This time the artists were Liz Carroll, Shannon and Matt Heaton, Jerry O’Sullivan. Kieran Jordan performed Sean-Nos Irish step dancing while Shannon and Matt played.
Sunday, I was up early again and out to La Veta. We were at the Methodist church this time talking about… yeah, you guessed it,…. Coal! Dad was there again as well. Joe Lang gave a slideshow on the Roselyn Chapel where he is a docent. Lovely pics, but we ran out of time. I literally raced to the Fox Theater, as the concert was due to begin at 2:30pm. I had just enough time to learn where to aim the spotlights and the concert started. This was the “Coal Mining’s Heyday”. It started off with some of our local talent singing. (Oris, Bob, Gary and George)
Then Ed Miller, Jennie McAvoy, Patsy Seddon, Alison Bell, Kim McKee, Ken Willson, Anne Enke, Frank Manning, Heather Yule, some of the Ceilidh Peppers performed.
Lots of songs and poems about coal mining. Joe Lang read one of his poems. It was a really good time. At the end, the audience was promised a special and unique encore.
After the houselights went up, we had a wedding!!! Kim McKee and Ken Wilson got married on stage. They had been together for years, and decided it was about time they married. Kim’s daughters were her maids of honor. The Celidh Peppers were Ken’s Band of Honor. :>
It was sweet, wonderful, tearful and funny all in one big lump. At one point, I got the giggles… why? Well, my mind played a weird association… Four weddings and a funeral is one of my favourite movies. Meanwhile in real life, I had just had two ceilidhs, a funeral and a wedding!
After the wedding, we packed up all the sound equipment and moved to the Blue Rooster in La Veta. There we ate, listened to the Ceilidh Peppers, and a lot of the other artists until nearly 11pm. Dan worked sound for those playing. It was awesome! Got home at midnight.
It was a long week full of hard work, but oh so worth it. Lots of new friends, work experience and plenty of good music.