The Rio Grande Valley Celtic Festival

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"guh nih-heh on cot hoo iss guh nih-heh on jowel on cot."
"May the cat eat you and the devil eat the cat."

2013's Festivals' Entertainment

As a group there are many events that take place throughout the year, between Festival Events. We have many fund raising events and get-togethers and will try to update and post information about upcoming events here. There are also many informal events, like when our local bagpipers are playing at one of the local bars.

This year the Rio Grande Valley Celtic Festival has a number of entertainment events to choose from. If you enjoy Celtic Dancing, Celtic Pets, Micro Brews, Irish Hurling & Gaelic Football, to Bag Piping and much much more, you’re in the right place. Scroll down on this page to see a FULL list of entertainment events, and click on the links and learn more about these events.

Please note that our host hotel is the Marriott Pyramid North. If you are looking for a place to stay, please inquire about the great rates they are offering for Festival participants and guests. This hotel includes: indoor pool, bar, Internet, room service, etc.

Below are just a few events that will take place at the Festival in May 2013.

Welcome to the 25th Annual Rio Grande Valley Celtic Festival Piping Events!

We are pleased to announce that we will be hosting some great events for pipers, drummers and bands alike! Please take a look below at the list fun things we will be offering this year!

• Band Competition is back!
Grade 5 and Grade 4 Pipe Bands, WUSPBA sanctioned events!
• Solo Piping Grade 1-4 competition.
• Solo Snare drumming Grade 2-4 competition.
• Solo Tenor Grade 2-4 competition.
• Amateur Bass drum solo competition.
• Colonel Chamberlain Memorial Kitchen Piping Competition in the microbrew tent, Saturday afternoon with $100 cash prize!
• Judges: Jamie Cuthill, Ed Best and Iain Macey
• Band competition prize money for 1st, 2nd, 3rd
• Drumming seminar Sunday morning hosted by Ed Best– all types of drummers from all bands are welcome...pipers too!
• $250 for band performance participation (for the first 6 non local bands to enter). See Piping Coordinator for schedule.
• Piper of the Festival will be announced Sunday at massed bands and an award will be given. Who knows, it could be you!

Contact: Piping Coordinator, Aden Lumb at (505) 977-0097 or E-mail: desertpiper@yahoo.com for any questions and comments. Entry Forms may be sent via email or snail mail. Your name / band name will be sent to Will Call. You can pick up your entry pass at the ticket booth. Please make checks payable to Rio Grande Valley Celtic Festival Association and send to: PO Box 35062, Albuquerque, NM, 87176-5062 Note: Please do not bring any glass, outside alcohol or tents on the field. Tents are being provided by the RGVCFA. Merchandise, tables, chairs and food are OK.

Piping Schedule:

Saturday

• 9 am - 11:45 am — Solo competitions for G2-4 piping and all drumming. Competitors should plan to arrive around 8:30 am for check in. Field entries close at 9 am.
• 12:00 pm — Opening Ceremonies
• 1:30 pm - 3 pm — Band Competitions: G5 Quick March Medley, G4 Timed Medley.
• 4:00 pm (this may be pushed back to 5 pm) Col. Chamberlain Memorial Kitchen Piping Competition in the microbrew tent.

Sunday

• 9 am - 11:45 — Solo competitions for all G1 and Piobaireachd.
Competitors should plan to arrive around 8:30 am for check in. Field entries close at 9 am.
• 10:00 am — Drum Workshop hosted by Ed Best in the microbrew tent.
• 1:30 pm - 3 pm — Band competitions: G5 MS6/8, G4 Quick March Medley.
• 4:00 pm — Closing Ceremonies. Piper of the Festival award.

• Piping Band Form
• Piping Solo Form

Scottish & Irish Dance Demos

Scottish Highland Dancing is a celebration of the Scottish spirit. The dances are a spectacular combination of movement, music, and costume. They are generally danced solo, and in competition the music is typically a tune on the bagpipes. The dances are great fun and anyone, not just with a Scottish heritage, who thrills to the sound of the bagpipes, can join in and learn the dances.

Saturday:

• 10:00 Enchantment Country Dancers
• 11:00 Irish Ceili Dancers
• 1:30 Irish Set Dancers
• 2:30 Fishback Highland Dancers
• 3:15 Tir Connail Irish Step Dancers

Sunday:

• 11:00 Highland Dance Albuquerque
• 1:00 Coleman Irish Step Dancers)
• 2:15 Coleman Irish Step Dancers

HARP COMPETITION

Saturday:AM, Harp Workshop Saturday:3PM.

Sue Richards is a traditional musician and collector of tunes. She has played the harp since childhood, first classical harp at Oberlin College, then Scottish and Irish harps exclusively. She won the Scottish Harp Society of America (SHSA) championship four times, studied and taught in Scotland, and is now a SHSA Distinguished Judge. Sue has performed at Celtic Connections and the Edinburgh International Harp Festival in Scotland, and toured Norway and Sweden with the "Harpa" ensemble. She has played for Presidents Clinton and Bush, Queen Elizabeth of England, and sat in with the Chieftains Irish band. Sue's main gig is touring with Ensemble Galilei, performing Celtic, early, and original music. As a member of EG she has written music and performed in three multi-media shows, "A Universe of Dreams" (with images from the Hubble telescope), and "First Person: Letters from the Edge of the World" (sponsored by the National Geographic Society), and more recently, "Seeing America", using images from the collection of American photographers at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She has three solo recordings and many with EG, and she has published 6 books of arrangements of Irish and Scottish tunes, a book of exercises specific to Irish and Scottish technique, and more recently a book of her own compositions, "Morning to Midnight." www.suerichards.net. Ensemble Galilei:www.egmusic.com.

Thursday, May 16, at La Mesa Presbyterian Church (7401 Copper N.E.) Sue Richards will present a special workshop for intermediate players that will help us conquer speed! Dexterity Exercises for Playing Celtic Music at Speed. Frustrated by sluggish fingers? I will go through some comprehensive exercises and then teach a tune or two that put the exercises to work. This is not for absolute beginners. I would suggest that students have been playing for at least a year, and have a solid technique.

Doors will open at 6:30. There is plenty of parking on the west side of the church, use the west door. We will have Sue's CD's for sale, refreshments, and other harp goodies. Bring an old CD you're tired of for a CD exchange, also a music book exchange... just bring something to trade. And to perform in style, a cape raffle! Be sure to be in place by 7pm. to learn something new! $20 at the door, or $18 in advance. Send a check to Michele Buchanan, 1813 Stanford S.E., ABQ 87106

Friday, May 17, at La Mesa Presbyterian Church (7401 Copper NE) A Concert with Sue Richards, Donese Mayfield, and Bonnie Schmader. 7pm. Tickets at the door $15 or donation, or in advance from Michele Buchanan. Sue will do her special set, then intermission, then be accompanied by other harps and flute. Doors open at 6:30

Sat. May 18, at Rio Grande Valley Celtic Festival Harp Tent. (Balloon Fiesta Park) After harp competitions and awards, Sue will present another workshop inside the harp tent. This should start after we break for lunch, by 2pm. The harp tent will have guarded instrument storage all day both days, so that we can enjoy the festival and come/go as we please. This workshop will be $20 at the door, $15 in advance, tickets from Michele Buchanan, 1813 Stanford S.E. Abq.87106. Sue's CD's and Music books for sale also, as well as refreshments and other harp goodies. There will be fair ware garb for sale so don't miss the harp tent attractions. This workshop should be really fun!

Tunes Tunes Tunes

Irish, Scottish, Welsh, or Scandinavian -- as many as we have time for. As I go through them I will explain the differences between the genres (jig, reel, strathspey, etc). I will also explain about basic ornaments and how to play with a lilt. I teach by ear and pass out the music at the end.

Sat, May 18th, 7pm. concert:

Concert at Apple Mountain Music, 10301 Comanche N.E. Doors open at 6:30, $20 at the door. Sue's CD's and music books for sale, if any are left!

"An Evening With Sue Richards" : Sue bills herself as a "collector of tunes", and she will share some of the many tunes in her repertoire, including 18th century Irish harper Turlough O'Carolan, and Irish airs, jigs and reels. Sue is a distinguished judge for the Scottish Harp Society of America, and will include a few Scottish strathspeys and marches. She will also share some of her best original harp tunes, "Hazel Grove", "Fire in the Hearth", and "Miss Abbott, written for her mother. She usually asks for requests at the end, and if possible will play them for you.

Sunday, May 19 Rio Grande Valley Celtic Festival. Sue Richards, Free concert 9am. Kirking music, small stage. Sue will entertain you with special harp music for Sunday morning. Other festivities at the harp tent will include a harp circle and informal jam session. Private lessons are available this day as scheduled. Closing comments and thanks to Sue Richards for making the trip from Maryland!

• Harp Rules Form >>
• Harp Registration Form >>

SHORTBREAD COMPETITION

Do You have a favorite, or family recipe?
This year we will have a Scottish shortbread competition on Sat. May 18th. The judges will be Bernalillo County Home Economists, and they will award 1st through 3rd. rosettes. You may enter your shortbread in the following categories, as many times as you’d like. The competition is free.

1. Traditional: ingredients of flour, sugar, butter, etc. that make it the traditional taste.
OR
2. “Flavored” which may include other ingredients that alter the flavor.

Rules:
1. each entry must be on a disposable plate, covered by plastic wrap.
2. each entry must have at least 6 pieces, 2” square or equivalent
3. entries must not be from pre-made dough or store bought.
4. Do not put your name on it, or viewable. You will be given a number.
5. Entries should be brought before the judging at 1pm.

Bring entries Sat. am. to Clan Buchanan booth. Deadline is 1pm. for judging.
Winners will be announced at the end of the judging, @ 1:30 pm on Sat. After that the shortbread will be offered to fairgoers.

BRITISH CLASSICS

Highlighting cars 1987 and older, for all British cars, including racers.

Celtic Music

There was much Celebrating with Celtic Music and get into the Scottish spirit. Visit the Wicked Tinkers at www.wickedtinkers.com

Celtic Fun

CLAN TYNKER is a family of siblings who perform a wide variety of talents in a whimsical "Old World/ Vaudeville" style of entertainment.  The show is an enchanting kaleidoscope of skills from around the world performed to live music. An impressive variety of juggling skills are displayed including balls, clubs, machetes, contact spheres, diabolo, poi and fire.

Other highlights of the show consist of stage magic, comedy, Central Asian/Middle Eastern dance, sword swallowing, fire-eating and tight-wire walking.  The accompanying musical soundscape is played on an eclectic variety of instruments including concertina, accordion, harmonium, dumbek, Balkan tupon, as well as various horns, bells and whistles. The show culminates with a dizzying array of danger stunts and climaxes with a spectacular fire performance. This fun and lively show is appropriate for audiences of all ages and has been well received by families.

In addition to the show, the troupe can also provide colorful “walk around” entertainment to add color to any event.  They can provide street character work, close-up sleight-of-hand magic, stilt walking, a magical jester statue, a dancing china doll, six foot tall unicycle riding, bubble magic and more.

Based out of Santa Fe, New Mexico, they have been performing together professionally since 1995.  

They have added their unique talents to Concerts, Festivals, City Events, Renaissance Fairs, Libraries, hundreds of private functions, and on the streets and at festivals in France, Germany, Italy and most recently Egypt and Scotland. The Clan Tynker’s talents can also be seen in Ron Howard's film "The Missing" as well as the movie "Beer for my Horses" starring Willie Nelson, Ted Nugent, Toby Keith & Rodney Carrington.       

. Visit the Wicked Tinkers at www.clantynker.com

Celtic Herding Demonstrations

The NEW MEXICO HERDING DOG ASSOCIATION will hold four sheepdog trials, beginning at 10:00 am and at 2:00 pm, on May 18 and 19. The trials are open to any dog/handler team (pedigree registration is not required), and will be divided into four levels of increasing difficulty. Download the entry form (http://www.nmhda.com/celtic-festival-arena-trail-may-18---19.html) for advance entry ($20/run), or enter on site the day of the trial ($25/run). Running order will be Open, Open Ranch, Ranch, and Novice at each trial. A Pre-novice class may be added if there is sufficient interest.

FORMAT
A group of three sheep or goats will be set within a 200’ x 300’ fenced arena, and the dog will be sent by the handler to gather the group of stock and fetch them to the handler. The length of the gather will be short for beginning handlers/dogs and will be increased for each of the more advanced classes.
Novice handlers will use their dog to hold the sheep to them as they walk through the course and return the stock into a holding pen.
Ranch handlers will stand at a handlers’ post, send the dog to gather the stock, then drive the stock around the course and place the sheep or goats in a free-standing pen.
The distance the dog is sent to gather the stock increases for Open Ranch and Open handlers, who will also remain at the handlers’ post until the stock are ready to be penned. The advanced Open class may also include pulling a ribbon from the neck of a marked sheep or goat, or separating one from the others after the pen is completed.
CELTIC HERDING DOG BREEDS (there are many other herding breeds from other regions):

• Bearded Collie
• Border Collie
• Smooth Collie
• Rough Collie
• Cardigan Welsh Corgi
• Pembroke Welsh Corgi
• Shetland Sheepdog

NEW MEXICO HERDING DOG ASSOCIATION
NMHDA was founded in 1989 for the purpose of promoting herding breeds of dogs, their well-being and training, and for holding competitions to advance the sport of herding. Various livestock are used in herding events, including ducks, geese, goats, sheep, and cattle. Several organizations (American Herding Breed Association, American Kennel Club, Australian Shepherd Club of America, United States Border Collie Handlers Association) have established rules for trials, ranging from those held in small arenas to those in open fields where the sheep are set out 200 to 700 yards from the dog and handler. Sheepdog trials are held throughout the world.

• Entry Form >>