Director’s Notes The history of Irish emigration to America is complex and ultimately enlightening. There are many reasons so many Irish came to America in the second half of the 19th century and early 20th century. It is important to note that a large number of those emigrants did not wish to leave their homes. They were exiles and they adopted a martyr-like attitude in that their exodus from Ireland was forced upon them.

Upon arrival in America, the conditions that met them were harsh. They co-occupied the lowest rung of the socio-economic ladder and lived in the poorest conditions available. The way the Irish were perceived was a massive hurdle on their way to pros-perity in this country. Author James Silk Buckingham, after visiting Irish workers in Illinois, concluded that the Irish were “not merely ignorant and poor — which might be their misfortune rather than their fault — but they are drunken, dirty, indolent, and rioutous, so as to be the objects of dislike and fear to all in whose neighbourhood they congregate in large num-bers.”

Gradually a remarkable thing happened. Rather than allowing themselves to remain in a state of disrepute and oppression, Irish American community leaders waged a successful campaign of assimilation with the goal, as the Irish newspaper the Bos-ton Pilot put it, to create “calm, rational, and respectable Irish Catholics in America.” They gradually assumed positions of power in politics, police, fire, and clergy. They cast aside some of the more lascivious elements in their folk dancing. They toned down the number of references to drinking in their music. They made contribu-tions to American culture that in modern times we do not real-ize were theirs.

So the next time you “bicker” with a “cop” and throw a “tantrum” because you were “framed” on a “hunch” while listening to “jazz” at a “joint” that serves “booze” think about the Irish. Or if you

are a “rookie” poker player playing with a bunch of “punks” and start to “giggle” because you were dealt the “nuts” and bet all your money like a “big shot”, think of the Irish. I know this might seem a little “helter skelter”, but lexicographers have found evidence that working class Irish Americans either invented these terms, modified them from their Gaelic origins, redefined them, or put them into common use. It is with this spirit that we bring our tale of Irish Emigrants making their way to America on an ocean liner in late December to you.

As we settle into our second year in the Dairy Center, I thankyou for supporting Rocky Mountain Revels. Last year was a fantastic success for our organization and we are excited to build on that success with this year’s Irish celebration. We have assembled a cast and crew of incredibly talented musicians, dancers, and behind the scenes personnel — most of whom are doing double duty on both sides of the curtain. This show is truly a collaborative effort and if I were to brag about everyone who has brought the show to life it would take volumes. In the interest of time I will say that it takes a lot to bring this talented ensemble to you. Since Rocky Mountain Revels is a small organization, we are always looking for support in the form of donations and sponsorship. If you are interested in doing so at any point from the individual to the corporate level, please contact me at your convenience. If you are interested in joining us on or off stage in next year’s production, definitely contact me!

Thank you and WelcomeYule!

Chad Boltz, Music Directorchad@rockymountainrevels.org

The Program − Part I

1. Overture Phrases from “The Wexford Carol” are used as the basis for this newly composed opening for brass quintet and timpani.

The Flagstaff Brass Quintet

2. The Wexford CarolSometimes known as “The Enniscorthy Christmas Carol” after the Wexford town where the text was first found. The tune is traditional Irish.

Chorus

3. There’s a Big Ship SailingCambridge Revel’s artistic director Paddy Swanson remembers singing this as a child in Manchester, England. As ships glided along the Manchester Ship Channel, they gave the illusion of sailing down an “alley.” 

Children’s Chorus

4. Dance to Your DaddyA version learned from Elizabeth Cronan in Macroom, County Cork.

Children’s Chorus

5. Nos GalenSoloist: Jonathan Griffitts

6. Deck the Hall (All Sing!)The Christmas chestnut “Deck the Hall” has its roots in the Welsh tune“Nos Galan” (“New Year’s Eve”). It was originally a dance-carol from the Welsh canu penillion tradition, in which a ring of dancers surrounding a harper would take turns singing improvised phrases, to which the harper would respond (on the falala parts of the verse). The Welsh text first appeared in 1784 and the familiar English words in 1881.

Chorus and Audience

Deck the hall with boughs of holly,Fa la la la la, la la la la.

‘Tis the season to be jolly...Don we now our gay apparel...

Troll the ancient Yuletide carolSee the blazing Yule before us...

Strike the harp and join the chorus...Follow me in merry measure...

While I tell of Yuletide treasure...Fast away the old year passes.

Hail the new, ye lads and lasses...Sing we joyous altogether...

Heedless of the wind and weather...

7. Kerry Set DancesIn contrast to Irish step dancing, which is for performance and competition, set dancing is a form of social, or céilí, dancing, purely for fun. Kerry sets (Kerry in the West of Ireland is renowned for this form of dancing) resemble American square dancing, with four couples to a square, but feature fast tempos, fancy foot-work and high energy. The three tunes here are “The Munroe,” “The Gullan” and “Jimmy Doyle’s.”

Dancers: Emma Acker, Tasha Barnett, Ken Brumm, Meg Ivory, Nancy Keith, Danny Griffitts, Emily Kautz, Cole Kiersey, Elliot Lane, Miriam Paisner, Mary Anne Tomasko-Perry, Valerie Wedel, Daniel Williams Revels Band: Jeff Bain - Uillan Pipes, Zina Lee - Fiddle, Tony Branch - Bouzouki

8. The Ould Plain ShaulMusic by Battison Haynes and Words by Francis Fahy 1896.

Soloists: Diva Eytcheson, Meg Ivory, Ellen Moeller

9. Banchnoic Eirann OA poignant lament for the beauty of Ireland, as sung by the group Skara Brae.The words were written by Donncha Rua MacConamara in the 18th century.

Singers: Diana Norcross, Amy Pandya, Emily Kautz, Meg Ivory, Diva Eytcheson, Melissa Penn, Ellen Moeller, Amy Bailey

10. The Story of Coomara and the Soul CagesA story taken from a collection published by the poet William Butler Yeats entitled Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry. The “Lobster Quadrille”is danced to “Master McDermott’s Reel.”

Tasha Barnett, Danny Griffitts, Emily Kautz, Alastair Norcross, Tim RohdeLobster Quadrille Dancers: Chad Boltz, Andrew Cone, Anna Granstrand, August Plummer, Coco Rohde, Katharina Sawatski

11. Band Set: The Rocky Road to DublinA rollicking music hall song detailing the rough-and-tumble adventures ofa traveler on the road from his home town of Tuam in Galway across Irelandto Dublin and from there over to Liverpool. The words are by D.K. Gavan(“the Galway poet”).

Soloist: Chad Boltz, ChorusMusicians: Margot Krimmel, Adam Agee, Jon Sousa and BandAll Sing

12. Irish Step DanceThe fancy figures and formations of Irish step dance, echoing the ornate Celtic knots of the ancient Book of Kells, were created and codified by traveling dance masters during the 18th and 19th centuries. The soft shoes, or ghillies, feature tight lacing across the foot. The tunes are “The Galway Rambler,” “The Harper’s Fancy” and “Tilly Finn’s.”

Musicians: Adam Agee, Jon Sousa Irish Step Dancer: Emma Acker, Evan Acker, August Plummer

13. Ye Sons of Men, With Me RejoiceA carol with words dating from the 18th century and a traditional tune fromCounty Wexford, where it was sung as part of the Christmas Day mass.

Chorus

14. The Lord of the DanceSydney Carter’s modern lyrics to the Shaker song “Simple Gifts” are heretranslated into dance using a compilation of traditional English morris dancesteps by Carol Langstaff, Martin Graetz and Jonathan Morse.

Soloist: Chad Boltz Revels Morris Dancers: Evan Acker, August PlummerFlagstaff Brass, Chorus

All Sing and Dance

“Dance, then, wherever you may be.I am the Lord of the Dance,” said he,

“And I’ll lead you all, wherever you may be,And I’ll lead you all in the dance,” said he.

Y INTERMISSION ZThe Program − Part II

15. The Darkest Midnight in DecemberAnother carol from Wexford, with text found in the same 18th-century collection as “Ye Sons of Men.”

Chorus

16. Wexford LullabyThe British guitarist, singer and composer John Renbourn has written new words to the traditional “Wexford Carol” tune, creating an intimate and reflective text from the perspective of the Christ child’s mother. The arrangement is by Renbourn, Mairead Ni Dhomhnaill and the Voice Squad.Quartet: Amy Bailey, Ken Brumm, Cole Kiersey, Ellen Moeller

17. Saint Patrick’s BreastplateA traditional Irish tune with words by John Edmunds (verses 1 and 2) and possibly St. Patrick himself (verse 3), in a translation by C.F. Alexander.Soloist: Ken Brumm, Chorus

18. Dona Nobis PachemA round for peace.

All Sing

19. Shule Agra A 17th century Irish song, the words are similar to those of Shule Aroon. The tunes Johnny’s Gone for a Soldier and Sweet William are likely variants of this or Shule Aroon. The “wild geese” refers to an Irish Brigade that fought for theJacobite cause in Ireland and followed King James to France.Soloists: Amy Pandya (Dec 22, 23), Meg Ivory/Emily Kautz (Dec 26, 27)

20. Band Set: Whiskey in the JarSoloist: Chad BoltzMusicians: Adam Agee, Jon Sousa, Audience 

21. Irish Step DanceStep Dancers: Emma Acker, Evan Acker, August Plummer

22. I’ll Tell Me Ma“I’ll Tell Me Ma” (also called “The Wind”) is a well-known children’s song.

Children’s Chorus

23. The Wren Boys SongChildren’s Chorus

24. St. Patrick and the Dragon: The White Star Rhymer’s PlayPlayers: Cole Kiersey, Tim Rohde, August Plummer, Andrew Cone, Daniel Williams, Alastair Norcross

Revels Sword Dancers: Elliott Lane, Tasha Barnett, Meghan Ivory, Danny Griffitts, Valerie Wedel, Joy Rohde

25. Poem of a New HomeA sonnet written by Emma Lazarus in 1883 to commemorate the installationof the Statue of Liberty.

Poet: Alastair Norcross

26. Hymn for a New LandGeorge Emlen wrote this anthem in 2001 for a Spring Revels production. Its central text, “The stone which the builders refused is become the headstone of the corner,” from Psalm 118, acknowledges the contributions that immigrants bring to their adopted nation.

Chorus

27. The Shortest DayThis poem, written for Revels by Susan Cooper in 1977, has become a traditional part of Christmas Revels performances throughout the country.

Alastair Norcross, Chad Boltz, Jonathan GriffittsAll Shout: Welcome Yule!

28. The Sussex Mummer’s CarolThis traditional carol is sung as an ending to the folk play in Horsham, Sussex. In each of the ten

American cities where Revels is produced annually, this carol is sung with the audience at the conclusion of each performance. The brass arrangement is by Brian Holmes, with descant and third verse harmonization by Ralph Vaughan Williams.

All Sing

Welcome Yule!h

The Players

Flagstaff BrassTrumpets: Rich Gabriel, Leonard Fahrni

Horns: Cheryl Andrews Tuba: John Hyde

Trombone: Mike Obert

Guest ArtistsAdam Agee: FiddleJon Sousa: Guitar

Margot Krimmel: Harp

hMusicians

Jeff Bain: Bagpipes, whistlesZina Lee: Fiddle

Tony Branch: Bouzouki, guitar, banjoGarrett Aman: Percussion

hSong Leaders

Chad Boltz, Cole Keirsey, Ellen Moeller, Amy Pandya

hIrish Step Dancers

Emma Acker, Evan Acker, August Plummer

SopranosSharon AmirfathiAmy BaileyTasha BarnettEmily KautzNancy Keith Diana NorcrossMiriam PaisnerAmy PandyaMelissa PennJeanne PhippsValerie Wedel

TenorsChad BoltzAndrew ConeCole KierseyElliot LaneTed OrfJeff RamseyTim RohdeAlfred Sawatsky

BassesKen BrummDanny GriffittsJonathan GriffittsAugust PlummerTim RohdeDaniel Williams

ChildrenGavin BaileyMaddie BaileyMargeaux DanielAnna GranstrandLola GravesLelah HerringtonErica HolmesStephanie HolmesKaia MillerCharlotte PinnellWes RuderKatarina SawatskiBenji Uhlig

AltosDiva EytchesonMegan IvoryAndrea LoughryEllen MoellerDianna OrfMary Ann Tomasko PerryCoco RohdeJoy Rohde

Revels DancersEmma Acker, Evan Acker, Tasha Barnett, Chad Boltz, Ken Brumm, Diva Eytcheson, Danny Griffitts, Jonathan Griffitts, Aarin Holmes, Meg Ivory, Emily Kautz, Nancy Keith, Cole Keirsey, Elliott Lane, Elliott Lane, Mary Anne Tomasko-Perry, Miriam Paisner, Diana Norcross, Dianna Orf, Jeanne Phipps, August Plummer, Joy Rohde, Tim Rohde, Katharina Sawatzky, Valerie Wedel,

Daniel Williams

hArtistic Staff

Chad Boltz: Music DirectorAlastair Norcross: Stage DirectorTim Rohde: Children’s DirectorAllie Hopper: Lighting Designer

Steve McDonald: Technical DirectorDianna and Ted Orf: Co-Producers

Daniel E. Griffitts: Creative ConsultantAugust Plummer and Molly Bennett: Dance Coaches

Bob Smith and Pam Gray: Set DesignAidan Ghosh: Set construction assistant

Jeff Ramsey: Graphic DesignValerie Wedel: Celtic Illustrations

Costumes: Sharon Amirfathi, Andrea Loughry, Diana Norcross, Dianna Orf, Emily Kautz, Joy Rohde

Properties: Sharon Amirfathi, Jonathan Griffits, Nancy Keith, Miriam PaisnerUsher Coordination: Mary Ann Tomasko Perry and Valerie Wedel

hSupport Staff

Public Relations: Jonathan Griffitts, Dianna Orf,Jeff Ramsey, Tim Rohde, Adrien Seybert, Web design: Tim Rohde

Web Managers: Tim Rohde, Daniel Williams, Jonathan Griffitts

hGuy Fawkes Fundraiser

Meg Ivory, Diana Norcross, Dianna Orf, Richard Orf (Graphic Design), Joy Rohde, Tim Rohde

hVolunteers

Marda Buchholz, Meg Daniels, Laura Grandstrand, Susan Grey, James Griffitts, Jennifer Herrington, Joette Ivory, Thale Jarvis, Eric Jarvis, Sam Jarvis, Allie Jarvis

David Pappas, John Perry, Kate Ruder, Alfred Sausotte, Karin Ulig

Rocky Mountain Revels Board: Thale Jarvis: President

Jonathan Griffitts: TreasurerDianna Orf: Secretary

Julie Griffitts, Meg Ivory, Joy Rohde, Daniel Williams

hDonors

Poet ($500 - $999) Ted and Dianna Orf, Amy Pandya, Tom Pearce

Songleader ($250 - $499) Jonathan Griffitts, Darren Kelly, Thale Jarvis, Tim Rohde,

Hazel’s Beverage World

Chorister ($100 - $249)Sue Masterson, Alastair and Diana Norcross, Rick and Karen Romeo,

Daniel Williams

Reveler ($1 - $99)

Adam Agee, Jon Sousa, Altan Alma Organics, Sharon Amirfathi, Chad Boltz, Phil Booth, Boulder Arts & Crafts Gallery, Kenneth Brumm, Betty England, Andrea Loughry, Murphy’s Grill, Only Natural Pet, David Pappas, Pedestrian Shops, Jeff Ramsey, Rio Grande Restaurant, Runners Roost, Adrien Seybert, South Side

Walnut Cafe, Table Mesa Hardware

h"The Soul Cages"

The Coomara story was originally reported in Fairy Legends and Traditions of the South of Ireland by folklorist Thomas Crofton Croker (1798-1854), but was later revealed to have been invented by Thomas Keightley (1789-1872). Coomara, the cen-tral character in the story of the Soul Cages, is a Merrow, a creature found throughout Irish Folklore. With characteristics of both humans and fish, these creatures are simi-lar to mermaids/mermen, or the Selkies (seal people) of Scottish folklore. The Merrow could swim underwater by wearing a magical hat. In our tale, Coomara lures Jack to the bottom of the sea to view the curiosities that he has accumulated from sea life and the remnants of shipwrecks. Central to the tale are the Soul Cages where the souls of drowned sailors are held unless a brave hu-man can set them free. Jack and Biddy contrive to meet this challenge in our tale.

“Sea Changes”

Emigration and immigration mean the same thing, namely the act of permanently leaving one’s country or region to settle in another. Between the metaphorical shores of the “em” and the “imm,” however, is an ocean of difference. Immigration is forward looking, seeing the world as defined by the country in which one settles; by contrast the emigrant point of view is refracted both forwards and backwards. The opportunities associated with a new life in a new land are weighed against loss of family, of close friends and of familiar landscapes—joy and pain together, the essence of the emigrant experience. In the case of the troubled Irish, this duality has produced a great wealth of music and poetry both passionate and poignant. There is a deeply romantic heritage in Irish culture that belies the stubborn qualities that were necessary for the race to survive disaster after disaster. After the fall of Limerick in 1691, the Irish who fled the country for Europe and beyond were christened “The Wild Geese.” Since then, the term has been used to cover all those who have carried their Irish culture to new lands. The oral legend and myth so prevalent in Celtic culture are woven tightly into the music and poetry of Ireland. Portable and adaptable, the Irish culture was exported in battered violin cases, in tunes from tin whistles kept snug in coat pockets, and most often in the authentic voices of successive waves of emigrants. Change, although painful, was endurable, given the right company, the right song, a little dancing, a drink and a chair for the poet.

Saint Patrick, that much-invoked patron saint of Ireland, was at the nexus of another period of great change. Brought up in Roman Britain and captured as a child by Irish marauders, he escaped but later returned to Ireland as a Christianmissionary. Like the apocryphal King Arthur who is supposed to have lived inBritain within the same century, Saint Patrick had the mythical muscle to be thefocus for cultural, political and religious change. Using diplomacy as part of theirstrategy, Patrick and Arthur constructed their political platforms using planksfrom the existing pagan culture. Arthur’s mentor, Merlin, matches the Druidicprofile, and the legendary Round Table, taken as an emblem of proportionalrepresentation, fits Arthur’s Roman-style agenda for being a civilizing influenceon the warring tribes in ancient Britain.

Symbolism was also Patrick’s strong suit. The famous use of the three-leafshamrock to illustrate the Christian Trinity resonated with a culture that includedtriple goddesses, three levels of existence and similar tropes involving the paganconcept of trinity. The renewing bonfires of the Celtic feast of Beltaine werequickly appropriated to celebrate Easter. The pagan emblem of the sun waslayered on to the crucifix to create the Celtic cross. Legend reports that Patrickplanted his ash walking-stick in the ground when he was preaching, and that inthe place now known as Aspatria it took root and flowered (perhaps a reflectionon how long it took to get across the message of the Christian dogma). Another

legend has it that Patrick was on his way to preach at Tara, the ancient capital of Ireland (and, for Druids, the dwelling place of their gods), when he heard of an ambush being laid for him. Using a druidic format he composed a prayer (featured in this Revels) that is remarkable for the way in which it recruits the strength of the pagan elements — fire, water, air — and deliberately mixes them together with “God’s Almighty help and Grace” into a potent spell against “the powers of darkness.” According to the legend, by chanting this Lorica (also known as “Saint Patrick’s Breastplate” or “The Deer Cry”), Patrick and his missionaries were able to walk past their enemies who saw only a herd of roe deer strolling through the valley.

As part of the myth of the Irish emigrant, the voyage itself plays a crucial role. The roughly eight-day passage from Liverpool to New York was for many the emblematic core of their story. And at the end of that voyage, could any one of the thousands who gazed upon the Statue of Liberty, that icon of American promise, fail to experience the power of symbolism at the gateway to their new life?

Patrick Swanson

h

Joy and Peace to You this Holiday Seasonfrom Sue Masterson at ReMax of Boulder

ROCKY MOUNTAIN REVELS is thrilled to present this year’s production in the newly renovated Gordon Gamm Theater at the Dairy Arts Center in Boul-der, CO. With its outstanding acoustics, state of the art dance floor, and inti-mate seating arrangement, we hope that the Gordon Gamm Theater provides an enjoyable audience experience. We welcome feedback from our loyal patrons as we explore a new venue for The Christmas Revels.

The Dairy Arts Center was founded in 1992 to provide cooperative workspaces for local artists and venues for live performance in Boulder County. Originally owned by the Watts-Hardy Dairy, the building’s transformation from a former milk-processing facility to a thriving multi-disciplinary arts hub for Boulder and beyond is a nationally recognized example of constructive urban development and renewal.

The Dairy’s founders envisioned a community arts center where artists of all genres would create and inspire each other and the greater community. Today, this dream of shared art making is a thriving reality. The Dairy’s 42,000 square foot facility houses disciplines ranging from visual arts, theater, and film to dance and music.

www.rockymountainrevels.org®Revels is a federally registered service mark of Revels Inc.