Saturday, September 18th, 2010
Shay Black's 60th Birthday Bash! -
doors 7, show 8
2020 Addison Street
Berkeley California 94704
US 510-644-2020
Price: $24.50 advance/$25.50 door
This is what The Freight website says:
Come help blow out the candles and hear some truly fabulous music as Shay Black celebrates his birthday with a host of amazing musicians on our stage tonight! Establishing a close rapport with his audiences, Shay throws plenty of Irish humor and an irresistibly warm stage presence into a mix of traditional and humorous songs. He always welcomes audience participation, and his unalloyed joy in singing make it difficult for anyone to remain a spectator for long!
Tonight Shay is joined by artists he has sung and played with over the years, including the Solstice Ensemble from California Revels, multi-instrumentalist and early music multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Shira Kammen, harpist Diana Rowan, sacred song artist Evelie Delfino Såles Posch and the Spiral Dance Chorus, the illustrious a cappella trio Oak Ash & Thorn, Dogwatch Nautical Band, and maritime balladeer and concertina player Skip Henderson.
Just to add to the evening's general fabulousness, Shay is also joined by the Black Brothers' band (with Michael Black, Bobbi Shearn Nikles on fiddle, pianist Bryan Seet, and cellist Myra Joy) plus a top-secret lineup of surprise guests.
An avid songcatcher, musician, teacher, and singer, Dublin-born Shay is the eldest member of Ireland's Black Family, who are "regarded as one of the most impressive groups of Irish singers to be found anywhere" (The Irish Echo). He has toured and recorded with the Irish band Garva, the illustrious Stan Hugill, and the fabled sea shanty group Stormalong John. Shay's most regular local gigs these days are the weekly "Starry Irish Music Session" at The Starry Plough pub and the hugely popular "Folk Song Repertoire" class he teaches at The Freight. Shay tours regularly with his brother Michael as The Black Brothers, and when time permits, with siblings Martin, Frances and Mary Black as The Black Family.
Shay works on the management team of local non-profit Family Paths, a family support agency based in Oakland; tonight's show is a benefit for Family Paths, Inc.
www.familypaths.org
www.black-brothers.com
http://www.freightandsalvage.org/shay-black
Sunday, September 26th, 2010
8pm
In the Mood for Food
Oakland California
Price: $55
Join myself and Daniel for a delicious evening of music and food! Phil Gelb weaves his vegan chef magic.
http://www.facebook.com/inthemoodforfood?ref=ts
Saturday, October 30th, 2010
Reclaiming's Spiral Dance at Kezar Pavillion
Reclaiming's Spiral Dance -
6pm doors, 7:30pm ritual
San Francisco California
Price: sliding scale $20+
The holiday popularly known as Halloween is the time of year known to witches as Samhain, when the veil is thin between the worlds of the living and the dead. We gather to remember and honor our ancestors, our Beloved Dead, and all those who have crossed over. As we mourn for those we love who have died this year, we also mourn the losses and pain suffered by the Earth, our Mother. Yet even as we grieve we also remember and honor the sacred cycle of life, death, rebirth and regeneration, celebrating the births of our children born this year, and our own vital connections to the Earth and each other, in which we ground our hope.
The first Spiral Dance ritual was held in 1979 to celebrate the publication of Starhawk’s book, The Spiral Dance (Harper and Row) Starhawk, a founding member of the Reclaiming Collective, wrote the original script which remains the heart of the ritual, though it has been altered and embellished over the years by her and many other people. Traditionally, the Spiral Dance calls upon the energy and talents of musicians, artists, poets, dancers, crafts people, singers, technicians, priests and priestesses from the Reclaiming Community and beyond, and we are grateful to everyone who helps to create this magical experience we all share.
This is a participatory ritual and pageant which has become a central event in the Wheel of the Year for many in the Reclaiming Community and beyond. Over 1,200 people join in this observance of the Witches’ New year, and the event raises funds which support the work of Reclaiming throughout the year.
When we dance the Spiral, young and old together, we remember and honor our own past at that same time that we renew our vision and embrace the future. Let it begin now!
Saturday, December 4th, 2010
20 Harps for the Holidays -
4pm
Los Altos United Methodist Church, 655 Magdalena Avenue
Los Altos California
Price: $12/20
Come and enjoy an afternoon of festive holiday harp music at our twelfth annual concert!
Bay Area Holiday Harp Concert Ensemble
The program will include a seasonal selection of traditional carols, classical music, and a variety of holiday music. We will feature harp solos and ensembles, including our trademark studio ensemble of more than twenty harps, and Paul Rosas on the spectacular LAUMC organ.
We are also pleased to present this year’s featured artist, Diana Rowan. As the daughter of an Irish Diplomat, Diana spent her youth traveling from one location to another, and it was during her years spent living in Iraq and on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus that her she developed love for Balkan, Eastern European, Sephardic and Middle Eastern music. She eventually settled in Berkeley, and earned her Master of Music degree in piano performance from Holy Names College. Diana first heard a harp being played while attending a Kitka concert, and she knew she had finally found an instrument that would allow her to combine her love of poetry and mythology with her love of world music.
Today, Diana primarily spends her time performing as a solo harpist, and working with such luminaries as Deepak Ram, Diana Stork and oud player Yuval Ron. You can learn more about Diana Rowan and her music on her website at www.sirenharp.com.
The concert will take place on Saturday, December 4, 2010, 4:00 p.m. at Los Altos United Methodist Church, 655 Magdalena Avenue, Los Altos, California.
Tickets are $15 for general admission, $12 for children (4–12) and $12 for seniors (60+). For more information and to buy tickets, please contact Stephanie at (408) 366-8810 or email events@harpeggio.com
Friday, December 10th, 2010
The Revels at the Scottish Rite Theater
25th Annual Christmas Revels -
multiple
Oakland California
Price: TBA
Every December, California Revels produces, “The Christmas Revels,” a joyous production welcoming the return of the light back from the darkness of winter. Elizabeth Lloyd Mayer, California Revels late Founder, claimed that many people celebrate the Solstice without realizing it. Decorating homes with lights for midwinter, for example, is an ancient ritual for “calling back the light” that predates Christmas by centuries. “The Winter Solstice falls on the shortest day and brings on the longest night of the year. Across the centuries, people have chosen this time to acknowledge and celebrate the cycle of light and darkness, good and evil, life and death, that governs all our lives.”