A Borough Is Born - Dinner Invite

Following on from the successful '1613 A Borough Is Born' launch a few weeks ago at the Town Hall in Newtownards, Mrs Anderson and I have been invited to the first event.

 

A dinner hosted by the Mayor Cllr. Gregory to celebrate the 400th Anniversary of the first granting of the Royal Charter, on Monday 25th March 2013.

 

The event is to be held at 'Rosemount Estate' the ancestral home of the Montgomery Family in Greyabbey Co. Down.

 

Mrs A and I very rarely get out together mainly to due to babysitters, this time we have accepted the invitation and look forward to the event. The great and the good are to be there - not sure what category I fit into!!

 

I may have had a bit of a hand in organising the music........ shhh!

 

HMA

Ulster Scots in Schools - Kilmaine Primary School

Wednesday morning Matthew and I attended Kilmaine Primary School in Bangor Co. Down for a series of Ulster Scots musical workshops. This is the 4th year that we have attended the school, so we must be doing something right !

We performed at 3 x workshops this time for Primary 1, Kilmaine is a large school with 3 x classes per year. The children learn about their senses touch, smell and that type of thing - Matt and I were the sound element.

We brought with us a range of Ulster Scots instruments, 3 lambeg drums - small, medium and large, fifes, selection of flutes, tin whistles and bagpipes. We talked and interacted with the children as well as getting quite a few of them up to play the instruments

It was terrific and very well received by the children, teachers, classroom assistants and we also had a visit from the school principal Mr. Mann.

For Matt and I, who are genuinely interested in promoting our musical tradition through education, it was a very successful event. For us it is about planting the seed of our Ulster Scots traditions and giving children an opportunity to learn about this culture brought down to their level, in this instance using their P1 theme of sounds.

HMA

Old photo of a Lambeg Drum Maker / Painter

Thanks to Mark Thompson for this photo.

Here is a photo from the past! The fife and lambeg drum is one of the oldest musical traditions in Ulster and it is right and proper that it continues to be promoted and developed as an equal to other traditions - it is generally accepted to be a vital cog in the wheel of our Ulster and British Cultural Identity.

 

Sadly scenes like the one above are not as familiar as they once were, that said there are dedicated drum makers dotted throughout Ulster who continue on with the drum making tradition - as well as the artists / painters, who through art - express our cultural identity.

 

In a previous post I mentioned that a school in Londonderry, Lisneal College, have ordered fifes and a new lambeg drum for the school. There are plans for the fifes and drums to be used during the UK City of Culture events throughout 2013 - I personally feel that it is vitally important to showcase this musical tradition, its unique to Ulster and deserves to be promoted in a positive light!!

 

HMA

 

Lambeg Drum for Lisneal College - Londonderry

Whilst other talk.............



I began a fife & lambeg drum project in Lisneal College Londonderry some time ago, the school and I were promised equipment to keep the project moving forward, sadly and predictably we were let down, as were many other fife and lambeg drum projects - we won't go there!

Anyway, not one to let the grass grow under my /our feet my good friend Darren Gibson (teacher at Lisneal) made alternative plans. We contacted the UK City of Culture office and spoke to Marty, who agreed with our plan - 1 painted lambeg drum, 6 fifes, drum canes, drum stand, neck strap and other bits n pieces that makes a good project, in fact something quite similar to the Boys' Model Project that was so very successful a couple of years ago in Belfast!

The Lisneal drum has now been made and is presently at the artists workshop ready to begin the painting. Darren Gibson has designed the painting in its entirety, using some familiar images of Londonderry and dare I say an excellent design.So Brian Jamison, the artist, will begin the painting on Tuesday or Wednesday of this week and if all goes to plan the drum painting will be completed by May Day.

Darren Gibson and I have a few plans for the project to progress at a later date, sadly however no photo's of the drum as yet, that said I will post something in a while to keep you updated.

Lisneal has continued to promote and develop Ulster Scots projects in the school, they have developed a Burns Night supper now in its second year.

The school has also been working with Georgina Kee the local Highland dance tutor to promote dance in school. All this has come from an embryonic fife and lambeg drum class in the school run by Darren Gibson..... long may this good work continue!!


So, great days ahead at Lisneal


Promoting the fife and lambeg drum through education!

HMA

A selection of Lambeg Drums - Military Men part 3

Folks, here is another selection of drums from 'The Ulster Drum' - thanks to Bobby Magreechan.

As you can see I have called this selection part 3 - as in Bobby's book there are quite a few drums with men connected to the military.

 

Hope you enjoy this montage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HMA

Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland - Magee College

 

I was cordially invited by Dr David Hume - Director of Services at the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland to an event at Magee College in Londonderry, on Wednesday 20th Match 2013.

It is a very important event for Grand Lodge, as Londonderry is the current UK City of Culture - it is an wonderful opportunity for the Orange Institution to show in a positive light, the many elements that makes up the wonderfully rich culture that is the Orange Tradition.

I have been asked to prepare for a series of workshops using PowerPoint on the fife and lambeg drum musical tradition and also to take a number of Lambeg Drums and fifes for display and playing purposes.

Looking forward to working with the Orange Institution - in what will be the first of many projects.

HMA

 

 

An Independent People

On Sunday evening BBC 2 NI begins a new series of programmes about us Presbyterians!

I for one will be tunning in, to find out a little more of  our / my Presbyterian background. I am well aware of some of the history surrounding the Church, but looking forward to learning so much more.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01qt8s3

Taken from BBC Website: - A major new landmark series. William Crawley tells the dramatic story of Ulster's Presbyterians, the largest Protestant denomination in Northern Ireland. Beginning with the foundation of the church in the 17th century, Crawley follows the fortunes of Ulster's Presbyterians through four centuries of challenge and change.

In this episode, Crawley tells the story of the rebel Scottish ministers who first established the Presbyterian church on Irish soil and follows their struggle for religious liberty throughout their first turbulent century in Ireland

HMA