tinsmith | Vienna Choral Society

Why Not Stick To Traditional Concerts?

March 12, 2012

Vienna Choral Society Poster for the Celtic Arts Festival - March 17, 2012 (double click to enlarge)

It’s “concert week” for the VCS, but instead of perfecting our line-up, getting our folders in perfect order and pressing our concert blacks (well, okay, we’re doing that too!) – VCS is preparing for a festival! It’s a joyous and, in my mind, BEAUTIFULLY executed chaos of artists:

from the full 75-member chorus to a minstrel and his guitar (Rich Follett), from a Celtic fusion band (Tinsmith) to the more traditional Irish Breakfast Band and from a gaggle of energetic youth drummers (the VES Jammers) to two accomplished youth soloists – a dancer (Katherine Hughes) and a fiddler (Eammon Carolan).
Jewelers, weavers, bakers, printers, facepainters, crafters

We’re a choral society – why not have you sit down and sing you a concert? Well, lots of reasons! [Read more…]

Celtic Arts Festival: Who, What, Where, When?

March 9, 2012

Vienna Choral Society's Celtic Arts Festival Schedule, March 17, 2012

Here’s a sneak peek at who’s singing where next weekend at the Celtic Arts Festival.

Join us for an afternoon of music and art.

March 17
from 1 – 5 pm
Saturday, March 17, 2012
at Vienna Elementary School

We’ll have this schedule conveniently in the concert program as you walk in the door, but since some of you have asked, we’re happy to give you a quick look!

So. Got your tickets yet? They’re available right now, buy them online.

The Pure Pasty! Reason 5 And Perhaps 6, 7, and 8 (Of Many) To Come To Celtic Arts Festival

March 7, 2012

The Celtic Arts Festival is an afternoon of not just music, but dance and culture too. And few things are as elemental to culture as food. Behold, The Pure Pasty!

delicious pasties with savory fillings - all sorts!

Per the company’s website, “Some say it’s the oldest food to go.” And, “the pasty is best known as the traditional food of Cornish tin miners (dating back to the 16th to late 19th centuries). The pasty was easy to carry and provided a hearty, substantial meal to keep a hard-working miner going all day. When the tin in Cornwall was mined out, the miners emigrated all over the world and took their dish with them, including to parts of the United States.”

We asked Mike “The Pasty” Burgess to tell us more about himself, his company, and pasties. He obliged, just has he has when some of us have gone in to ask for that one last pasty. [Read more…]

Tinsmith! Reason 4 (Of Many) To Come To Celtic Arts Festival

March 5, 2012

It’s always a mystery how a conversation will go with an artist. Some are very focused, so don’t really do interviews, and then there are others where even an email exchange turns into a fun interlude. And so it is with Tinsmith. We asked Brooke Parkhurst and Rowan Corbett a few questions and got some interesting replies.

Tinsmith: l to r, Brooke Parkhurst, Henry Cross, Rowan Corbett

Q: Five/fun things we should about Tinsmith?

A: Rowan and I have been playing together for 14 years – longer than either of us have been in committed relationships! Our name comes from the traditional occupation of the Irish gypsies, also known as Tinkers. Irish gypsies are not Rom (ethnic Gypsies from Europe/Central Asia) but are a subset of the Irish people. We started out playing at Renaissance Fairs all over the country [Read more…]

Rich Follett: Reason 3 (Of Many) To Come To Celtic Arts Festival

March 1, 2012

So we’ve been getting to know some of the performers slated to perform at the Celtic Arts Festival we’re presenting in less than two weeks. Up next, Rich Follett.

We asked Mr. Follett a few questions, who very kindly answered!

[Read more…]

Celtic Arts Festival – Here’s How We’re Sounding

February 23, 2012

VCS Celtic Arts Festival Small Poster Art (artwork by Steven Keen/Keen Method)

If you’ve been to our most recent concerts you know we’re no longer a “stand up on risers, sing, bow, and leave” kinda choir. Our performances have motion, and movement, and dance, and interactivity. And some of it comes from us when we sing in the round. Here’s a sneak peak and what’s in store at the Celtic Arts Festival, when it’s our turn up on the stage.

Choir Demo

As Karen Akers, President of VCS puts it, “Big thanks and huge shout-out to Marco Sabatini of Professional Recording Services for making us sound like we weren’t in rehearsal, and that we weren’t walking in a circle around the room as we sang!”

The Irish Breakfast Band: Reason 2 (Of Many) To Come To Celtic Arts Festival

February 18, 2012

We have so many great artists coming to the Celtic Arts Festival. One of them is The Irish Breakfast Band. The band is so named because for over 30 years its members have gathered every Saturday morning to share breakfast and to play traditional Irish music. The tunes played are those handed down by aural tradition.

[Read more…]

Save The Date For Celtic Arts Festival!

February 4, 2012

Here it is folks – our gorgeous poster, with all the details. Please save the date, and tell all your friends! We’ll let you know as soon as tickets are available.

(Although if you know a singer in our choir, you can always put in an advance order. We’re easy like that.)

Vienna Choral Society Poster for the Celtic Arts Festival - March 17, 2012 (artwork by Steven Keen/Keen Method)

VES Jammers – Reason 1 (Of Many) To Come To Celtic Arts Festival

January 30, 2012

VES Jammers (3rd - 6th grade, Vienna Elementary School students led by music teacher David Reynolds)

There’s going to be a lot to choose from at the Celtic Arts Festival. Not the least of which will be the VES Jammers. They’re an auditioned ensemble of 3rd through 6th grade students at Vienna Elementary School, the venue of the festival. VES uses a combination of traditional and non-traditional instruments – garbage cans, for instance. Take a look! [Read more…]

Save The Date For The VCS Celtic Arts Festival!

January 24, 2012

VCS Celtic Arts Festival Small Poster (artwork by Steven Keen/Keen Method)

If you’ve come to check us out for open rehearsals these last few weeks, you know by now that our next event is going to be so much fun some of us are jumping up and down with excitement!

VCS will present the Celtic Arts Festival, an afternoon of music and art, on – wait for it – St. Patrick’s Day.

March 17
from 1 – 5 pm
Saturday, March 17, 2012
at Vienna Elementary School

In addition to our own choir, now at 75+ voices, the afternoon will feature rotating performances by the following:

Tinsmith – a folk band fusing traditional music with modern influences
Rich Follett – singer, songwriter, poet and minstrel
The Irish Breakfast Band – 20+ member traditional Ceili band and dancers from the DC area
Katherine Hughes – a traditional celtic dancer
John and William Hughes – father and son bagpipers
Eammon Carolan – Irish fiddle

You’ll have the opportunity to see traditional Irish dancing at a championship level, stroll among local craft vendors working in the Celtic tradition, and oh yes, eat scrumptious traditional pasties from Vienna’s own Pure Pasty.

The festival will be an open house atmosphere. One ticket buys admittance to the whole afternoon.

Save the date and stay tuned! We’ll tell you when tickets go on sale – soon!