Celtic Spring Band ::

Celtic Spring is very excited to announce the launching of our new web-site in early March! Now that our CD, Cornerstone, has been released we have had time to work on the next project, the web-site. Our fans will have access to music, videos, photos, news, and more.

Celtic Spring is right now doing what we love best! We have once again packed our touring van, fondly called St. Michael, full of instruments, books, our favorite teas, and each other and are on the road for the next three weeks. We love life on the road--- at home we are always working very hard on the maintenance of life: homeschooling, teaching violin and dance students, practicing, gardening... now we have time for endless conversation, (debating!), reading, and just being together.

Our first destination is the North Texas Irish Festival in Dallas. We are pleased to be returning as a headiner to NTIF. We first performed there in 1999, one of our first major appearances as Celtic Spring.We went on to be invited back for four years in a row. That first festival our oldest band member, Elizabeth, was 13 years old, and Deirdre was 11, Sean, 9, Patrick, 7. Now Elizabeth is 22, Deirdre, 20, Sean, 18, Patrick, 16, Maire, 12, and Aidan is 7. Back in those early years, their proud parents, Mary and Greg, thought they were quite good in their music and dance. I never imagined that Celtic Spring would grow up with us and be such a way of life!

The family has reminded me that we never gave the details of our summer travels. In retrospect the summer was a summer of devouring vast quantities of fresh blueberries and zigzagging around the United States. We began our June tour with a performance for a packed audience at the Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania.

We had a short stay in Rhode Island at our favorite place to visit--- the home of my brother, Tom McCauley and his dear wife, Margo. Spending time with them at their gracious country home is always a welcomed delight. All are treated as kings and everyone does their favorite things. The girls listen to CDs from Aunt Margo's Praise and Worship music collection, the boys cannot get enough of hanging out with Uncle Tom while he works on his land or takes them on some boating adventure. We celebrated Aidan's 7th birthday while we were there, and he had his favorite feast of Mushroom Soup, Pizza, Salad, and Dinosaur Birthday Cake, made by Margo's friend, Anne Marie, who owns a restaurant in their little town. The next day we had a wonderful meal at Anne Marie's Restaurant, Chester's. We also frequent the local creamery nearby where we all find our favorite ice cream flavors. Patrick and Aidan like Coffee, the girls and Greg like Coconut Almond Chip, Sean likes Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, and I always get Black Raspberry. It is always sad leaving Harmony, Rhode Island.

Then on to a theater show in Hartford, Conneticut, where we were cooked a delicious dinner by the presenter, Roger Moss. We left the theater close to midnight and then had a four hour drive to the Celtic Fling in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. (the band is lucky to have me for their late night driver! I like the peace and quiet of the middle of the night hours.) Celtic Fling was great fun for us and we befriended a band of young fellows, Scythian, who we knew of from long ago. Greg's Dad is a philosophy professor and taught at a University where the dads of the Scythian band members taught. We used to hear of their musical upbringing way back!

From Celtic Fling we had a long drive half way across country to Columbia, Missouri where we did our first symphony performance. There was mutual appreciation of the evening, where it was great to hear our beloved Sleeping Tune accompanied by a whole orchestra.(I think the orchestra had great fun playing Celtic tunes!) We also very much liked the cultured and college-town of Columbia where our vegetarian palate was quite sated.

Then on to the Ozark Mountains for a theater show in Harrison, Arkansas. We arrived in the mountains at sun-down and did not have to be at the theater until the next day. We found a wonderful bed and breakfast where we were given our own little cottage with a big stone fireplace and fed a delicious big organic salad. The owner was an organic farmer and were felt right at home. The next day we took a hike in the Lost Valley and went spelunking in two different caves, followed by a swim in the crystal clear Buffalo River. Then on to Harrison for our soundcheck. For dinner we were brought to a restaurant next to the theater that was absolutely wonderful and hospitable. They had a menu made just for us with some awesome veggie entries. We were told that the cook had been trained in New York, and was the owner's son-in-law. We had a funny event after our show--- the presenter told us that the police we waiting for us back at the hotel. Apparently, there had been some vending machine theft at the hotel, and the vending machine was right near our hotel rooms. Someone reported that a person had been seen going into one of our rooms. We were informed that the police had searched our rooms. At least we had a good alabi, being that we were at the theater all evening with the mayor and hundreds of other witnesses. We were amused by what causes excitement in the little town of Harrsion, Arkansas. We were met by the police at the hotel and I think they must have felt a little foolish when this big family showed up. We did not exactly look like the kind to cause that kind of trouble.

Then on to Lexington, Kentucky for the radio show, Wood Songs Old Time Radio Hour, held at the Kentucky Theater. We had great fun, liked the host, Michael Jonathon, and shared the stage with singer/songwriter, Cliff Eberhardt. Michael Jonathan kept trying to convince us to do a singing set, but because the segment was rather short, we wanted to highlight our fiddling and dancing. We had a real union of minds with Michael as he pointed out to the radio audience that families who are not hooked on i-phones, i-pods, and other i-junk,play music together!!! We laugh that here we are in our van right now, listening to Old Crowe Medicine Show on Sean's i-pod, while I type on my lap-top, and Elizabeth chats with her friend on her cell phone. (The rest of the family are reading books and writing letters now.) Our band has "corrupted" us but we do look forward to the day when we can dispose of all this extra technology. I long for a farm when these touring days are over. I did spend the month of January pruning my 70 roses. After the radio show we met up with cousins that we had not seen in years. We then walked out the back door of the theater, got in a ticket line in front of the theater and walked right back into the same theater where we had just performed to watch the movie, Into Great Silence. We had been wanting to see that movie that was a filming of the life of Carthusian Monks in their Monastery high in the French Alps. We were all spellbound by the simple, quiet, cyclic, beautiful life of the monks. Even Aidan watched the whole three hour movie. We had gone to Mass the day before at the Lexington Cathedral where Aidan had worn a new pair of linen pants that he kept complaining were itchy. I told him that Saints had often worn hair shirts as a special sacrifice to offer to God, and that Aidan was wearing his hair pants, and too could make a sacrifice of his discomfort. During the movie Aidan asked me if these monks wore hairpants. He also appreciated the continued return to rituals such as handwashing--- he said," Mom, Why are they showing us that again?" Also, he wanted to know why the monks did not have "halos?" He was used to the paintings of tonsured monks. (all the hair cut except for a ring on their heads.)

From Lexington we zipped all the way home to California, doing one thirty four hour stretch, (I drove the all nighter, but I have to mention, that Greg does nearly all the day time driving so I can read out loud, and practice my keyboard. We can keep the keyboard set up in the van behind the front seat and run the power through an adaptor.) We arrived home on the 4th of July twenty minutes before the fireworks and surprised our good friends, the Langley's, and my sister's family, the Padulas. The next day we washed piles of laundry, celebrated the birthday of a little cousin, repacked the van, and the following day, headed out the for another month of performing. Pat, our dear agent, had booked a few shows in Southern California smack in the middle of our east coast obligations. On Friday night we performed at the Redlands Bowl for a huge audience of over 6000 on a magical twilight the evening. The crowds began settling in during our soundcheck at 4:00 in the afternoon. The next night we had a show in San Juan Capistrano, where we were joined by our agent, Pat, and his family. The following morning we began another madcap drive across country, with Toronto as our destination. We left right after Mass and Greg drove all day, I drove all night through the Rocky Mountains, Greg took over and drove all another day, and I drove long into the night with plans to stop at a hotel just over the border in Windsor, Ontario. I was driving at three in the morning and we were just about to cross the bridge from Detroit into Windsor, when a semi-truck began to back up on the exit ramp. I was right behind him and began honking and trying to back up out of his way, worried that another vehicle might be coming down the ramp. He finally hit us and then stopped. Our lovely brand new black sprinter van had its first dent. Luckily, the damage was not bad. We called the police twice, bu in forty five minutes nobody came. The truck driver was not the easiest to deal with--- he had no proof on insurance and wanted to call his brother and use his insurance. We got all the necessary info: lisence plate number, truck number, driver's lisence name, etc. (When our insurance pursued the claim there was no record of the trucking company and the lisence info., but the van is now good as new!) We were finally in a bed at 4:00 a.m. after driving 39 hours straight. I warned the children that noone was to wake me up. We were headed to the Leahy fiddle camp and I wanted all of us to be well rested. We arrived at the fiddle camp the next afternoon.

Fiddle camps are the highlights of our summers. That is where we have made great friends with fellow Celtic music lovers, and have become immersed in all the different Celtic fiddling styles. That was our second Leahy camp and now we hope for a third this summer. Each camp has its own strength, and at the Leahy camp the children learn much about improvising and harmonies. Matt Glaser, the head of strings at the Berklee School of Music in Boston, was one of the instructors. First Patrick and Sean had a workshop with him and he was very impressed with the boys and could not believe that they were siblings. Then all the kids were in a class with him. He knew that the girls were sisters, and when he heard they lived near LA he told them they could play in any band and be studio musicians. He asked the boys of they knew the girls and was shocked to find that they were siblings. He told our gang that they were welcomed at the Berklee School any time. Upon meeting our little people, Maire and Aidan, he was amazed at how much talent could exist in one family.

Another Leahy highlight is the evening square dance on Juniper Island. Boats ferry everyone to the island, some of the Leahys play the music and everyone dances in a 100 year old maple dance pavillion where the Leahy parents used to play for dances way back when. People do not get much more dear than the Leahys and we are grateful for their devoting their time and energy to perpetuate the fiddling tradition.

From the camp we made a pilgrimage to shrines in Montreal and Quebec City. We felt like we were back in Europe visiting beautiful, old churches and walking around the old cities. While driving East we kept stopping at farm stands and buying baskets of blueberries and maple sugar candy, pies, and any other local produce.

We still had more performances on the East Coast. We recommenced in Somerset, Kentucky for the Master Musicians Festival. There we met up with the old time group, Old Crow Medicine Show. We have been fans of theirs ever since. We also liked meeting the Peasall Sisters, who performed right before us. They were of Oh Brother, Where Art Thou fame.

Then west to Lafayette,Indiana where we performed at the parish of our dear friend, Fr. Tim Alkire. Fr. Tim is the coolest, holiest, nicest young priest we know. We attended a Holy Hour on a Sunday evening that was packed with young people and families, followed by our performance. Fr. Tim invited us for a late night gathering in his garden where he told us of his adventures in Poland and shared Polish chocolates with us. The next day he made brunch for us and took the boys racing in his Mini-Cooper. He lines up in his parking lot, parallel with the road with a chain-link fence in between, and races the cars to the light. We all love Fr. Tim. The girls had met him on their World Youth Day pilgrimage to Toronto in 2002.

Then east again to Ramsay, New Jersey where we had the one odd show of the summer. The presenter kept telling us what a big crowd we could expect, and we did get used to expecting big crowds because every other show that summer had big crowds. The show was held in a high school auditorium and was free to the public. We had an audience of 40 very devoted fans. There must have been another free concert that evening that served free ice cream. We were very close to New York City and Deirdre suggested that we have midnight pizza in Times Square and we did join the throngs where time means nothing--- everyone was having pizza at midnight in Times Square.

Further East to the Blackstone Valley Celtic Festival in Massachuesetts. Also performing there was one of our favorite fidders, Seamus Connolly, who had hosted Gaelic Roots at Boston College that we attended. He is one of our favorite people and an incredible fiddler. There we had a very warm welcome and a huge crowd. Sean's new octave mandolin was hand delivered to him by the maker, Bob Abrams. Sean had asked Bob to make the mandolin and Bob was delighted to present it to him. Sean loves his mandolin!

West again to Ashland, Ohio for a large outdoor amphitheater. A bunch of our friends came down from Steubenville bringing with them a big pile of fresh produce from their farms. Our friends, the Rylands, joined us dancing on a set. The presenter liked us so much, we are back again this summer.


Homeward bound, a few Southern California shows, and then off to Costa Rica for our first non- music related vacation in years. But that is not completely true, because the children were playing music for the 50th anniversary celebration of my parents. We had an incredible vacation. I have not laughed so much and had so much fun since I was a child. Costa Rica is like a fantasy island. Whatever one could never do here you can do there--- not one concern about liability.

My parents own a bed and breakfast in the beach town of Samora, and their house is one block from the beach. We lived in our bathing suits and everyone ventured to the beach throughout the day. The water was the perfect swimming temperature and the waves broke with copious quantities of white foam that was pleasant to just float in. The air was also the perfect temperature; never cold never hot. A blanket is never needed year round. Our rooms had covered balconies with hammocks. Coconut palm trees grow on the beach and Patrick would gather a pile each day and cut them open with a machete. Throughout the village there were produce stands where we would buy delicious perfectly ripe pineapples,mangos, and bananas, and get delicious fruit drinks made of blended coconut, pineapple, and watermelon. Iguanas basked on the walls and roofs of the houses, geckos lived on the walls inside and beautiful bright red and blue land crabs scurried inside and out. Restaurants were outdoor patios serving fresh fish, beans, rice, and salad. Indoors and outdoors blended into each other.

My parents had a lovely 50th Anniversary Celebration with a renewal of their vows at a Mass at the local church, with music provided by Celtic Spring, followed by a party.  A celebration dinner happened the evening before at a local restaurant, with music also provided by resident musicians, Celtic Spring.  We are grateful for my parents wonderful example of marriage.

One day the children were at the beach and a local fellow invited them to go on a horse trek in the mountains. We all decided to go. The leader, Napo, asked us if we were experienced riders--- Patrick is a good rider, and I rode a lot as a child, the other children had a little experience. We began the trek on the beach and the horses immediately began galloping, including Aidan on his pony. We could not stop laughing. On the narrow mountain path the horses were always trying to pass each other, would bump into each other and nearly knock us off. During the ride we saw huge blue, lumenescent butterflies, some beautiful blue birds, parrots, howler monkeys that sounded like screaming wildcats, and huge bramha bulls. We rode through a small mountain village that had a little church with a candle burning inside the darkness. We journeyed through a private teak forest, with Napo, trading a bottle in a brown bag for the right to cross the forest, and then tied up the horses to continue the hike to a waterfall by foot. The hike proved to be a two mile treacherous traipse through a wild jungle river, at times so fast flowing that we were falling over. I fell in and submerged our nice camera, which then was out of commission for several months. The waterfall was a 60 feet high and 40 feet wide gorgeous work of nature. We all swam in the pool and got as close to the spray as we possibly could. On our homeward ride the horses kept breaking into gallops, and as Aidan's pony ran by the people lounging on the beach we saw eyes of incredulity. We could not figure out how Napo knew we could handle the adventure. He must have scoured the beach for a very rugged family.

Another day we rented bicycles and had another pile of adventures. Maurice, who rented the bicycles to us, was very proud to tell me that he was giving me a brand new bike. I got on and began riding through the main street of the village when all of a sudden, my seat flew off. Luckily I stayed on. I brought it back to Maurice who told me that happened because the bike was brand new. He bolted the seat down and I took off again. We all biked down the dirt covered roads by howler monkeys and screaming parrots and farms and fields. Farm animals were in all the yards and horses and cows were on both sides of the fenced in fields. We were heading out to a turtle refuge but were impeded by a muddy river in which alligators resided. (so we were told) We turned back but then Maire got way behind and began calling for us to stop. Her bike had stopped working---- she could pedal but the the chain was not connected to the pedals, so the pedals were completely ineffective. I walked back with her to Maurice and he gave her another bike and also told us we could keep the bikes for another day. The next day we biked to the next beach north, Playa Carillo, where we saw Kingfishers, more monkeys, and stopped at a lovely hotel for more fresh fruit drinks.

During our 10 day stay we experienced a tsunami watch and the tail of a hurricane. One night we had gotten ready for bed early when a local came knocking at our door telling us that there was a tsunami watch. All the locals were evacuating. We had no car, and felt rather helpless. We ended up walking up a high hill to another hotel where we stayed for the night. The tsunami was supposed to hit at 10:00 p.m. and at the time horses started loudly neighing. It was rather eerie but the tsunami did not hit. The next day the ocean was much rougher. We had planned to go out in a boat to snorkel--- instead we whale and sea turtle watched. The waves were large and when it was time to go ashore, we were racing the waves with the boat. It was rather frightening since we had little people with us. (I had Aidan and my sister had two of her little children, four year old Dominic and baby Angela Rose.] A wave ended up washing right over the boat and the boat filled up with water. Luckily, we were at that point near the shore, and could pull the boat in and bale.

Upon returning from Costa Rica we were home for a few days before heading off to the Valley of the Moon fiddle camp. There we were saturated in non-stop music and dance. There are classes all day and sessions and dances all night. Sleep is superfluous. Inspiration is abundant. After too many nights of sleep deprivation I become a mean mom and impose a bed-time of 3:00 a.m. That was our 8th year at VOM and probably that week is the most influential in our family's musical formation. We are grateful for Alasdair Fraser's deep dedication to the next generation of young, influential fiddlers and other musicians as well. Haneke Cassel, Natalie and Brittany Haas, Laura Cortese, Laura Risk, all grew up with Valley of the Moon.

The week after Valley of the Moon, Elizabeth and Deirdre flew to Boston to have a reunion with Valley of the Moon friends, Hanneke Cassell and Natalie Haas, and to attend a fund raiser concert for Jerry Holland, a great Cape Breton fiddler who is suffering with Bone Cancer.

The fall brought us to Grass Valley, Nevada, Texas, Arizona, and NYC. We had a few days off in between a theater show and the Grass Valley KVMR Celtic Festival, so we stayed at Yosemite Park. We had parked in a large parking lot and who should park next to us but our agent, Pat Garrett and his family. We knew he was going to visit Yosemite before coming to the Grass Valley Festival, but it was a complete surprise to meet up with him. We had a picnic by the Merced River when a bear came down to the river to drink. Our boys followed the bear for quite a while before we went in search of them and came upon the boys and the bear.

The highlight of our fall was our trip to New York. We were invited to perform for a fundraiser for the religious order, Legionaries of Christ, at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. We were so happy to contribute our talents to such a worthy cause. The keynote speaker was Edwardo Verastegui who had the lead role in recent movie, Bella. We had first heard of the movie at another fundraiser that we had performed at earlier in the year; we had then heard that Bella had won the People's choice award at the Toronto Film Festival. We were happy to meet Edwardo and know that we are each bringing beauty to our culture through our various talents.

The next night we performed for the Franciscan Friars of Renewal for their cultural series, the Catholic Underground. The Franciscan Friars are according to Deirdre, "the hottest thing under the sun." They are young, joyful, and filled with the love of God in the true spirit of St. Francis. Their charism is to care for the poor, and help the the needy in every way. They live extremely simply and ruggedly. Two young monks picked us up at the Waldorf Astoria in a beat-up, old white van in a sea of shiny black limos, and took us to their Friary in Harlem. We loved the juxtaposition of the Waldorf-Astoria and Harlem, and the Legionaries and the Franciscan Friars. Both orders are truly doing God's work and are doing it excellently. We are honored to help both orders in their task to bring Christ to the world. Our performance at the Catholic Underground was preceded by a Holy Hour at the Church for about 800 young people on a Saturday night. Then they all came over to watch our performance. They were one of the most enthusiastic audiences that we had ever had. One of the monks, Brother Augustino, is going to be ordained a priest on May 10th, and we hope to attend his ordination.

Which brings us to our upcoming plans. We have been invited by the Pontifical Council for the Laity in Rome to perform for the World Youth Day Festival in Sydney, Australia in July. We have accepted the invitation and are very much looking forward to performing for the young people from all over the world that will gather to be in the presence of Pope Benedict. Our young people are the hope of the world, and we are honored to be able to assist in bringing joy to this occasion and to be a witness to this hope.