Celtic Week – July 14-20, 2024

 

COVID

The Covid-19 pandemic has presented unique challenges to the safe presentation of in-person gatherings of all types. Our safety protocols are guided by the findings of the national Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Buncombe County Health Department and those of Warren Wilson College.

For the last two years, we have required documentation, verified with a photo ID, that all participants have received a COVID-19 vaccine primary series and have gotten the most recent booster dose recommended by the CDC.

Covid is still with us, but its prevalence has receded to the point where we no longer require vaccination, but still strongly recommend it. Anyone testing positve for Covid during the Gathering will be asked to leave in order to limit the spread of the virus among the participants. Participants will be updated throughout the spring of any changes or additions to these safety measures.

 

The musical traditions of Scotland and Ireland, possessing separate, distinctive personalities, nonetheless share a common heritage. Many of western North Carolina’s early white settlers were either Highlanders or ‘Ulster Scots’ – the Scots-Irish. Our Celtic Week acknowledges that varied heritage with a program that features some of the best from those traditions.

Celtic Week welcomes a few new staff members, several old friends we haven’t seen in a while, and a lineup that features present or former members of the supergroups Lúnasa, Ossian, Solas, The Chieftains, Cherish the Ladies, Slide, Runa, The House Band, Skylark, Moving Cloud, Comas, and the Alt, plus the return of an outstanding group of veteran staff members. The week will feature classes, potluck sessions, concerts, ceilis and jams. For those taking any of the style classes for fiddle, it is recommended that students should play at an Intermediate level: students should have mastered beginning skills, be able to tune their instruments, keep time, play the principal scales cleanly, and know how to play a few tunes with confidence. Fiddle classes are double-length, and students may take either intermediate or advanced classes, but not both. The uilleann pipes class is also double-length. Fiddlers who plan on taking both Irish and Scottish fiddle should consider their stamina and the available practice time before registering for two daily 2 ½ hour classes. For novices, “Fiddle for Complete Beginners” will cover the basics and “Fiddle Technique” will address technical problems for all players, while “Tinwhistle for Complete Beginners” will provide new whistle players with a repertoire of simple tunes.