Lawrence Scots
Present

Lawrence Scottish Fest 2007

Our 11th Celebration of Scottish Culture & Robert Burns

Photos by Eileen Young, Mark Gottschall & Larry Carter

The Pre-Concert Festival


As usual, Rocky Road Bakeries (also known as Cordelia Brown) went all out with the traditional Scottish treats. Check back here soon for a complete list of the evening's samplings.

Eileen Young (Clan McIntyre & Sutherland) took many of these photos and, with Julie Anderson, took charge of the money end of things. Julie is the mother of Nilo Pena, our Lawrence Scots Poster Child. Our Robert Burns t-shirts are on sale at Brits downtown, with proceeds going toward next year's celebration.


We were treated to an outstanding Celtic jam session by some of the top traditional players in the Kansas City & Lawrence area. Our thanks to Willy Peterson (bodhran), Mike Dugger (button accordion), Dave Agee (fiddle), Keith Van Winkle (fiddle), Gordon Bearrs (guitar) and Frank Shopen (mandolin). You guys were HOT!

The festival portion was a good time for friends to discuss Clans and Tartans while listening to the jam session and the pipers.

We were joined for the first time by representatives from the Kansas City Scottish Highland Games. Our thanks to Lori and Kevin Henderson for bringing in "hands on" equipment from the athletic events. Lori said that next year they might bring in a caber!

As always, thanks to Peggy Baker, returning for her 5th year to share her knowledge of Clan Heritage. We had at least 20 Clans join us in the Blessing of the Tartans.


The Concert


Tom Averill, Bill Read and Dana Morris again represented Topeka's Pipers of the Plains with music during both the festival and concert.

Rev Douglas Phenix joined us for the 4th year. Rather than a standard Burns Heritage, we asked Douglas what he'd like to do this year. The result - poems and sing-alongs he enjoyed while growing up in Scotland during the 1940s and 1950s.
"Campbeltown Loch, I wish you were whiskey,
and I would drink you dry..."



Forest Green made their grand entrance, only to discover their guest bodhran player was missing. Where's Willy? After audience members formed a search party, he showed up shaking his watch.

Let us pray that come what may
As come it will for all that.
That sense and worth upon this earth
Shall come to pass for all that.
For brothers be, for all that.

Forest Green performed a classical piano piece Cordelia adapted for harp and accordion that was composed by contemporary Scottish composer Peter Maxwell Davies. This piece, Farewell to Stromness, helped save this small town in the Orkney Islands from a proposed uranium mining operation.

Maria conducted the Haggis Ceremony:
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware
That jaups in luggies;
But, if ye wish her gratefu' prayer
Gie her a haggis!



Uncle Dirtytoes rocked the house!

Megan and Roger traded hot leads on violin & electric guitar during "The Piper of Dundee"



I accept this ceremonial sword, presented by Jeff Eubanks on behalf of Lawrence Scots, as a reminder that, as the current producer of Lawrence Scottish Fest, I will execute the duties of this office with integrity and honor.

And ther's a hand, my trusty friend,
And gie's a hand o' thine...
We'll tak a cup of kindness yet
For auld lang syne.



As always, we all gathered on stage for the finale, "Auld Lang Syne."


Well done, Lawrence Scots!

Join us the last Sunday in January, 2008 when Connie Dover returns.

What say you, Lawrence Scots - shall we invite Uncle Dirtytoes back in 2009?

See our website at www.LawrenceScots.Org for information about Celtic jam sessions, links to area Celtic resources, upcoming concerts by our musicians, and more.





Missouri Valley Folklife Society
Presenting Celtic concerts by Misla, Liz Carroll, and more.

Brits
Selling all types of British goods in downtown Lawrence.

Community Mercantile
Lawrence's cooperatively owned grocery store,
encouraging personal, community and environmental health.

Mass Street Music
Dealer of fine guitars, mandolins, amplifiers and more.


“Lawrence Old Guard Productions”

Larry Carter – Producer, Programs, Posters, Promotion, Webmaster

Cordelia Brown – Rocky Road Bakeries

Jeff Eubanks – Ceremonial Guard and Raffle Master

Alonzo Beardshear – master of Sound and Lights

Eileen Young and Julie Anderson– Box Office, Sales table and Photos

Mark Gottschall – Video cameras

Bob Brown, Carolyn Brown & Pat Brown – General assistance

Kenny Wood and James Harmon - General assistance

Participants In Order of Appearance
Celtic Jam Session Musicians
Mike Dugger, Dave Agee, Gordon Bearrs, Keith Van Winkle, Frank Shopen, and Willy Peterson. (As one festival-goer stopped me to exclaim, "Who ARE these guys? They sound GREAT!")

Thomas Fox Averill - Pipers of the Plains
Tom is an English professor at Washburn University, writer and Robert Burns enthusiast. His 2003 novel, The Slow Air of Ewan MacPherson, is a tribute to all things Scottish: haggis, Burns, whisky and bagpipes. He has been a piper for over a dozen years, playing with “Pipers of the Plains” in Topeka, Kansas.

Bill Read - Pipers of the Plains
Bill is a founding member (30 years) and the current Pipe Major for "Pipers of the Plains." He also has played for the Kansas National Guard (Pipe Major, 635th Armored Regiment), Topeka's St Andrews Society, the inaugurals for at least four Kansas governors, and innumerable weddings.

Dana Morris - Pipers of the Plains
Dana has long been a member of the Pipers of the Plains, joining after his retirement.

Peggy Baker - Celtic Heritage Booth
Peggy is highly respected among Scots in this area, having served for many years as the Clan Row Coordinator for the Kansas City Scottish Highland Games. She can help answer questions regarding clan genealogy and Celtic heritage.

Lori and Kevin Henderson - Kansas City Scottish Highland Games
Lori and Kevin are the Athletic Directors at the Highland Games. They brought in a variety of "hands on" athletic equipment. Next year they say they might bring in a caber!

Rev. Douglas Phenix - Heritage and guest with Forest Green
A Glasgow native and Presbyterian minister, Douglas did his theological training at Glasgow University and in New York City during the 1960’s. He is a member of the Topeka Saint Andrew Society. He will be blessing the tartans, delivering the “Burns Heritage,” reading selected Burns poems, and leading a sing-along.

Larry Carter - Master of Ceremonies, Forest Green, guest with Uncle Dirtytoes
This is Larry’s 5th year producing this event. He also produces the weekly “Tuesday Folk” concert series downtown and “Carter Hall Performers,” a theater troupe that performs a musical he wrote. Besides Forest Green, he performs solo on improvisational folk piano, guitar and baritone cittern. He is “The Computer Lab Guy” at Free State High School.

Cordelia Brown - Forest Green
Cordelia spent much of the last week in her kitchen baking tonight’s Scottish treats. In addition to Forest Green, she performs solo on harp and piano. Cordelia is well-known for her weekday afternoon classical music program on Kansas Public Radio.

Kelly Dougherty - Guest with Forest Green
Kelly spent over 10 years touring the region with the Celtic group Shenanigans. She is currently working with Glen Road and has formed a new group, appropriately named "Kelly," and is in the progress of producing a new CD. Her vocal style lends to all influences including, Mary Black, Maddy Prior, Stevie Nicks and Emmylou Harris.

Willy Peterson - Guest with Forest Green
Willy has long been performing on bodhran, including for many years with the Celtic band Boys of the Prairie. He currently performs with a wide variety of Kansas City musicians, extending the bodhran's range to include rock and Southern blues. Willy organized tonight’s Celtic jam session.

Maria Anthony - Haggis Ceremony, Uncle Dirtytoes
Maria has produced and recorded four CDs. In the 1990’s she established the tradition of Robert Burns celebrations in Lawrence. In 2003, she received a Kansas Arts Commission Fellowship award for her work “Kentigern: St Mungo of Scotland.” She currently enjoys performing Beatles music in "Vera, Chuck and Dave" and learning to play the sitar.

Megan Hurt - Uncle Dirtytoes
Megan is a founding member of Uncle Dirtytoes, the Sirens, and of the Switch, one of the very few local, alternative groups to feature a (heavily amplified) violin. She also sometimes performs with “Vera, Chuck & Dave,” and as a duo with Darrell Lea. She owns a most impressive collection of hats. Megan teaches French at Lawrence High School.

Mark von Schlemmer - Uncle Dirtytoes
Mark is a filmmaker and Emmy-award winning television producer. After producing Speakers Corner for KCTV5 in Kansas City for two years, he is now a freelance film and video producer/director and graphic/web designer. He created & produced the arts show “Silhouettes” on Lawrence cable tv and the Harvest of Arts Film Festival.

Roger Holden - Uncle Dirtytoes
Roger is president of 21st Century Sound and Vision, Inc., an audio/visual research and development company in Lawrence. He collaborated on art projects several times with the late William Burroughs. He also plays guitar with Melvin Litton in Border Blues

Mike Fitzgerald - Uncle DIrtytoes
Mike, wrangler of children and keeper of the beat, is an original member of Lawrence's cow-funk band, the Lonesome Houndogs, and sits in occasionally with various groups around the Lawrence area

Barry Barnes - Uncle DIrtytoes
Barry is a poet, performance artist, percussionist, blue collar worker and very lucky MOOsician who plays with the Bopophonics, Uncle Dirty Toes, and Billy Eberling and the Late for Dinner Band. He previously hosted a monthly poetry jam.

Darrell Lea - Guest with Uncle Dirtytoes
Darrell has been the lead guitarist in some of the best rock bands to have come out of this area over the last 20 years, including LA Ramblers, The Deal, and Tofu Teddy. He currently performs in Vera, Chuck and Dave and The New Alligators. A former member of Uncle Dirtytoes, he is graciously filling in tonight for Maria on guitar.


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