Classes & Ensembles, Adult

This 3-session class is for Irish musicians (melody players only) who would like the experience of playing for dancers and also have an opportunity to learn some easy social dances. We’ll choose some tunes ahead of time so that you’ll be familiar with them before the first meeting. At the classes, we’ll rehearse the tunes together, teach dances, and take turns switching roles. The final class will end in a céili with members of the Twin Cities Céili band.

Join flutist Norah Rendell and fiddler Danny Diamond for a six-week class exploring tunes shared by visiting artists at recent Minnesota Irish Music Weekend workshops. Each week, Norah and Danny will introduce one or two tunes, along with stories and background about the artists who brought them to our community, giving you a deeper connection to the music and the tradition.

The second half of each class will focus on learning at least one tune directly from Norah or Danny. Depending on the pace and interests of the group, you'll also have opportunities to revisit tunes from previous weeks. Accompanists are welcome to join, but should prepare to be in “listening mode” during the tune-learning portion of the class.

This class is a chance to build your repertoire with tunes that have a special connection to our local Irish music community while getting to know fellow musicians who are growing their tune collections as well. Norah and Danny will select material that is approachable to learn over the six-week session.

Recordings and sheet music will be provided to support your learning. Please note that the sheet music is intended as a reference and to increase accessibility—we'll learn and play the tunes by ear during class.

Derry guitarist and singer Dáithí Sproule has a large repertoire of songs that have come from friends, mentors, singers, and recordings over a lifetime of travels as a professional musician. In this class, Dáithí will share and teach some great traditional songs in English and Irish with an emphasis on singing them together and making up simple arrangements. It’s sure to be fun!

Having enjoyed presenting classes on Irish language poetry in translation, Dáithí Sproule now offers a 6-week course reading and sharing thoughts and reactions to poetry composed in the English language (mainly!) and drawing from his own area of the country — including poems from Seamus Heaney, Medbh McGuckian, Michael Longley, Leontia Flynn, Ciaran Carson and Cathal Ó Searcaigh.