Whether it’s learning the pipes and drums or the steps of the Highlands, wave upon wave of tartan pride will converge here this summer as the Fort Frances Highlanders host their first “School of Celtic Arts” on July 7-11.
“Basically, the reason we’re doing this is, for the last several years, we had people going to Kenora to a summer school there,” said Pipe Major Bruce Lidkea of the Fort Frances Highlanders.
“I was talking to the guy who’d been doing it and he decided to cancel it this year [because he was moving],” added Lidkea, noting the camp at the Peace Gardens in Manitoba also had been axed.
“Being the centennial year [of Fort Frances], I thought I’d like to organize something here,” said Lidkea, adding the town’s location is a reasonable distance from Kenora, Dryden, Thunder Bay, Winnipeg, and parts of Minnesota.
“Kenora usually has about 60 people [attend], but I’m hoping we’re going to do better than that,” Lidkea remarked, noting there have been several confirmed registrations so far, including interest from as far away as Kitchener, Ont., Alberta, and Arizona.
Classes, which will be taught at the local campus of Confederation College, will be divided into pipes, snare, tenor, and bass, and Highlands dance.
The instrumental sessions will cover areas like care and maintenance, theory, tune approach, solo playing, band playing, tone and tuning, and technique.
These will be led by internationally-acclaimed pipers and drummers, including Jake Watson, John Cairns, and Roland Reid (78th Fraser Highlanders), Neil Dickie and Amanda Shirley (Alberta Caledonia), and Blair “The Buzzard” Brown (MacTarnahan’s Prince Charles Band).
Meanwhile, a Highlands dance course will be instructed by the renowned Irene Baird, whose two daughters were North American and World Celtic dance champions.
The morning session of the Highland dance program is booked up with students from Fort Dance Studio, but the afternoon currently is clear, noted Lidkea.
While the camp certainly is open to those at the novice, beginner, and grade levels, Lidkea said those wanting to be able to play anything in time for the school should contact the Fort Frances Highlanders now and learn the basics.
Cost for the School of Celtic Arts is $200, which includes daily lunches. Accommodation is not provided but can be arranged.
Those attending the school not only will see classroom time, but also participate in a special centennial concert slated for Thursday, July 10 at the Townshend Theatre and then a parade downtown the following afternoon (July 11).
And if all goes well, the School of Celtic Arts may become an annual event here, with funding through a community incentive grant from the Rainy River Future Development Corp., noted Lidkea.
If anyone wants to help with the school, offer sponsorship, or find out more, contact Lidkea at blidkea@voyageur.ca or call him at 274-6655 (work) or 274-4295 (home).
In related news, Lidkea said the Fort Frances Highlanders is looking to fill vacancies for its colour guard.
“The band is continuing to have the best problem in the world—we have 40 members in the band and everybody’s ready to play,” he noted, referring to the fact those normally acting as flag-bearers for the marching band are beginners who temporarily assume that role to get used to marching with the band.
Anyone looking to get their feet wet performing with the Highlanders can contact Lidkea.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
