The web site for the O'Neill-Malcom Branch of
Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann (CCE)

Mad for the Road

Mad for the Road is a rockin' band which playes Irish jigs, reels, hornpipes, pub songs, and ballads.  Band members Maddy O'Neill-Dean, Joel Zlotnick, Elaine George Wolin, and Pat Dean, bring considerable skill to a variety of instruments--whistles, guitars, banjo, bodhran, and mandolin--to give a traditional sound but with an obvious sense of fun and excitement.  The band also brings in some country and bluegrass influences and maybe a children's song or two!

Mad for the Road has performed in a variety of venues and settings this year - including the Falls Church Summer Concert Series, the Brambleton Freedom Fest, Fairfax City's "Downtown Sidewalk" series, Fairfax Fall Festival, Leesburg First Friday, the Children's Inn at NIH, December '08 Fairfax First Night, and local pubs. Yeah, we do it all!

Email Maddy O'Neill-Dean to check availability for public performances or private events.

Keith Carr and Rosemary Gano are a duo who play Irish music in the “pure drop” manner, performing in the style heard in pub sessions and at traditional Irish dances and events. Their music covers the full range of the tradition's expression, and includes lively reels and jigs, haunting airs and ballads, and spirited songs. Their instrumental sound combines the lyricism of the traditional Irish wooden flute with propulsive rhythms and countermelodies from the Irish bouzouki and tenor banjo. Both members of the duo sing, and their voices blend in appealing harmonies. The two met in the Irish pub seisiún scene in the Washington, DC area and recognized that together they could produce some great music. Before they became involved with Irish music, they each had long experience working as professional musicians in other genres; they both bring considerable musical knowledge and instrumental skill to their partnership. They perform regularly at area pubs and restaurants (they have been providing Irish traditional music at Ned Devine’s Irish Restaurant in Centreville VA every Friday evening since 2006), and are available for events and special occasions. Music samples and additional information are available on their Web Site and their MySpace page.

Síor-Óg
(pronounced Shear Og with a long "O" in "Og")

Síor-Óg was formed in 2002 and performs primarily traditional Irish tunes, songs, dances and verse. Síor-Óg also performs Celtic music from such places as Scotland, Wales, and the Asturian and Galician regions of Spain.

The band's name ("forever young" in Irish Gaelic) reflects the music which has been played in Ireland for at least 150 years. The music evokes Ireland's abundant and varied musical heritage in the form of traditional reels, jigs, slip jigs, slides, clan marches, polkas, hornpipes and slow airs. Síor-Óg plays traditional Irish instruments such as the fiddle, bodhrán and a variety of high and low Irish whistles accompanied by guitar and bouzouki.

Síor-Óg‘s songs draw upon the rich history and legends of Ireland for inspiration telling of the legendary beauty of this land, the terrible price paid by rebels and the yearning for freedom over the centuries, the mass emigration caused by famine and the tender love of a mother for her child. The band often includes in its performances examples of Ireland's rich store of poetry by such masters as Yeats, Tynan, Heaney and Sigerson. Síor-Óg is often joined in performances by dancers from local dance schools who put on a spectacular display of Irish step dancing.

Síor-Óg has performed at such venues as the City of Fairfax Spotlight on the Arts and First Fairfax; A Celtic Christmas in Fairfax City; Old St. Mary's Labor Day Picnic; Harpers Ferry Olde Tyme Christmas; Fairfax County's Concerts in the Park and and Irish Heritage Night, George Mason University Festival of the Arts; 4-H Fairs; and private events. Síor-Óg may be reached by sending us an email.

Children's Irish music seisiún was on the first Tuesday of every month.6:30 until 7:45 pm. Denis Botzer and Patrick Kavanaugh lead and adult session beginning at 8 pm.
See Karen's Website for tune book used in sessions.  For more information, email Karen.

The Royal Mile Pub in Wheaton MD hosts a children's seisiún on the 4th Sunday of every month from 5-6:30 p.m. Lead by Mitch Fanning. Great food and great craic among children and parents. Karen Ashbrook's "Children's Session Book" is the source for a substantial number of tunes played at the seisiún. A lively adult seisiún follows from 7-10:30 p.m. lead by Matt Shortridge. Royal Mile Pub, 2407 Price Avenue, Wheaton, MD 20902 . 301-946-4511. For more information send an email to Mitch Fanning.  No seisiún on Christmas Day.

Plays at the monthly CCE Ceili every second Saturday, 7:30 - 11:00 PM, Sept. - May. Green Acres Center, 4401 Sideburn Road, Fairfax, VA 22030. A premier Washington DC area Irish dance band. Available for Ceilis, Irish Step Dancing, Contra dances, weddings, and other events or parties. Email Jesse Winch.

Fiddler (Irish and Cape Breton styles). Available with or without a band for weddings, parties, and other occasions. Email Rosie or call: 410-206-8280.  You can also visit the Website.

Two seisiúns a week (Wednesday nights, 7-11pm in the small pub; Sunday afternoons, 3-7pm in the restaurant) at Ri-Ra, located in the heart of Bethesda MD. While the seisiúns are open to all players, the majority of players frequenting the seisiún at this time are advanced. Ri-Ra is located at 4931 Elm Street, Bethesda, MD, off Wisconsin Avenue, just a few blocks from the Bethesda Metro stop (Red Line). 301-657-1122. For more information, email Philippe. or call him at: 301-873-3850.

Philippe and Rob also perform as a duet or with other musicians and dancers for parties, weddings, etc.

Shen Fine

Shen Fine plays tunes and songs from Ireland and Scotland as well as contemporary acoustic folk music. We cover songs of Gordon Lightfoot, Mike Scott, John Prine, George Strait, and Corb Lund. Our “Sailor Sets” are legendary for lusty sing-a-longs and our stirring pub songs get everyone involved. Shannon, Brent and Cheryl are often joined by special guests at their gigs where they can incorporate even more sounds and stylings from the Celtic lands. We lead an open seisiún most Mondays at the Old Dominion Coffee Company on Court Square in Harrisonburg.  All are welcome! Contact Brent for information and bookings.

The Bog Band is a talented group of young people with a passion for Irish music. The band leader is Pete Moss (aka Mitch Fanning), a violin/strings teacher at the Washington Waldorf School. Most band members play fiddle and many of them play multiple instruments including flute, guitar, bodhran, cello, tin whistle and uilleann pipes.

The Bog Band was created in September, 2004 when a group of sixth grade boys at the Washington Waldorf School (Bethesda, Maryland) and their strings teacher, Mitch Fanning, formed a fiddle club to play traditional Irish tunes. As their talent and success grew, other young
musicians joined. Today, the Bog Band has about 20 musicians ranging in age from ten through teen (and beyond).

The Bog Band has performed to great reviews at events and festivals throughout the Baltimore/Washington area including: Potomac CelticFestival, The Folklore Society of Greater Washington, Smithsonian's Discovery Theatre, The DC Mayor's Awards Gala, Montgomery County Arts Council events, ShamRock Fest, and MetroPerforms!

In 2006, the Bog Band recorded its first CD, "Got Bog?". A second CD "On Their Own Turf" is a live seisiún recording that captures the excitement and enthusiasm these young musicians bring to their performances. For more information and a schedule of upcoming performances, please visit The Bog Band Website or email Mitch Fanning.

Celtic Marc is a 5-member traditional ensemble that mixes thoughtful interplay of melody instuments [whistle, pipes, mandolin and fiddles] with intriguing bodhran and fingerstyle/rhythm guitar support.  CM's repetoire includes age-old and modern trad instrumental pieces and vocals with original compositions.   Influences include the Chieftains, Liz Carroll, Lunasa. Mary Black, and the Bothy Band, but also include non-trad musicians such as Dave Brubeck, Gordon Lightfoot, Joan Baez, and Stephen Stills.  The group name draws from the Irish word “marc” meaning a sign or an impression, besides it being the letters of the founding band members’ names.  Since 2006, Celtic Marc continues to appear regularly at Fairfax City’s Auld Shebeen, Irish and international festivals in the greater Northern Virginia area, coffee houses, and private gatherings. 

Do you want to know more about the ambiance our sound brings?  We invite you to visit our The Celtic Marc Website for a sound sample, further information on the group, and its scheduled performances.  We are available to serve your special needs, such as weddings, private parties, or other seasonal occasions where Irish traditional music will lift spirits and inspire the urge to lively dance.  For further booking information, contact us by email or call Mike Schaeffer or Ray Sheehan at 703-451-6776 or 703-490-6634 respectively.  Now it’s time for you to take in the Celtic Marc experience...........the driving beat of celtic music with kick. 

Nova Seisiún Players: 

Adult and Childrens' Sessions and

Tune Teaching Sessions

Auld Shebeen

3971 Chainbridge Road, (Rte. 123), corner of North Street, (Rte 236), Fairfax City

The Northern Virginia Irish Seisiún is a place for beginner and intermediate players to build the repertoire and skills they need to start participating in traditional pub seisiúns. Although we have a core of experienced players, our seisiún is very welcoming of beginners, musicians who are coming to Irish music from other genres, and people who are simply shy or overwhelmed by more advanced seisiúns. We encourage you to visit the seisiún to listen, talk with us, and join in. We're always happy to see new faces!

The seisiún meets at the Auld Shebeen, 3971 Chainbridge Road, (Rte. 123), corner of North Street, (Rte 236), Fairfax City, on Saturday afternoons from 12 until 2. On the first Saturday of every month (except during the summer), the seisiún hosts a tune teaching session from 10 until noon at Green Acres Center, 4401 Sideburn Road, Fairfax City (22030).

For lots of helpful information on the ABC's & GIF's of tunes played by the Bog Wanderers Ceili Band, check out the Bog Survival Kit.

More information, including music resources and a mailing list, is available on the Nova Seisiún website: . Email questions to Scott Turner.

Most Sundays starting at 5:00 PM and going till 8:00.

Monday Nights, 9-11 pm. All musicians and instruments are welcome: Guitars, Fiddles Mandolins, Whistles, Bodhrans, Banjos, Flutes.

Relaxed atmosphere - Beginners, intermediate, advanced - come together, learn together, have a chat and a bit of craic.

THIS IS AN OPEN SESSION - ALL ARE WELCOME
If interested (or know someone) call or text Alan on 202-294-8956

4931 Elm St.

Bethesda, MD 20814

301-657-1122

Wednesdays, 7-11 PM, Sundays 3 - 7 PM

Leaders: Philippe Varlet and Rob Greenway

The first hour is a slower jam so that less experienced players may participate.  For more info email Philippe.

Nanny O’Brien’s Bar

3319 Conn. Ave., NW

Washington, DC

202-686-9189

Weekly Monday night Seisiúns

Start between 8 and 9 PM

No designated leader, longest running Irish seisiún in the area.

J. Patrick’s

1371 Andre St.

Baltimore, MD

410-244-8613

Leaders: Tues. – Laura Byrne and Jimmy Eagan, Thurs. – Peter Fitzgerald
Beginner seisiún, Monday 8 -11 (Donna Long)

McGinty's Public House.

3650 South Glebe Road Arlington, VA
(703) 414-3555
Just off of Route 1, south of National Airport

Josh Dukes , Danny Noveck , and Brendan Bell would love to have you join them for a seisiún every Wednesday. Tunes will start around 7 and wrap up about 10. The lineup may change a little bit week to week, but come out and whoever's in town will lead the seisiún.

Big thanks to Doc and Betsy for getting the ball rolling on this seisiún. Please feel free to forward news of this new seisiún to anyone who might be interested.

WHEN: Wednesdays, 7-10pm.

Periodically offers classes in Irish music. For more information go to www.baltimoreirisharts.com, or call 443-629-8699. Also, Laura Byrne www.charmcityhomesearch.com and www.laurabyrne.com

McGinty's Public House, 911 Ellsworth Avenue, Silver Spring, MD
2nd Sunday of every month: 5-5:30 beginners; 5:30-6 p.m. intermediate; 6-6:30+ advanced.

For more information, email Mitch Fanning, or call 301-565-3657

To All People Who Like To Sing Irish Songs!

Regular weekly Irish Song Seisiún:

Time: Wednesdays starting at 8:30 pm and usually lasting until 11 or 12:00.

Place: Hard Times Cafe. (Search for the Springfield location. You'll find Directions and a Map.)

Directions: To get there, just turn off of Rt 95 on the Springfield/Old Keene Mill Rd exit, head west on Old Keene MIll Rd, and turn right at the first traffic light. That leads you back into a group of shopping centers. In the back, to the right of the K-Mart, is the Hard Times. Click on the link above to get information about the menu, location, etc.

Directions: There is a tab for the Springfield location on the Hard Times website with directions. But I'd suggest using Map Quest. It is only a couple blocks off of Rt 95 at the Springfield exit and is easy and quick to get to from just about anywhere in Northern Virginia.

Session Leader Contact: Wayne Jordan, 703-407-2445

How it will work: First of all, everyone is welcome. You don't need to be a great singer, or be experienced with Irish music. If you want to sing with the group, come and learn some songs (or at least choruses). We have a songbook and other song sheets for anyone to use. Everyone should feel free to bring songs that they want to share with the group. Printed copies to pass out would be helpful. We want to have a lot of group singing take place, but there is plenty of room for individual performances too. Everyone will have a chance to participate to the degree that they are comfortable. The emphasis is on singing, but a few accompanying instruments are often helpful as well, so bring your guitar, whistle, fiddle, etc.

Think of the Clancy Brothers in their prime sitting around a pub and singing songs together and that is what we want to emulate. For that matter, it was not unusual for one of them to recite some Irish verse as a prelude to a song, and that will be quite appropriate as well.

Purpose: To have some fun in the middle of the week, to learn new songs, to share songs, to meet other musicians/singers, and maybe even create a little atmosphere for the restaurant patrons.

Environment: The Hard Times Cafe has been in business in Springfield for about ten years. It is a large building that houses dining rooms, bars and a pool hall. We currently are using a small dining area in the front right corner of the restaurant where there is a minimum of noise to deal with and no smoke. They serve food late and, of course, have plenty of drink available, so you can get dinner there is you are tight on time.

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