You will enjoy the variety of pieces below that have appeared in our past newsletters.  We thought the information in these to be of a more continuing interest.  They will especially be of interest to new members who did not see the earlier newsletters.

Who were the Celts? Sharon Focht The Seven Celtic Nations Linda Simpson Celtic Art: A brief history Scarlett Rose Scottish Country Dancing Laura Fox Plea for Pipers Bob Skinner The Celtic Cross Scarlett Rose Christmas Memories Jacquie Whittingham Burns Night Laura Fox The Pub Scouts Michael Cannon It's in the Spelling Harry Maguire Hogma What?! Mary Ellen Sharifzadeh SKOAL?! Harry Maguire THE DRUMMER'S SIXTH SENSE Glenn Smith COMING TO AMERICA: The Wee Folk The Haggis Twins, Bel and Merle The Hosbilt Horror Bull Henderson

You will also enjoy reading the variety of interesting articles by

These too will be especially be of interest to new members who did not see the earlier newsletters.

WHO WERE THE CELTS? (AND WHY IS THAT WORD SO OFTEN MISPRONOUNCED?)

The Celts were a group of peoples who occupied lands stretching from the British Isles to Northern Spain. They interacted with many other cultures, sometimes by invasion and subjugation of the native peoples. Early Celtic tribes lived in small settlements led by a local chieftain. Some of these tribes formed federations with other tribes, but the Celts never formed one common nation. Celtic society was divided into three classes: the aristocrats, the learned class known as the Druids, and the common people. Their skills were well developed. They mastered horsemanship, the wheel, mining and metalworking. By the time the Celts had come into contact with the Romans, their craftsmen had become artists.

The people who made up the various Celtic tribes were called Galli by the Romans, and Galatai or Keltoi by the Greeks; all terms meaning barbarian. Celt is directly derived from the Greek Keltoi. The term Galli evolved into Gaul, which is what the Romans called the area now known as France. The name of the feisty former President of France, Charles de Gaulle, and Galicia, in northern Spain, both share a common root in the word Gaul. The Celts are believed to have originated somewhere around the sources of the Danube River. They spread across Europe by conquest and sometimes peacefully through assimilation of the native cultures. Celts had arrived in Wales by 500 BC and are considered to be the "first" Welshmen. These Celts also introduced the use of iron to Britain. Although they kept no written records, through historical records of other cultures and archeological evidence, a picture of the Celts can be constructed. The Roman historian Diodorus described the Celts: Their aspect is terrifying. They are very tall in stature, with rippling muscles under clear white skin. Their hair is blond, but not naturally so: they bleach it, washing it with lime, and combing it straight back from their foreheads. They look like wood-demons, their hair thick and shaggy like a horse's mane. Some of them are clean shaven, but others - especially those of high rank, shave their cheeks but leave a moustache that covers the whole mouth, and when they eat and drink, acts like a sieve, trapping particles of food. The Celts impressed the Greeks and Romans with their style of dress and the bright colors they wore. Striped and checkered cloaks, fastened by intricate brooches, were common on both men and women. While the Gauls bleached and spiked their hair, the smaller and darker complected Bretons and Picts tattooed their faces and arms with blue pigment. Even the meekest Celtic woman stood taller than the average Roman. Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus' opinion of the Gauls follows: A whole troop of foreigners would not be able to withstand a single Gaul if he called his wife to his assistance. (She) is usually very strong and with blue eyes; especially when, swelling her neck, gnashing her teeth and brandishing her sallow arms of enormous size, she begins to strike blows mingled with kicks, as if they were so many missiles sent from the string of a catapult. (Of course, this might only have been her reaction to her husband using his moustache to strain food particles during dinner!) Unfortunately, the followers of the 18th century Romantic Movement lumped all the diverse Celtic tribes into one family with one single ethnic identity. They embraced the idea of the "noble savage" during this time period and stories and poetry furthered this image. In reality, Celtic societies were more varied and advanced than many in other parts of the world. A frequently overlooked accomplishment of the Celts was their expertise in metalwork. Both technically and artistically, Celtic metal- and enamel-work was unequalled in prehistoric Europe. Celtic lands were rich, both in population and well-cultivated fields. Well-traveled roadways linked large towns and small settlements. Fortified cities and shrines were also built along these roadways. Such evidence of a complex society has led modern scholars to reevaluate the earlier descriptions, which were, after all, primarily written by the Celts' enemies. Celtic societies, once considered base and barbaric, are currently looked upon by many anthropologists as accomplished, advanced, intelligent and pivotal in the formation of modern Europe. There was a unifying language spoken by the various Celtic tribes called (surprise) Old Celtic. This Old Celtic was the closest cousin to Italic, the precursor to Latin. The first Celts who migrated into the British Isles were called the q-Celts. This designation comes from the differences between Italic and early Celtic, which lacked the letter p and used an a in place of the Italic o. (Since this is supposed to be an overview, and since my intent, though somewhat late, is not to induce sleep, I won't continue the list of differences here!) The first immigrants spoke a form of Celtic called Goidelic. This word comes from the Welsh inhabitants who, upon meeting the first Irish arrivals, called them gwyddel (savages), from which geodil and goidel evolved. Goidelic Celtic gave rise to the more modern languages of Irish, Scots Gaelic and Manx (from the Isle of Man). The second wave of immigrants were called the p-Celts (yep - they used a p instead of a q) who spoke a form of Celtic called Brythonic, which gave rise to the modern, or more modern, languages of Welsh, Cornish and Breton (spoken in Brittany). Though Goidelic and Brythonic branched off into their various modern forms, there are still words that are common to the Celtic subgroups. Now, if you've stayed with me this far, we finally get to the burning question, "How does one correctly pronounce the word Celt?" Since Celt is derived from the Greek Keltoi, and since the Greeks had no soft c sound, Celt should be pronounced as if it were spelled Kelt - like kilt, only with an e. So, how did the word come to be pronounced with a soft c sound as in selt? Why are the Glasgow soccer team and the Boston basketball team called the Celtics, pronounced seltics? It seems that during the period of history when the sun never set on the British Empire, it was decided (by that great thinker Unknown) that British Latin should have a different pronunciation from other (more common) spoken Latin. One of the most noticeable differences was to change the hard k sound to the soft s sound. It is the view of some people today that the soft seltic pronunciation should be reserved for sports teams, since there is obviously nothing to link them with the brave and far-reaching Celts for whom our Society was named! -Sharon Focht

Celtic Art: A Brief History

What most of us refer to as Celtic art began thousands of years ago, before the birth of Christ. The Picts or Cruithne, an ancient tribe of people who inhabited the British Isles at the time of the Romans, created art that imitated the crafts of plaiting, weaving and basketry. While they are the source of what we now call Celtic art, interlacing designs were used by many peoples, including Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Moors, Persians, Turks, Arabs, Hebrews and Chinese.

The Picts created their art for mainly religious reasons. Depictions of the creator and his works were forbidden, so symbols representing these subjects were designed. There is still debate over what a particular well-known symbol may represent. Usually portrayed as a savage, pagan and primitive people, the Celts developed an intricate art form that evolved over the years into a distinctly unique style. There are many types of Celtic art: Knotwork, Spirals, Key Patterns, Lettering and Zoomorphs. Each has a history, tracing possible sources of inspiration to various tribes and other cultures. I find the subject of Celtic Art and Design a fascinating one. The growth in its popularity has lead to new designs created by artists in many different mediums. This constant melding of ideas from many sources gives life to this art form and continues its evolution.

If you are interested in Celtic art and design, there are many books available that show how to create them. Celtic Art: The Methods of Construction, by George Bain, gives some history and was the main source for this article. Knotwork: The Secret Method of the Scribes, by Aidan Meehan, is a good how-to-design knotwork book. There are also sources on the Internet for Celtic art.

Scarlett Rose, Quilt Artist Author Teacher

THE CELTIC CROSS

The cross is an ancient symbol, used by many peoples to represent their beliefs about the world. Although the cross is best known as the supreme symbol of the Christian faith, cross symbolism itself is much older than Christianity. The oldest examples are those engraved or painted on flat pebbles, dating from 10,000 BC, found in a cave in the French Pyrenees. These "ancestor stones" were believed to contain the spirits of the dead. Another early form of the cross is the pillar stone, thought to be a link between heaven and Earth. (The Tree of Life is another such symbol.) The Maltese cross is a type of cross that evolved from the use of the two Greek letters, Chi (x) and Rho (p), which represent the first two letters of Christ's name in Greek. These letters were placed in a circle, creating the Maltese cross, or what is also known a wheel cross. A variation of this pattern is the swastika, which represented a wheel in motion.

Over time, the arms of the wheel cross began to be depicted as extending beyond the circle, and later a shape more similar to the modern Christian cross was created: a long vertical line, a shorter horizontal line (eventually placed closer to the top of the vertical line) and a circle around the intersection of the two lines. This form represents the celestial world (the vertical line) and the earthly world (the horizontal line), with the circle symbolizing the great wheel of life. For some cultures, the circle is a symbol of the sun, or solar energy. As a religious symbol familiar to the Celts, the cross helped ease their transition from paganism to Christianity. Some stone crosses even depict the crucifixion with a carving of a head or man upon the cross itself, along with other ornamentation and symbols. As with many symbols, the cross represents somewhat different ideas to different cultures, but generally they are expressions of faith and spirituality.

Quiltress Extraordinaire Scarlett Rose

HOSBILT HORROR I'm going to relay to you a story that some may find a little hard to believe since it contains the nightmarish event that every band fears. This story starts out in sunny California where a portion of the RP Blandford & Son Pipe Band had been hired to perform in Summit, New Jersey, for their Christmas Concert. Kevin Blandford (Pipe Major) had done this performance for the last 3 years, and prior to that had performed their Kirkin' of the Tartan the previous 4 years. We have a great rendition of Angels We Have Heard on High that has 4-part harmony on the pipes that will rock your world. Anyway, a few of us went over early to spend time in New York City while the rest of the band arrived on Thursday, December 19th. Since I went over on the Monday prior to the rest of the band showing up, I left my bass drum behind for a bandmate to bring. Just think about getting to/from NYC with the addition of a bass drum in the case as an added bonus... you get my drift. The band did safely arrive in New Jersey and we prepared for the practice that was going to take place on Friday. On Friday, we all arrived at the church for our practice and I happily opened up my hard plastic, insulated, secured-by-three-straps drum case. What I saw inside was something that would make eating a bowl full of worms a welcome event. I must have been in a state of shock since I reacted so calmly. There in my open case was the Hosbilt that we waited over a year for, with a busted head. Upon closer inspection, there was also a busted ring to go along with the busted head. If you bust one ring then you have to bust the other, so that one was busted, too. The other head wasn't busted but the bending and warping that it experienced was just about the same. Taking a good look at the shell revealed a cracked inner ring on one side and the other side had a crack, too. Let me remind you that all of this was discovered 24 hours before our first sold out performance. I think the main reason why I was so calm was that my "Ace in the Hole' was the Side Drum list. I knew if I sent out a message relating to everyone our dire straits with a plea for help, it would have been delivered. Instead, Robert Currie contacted Jock at Pipers Cove to tell him what happened. Jock took time out of his busy holiday season to deliver a Premier bass drum that evening for us to use. Now comes the fun part where Bull, Joan and Justin pull a Macgyver to create a finely tuned performance instrument. For those that may not be familiar with the term "Macgyver," it is from a television show where the star would be able to make these elaborate mechanisms to escape some perilous trap out of items like a belt, 3 toothpicks, a credit card and a shoe lace. The Premier in question was one of the 12" varieties so we spent most of the night working to get the ringing sound out by dampening it a bit. Yes, I did sacrifice a t-shirt to the effort. By the morning of our performance, we still weren't getting the sound that we were looking for. Time was getting short so I hopped into the shower where I do my best thinking (try it sometime). Eureka! Since the shell of the Hosbilt already has all of the dampening that we need, let's try using it with the head and rings of the Premier. If this fails, we still can put the Premier back together, we hope. Two hours before our performance we take the Premier along with the Hosbilt shell, connecting rods and pillow with us to the church to begin this experiment. Of course when we got to the warm up area to start this transformation, the pipers' cases were all over the usable table spaces (you gotta love them). We began working like nobody's business removing all of the clamps from the Premier with only one drum key amongst the three of us. After doing this, we put the heads and rings of the Premier on the Hosbilt then we haphazardly put the connecting rods on. Upon tightening the rods for tuning we came up to our first barrier - the rods should have been put on in a specific direction. The way we put them on, you had to turn some of the rods clockwise and others counterclockwise to tighten/tune the drum. At first we figured we could just go with this since time was getting close but we decided to dismantle the drum and put them all in the same direction. Our next barrier was the heads themselves. First, they had that big PREMIER writing on it and we neglected to line them up (sometimes style must win out over function). Secondly, they were pretty new and we had to crank the heck out of them to bring the pitch up to the Concert B Flat that we needed to play along with the Organ and the Brass Band. Normally I ignore the sound that the drum makes when you are getting the heads up to pitch. You know the sounds that I mean... the sound of tension and pressure being applied to the shell. This time was a different story. Knowing that the integrity of the shell was compromised with the inner rings being cracked, those tension/pressure sounds held a different meaning for me. I was pretty much ready for an implosion but that was not to be. With a half an hour before the curtain was to rise, we achieved the note/tone that we were striving for. From the first striking of the drum during Highland Cathedral to the last bounce of the mallet for Scotland the Brave, the drum held its tone throughout. We were able to do the second performance with a little more gusto than the first since we knew that the Bass would perform as intended. At all times the drum corps made a point of keeping the Pipe Major in the dark about the seriousness of the situation until the after-party held at Bob & Suzanne Currie's home (by that time he had a few drams of Scotch in him). Again I would like to thank Bob Currie for getting us in touch with the Pipers Cove establishment, and Jock from Pipers Cove for all of the assistance they gave in changing a dire situation for the Blandford band into a memorable event for the folks of Summit, New Jersey. -Bull Henderson, BassFace for RP Blandford & Son Pipe Band

The Shasta Scottish Country Dancers invite you to join them in their weekly dance lessons. A small but dedicated group has been dancing under the guidance of Margaret Schlobohm since November '96. Margaret's rich dance experience is an inspiration to her students and imparts to them the great enjoyment, elegance and spirit of the dance.

For those unfamiliar with Scottish Country dancing, it is not inaccurate to liken it to ballroom dance, but decidedly Scottish in flavor. It consists of combinations of learned movements and/or figures, set to specific pieces of music, and given descriptive names. There are a few basic steps for couples to learn: strathspey, skip change of step, and the setting step. "Figures" are set combinations of steps. These are the basic elements of Scottish Country Dance which can range from simple 3-part dances to elegant, intricate, interwoven performances. It is not at all necessary to master everything to enjoy the dance; learning is a great part of the fun and enjoyment.

At the weekly lessons, dances are "walked through," learned, and put to music. By the end of the lesson, the dance flows quite easily, and a most enjoyable time is had by all! The ladies of the dance say, "The humor makes us able to be ourselves," and that the dancing is "a graceful aerobic workout" and "good exercise."

Come join in the fun on Thursday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30 PM at the Millville Grange Hall in Palo Cedro, one "block" east of Deschutes Road on Old Highway 44. A small donation is asked per lesson to cover insurance ($5.00 is typical). For more information, contact Margaret Schlobohm at 472-1154.

PLEA FOR PIPERS

The Shasta Scots Pipe Band is meeting Thursdays, 7 PM at the Shasta High School Cafeteria. Band pipers will help new players with chanter work from 7:00 to 7:30. Established pipers will practice after 7:30 on band tunes. Anyone interested in lessons is welcome. We are in need of drummers, and encourage all interested parties to come and see what this entails. We are looking for snare, tenor, and bass drummers. THIS IS A LOT OF FUN, but does require a certain amount of dedication. If you have questions, please contact me drpipes@aol.com.

CHRISTMAS MEMORIES

When reminiscing upon Christmases past from my childhood in England, the Christmas Pantomime immediately comes to mind. Something unique to the British Isles, the Pantomime is not a "mime" but a children's fairy story such as Cinderella, Puss in Boots, or Jack and the Bean Stalk set to music. The lead male character is played by a female, usually a popular singer and the lead female or "Dame" by a male, usually a popular comedian. The audience is encouraged to "boo" the villain and "cheer" the hero, and the show always includes a "sing-along." Good prevails over evil and everyone lives happily-ever-after as they always do in fairy stories. We inevitably came away with good feelings.

Afterward, on the way home, my father would stop to buy us a thru'penny bag of hot roasted chestnuts or potatoes to eat on the way to catch the double decker bus for the journey home. I'm sure the coal heated cart wouldn't pass health inspection today, but you know, we never got sick!

BURNS NIGHT

If you know that this line was written by a Scotsman named Robert Burns, then you are aware of "Scotland's Greatest Man." Yes, educated folk (and not just the Scots) will say "Robert Burns" when asked, "Who is the greatest Scot?" Wallace and Bruce are strong contenders, but Burns holds a special place in the heart of a Scot. His poetry and songs eloquently echo mankind's truths.

Burns was born on January 25, 1759, and was only 37 when he died in 1796. Since 1802, people who appreciate Burns' writing and the Scottish way of life have gathered annually to honor the man and ensure that his literary legacy is not forgotten. The Burns Night Supper is traditionally held within a fortnight either side of Burns' birthdate. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of Burns Night Celebrations held around the world. In the Bay Area alone, close to two dozen are enjoyed. Burns Night really is "Scotland's National Day."

The delightful traditional dinner is a ritual of pleasant ceremonies honoring the man and incorporating classic Scottish themes, gracious hospitality, good fellowship, good food and joyous entertainment. Bagpipes, other instrumental music and singing figure prominently. The menu can vary, but The Haggis is a must. In fact, it is one of the star performers!

The Shasta Celtic Society will put on its first traditional dinner on February 1, 1998, at the Redding Elks Lodge. This will carry on the line of Burns Remembrances held by the Shasta Scots since 1984, when they first gathered to honor him. The Society is striving to create an evening worthy of the Scottish traditions. To ensure yourself a place at this very special event, please fill out the RSVP slip on page 2 and return by January 23. There will be no tickets sold at the door!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! And remember, when you sing "Auld Lang Syne," you are singing a Burns song!

The Pub Scouts, Chico's own Irish folk music band, would like to invite all members of the Shasta Celtic Society to attend our weekly sessions at Duffy's Tavern (337 Main St, Chico) from 3:30 to 7:00 PM every Friday. We have been doing this gig for over six years and it is always standing room only, so come early. We also have a session on Tuesdays (call 530-345-1046 for information). We play our fair share of Christmas parties this time of year, and perform at festivals, fairs, concerts, pubs, weddings, wakes, and school assemblies. From time to time, we play at events with the Coisceimeanna Step Dancers lead by Maria Oliver (who also runs an Irish step dance school here in Chico; contact her at 530-343-1669).

The Pub Scouts features Michael Cannon (who just returned from a six week tour of Ireland) playing his B/C Saltarelle button accordion. The incredible Mary Twomey rips it up with her DADGAD-tuned guitar and lightning tenor banjo licks. Northern California's finest fiddlers are represented with the likes of Tatjana Thorup, Dawn McConnell, Carly Jacobs, and Ginger Vogel. Greg Taylor masters the art of playing the bodhran (an Irish frame drum), and this percussive capacity really ignites the Pub Scouts' sound; Ceili dance music at its best. Other instruments represented are varied and include pipes, whistles, bass, mandolin, flute and piano.

Along with the Celtic Knights of the Sea (a Chico group), the Pub Scouts sponsor the best Celtic music shows in Chico. (Past performers include Sharon Shannon, Old Blind Dogs and Martin Hayes to name a few.) The month of January has two groups coming to town: on the 9th, Jody's Heaven featuring Jack Gilder, Dale Russ, and Jungi Shirota will be back at Duffy's Tavern, and on January 18, Aiden Brennan (who has played with Lorena McKenna, Paddy O'Brien, and Martin Hayes), and Breda Smith (great fiddle and whistle player) will be at Duffy's Tavern. Both shows start at 8:30 PM.

All the best to the Shasta Celtic Society from the Pub Scouts, and we hope to see you soon.

IT'S IN THE SPELLING

What is a "Ceili?" What is a "Ceilidh?" According to Collins Irish Dictionary, they both refer to an Irish dancing evening. In discussing this with a certain Scot who claims to be very knowledgeable on these matters, the definition seems to be the same: Guinness, music, Guinness, dancing, Guinness, food, Guinness, stories and either "whiskey" or "whisky." The major difference is that if it is Irish it is "whiskey," and if it is Scotch it is "whisky."

How many single malt Irish whiskeys are there? Only one; it is called Bush Malt and is distilled by Bushmill. How many single malt Scotches are there? The next time I go to Liquor Barn I'll try to count how many they have -- but it is obvious who the heavier drinkers are. (Of course, we all know that no Irishman is considered drunk as long as he has the strength to hang on to one blade of grass to keep from floating off the face of the Earth!)

COMING TO AMERICA: The Wee Folk
 

  Once upon a time there was a terrible famine in Ireland, and a plague of total political, agricultural, and economic collapse was loosed upon the land, and the very heart and soul of this beautiful bit of heaven on earth were being torn asunder by ravening wolves. Thousands of the folk were starving and dying, and those that could were forced to leave Ireland for a mystical land called America where the streets were paved with gold, and folk could live like the very brigands who had usurped and pillaged their beloved country.
 

  A vast migration of folk boarded ships with only what they could carry, and sailed into the West in search of this mythical land. They left family, friends, and customs they had known for all of their lives; it was a time for tears and lamentation and a sense of great loss that would never really be overcome.
  Now, along with the humans who were forced to flee came other folk, magical folk, who like the humans were seeking refuge from the overwhelming suffering. These magical folk were the stuff of legends, tales, and myth. Leprechauns, silkies, elves, fairies, sprites, and banshees of all sorts came to the West with the human folk to seek a better life.
 

  This little tale is about the leprechauns, who like the humans, found that the legendary streets paved with gold were really paved with stone, stone as black and cold as the hearts of some of the folk of this America. They had sailed West with so much hope, only to find that their refuge had its own wolves and brigands aplenty.
 

  As you know, even magical folk have to make a living. Back in Ireland, leprechauns and human folk had enjoyed a close relationship. The leprechauns had helped the humans and performed small tasks for them. Sometimes, the leprechauns would ask the humans for supplies and furniture, and a wee dram of the craythur. In return, the leprechauns would give the humans objects that would bring luck and fortune. But here in this new land, many of the human folk were faced with the effects of unemployment, poverty, and misery. That meant that the leprechauns were also faced with these effects. Now here was a terrible thing.
 

  The leprechauns were also faced with the loss of another source of income from the elves. The leprechauns were cobblers for the elves, but they only made one shoe at a time. The elves had neither the time to wait, nor the gold to pay for both shoes. Now here was another terrible thing.
  But leprechauns are cunning and resourceful. They decided to reinvent themselves. No longer would they be the wee merry folk dressed in old-fashioned green clothes, with red caps and leather cobblers aprons. They took their pots of gold and disappeared from all the world in the blink of an eye. They weren’t going to allow a canny mortal to capture them and make off with their pots of gold. And because of this, a bit of magic disappeared from the mortal world.
 

  But the leprechauns have come back among us once again. They missed the human folk who had believed in them and shared the common bond of the love of their Irish homeland. But being a cunning folk, the leprechauns invested their pots of gold in money markets and 401(k)s, traded their old clay pipes for imported cigars, wore Armani suits, and drove Mercedes instead of riding on the backs of sheep or dogs. But the one thing they kept pure was their love of their homeland. The human folk are filled with joy at the return of the leprechauns. The magic of their being, restored to the hearts of the humans, has made it easier to bear the pain that is so much a part of the Irish experience. Should you be so fortunate as to hear the far-off and haunting sound of uillean pipes on a clear and still midnight, may your heart rejoice. For you will have been blessed with a sign that these magical folk linger still among us.
 

HOGMA WHAT?!

Centuries ago, Christmas was a jolly time in Scotland. No one went to bed before midnight on Christmas Eve, and families kept their fireplaces stoked with flames because that would keep the "wee fook" from zipping down the chimney and dancing in the ashes. Bonfires, bagpipes and sprightly dancing were all part of the old Scottish tradition.

Alas, when the Puritans ruled during the 17^th century, many of these lighthearted traditions were outlawed. Christmas itself never recovered as a main festival day in Scotland, and these traditions disappeared from Scotland's Christmas holiday revels. Scottish revelers turned their attention instead to Hogmanay (New Year's Day), and the abandoned Christmas traditions became a part of this joyous time. For Hogmanay revelers, singing, dancing, and eating traditional oat cakes are the centerpieces of this celebration. The most important tradition of Hogmanay in Scotland is the "First Footer," or bearer of good luck. The First Footer is the first visitor to someone's home on New Year's Day. The First Footer traditionally brings a piece of coal, some bread, and some money or salt - - gifts that symbolize wishes for the family to have warmth, food, and wealth.

The First Footer dresses in a kilt or other traditional attire. And he carries an armful of evergreens, which symbolize continuing life. Scottish legend has a list of "musts" for a good First Footer:

He must not be red-headed. This is considered unlucky.

He must not be flat-footed.

It is desirable that he be a handsome bachelor.

In modern times, the First Footer has been expected to greet all in the home with kisses, hugs, and handshakes. His arrival signals the beginning of a party with delicious refreshments.

Now that Amateur Day (March 17) is past, we can get down to serious business. While the Scots and Irish did catch some bad habits from the Vikings, they did not develop the Viking drinking habits. The Viking did not want to waste time talking when he could be drinking so he used a very short toast, "Skoal," which means bottoms up. To appreciate this toast you have to understand that the Viking drinking cup had a round bottom so you could not set it down until it was empty.

In the U.S., people go to a bar to drink. They may talk between drinks. In most of the world except for the Viking countries they go to pubs and beer gardens to talk and party. They drink while doing so. (The Cockney Jock was good enough to explain all this to me over a glass or two). Since we Irish like to take our time and enjoy our drinking, we have developed some time-consuming toasts. Here are two:

Let me know when you've memorized these and I'll give you a few more.

THE DRUMMER’S SIXTH SENSE
 

The world of drumming has produced more than its fair share of creative and original musicians. Drumming requires more interpretation and imaginative input than most other instruments, since drummers are rarely presented with highly notated music parts. Broadway bands, for example, will find that the drummer is allowed more freedom in the way he or she plays. This artistic freedom cuts both ways. As drummers, we are generally in a position of interpreting the musical wishes of others in the absence of totally written out parts, so we have to become competent in understanding what is required. We need to "take direction." This is what the best and busiest players are good at. They develop a "sixth sense" that tells them what is required, and they use this instinct to provide what is right for the music. The sixth sense should start functioning as soon as we walk into a new situation. It encourages us to look out from under our cymbals and remember the wider context of our musical efforts. Though most of us actually play live more than in studios, it is in the bars, clubs, and theaters that the sixth sense begins to work overtime.
 

Beyond the important demands of interpreting the music, we now have other things to worry about. One area well worth thinking on is that of volume level, or dynamics. If you are playing in a piano trio, for instance, don’t play louder than the piano. It is forgivable to test the waters and bring the volume level up occasionally to see if the pianist responds to the stimulation. But if he’s running the show, once he tells you to watch the volume level, that’s it! Musical directors do not appreciate giving instructions twice. Its amazing how much work goes to drummers who know how to play softly. This is an aspect of our job that other musicians are obsessed with. The secret is to play softly behind the singers so that their words can be heard, and really play out in chorus and dance numbers. Your sensitivity will be noted, and approved. The ability to take direction cheerfully and, indeed, to accept criticism in the right spirit is, along with sound musical skills, the essential factor that helps freelance musicians stay in business. To achieve this, we must accept that by the very nature of the music business, the drummer is on the receiving end of a long chain of command. The musicians have to accept that what they are being asked to do might not always be the way they would choose to do it, but that they are doing it to keep someone, somewhere happy.
 

The ability to take direction may seem a passive or negative goal, but if you are going to regularly face new musical situations, it's the only way to convince fellow musicians and future employers that you are a safe bet. I take heart from the fact that the greatest drummers can use the tight constraints of a musical situation as a stimulus to creativity. Accept "taking direction" as the name of the game, and turn it to your advantage. Drum on.