CMP Special 12 Midsummer 2009

 Midsummer celebrations, the Mark of a Druid and Angus Og Well, it's Midsummer. Or actually, just after Midsummer and it has been absolutely swelteringly hot here. Absolutely glorious weather! If the weather is like this for you, we recommend a nice, long, cool drink, an comfy chair, headphones and settling down for a Monster of a Show! We've been away for a month now. Unbelievably, with all of the ups and downs that life throws at you, we're still here! We're back - and to make up for our absence we bring you the biggest Celtic Myth Podshow Special ever!! It's just over an hour and a half long! If you like to listen to the show while commuting, it might be an idea to split it up into two halves. If you stop just after our visit to the Dragon's Head to see Duncan, you'll be all set for the story in the last half. We've got six great pieces of music for you, some chat about the Festival of Midsummer, a really exciting section from Rhonda Carpenter's Celtic novel, The Mark of a Druid and some listener contributions to bring you - a poem and a beautiful story.Oh, and don't forget our regular trip to the highlands to meet up with old Duncan in another trip to the Dragon's Head for a story from our resident Scottish Shannachie. Don't blame us if the world misses you for an hour and a half while you get into some serious fun! Full show notes, details and Contributor pages over at our main Website at http://celticmythpodshow.com/midsummer2009 Running Order: Intro 0:40 News & Views 1:24 Mooncoin by The Irish Experience 3:53 Midsummer Celebrations on Sacred Texts 6:30 Gathering by Andrew Hargreaves 13:30 The Storyteller by Willo's Song 15:44 I Forgot by the Witchy Godmother 19:23 Midsummer's Night by Jillian LaDage 28:02 The Sleep of Angus Og by Andy Guthrie 33:40 Midsummer Night's Dream by Karen Kay & Michael Tingle 43:34 The Gathering - Part 1 from The Mark of a Druid by Rhonda Carpenter 48:30 Noon of the Solstice by Damh the Bard 1:14:43 Listener Feedback - Jen 1:22:03 Fairy Tale by Omnia 1:23:16 Promo - Ayepod 1:28:44 Outtakes 1:31:59 We hope you enjoy it! Gary & Ruthie x x Released: 19th Sep 2009, 1hr 40m We love hearing from you! Email [email protected], or call us using Speakpipe News & Views We talk about all of the wonderful submissions that we have had for the Show and the Website; poems, stories and some fabulous art. We also mention that we're really proud to have been nominated for the 2009 Parsec awards for Speculative Fiction Podcasting.   Mooncoin by The Irish Experience The Irish Experience was formed in 1996 to entertain Seattle pub crowds on Saint Patrick's Day, and their music quickly found a much broader appeal. Attracting fans of all ages, their upbeat music has been praised for guiding folks through the gnarly turns and tempering their road rage. The Irish Experience play Celtic and Appalachian music on traditional electric instruments. You can find out more details about The Irish Experience on their website or on their Contributor Page on our website.   Midsummer Celebrations on Sacred Texts There are two sources for the information in this section and both can be found on Sacred Texts. Thomas Wright's article (from which the image on the left derives) can be also found on Sacred Texts. The piece in question is here.   Gathering by Andrew Hargreaves Andrew is a very talented friend of ours who excels at many arts and crafts. Apart from his wonderful music and poems, he is a superb woodworker and you can find examples of his work on his website, wildyew.com, where some of his pieces are available to buy. You can find out more about Andrew on his Contributor Page.   The Storyteller by Willo's Song Willo's Song is an acoustic, folk act based in Wiltshire UK. Daryl says: After a brief spell in Canada I returned to Wiltshire, UK in Summer 2004 and in 2008 have started writing music again, concentrating on a more acoustic, folky style with the intention of recording and releasing a new CD in 2009 with the working title of The Storyteller. "The Storyteller - This was the first new song written by myself in quite a while and the foundation of this whole project. The inspiration came back in August '08 while at the annual Artemis Gathering where I finally got to see Damh The Bard perform. It was such a wonderful experience and I was caught up in the music and stories he had to tell. When I arrived home on the Sunday evening I lifted my guitar and very quickly the Storyteller was written." To find out more about Willo's Song go to their Myspace Page or visit the Contributor Page.   I Forgot by the Witchy Godmother Witchy Godmother has been a storyteller all her life. Probably not the best when asked at 5 who tangled up her father’s fishing line. Of course it was the cat, she didn’t like to get wet you see and of course she wanted to catch the fish so the fishing pole was right there….. And so begins the tale of this amazing lady who has written an extremely moving and evocative piece called I Forgot which deals with the issues of advancing years in a way that's suitable for all ages! To find out more about Witchy go to her Myspace Page or visit the Contributor Page.   Midsummer's Night by Jillian LaDage Jillian says: In a way my initial exploration into the people we call the Celts had nothing to do with the Celts themselves but more to do with my growing inclination and curiosity with the world and events that surrounded them. My broadening interest with the migrating Celts has been a four year journey of writing, reading and traveling which has led me to this place and the release of my debut album, The Ancestry, on my label Tarith Cote, in December 2008. I am excited to welcome you to the site and share through extension the music and the musings behind it. About this track, she says: May/June 2008 Midsummer the midway point between Beltaine (May day) and Lúnasa. The Celtic day began at dusk; the fires extinguished and lit at Beltaine would be silenced and lit again at the solstice. Futures were read from the number and appearance of the bon fires. Sun wise processions asking for protection were held in the fields, while St. John's Wort, considered the 'blessed plant' in Wales, was gathered and placed over the doors of houses and buildings and in Scotland cast into the fires. To find out more about Jillian LaDage go to her Website or visit the Contributor Page.   The Sleep of Angus Og by Andy Guthrie We are incredibly privileged to have Andy as a Contributor to the show. He tells stories that are alive in his family today and that have come down through the ages. He says: The old Legends are a passion and a Joy, and the writings of Fiona Macleod are inspiration, in all I do. I have been a Head gardener of 31 years for large house, and sill working, I see the years come and go from spring to winner, and love it all. I retell the old stories. You can read more about Andy on his Myspace page or on our Contributor Page.   Midsummer Night's Dream by Karen Kay & Michael Tingle Karen says: "I live literally at the ends of the earth in magical mystical Cornwall. I love the sea and lush green nature. The stunning scenery inspires my music and meditations. I love to create and express myself using my voice. I hope you will enjoy my creations." She is also the editor and founder of Fae Magazine. A new magazine for faery fans in the UK, rest of Europe and around the faery world! You can find out more about Karen on her website, Michael on his website or our Contributor Page.   The Gathering, The Mark of a Druid, Pt.1 by Rhonda Carpenter When twenty-six-year-old Eve McCormick awakes, the images from her nightmare are indelible. The dream feels so real she must force herself to get a grip. This experience is just the beginning for Eve, a Los Angeles clinical hypnotherapist and researcher investigating whether reincarnation is fact or fiction. Unstoppable visions of an ancient lifetime steal days from her. The danger escalates when she wakes up physically injured and marked with a strange symbol. While Eve battles the past to maintain her sanity and safety, her project is jeopardized as another researcher’s attempts to take over. One partner dies and another is accused of inappropriate conduct. Eve and her friend, Dr. Andrea McMurray, don’t believe in coincidence and probe their shared visions for answers. On the other side of the Atlantic, Welshman Ryerson Sanders is haunted by his dreams and believes Eve’s research project can help him. For both of them, an ancient Celtic prophecy and long-sought revenge entangles the past with the present. A druidess and a shape-shifter must join to save the druid way of life, while a queen conspires to kill Erin’s only high king. Will the oaths and agendas of the past reach across the centuries to strengthen or to destroy? Follow their stories in her podcast novel The Mark of a Druid, which you can also hear on Podiobooks. you can also buy this book at Amazon. Find out more about Rhonda on her Website/Blog or on her Contributor Page.   Noon of the Solstice by Damh the Bard Damh is a musical storyteller who works within the world of myth that cannot be proved; where the Faerie really do dance on Midsummer's Eve, where the trees talk, and the Hollow Hills take you into the realms of Annwn. Where the Goddess rides her horse, guiding you to magic, and the Horned God of old calls us from the shadows of the Greenwood. You can find Damh's music on iTunes, or from his website, Pagan Music. He is also the voice behind Druidcast, the official podcast of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids (OBOD, for short) - modern day Druids. You can find Druidcast here and find out more about OBOD here. You can find out more details about Damh on his Contributor Page on our website.   Listener Feedback from Jen We read a beautiful message from Jen. At the end of the show we announce the BYKI competition winners - yay!   Fairy Tale by Omnia With eight CDs and a DVD to their name, OMNIA is one of the pioneers of the "PaganFolk" movement in Europe and has harvested international acclaim on many Pagan, Folk, Medieval, Gothic and Fantasy festivals, as well as in many theatres. OMNIA's sound is a mix of the deep earthy tones of Luka Aubri-Krieger's didgeridoo, the incomparable harp, hurdy-gurdy and bodhran playing of Jennifer Evans-van der Harten, the unmistakable "DADGAD" guitar-groove of Joe Hennon, the flutes, bouzouki, drums, and ironic dialogue of front man Steve "Sic" Evans-van der Harten and the deep tribal drumbeats of Mich Rozek. All of this is entwined and bound by haunting and powerful vocals singing in English, Gaelic, Breton, Latin, Finnish, German and Hindi... You can find out more details about Omnia on their Contributor Page on our website.   Promo - Ayepod.net We've asked some of Scotland's top musicians to tell us about their life and music (read the questions). The programmes are available as a MP3 download or as an rss feed. To subscribe to this feed copy the URL of the podcast feed below and paste the URL into your podcast software. This software is usually free and one which we use is Juice (or itunes). You only need to use the podcast feed once as all our podcasts are tied to this feed and your software will alert you when we upload a new one. You can buy CDs of all these artists at www.footstompin.com.   Get EXTRA content in the Celtic Myth Podshow App for iOS, Android & Windows Contact Us: You can leave us a message by using the Speakpipe Email us at: [email protected]. Facebook fan-page http://www.facebook.com/CelticMythPodshow, Twitter (@CelticMythShow) or Snapchat (@garyandruth), Pinterest (celticmythshow) or Instagram (celticmythshow)   Help Spread the Word: Please also consider leaving us a rating, a review and subscribing in iTunes or 'Liking' our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/CelticMythPodshow as it helps let people discover our show - thank you :) If you've enjoyed the show, would you mind sharing it on Twitter please? Click here to post a tweet! Ways to subscribe to the Celtic Myth Podshow: Click here to subscribe via iTunes Click here to subscribe via RSS Click here to subscribe via Stitcher Special Thanks Adragante, canonj pachelbel from Tradincelt. See the Contributor Page for details. The Irish Experience, Fiddler's Lament from Green Energy. See the Contributor Page for more details. Keltoria, Lia Fáil (Stone of Destiny), Spirits in the Mist, Way of the Warrior from Lia Fáil (Stone of Destiny). See the Contributor Page for more details. Jaime Heras, Movimiento 2 from Piano Concerto. See the Contributor Page for more details. Esgi, With No Beginning from Echoes In Time. See the Contributor Page for more details. Ceili Moss, Lonesome Man's Dance from Excerpts from the 3 official CDs. See the Contributor Page for more details. DJ Fab, Painful Destiny, A Glory's Night, Desper, The girl borned in kumpar, Call of the heavenly messenger, The heaven is not so far and The Morn from Ocean Dreams. See the Contributor Page for more details.   For incidental music: Diane Arkenstone The Secret Garden. See the Contributor Page for details. Kim Robertson, Angels in Disguise. See the Contributor Page for more details. Jigger, Time Ticks Away. See the Contributor Page for more details.   For our Theme Music: The Skylark and Haghole, the brilliant Culann's Hounds. See their Contributor page for details. Additional Sources OBOD And, of course, the Awen - inspiration and imagination!   Extra Special Thanks for Unrestricted Access to Wonderful Music (in Alphabetic order) Anne Roos Extra Special thanks go for permission to use any of her masterful music to Anne Roos. You can find out more about Anne on her website or on her Contributor page. Caera Extra Special thanks go for permission to any of her evocative harping and Gaelic singing to Caera. You can find out more about Caera on her website or on her Contributor Page. Celia Extra Special Thanks go for permission to use any of her wonderful music to Celia Farran. You can find out more about Celia on her website or on her Contributor Page. Damh the Bard Extra Special thanks go to Damh the Bard for his permission to use any of his music on the Show. You can find out more about Damh (Dave) on his website or on his Contributor page. The Dolmen Extra Special thanks also go to The Dolmen, for their permission to use any of their fantastic Celtic Folk/Rock music on the Show. You can find out more about The Dolmen on their website or on our Contributor page. Keltoria Extra Special thanks go for permission to use any of their inspired music to Keltoria. You can find out more about Keltoria on their website or on their Contributor page. Kevin Skinner Extra Special thanks go for permission to use any of his superb music to Kevin Skinner. You can find out more about Kevin on his website or on his Contributor page. Phil Thornton Extra Special Thanks go for permission to use any of his astounding ambient music to the Sonic Sorcerer himself, Phil Thornton. You can find out more about Phil on his website or on his Contributor Page. S.J. Tucker Extra Special thanks go to Sooj for her permission to use any of her superb music. You can find out more about Sooj on her website or on her Contributor page. Spiral Dance Extra Special thanks go for permission to use Adrienne and the band to use any of their music in the show. You can find out more about Spiral Dance on their website or on their Contributor page.   Save Save Save Save Save Save Save   Save Save Save