Thursday 2 September 2004 - Ceilidh and Beer Tasting
Ceilidh (pronounced "kaylee") is a word from Gaelic,
the ancient Scottish and Irish Language that survives today in the Highlands,
Western Isles and parts of rural Ireland. The Irish spelling is Ceili.
Translated into English, Ceilidh literally means a gathering of people in an
informal social get-together. In bygone days neighbours would gather round the
warmth of a peat fire in a thatched cottage and spend long winter nights in
story and song.
The ceilidh was primarily entertainment but at certain times during the
troubled relationship between Scotland and England a ceilidh would have been
an opportunity for the highlanders to meet and plan their campaigns against
the English. It was an opportunity to discuss politics in their native
Gaelic, a language that may have been disapproved of by the English-speaking
Lords. More generally it was a social gathering where through anecdote and
folk-tale, the old people would tell the community's history, and the
youngsters would listen and learn.
In more recent times, a Ceilidh has meant a party where a band of
musicians would play live (Scottish, Irish, English) folk music and
other traditional country dances. It is a relaxed opportunity to meet
and dance with a lot of people, and because the dances are so energetic,
it is quite usual to pause for a chat and a drink between dances, or one can
just watch the other dancers, listen to the music and enjoy the atmosphere.
You can see examples of all these activities in the collection of
photographs
taken at the IPPP Ceilidh held in December 2003.
The IPPP Ceilidh Band was formed in early 2004 and plays a selection of Scottish, Irish and English traditional music.
The current membership is
- Jane Abel (fiddle)
- Martin Gorbahn (guitar)
- Ruth Gregory (fiddle)
- Gudi Moortgat-Pick (fiddle)
- Mark Morley-Fletcher (guitar)
- Elisabeth Neubrand (guitar)
- Helena Stirling (fiddle, bodhran)
- James Stirling (guitar, bodhran, whistle)
- Tom Stirling (fiddle)
- Angelique Talbot (flute, whistle, vocals)
- Georg Weiglein (bodhran)
- Mike Whalley (keyboards)
Real Ale
Most beers that are sold in cans or bottles as well as the draft keg
beers in pubs are filtered to remove all the yeast, and pasteurised to
make a sterile product. The traditional real ale,
on the contrary, is a living fresh beer that undergoes a natural second
fermentation in the cask. Like any natural product, the beer will age and
go off, and therefore must be drunk within a strict timescale. It requires
care in handling on its way to the pub, and care within the pub to bring it to
perfection. However, real ale can reach its full flavour potential,
without filtration, pasteurisation and added gas.
The difference between a real ale and a keg beer also manifests itself in
the way it is served. While a keg beer is simply connected to a cylinder
of gas (carbon dioxide) and served, a real ale needs to undergo its
secondary fermentation in the cellar of the pub before it can be served.
Since no gas is added to a real ale, it needs to be pumped. The
traditional and by far most common means of dispensing real ale is a tall
handpump on the bar, which operates a simple suction pump. When the
handle is pulled a half pint is drawn into the glass.
Real ale is served at cellar temperature (54-57 F), which is
somewhat cooler than room temperature. If real ale is too warm it is not
appetizing, it loses its natural conditioning (the liveliness of the beer
due to the dissolved carbon dioxide). On the other hand if the beer is
too cold it will kill off the subtle flavour. Unlike keg beer which has
to be chilled, real ale has flavours one needs to taste. Real ale is not
'warm', 'cloudy', or 'flat'. Real ale is served below room temperature,
like red wine; served properly it should be entirely clear; if it is kept
and served properly it will have enough natural life to be appetizing.
(Information taken from
http://www.camra.org.uk/)
In order to actually find out about real ale, the best way is of course
to try it. At the Ceilidh evening you will be invited to try out four
different kinds of real ales. Enjoy!
Friday 3 September 2004 - Conference Dinner
The conference dinner is being held at the Newcastle Assembly Rooms.
Set in the heart of Newcastle Upon Tyne city centre, The Assembly Rooms is one of the city's finest and grandest
Georgian buildings dating back to 1776. Designed by William Newton, the building was completed and the opening
celebrated with an assembly in Newcastle's famous Race Week, on Midsummer's
night in 1776. For more information see the Assembly Rooms own web site
Directions
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