News From Terre Haute, Indiana

Local & Bistate

March 16, 2006

B-Sides: The Women of Erin keep Celtic music alive

On the down side, they were aboard the Titanic.

But the immigrants traveling as third-class Irish passengers in its steerage section enjoyed some of their fateful journey (at least according to the 1997 movie “Titanic”) thanks to one special commodity they’d brought along — their music. Obviously, it didn’t save them. Still, that film’s scene full of sweaty, rowdy, clapping and jig-dancing people made the lower levels of the ship seem like the place to be (until the iceberg showed up, of course).

On the eve of St. Patrick’s Day 2006, folks with family ties to Ireland can rest assured that the country’s Celtic music survives — even right here in Terre Haute.

Just last Sunday, the Women of Erin marked the upcoming Irish holiday by playing Celtic songs during services at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Terre Haute Church on Fruitridge Avenue.

Now, the originators of this all-female group of musicians steadfastly insist they are not professionals. As fiddler Kathy Romero put it, “We’re definitely not going to go out on the road with our act.”

Yet their listeners seem to approve. “Our church seems to go along with it,” said a chuckling Ellen Hughes, who plays the bodhran drum. “And sometimes they even applaud.”

And sometimes, she added, little kids dance around as the Women of Erin play their fiddles, drums, penny whistles, guitars, flutes, spoons and autoharps.

“That is what Irish music is supposed to be for — dance,” Hughes said. “If it makes you want to kick up your feet, that’s a good thing.”

Despite those reactions, the Women of Erin occupy the smallest of niches in Terre Haute music circles. It’s not hard to find a country band playing on a Saturday night. But just try yelling out, “Play ‘Danny Boy’ or ‘Are You Sleeping, Maggie?’” when they ask for requests. Indeed, when the Women of Erin first began playing together about a decade ago, Romero, Hughes and Cathie Laska — the three original members — were among just a handful of other local folks dabbling in traditional Celtic music. Since then, even some of those people have moved away.

But pockets of interest in that jovial Irish folk sound aren’t too far off. Sometimes, a few members of the Women of Erin will travel to Illinois for the Second Sunday Celtic Music sessions at the White Owl Winery, just a couple miles south of the Crawford County line in Birds. “It’s a very impromptu jam session, and sometimes it sounds like music,” Laska quips. They’ve also attended instrumental workshops at Bloomington (a Celtic music hotbed), Indianapolis and St. Louis.

As for Terre Haute venues, the Women of Erin have played at their church, the Farmers Market each April and Terre Haute’s annual Fiddle Fest each fall. Their lineup includes Laska and Romero on fiddles, Romero on drum, Louise Clark on penny whistle, Lisa Baer on guitar, Kate Prouty on flute, Brenda Ramponi on spoons and Heather Dhar on autoharp.

It’s a style of music passed down, through hundreds of years, literally by ear. Learning to play Celtic jigs and reels from sheet music is like reading about the taste of ice cream. Samples of bands such as The Chieftans, Flogging Molly and Gaelic Storm (the musicians cast in that scene from “Titanic”) are great starting points.

“It’s best just to hear people play it, and then play it,” Laska explained.

Romero’s first exposure came in the 1975 Stanley Kubrick movie “Barry Lyndon,” which is set in 18th-century Ireland.

“That’s the first time I heard genuine Irish music and fell in love with it,” she recalled.

“Genuine” is a key word there. Romero is not talking about “schmaltzy” or “sappy” Americanized Irish tunes, but rather “songs that you’d hear in taverns in Ireland.”

Laska witnessed a bit of that in person during a trip there in 2003. She attended a fiddling school, and heard experts discuss Irish dance and language.

She also saw cousins from her mother’s family for the first time. “I do have some Irish in my background,” said Laska, a Vigo County School Corp. art teacher, “like almost everyone else in the world.” Indeed, 10.6 percent of Vigo County’s 59,563 residents claimed Irish ancestry in the 2000 U.S. Census.

Laska saw family pictures, heard stories about her mom and grandparents, visited a few castles, heard harp music atop the Cliffs of Moher, and visited postcard-perfect places. “Every little town — every picture you’ve ever seen of Ireland, that was just how they were … very beautiful,” she said.

And to those 10.6 percent of Vigo Countians who call themselves Irish, Laska would tell them the music of their homeland is very beautiful, too. Its effect on people, just as in that scene from “Titanic,” is easy to see there.

“One of my favorite memories is the dancing every night,” she said. “It seems in Ireland, the arts are just a part of everyone’s everyday life.”

Mark Bennett can be reached at mark.bennett@tribstar.com or (812) 231-4377.

Text Only | Photo Reprints
Local & Bistate
  • MET020212magnolia morris.jpg Magnolia gives in on rezoning

    A potential $20-million investment in Terre Haute’s east side has been blocked by public opposition.
     

    February 3, 2012 3 Photos

  • Expert sees ‘slow slog’ ahead for economy

    While optimism flickers, the Wabash Valley and Indiana economy may see a “slow slog” this year amid a flat housing market, unemployment and political unrest.
     

    February 3, 2012

  • Komen move won’t affect Indiana Planned Parenthood

    Planned Parenthood of Indiana will not be affected by Susan G. Komen for the Cure’s decision to halt grant funding to Planned Parenthood affiliates nationwide.
     

    February 3, 2012

  • MET020212signsbayh2.jpg Council discusses ideas for memorial ways

    The Terre Haute City Council Thursday night discussed possible new rules for designating “memorial ways” in the community.
     

    February 3, 2012 7 Photos

  • Madonna prepares our halftime feast

    Suddenly, she arrived, with her famous bleached blond hair, the almond-shaped eyes, the ruby-red lips.
     

    February 3, 2012

  • MET020212stewart.jpg An advocate for the truth

    The truth of the matter is, lying has consequences.
    Pulitzer Prize winning author and New York Times columnist James B. Stewart offered an honest look at the trend of dishonesty inside Tilson Auditorium Thursday. His new book, “Tangled Webs: How False Statements are Undermining America: From Martha Stewart to Bernie Madoff” was featured as part of Indiana State University’s speaker series.
     

    February 3, 2012 2 Photos

  • Super Bowl officials arrest "web pirate"

    NFL Super Bowl officials were hoping to score some major media attention with the arrest of a “web pirate” accused of illegally streaming sporting events over the Internet.

    February 3, 2012

  • Indy Super Bowl has cold-crisis master plan

    Eager to avoid the winter-weather disaster that hit last year’s Super Bowl, this year’s host city has developed a cold-crisis master plan.

     

    February 3, 2012

  • Steve Weatherford’s gifts keep on coming to hometown

    The first time Steve Weatherford rolled through the New York Giants locker room with a laundry cart, collecting castoff tennis shoes and cleats, he made sure to tell teammates he wasn’t selling their stuff on eBay.
     

    February 3, 2012

  • Shooting, chase leads to 23-year sentence

    A Brazil man received a 23-year prison sentence for a 2010 incident in which he shot at Terre Haute Police during a car chase on the city’s east side.
     

    February 3, 2012

  • State police release stats on K-9 work

    More than $3 million in cash along with thousands of pounds of illegal drugs were removed from criminal enterprises in 2011 through the Indiana State Police K-9 program.
     

    February 3, 2012

  • Linton-based Guard unit prepares for deployment

    An Indiana National Guard unit from the southern part of the state that was deployed twice to Iraq since 2003 is now preparing to be deployed to Afghanistan.
     

    February 3, 2012

  • Magnolia drops retirement complex plans for Ohio Boulevard

    The company that had been hoping to build a new senior living complex along Ohio Boulevard has canceled its plans.

    February 2, 2012

  • One million dollars won’t change Greencastle man

    According to Michael Comer of Greencastle, winning $1 million on a Hoosier Lottery scratch-off ticket won’t change anything about him. And, if his initial reaction is any indication, he is telling the truth.

    February 2, 2012

  • MET 020112 GREENE ULAND.jpg Greene County General Hospital announces expansion, renovations

    Construction is expected to start in early spring on a new $6.5 million expansion-renovation of the Greene County General Hospital.

    February 2, 2012 3 Photos

  • Renovations finished, airport prepared for Super Bowl traffic

    The Super Bowl may be a few days off, but the “touchdowns” have already started at Terre Haute International Airport — Hulman Field.

    February 2, 2012

  • MET090911 Mark Bennett.jpg MARK BENNETT: Super Bowl luck? His is mostly bad

    I’ve learned to take a Seinfeld approach to Super Bowls.
    In a flash of clairvoyance, Jerry excitedly reminded buddy George Costanza that “if every instinct you have is wrong, then the opposite would have to be right.”

    February 2, 2012 1 Photo

  • Ohio Blvd. rezoning draws opposition

    Opponents of a planned senior-living complex on Ohio Boulevard near Deming Park showed up in force at Wednesday night’s Vigo County Area Plan Commission meeting.

    February 2, 2012

  • chauncey krantz.jpg Child molestation charges filed against Terre Haute man

    Two counts of class-A felony child molestation have been filed against a Terre Haute man arrested last week on child pornography charges after police received a tip that he was offering a child for sex via instant messaging.

    February 2, 2012 1 Photo

  • CASA kids among many receiving funds from trust

    Because of the generosity of four long-ago leaders in Terre Haute, some at-risk children today can participate in extra-curricular activities that they couldn’t otherwise afford.

    February 2, 2012

  • MET013112sarwari 1.jpg Speaker tries to educate others about Islam

    A 36-year-old orthodox Muslim, Zohra Sarwari frequently confronts misconceptions and stereotypes — even prejudice — when she is in public.

    February 2, 2012 2 Photos

  • Law firm offering rides home

    The Fleschner, Stark, Tanoos & Newlin law firm plans to sponsor free taxi rides home from bars and restaurants to those who who have too much to drink on Super Bowl Sunday.

    February 2, 2012

  • City woman facing arson charge

    A Terre Haute woman faces a charge of arson related to a Jan. 10 apartment building fire in the 600 block of South Center Street.

    February 2, 2012

  • Indiana joins right-to-work ranks, governor signs bill

    Indiana has become the first Rust Belt state to enact the contentious right-to-work labor law prohibiting labor contracts that require workers to pay union representation fees.

    February 1, 2012

  • MET013112weatherford tears.jpg VIDEO: Steve Weatherford homecoming

    The only three New York Giants players who touched the football on a field goal that propelled their team into Sunday’s Super Bowl against the New England Patriots visited Terre Haute North Vigo High School Tuesday — where a throng of Patriots cheered for the Giants.

    February 1, 2012 6 Photos 1 Video

  • MET013112nasser.jpg South student serving as Super Bowl ambassador

    For more than five hours on Monday, Molly Nasser tied ribbons on gift baskets intended for hospitalized children across the country, part of an unprecedented service project undertaken by a Super Bowl host city.

    February 1, 2012 1 Photo

  • SLIDESHOW: Indy has built rep from ground up

    Leaders of Indiana’s capital city spent decades gussying up their downtown by building big sports and convention venues and luring upscale hotels, popular restaurants and a four-story shopping mall to locate here.

    February 1, 2012 1 Slideshow

  • Vigo County trial date changed

    The trial date has changed for a defendant in the April 2011 death of a Terre Haute man.

    February 1, 2012

  • Vigo Commissioners strive to cut expenses

    In an effort to remove possible overtime and compensation time issues, the Vigo County Board of Commissioners Tuesday approved a “letter of engagement” for a Muncie-based firm to conduct a time analysis study and a self audit/analysis for compliance with the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.

    February 1, 2012

  • Sports museum helped Indy land big game

    During the competition for Super Bowl XLVI, it didn’t exactly hurt Indianapolis to be able to throw the National Art Museum of Sports name into the mix.

    February 1, 2012

Latest News
Multimedia
Like us on Facebook!
Community Calendar
Loading…
Events by eviesays.com
TribStar.com Poll
Join the Conversation
Helium
Front page
AP Video
Fla. Man Adopts Girlfriend in Legal Battle Komen Reverses Planned Parenthood Cuts GOP: Jobs Numbers Welcome, Can Do Better 2nd Teacher From LA School Arrested on Sex Claim More Deaths As Egypt Clashes Continue NY Police Shoot Dead Unarmed Man Past Complaint About LA Teacher Comes to Light Raw Video: Michelle Vs. Ellen in Pushup Contest 'Lucky' 9-Year-Old Receives 6-Organ Transplant Raw Video: Prince William in Falklands Obama: Still Far Too Many Americans Need Jobs Madonna Nervous About Super Bowl Halftime Show Foreclosures Down 34 Percent in 2011 Hiring Burst Pushes Jobless Rate Down to 8.3% Reaction Heated on Planned Parenthood-Komen Rift Raw Video: Australia Towns Isolated by Floods Egpyt Protesters Blame Police for Soccer Deaths Cat in Cockpit Causes Four-hour Flight Delay Raw Video: Fighting Goes on in Homs, Syria Trump Backs Romney, Despite Gingrich Staff Claim
NDN Video
SB XLVI: Adam Sandler Bronx Zoo Selling Valentine's Day Roaches Adam Levine: Shame on Randy Jackson Tim Tebow Addresses His Fans and Faith Gossip Girl's Steamy Spread AG Holder defends actions in heated hearing 'Lucky' 9-Year-Old Receives 6-Organ Transplant First Look: Kim Kardashian on 'Last Man Standing' Panetta said to expect Israel attack on Iran in spring Madonna channels Victor Cruz Christina Hendricks Stuns in Sexy Dress Raw Video: Snow Causes 20-Car Pileup in Italy Raw Video: Michelle Vs. Ellen in Pushup Contest College Football Prospect Chooses Team Based on Chick-Fil-A EXCLUSIVE: Katy Perry's Sims 3 Commercial BTS Ads get social at Super Bowl NY Police Shoot Dead Unarmed Man Man Adopts 42-Year-Old Girlfriend Kim Kardashian Looking to Start Bible Study Group Raw Video: Punxsutawney Phil Sees Shadow
Parade
Magazine

Click HERE to read all your Parade favorites including Hollywood Wire, Celebrity interviews and photo galleries, Food recipes and cooking tips, Games and lots more.
  • -

    March 12, 2010

activity
Real Estate News