Here we are again! This month there is an article about the Harley Owners Group visit to the Standing Stones as well as the promised technical article for the Folk and Celtic Fusion Music Video Festival and all your usual music news, Celtic Festival and Celtic Music Awards information. I hope that you enjoy this edition.
HOGs Come To Town
July 30th and 31st saw 265 HOG members converge on Glen Innes for their Xmas in July celebration. This is a first for this combined chapter event. They chose Glen Innes because heading into the hills meant celebrations could emulate the atmosphere of the Northern hemisphere winter and their Xmas experience. Glen Innes was also a central point for the 9 Chapters attending from Sunshine Coast, Brisbane, Gasoline Alley (Brisbane), Gold Coast, Toowoomba, Mid North Coast NSW (Coffs Harbour and surrounds), Northern NSW (Ballina), NWNSW Tamworth and Big Sky (Moree).
The Harley Owners Group was created in 1983 as a way to build longer-lasting and stronger relationships with Harley-Davidson’s customers by making ties between the company, its employees, and consumers. It is the largest Factory sponsored riding club in the world. Local chapters allow people who share a passion for Harley-Davidson® motorcycles to come together. When joining a local chapter, you’ll always have plenty of opportunities to meet with friends, have fun, support worthy causes, and ride! Currently, there are more than 1,400 official H.O.G. Chapters around the world, with each chapter sponsored by an authorized Harley-Davidson® dealership.
Massed Harley-Davidsons at The Australian Standing Stones site on 31st July 2016.
The weekend in Glen Innes was an absolute hoot and everyone made us so very welcome from all motels and staff to the Locals in the street waving us through on Sunday morning. Julie Clement from the Services Club was just amazing. Her attention to detail and accommodating manner made it so easy to get the plans in place. When discussing Sunday’s thunder run for the locals she came up with the brilliant idea of finishing at the Standing Stones for a photo shoot.
Many times I have passed through town and never knew about them! Sunday morning I was up early and rode out to survey the area for logistics in parking etc. Didn’t want to have to turn 150 Harleys around due to a lack of planning ☺. WOW – On arrival the fog was still hanging low and as I sat quietly taking it all in I was struck by how it set the tone for a scene out of “Brave Heart” with Mel Gibson. I was very moved by the sight in front of me and excited with the prospect of everyone else experiencing this an hour or so later.
10am saw 150 V twins rumbling up the hill and into the Standing Stones site. As the engines silenced and the chrome glinted in the morning sun the distinctive sound of bagpipes with their unique harmonics struck up, cementing the experience for all in attendance.
THANK YOU GLEN INNES for your wonderful hospitality and the opportunity to ride our beloved HDs onto this site for a unique experience none will forget.
Jill Stonnell – PETAL
Assistant Director
Gasoline Alley HOG Chapter
Ian Murdoch Memorial Award
This is your final reminder to get your entries in for the Ian Mudoch memorial Award. The Award goes to a young Victorian person over 16 years and under 30 years who has demonstrated a significant contribution to their Scottish organisation and shows a desire to promote Scottishness to the wider community. Closing date is 30th September 2016, so get your nominations in very soon! Contact Noel Wright, Secretary, Scots of Victoria Coordinating Group.
Email: noelwright@netspace.net.au
Friends of The Australian Celtic Festival
Supporting Celtic Heritage
I am delighted to let you all know about the first exclusive offers for 2017 Friends of The Australian Celtic Festival.
- Renew your membership or join (applications on the website) for 2017 and get free entry to see The String Family on 1st October 2016. There are other great benefits to membership of The Friends, including weekend passes, a cap or Clan stationery, and even more exclusive offers and invitations to Friends events.
- Buy a Friend of The Australian Celtic Festival polo shirt for $27.50. This is a great way to show off at the Festival! These polo shirts are only available for Friends.
For either offer, contact Barbara on 02 6734 5189 – barbara.saxonge@gmail.com or
Mary (Tuesday to Thursday) on 02 6730 2410 – mhollingworth@gisc.nsw.gov.au
Folk and Celtic Fusion Music Video Festival
Welder’s Dog are back in trouble again, this time for daring to put together a promotional website for Folk and Celtic performers. But they have soldiered on and the new pages look fantastic.
Each Music Video has its own page for maximum viewing. Check out the progress on – www.mobilemoviefest.com/celticfolk.html. Performers should take advantage of this beautiful website and send a Music Vid link to the Dogs at info@mobilemoviefest.com so we can include you in this exciting new project.
A Big Screen celebration at the Tenterfield Cinema is booked in for the weekend of the 14th – 15th January 2017. Selected Music Videos will be screened over the weekend so it’s a great chance to have your Music Vid shown in this commercial format. So get your act onto video and be seen on the website and the Big Screen.
Many struggling musicians find it hard to get a video together. But take heart because it’s quite easy on a Smartphone or Tablet. Here are some hints…
Shooting a Music Video on Your Smartphone
- Shoot video with the inbuilt camera held in landscape mode.
- The microphone is not very good so play an audio track thru good speakers and play along with the track.
- Have a friend film a variety of shots. Full group, cutaways of faces, hands on instruments, musos hard at it – you know the stuff.
- Take any mood shots such as walking the streets, or in a forest.
- Install a good video editor such as iMovie for iOS or Power Director for Android.
- Start a new movie.
- Get your original audio soundtrack on the timeline.
- Add your shots taking care to keep the audio and video in sync.
- The shots can be trimmed and lined up with the exact spot on the audio track.
- Best to expand the timeline so you can use fine adjustments when you move the shots into place.
- You don’t use the audio that comes in with the clips. Discard it.
- Choose transitions that help the mood.
- Be sparing with effects.
- Add title and credits.
- Share in the best quality possible – usually back to the photo album.
- Also share to YouTube or wherever if you wish.
- If you share to YouTube send us the link so we can embed it on the site.
- If you want your clip shown at the festival on the Big Screen, you will need to send us your best quality version on a new thumb drive. Compressed files from Youtube are fine for the web but look blocky on the large cinema screen. We convert your video to a Digital Cinema Package for screening and need the best version we can get.
A basic tutorial for iOS is available at www.mobileprimaryfest.com/imovie.html and one for Android at www.mobileprimaryfest.com/powerdirector.html.
Naming Rights Partner Announced for the Australian Celtic Festival 2017
The 2017 ACF Committee is pleased to announce the Glen Innes & District Services Club as their Naming Rights Partner for the 2017 Australian Celtic Festival, celebrating 25 years and the Celtic nation of Ireland.
The Glen Innes & District Services Club has been an enthusiastic and active participant in the Australian Celtic Festival for many years. Back in 2008 they were the original home of the Triquetra Awards Ceremony and dinner. The Official Celtic Awards Night, THE not-to-be-missed event of the weekend now includes presentation of The Triquetra Medallions, the Celtic Roll of Honour and, of course, The Australian Celtic Music Awards which are an initiative of Glen Innes & District Services Club. Glen Innes & District Services Club also hosts 100,000 Welcomes on Thursday, entertainment on Friday night including the traditional Address to the Haggis, and even more entertainment on Sunday night to round off the weekend of the Australian Celtic Festival.
In his letter to the Committee, Club Manager Pat Lonergan stated, “I look forward to working with the Celtic Festival Committee and Mr Peter Teschner, Manager of Tourism and Events to bring forward the 25th Anniversary event.”
“The Services Club plays such a vital role in the Festival. The committee is thrilled that Pat and his team are joining hands with us once again, especially for so momentous a year,” replied Lara Gresham, Festival Committee Chair.
And don’t forget that performer, busker and workshop applications are now open on the website and close on 20th September 2016.
The String Family
Last month, we introduced you all to the String Family. If you can’t be with us here in Glen Innes on 1st October, perhaps you can catch them at one of these venues that Sarah sent to me last week.
August 27th at 3pm: afternoon concert at Stanwell Park CWA Hall. Book now
September 2nd at 7pm: dinner and show at centro CBD Wollongong. Book now.
September 10th at 7pm: evening concert at Penrose Hall. Book now.
INNIS versus INNES
Submitted by Graham Innis
Did I consider myself Celtic…………….not until I attended the 2016 Celtic Music Awards in Glenn Innes in April as a guest of Murphy’s Pigs!
I knew I had an ancestor who arrived in Van Dieman’s Land as a convict. He had had a hard life and didn’t know how to spell his name nor did the local authority who wrote ‘Innis’ and so my family name became Innis as this is what was recorded in Hobart for William Innis.
As I grew up I would look in the Sydney phone book and see lots of Innes but very few Innis. In fact the only ones in there in my teens were my direct family. I felt a little unique. Nowadays, though, there are numerous Innis and I don’t know most of them.
Over the years I had a little interest in my ancestors. I knew I had a great grandfather who was a bootmaker……………thus the shoe fetish manifest in all the women in my family – and there are a few (Jenni and I have 4 daughters and 5 granddaughters not to mention our 3 sons and 8 grandsons ). But I knew little else.
Graham Innis in Tasmania on the search for his ancestors
In the mid-90’s Jenni and I had a trip to the UK where she took me to Scotland where William was born. I still had little interest. But last year she took me to Tasmania where Jenni was determined to show me all about my ancestors. By the way, Jenni is qualified as a Family History researcher with degrees in history, archaeology and post graduate librarianship and archives.
She showed me all over Tassie and let me read all about my 8 or so ancestors who came over as convicts…………..thus the need for me to be careful about the way I naturally think about things as it can easily get me into trouble! I was able to look at documents, go to actual places where my ancestors lived and see evidence of their existence. My world and heritage was opened up before me and was I finally interested!
I visited a museum on the site where a shipwreck occurred in 1866. What a sad tale. The Captain, James Smith, my ancestor, left the Wynyard on the Glimpse, bound for Launceston. He was experienced, the weather was clear and calm and so he decided to leave prematurely with insufficient ballast. His wife had gone into labour and was in some trouble. He got word and wanted to get home ASAP. Unfortunately a severe storm erupted en route and the ship went down. All on board were lost. Very little was washed up but it was a big story at the time so lots of information was in the museum for me to read. All of a sudden my heritage came alive to me and I wanted to visit more places.
So we visited homes and locations which helped fill in the gaps and feed my new found interest. I am an 8th generation Celt with lots of roots in Tasmania. I am keen to look further into my heritage and I’m lucky Jenni has the skills to help me. I can’t wait to return to Tassie and indeed Scotland………….one day!
Editor’s Note: The misspelt name of Graham’s ancestor is such a common story. I am, like many Macs, misspelt as Mc not Mac. You can often tell how long a family has been in Australia by the spelling of Mac, but this is harder with other names.
Brisbane Scene
Bony Mountain Folk Festival
September 16th & 17th
Entry is $20 per person at the gate. Catering and food available but please BYO Chairs. If you would like to camp, the cost is $100 which covers the whole weekend with no extra fees. Website: www.bonymountainfolkfestival.com
Murphy’s Pigs – Friday night Sept 16th – 7pm
Saturday Family Day- Highland Spectacular
Saturday night – Pipe Bands – Norma O’Hara Murphy – Celtic songs.
Brian Letton – Redland Bluegrass Boyz. Cape Byron Celtic Dancers. And more.
Pirate Cave, Treasure Hunt and free activities for kids
Sunday – Vintage Car display and market stalls
Big Concert Sunday night.
Mark Cryle and Carmel Newman
Sunday 11th September Neurum Creek Festival
23rd and 24th September Folk by the Sea Kiama
Lorin Nicholson
Lorin is an inspirational entertainer and speaker, who appears at many schools throughout Australia. Members of the public, as well as family and friends of students are invited to attend at no cost.
Aug 22nd 2.25pm – St Paul’s College Bald Hills Brisbane Qld
Aug 30 9.10am – Montrose Bay High School Glenorchy Tasmania
Aug 31st 12.15pm – Miners Rest Primary School Balarat Victoria
Sept 1st 9.00am – The Rocks Central School Wagga Wagga NSW
Sept 1 12.30 pm & 3.45 pm Xavier Catholic High School Albury
Sept 2nd 11.00am – Catholic College Albury NSW
Sept 13th 9.00am – Tara State College Tara Qld
Oct 18th to 22nd 6.45pm, 12.30am – Christmas Island Western Australia Indian Ocean, various school and community based performances Wednesday Thursday Friday
Celtic Journey
26th and 27th November Central QLD Conservatorium, Mackay 10th Triple Threat Theatre Academy production. This concert will feature soloists, ensembles and groups from the Academy, as well as special guests including Molly Armstrong & the Cape Byron Celtic Dancers (Australian Celtic Dance Champions). It will also feature the debut of a new all-male group of singers, in the vein of Celtic Thunder and principles Petar and Jessica Grulovic.
What’s on in Glen Innes?
Now that we’re into August, the first of the Spring bulbs are out, and soon the fruit trees will be blooming all over town. Our days are really quite warm even while the nights are still frosty and cool. Such a lovely season to enjoy the best of both worlds – cosy, warm fires and hospitality at night and warm, beautiful days to explore. Why not join us and enjoy the best that the New England area has to offer?
October 1st
The String Family at The New England Club. From 6.30 pm. $15 pp including light supper. Book with Barbara on 02 6734 5189 or email barbara.saxonge@gmail.com or Mary (Tuesday to Thursday) on 02 6730 2410 or email mhollingworth@gisc.nsw.gov.au
October 13th and 14th
New England Wine Show. Glen Innes Showgrounds. 02 6732 1759
October 15th
Emmaville Vegetable Creek Hospital Fete. 02 6734 7975
October 29th and 30th
Vintage Truck, Machinery & Steam Show. Showgrounds. www.truckandautoparts.com
Glen Innes Services Club Dates
Glen Innes Services Club continues to be the hub of entertainment locally. There are two new, big shows to tell you all about. If you live here, or just fancy a trip to your home-away-from home, why not join us for one or both!
I hope that you enjoyed this edition of Celtic News. There will be lots more next month.
Barbara McLennan
Editor
Celtic News
02 6734 5189
barbara.saxonge@gmail.com