Chicago Highland Games
So we took a bit of time away from the house today to go see this year's Chicago Highland Games. Our friend Jen needed some time away from her new apartment, so she joined us for an afternoon of pipe bands, kilts, caber tossing, and goofy Scottish bumper stickers.
It was quite hot and very sunny. The cicadas were out in their full magnificence, as we spent much of the day dodging the slow, dumb bugs. We happened by the dance tent for a demo of Scottish country dance and got sucked into it. Jen videotaped us doing the Gay Gordons, probably one of the most well-known of the Scottish country dances. You can see that I was trying to do the little hoppity-thing that you're supposed to do when you turn the woman under, but I didn't have much success with it.
The organizers usually bring in one good act from out of town, and this year that was fiddler Shona Mooney from Glasgow. She was accompanied by bodhran, piano, and electric bass. She played lots of great tunes, both traditional and newly composed. My only regret was that her show was only a half hour, not nearly long enough for my tastes.
We were too tired to stick around of the Mass Gathering of pipers at the end. I've seen it before, though, and it's quite a spectacle. Say what you will about Amazing Grace, but it's pretty freaking incredible to see around 250 pipers play it together.
It was quite hot and very sunny. The cicadas were out in their full magnificence, as we spent much of the day dodging the slow, dumb bugs. We happened by the dance tent for a demo of Scottish country dance and got sucked into it. Jen videotaped us doing the Gay Gordons, probably one of the most well-known of the Scottish country dances. You can see that I was trying to do the little hoppity-thing that you're supposed to do when you turn the woman under, but I didn't have much success with it.
The organizers usually bring in one good act from out of town, and this year that was fiddler Shona Mooney from Glasgow. She was accompanied by bodhran, piano, and electric bass. She played lots of great tunes, both traditional and newly composed. My only regret was that her show was only a half hour, not nearly long enough for my tastes.
We were too tired to stick around of the Mass Gathering of pipers at the end. I've seen it before, though, and it's quite a spectacle. Say what you will about Amazing Grace, but it's pretty freaking incredible to see around 250 pipers play it together.
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