Kentucky Scottish Weekend


This year's entertainment is sure to delight everyone.

ALEX BEATON Alex won’t be here this year. In our very earliest days, out of friendship, Alex Beaton came from California to help us get started and only charged for expenses. He’s been here ever since. Until now! Shortly after last KSW, Alex fell and became completely paralyzed. Couldn’t move, speak, or even breathe without mechanical support. He’s recovering slowly, breathing on his own, conversant but not mobile. Alex is a fighter but this has been a long and tough one with more to come. And the medical bill is staggering, and there is yet more of that to come as well. Alex Beaton is arguably the best traditional Scottish singer in the United States, if not the world. He has been a part of KSW almost from the beginning as our featured entertainer, Master of Ceremonies at reception and Ceilidh, singer at the Sunday service and, most of all, friend. Good friend. Much of our format and success was due to Alex and dozens of other Games will say the same. He never forgot a name or a face. Very early in our association, Arch Ott attended a games in California. Alex was set up on the wall of one of two opposing warehouses which he chanced to go between, not knowing Alex was even there. Alex was in the middle of a performance, so Arch hugged the far wall to be unobtrusive as possible, but Alex stopped and announced “There’s Arch Ott, my good friend from Cincinnati.” What other celebrity would do that, or could. Alex won’t be here this year, and without his help years ago we probably wouldn’t either. So...we figure we owe him and to that end, we have set-up an Alex Beaton table in his usual place in the Main Tent where you can purchase his music, send him messages, and make contributions to his medical expenses. Check out more at www.alexbeaton.com

MOTHER GROVE Mother Grove has become major a force on the Celtic music scene. Energetic and powerful with an on-stage chemistry that makes you feel right at home, Mother Grove seamlessly blends well crafted original songs with traditional Scottish and Irish instruments such as Highland Bagpipes, Pennywhistle, and Fiddle to create a sound defined as 'KILT ROCK'. With lyrics that can be insightful, witty, and often just plain fun, and music that ranges from soaring ballads to raucous pub tunes and 'Kilt Rock-ed' traditional songs, there is something for everyone in Mother Grove's high energy performance. Check out more at www.mothergrove.com
SEVEN NATIONS Seven Nations is not your father’s Celtic band. With a passionate, tender, and rollicking style that winningly veers from roots and folk to dance and fusion-rock, Seven Nations has earned a growing reputation as an adventurous band with a charismatic stage presence. “Seven Nations — the name refers to the seven original Celtic nations of Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Cornwall, Galecia, Isle of Man, and Brittany — officially began in 1993 in New York City with a standard line-up of drums, guitars, and bass,” notes lead singer and guitarist Kirk McLeod. “We soon introduced bagpipes into the show, and over time the number of songs utilizing bagpipes grew until it became obvious that they were integral to our emerging sound,” says McLeod. “Most of the band members grew up playing Celtic music, and we’ve been performing original compositions since we began. Our instrumentation, and bagpipes and fiddle mostly, give us a distinctive sound and that’s what makes us different.” Seven Nations has been touring full-time since 1994 with successful stops in Europe, Canada, Puerto Rico, and virtually every state in the US. The band has recorded a number of albums with over a quarter million units in sales. The band’s latest album, Time as the Enemy has been praised for “having the appeal of the original albums, yet a mature songwriting style. The lyrics are relatable, surprising, and the pipe/fiddle hooks stir a desire to listen to the album over and over.” Its versatile and dynamic style has stamped Seven Nations as a highly book-able band, with an ever increasing and loyal fan base. The group has performed at a variety of venues, from nightclubs and pubs to festivals and street fairs. They’ve done it all. Recently, garnering the attention of the Orchestra world by including dates with several American orchestras, most notably the multi-Grammy-winning Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the Jacksonville Symphony, and the South Carolina Philharmonic. They also became the first Celtic rock band to bring this exhilarating collaboration to the stage at an outdoor Irish festival, when they performed an entire show with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra at the Dublin Irish Festival. Check out more at www.sevennations.com

PICTUS (PIK’-toos): Arising from the primal heartbeat of Alba, Eire, Britannia and Gaul, to the haunting cries and ancient voices of the Picts, Celts and Norse, comes a fusion of drums, bagpipes and percussive dance that will stir your soul and move your body with it’s ancient and powerful rhythms. “Pictus“, from the Latin word meaning “painted”, Pictus is more than just a “pipe and drum band”, they consider themselves “Neo Primitive”, reviving the spirit of primitive music from the Celts, Picts, Brittans, Gauls, Norse and beyond and bringing it into the 21st Century by incorporating modern musical elements and composition as well as Irish hard shoe dancing. The spirit of the Bard is also alive in Pictus; they possess an engaging stage presence, a true feel for their ancient, ancestral ways and enough humor, wisdom and storytelling to round out their powerful musical talents. In addition to the great highland bagpipes and drums, you’ll hear Irish penny whistle, doumbek, djembe, Turkish Tupan and more. With nationally acclaimed, award winning bagpiper John “Mr Piob” Holland, the 23 years of drumming and stage experience of Brad ”Vlad The Imbiber” Sprauer, and the 12 years of Irish dance performance of Lauren “Céilidh Shillelagh” Berry, PICTUS is a unique, powerful show that’s not to be missed! See more at www.pictusmusic.com

The Cincinnati Caledonian Pipes and Drums The Cincinnati Caledonian Pipes and Drums is one of the oldest pipe band in the US, and is celebrating 100 years in existence this year. Founded in 1912 by the Nimmo family who had immigrated first to Canada then moved to Cincinnati, it wasn’t until after WW1 when a number of Seaforth Highlander Veterans joined the band that the band adopted the McKenzie Tartan and the regimental hat badge of the unit. The band is open to anyone who has in interest to learn to play either the pipes or drums and gives free lessons at our weekly Thursday practice. For more information go to www.CincyPipesandDrums.org

Cincinnati Scots Cincinnati Scots Highland Dancers are under the direction of Missy, Ashley and Amanda Gentry with assistant teachers Natalie McGregor and Meredith Bowen. All teachers are credentialed through the BATD (British Assoc Teachers of Dance). The Scots have produced many award winning dancers including Midwest and Southeast Champions, 4th Place @ World Championship, Atlantic International Champion, Ohio Open Champion and have qualified for the US Championships for the past 9 years. To name a few, the Scots have performed with the Cincinnati POPS, Cincinnati Fine Arts, Cincinnati Celtic Festival, Celtic Lands Festival, Cincinnati Caledonian events, Kentucky Scottish Weekend and musicians Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas Concert. The faculty of the Cincinnati Scots wish all Cincinnati area Highland Dancers a great and successful 2012 season!

The William Sutherland Reid Pipes and Drums began in 1975 as the Lexington Pipe Band, Central Kentucky’s first bagpipe band. The name was changed to William Sutherland Reid Pipes and Drums in 1993 to honor our founder, Pipe Major Bill Reid. The band is now under the direction of Pipe Major Sandy Reid and is very active in Central Kentucky and beyond.

The Louisville Pipe Band is led by Pipe Major Anne Marie de Zeeuw - the Official Pipe Band of Kentucky since 2000. Competing and performing for over 30 years, the Louisville Pipe Band is dedicated to furthering the Celtic arts of piping and drumming. Participation is open to all who share our appreciation of piping and drumming – and membership and group lessons are free. Visit us at our website: www.louisvillepipeband.org to see what we’ve been up to this year, what band events are coming, and how to join us.

Clogging Derived from the Scots-Irish heritage of Appalachia, clogging is America’s unique contribution to our Celtic culture and most closely resembles traditional tap dancing. From Appalachia, clogging has spread as a dance form throughout the United States and many foreign countries. Clogging combines set steps into combinations so as to create a particular dance, and is most often done in lines although some dances, such as Cotton-Eyed Joe, require a partner and is done in a circle. Clogging is done to virtually all genres of music provided that the tune offers a demonstrable rhythm. The Kentucky Scottish Weekend is pleased to offer the talents of the Hills of Kentucky Cloggers from Covington and the Kentucky Home Cloggers from Bardstown. Those of you wishing to learn more about clogging will be delighted to know that there are clogging groups throughout this region providing ample opportunities to acquire new skills and make new friends.
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