Topic: Children's Day Concert

Mairead Harker

Date: 2018-04-12 12:36 EST
12 April 2018

Thursday morning in the Marketplace, crews had begun to set up booths and the main staging area. As Maggie watched the crews working on the stage's roof, she was reminded of the hood of a pram. The design had been effective in shielding babies from harsh sunlight and some other elements for centuries. That would help keep the performers dry. In case of rain or late spring snow, overhead cover had also been prepared for spectators.

https://i.pinimg.com/564x/cb/21/21/cb21210a0b327fae27623ff726a5c7b7.jpg

Several bands including TRASH, Gaelic Fire, and Timewarp were already on the schedule. Maggie was adding more information to the dry erase board as the day went on. Other letters had been sent out with apologies for the short notice, but she hoped the cause would encourage even more positive answers.

Sal's representative at Matadero Carnicería had been most helpful in putting together a large selection of pork products including ribs and sausages. Beef, chicken, and seafood were being brought in from other sources. Food booths including some with traditional fair foods and carnival favorites like cotton candy, funnel cake, and snow cones were scattered about Market Square.

Claire and Andu were in charge of setting up the portal gateway between the festival in the marketplace and Wonderplex. Maggie couldn’t wait to see what they’d cooked up!

By getting thing set up a couple of days ahead, the engineers could get all the ducks in a row with sound, lighting, and special effects. Safety equipment was brought in, some especially for the RCAA troupe. Other teams had gone to the local hospitals to make transportation arrangements. Andu was on board with Rhydin Transit.

Later in the evening on Saturday, about 9, Eden Parker was set to call dueling matches for the night. Maggie’s eyes twinkled as she remembered laser tag night. No matter what theme was chosen, it would be fun, of that she was certain. Tahlia was on board to running the betting lines. Unusual for a Children’s Day event, but this year was a little different.

By late afternoon on Thursday, booths were already in place and electrical power was run to them. Thursday evening, there was a preview of the night time stage lighting effects including a few fireworks overhead.

Friday would be even busier.

((If anyone wants to add their character's band or other entertainment skills via a post in this thread, please feel free to do so. Another thread of food, etc will be set up later on. ))

Winter Pearl

Date: 2018-04-13 16:50 EST
Bands and other entertainment would be on the stage beginning at noon Saturday. Before their set, the members of Gaelic Fire were tuning up. Their billing read:

Future and present come together to make some music, as Maggie Harker (bodhrán), Doran Ilnaren (flute), Pearl Fand (fiddle), and Velen Ilnaren (guitar) regale their audience with folk tunes from Ireland and Scotland.

Their music list had a bit more than the traditional tunes on it. The solo on the first song was performed by Colleen MacLeod-Fenner. The last song in their presentation was four young lasses, Maggie and Catie Harker, Abby and Madison Fenner doing a Broadsword dance. The rarely seen Ian MacLeod joined the group on bagpipes. Limelenath took her cousin, Maggie's, place on the bodhrán.

((Playlist for this group is here. Lyrics including a translation for 'Sí Do Mhaimeo Í is found here ))

Canaan

Date: 2018-04-14 00:33 EST
Though the RCCA's Youth Circus is not an actual troupe, nor have they performed in any shows, they were able to put a short collection of their many and varying talents on display with the help of all the youth instructors.

The circus arts director, Cane, could be spotted in the audience during the performance with a pretty songbird on his arm. After the children were finished, he and Aoife congratulated the lot of them for a job well done. It's possible the Cajun could be seen smiling at the little beasties, as well as hugging one or two of them who managed to catch him by surprise with their ninja-like affections. Eventually he was able to break away from the tiny mob when Aoife produced a handful of baby hedgehogs, much to the children's delight.

Cane took the time to schmooze with the parents of his students, but was sure to point them in the direction of the RCCA's new youth director, Teresa, when the compliments inevitably surfaced. He stayed long enough to see that the mats and safety equipment were dismantled and stored properly, neatly avoided the topic of Lirssa, and then took his leave as soon as politely possible, Aoife and baby hedgies in tow.

((If you're like me and want a visual for what the show might have been like, please click here.))

Josette Wheeler

Date: 2018-04-14 20:40 EST
After reading Maggie's note in the Green Room at the theater, Josette set herself to work on choreographing a piece to be performed by two young up and coming volunteer dancers from the Shanachie STARS program. It seemed only fitting to give two young dancers their own chance to shine on such a day.

Wanting to contribute something for Children's Day in honor of the girl with the starshine smile, the performance was decidedly celestial in nature. Lirssa was not only a cherished member of their theater family, but she was one of the first people in Rh'ydin that had been kind to her when she first arrived. Josette never forgot a kindness and Lirssa was such a life force that had touched so many others, it took her a great deal of time to work out what she wanted to do with the piece.

In the end, it was light that kept coming to mind when she thought of Lirssa. Radiant light that traveled, embraced and connected at infinite points across galaxies...and so she started to build the dance from there.

Josette encouraged the young dancers to share their own ideas on the music and movements and collaborate on the process as they decided on the choreography. She felt it was important to give young people a chance to use their voice and feel safe and comfortable enough to discover their own unique talents. It was something Lirssa had done with so much grace for so many others.

On the day of the performance, light connected to light in a sequence of graceful movements between the two dancers that they flawlessly performed in time with the accompanying effects displayed on a large screen behind them. At the conclusion of the dance, the background slowly faded to black, the silhouettes of the dancers gradually disappearing as well, till only a sea of stars remained— Lirssa's name among them.

((The visuals for the dance can be found at this link, https://youtu.be/Y2K9B0-SHxg All due credits to the dancers and director appear at the end of the video.))

Eregor

Date: 2018-04-14 23:44 EST
Timewarp took the stage for a set that ran about an hour and a half, including audience banter. Who played what varied based on the song, but the players were:

- Eregor (guitars, banjo) - Ebon Ilnaren (keyboards, accordion, bass) - Velen Ilnaren (bass, guitars, saxophone, mandolin) - Tenball (percussion)

Guest appearances by: - Pearl Fand (fiddle, tambourine) - Doran Ilnaren (flute, acoustic bass)

Song listing (with original artists in parentheses): - Sirius/Eye In The Sky (The Alan Parsons Project) lead vocals: Ebon - Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen) vocals: all - The Voice (The Moody Blues) lead vocals: Eregor - Solsbury Hill (Peter Gabriel) lead vocals: Eregor - Boat On The River (Styx) lead vocals: Velen bass: Doran - Mr. Blue Sky (Electric Light Orchestra) lead vocals: Eregor - Lake Shore Drive (Aliotta, Haynes, & Jeremiah) lead vocals: Ebon - Hey Bulldog (The Beatles) vocals: Ebon, Eregor barking: Velen - Can You Picture That" (The Muppets) vocals: Tenball, Eregor, Pearl - I'm Alright (Kenny Loggins) lead vocals: Eregor "dip-dips": Tenball - Walk Of Life (Dire Straits) lead vocals: Ebon - It's Still Rock & Roll To Me (Billy Joel) lead vocals: Velen "response" vocals: Ebon, Eregor - Bungle In The Jungle (Jethro Tull) lead vocal: Ebon - While My Guitar Gently Weeps (The Beatles) lead vocal: Eregor - The Chain (Fleetwood Mac) lead vocal: Velen - Journey Of The Sorceror (The Eagles) instrumental fiddle: Pearl - Silent Lucidity (Queensryche) lead vocal: Ebon

((video playlist is here))