Trim the Velvet is a traditional Irish band consisting of Mary Bouley on the harp, Mick McQuaid on Uilleann pipes, tin whistles and Irish flute, Don Gest on bodhrán and tin whistles, Jim McConnell on guitar, and William Don Carlos on fiddle.
In addition to playing at a variety of local events, Trim the Velvet has joined the Tucson Pops and top American Irish band, Cherish the Ladies for performances.
Irish music and dancing is an international phenomenon. The five types of Irish music and associated dances are the reel, slip jig, hornpipe, jig, and the set dances.
Set dances are performed to specific tunes which have remained set over time. They are Hard shoe dances. Many set dances come from an approved list of very old tunes, some even referring to Napoleon’s battles or simply representing daily life, like "Kilkenny races".
The first set dances children learn are "St. Patrick’s Day" and "The Blackbird". These are traditional set dances which means the steps don't change. There are non-traditional set dances which can have some individual choreography.
During the 1800's a popular event was a cake dance. A cake would be placed on a stand in the centre of a field as the prize for the best dancer. The winner would of course “take the cake”. |
