Programs
I have worked up programs around certain themes that recur in Irish/Scottish traditional music. These programs are based on the history and historical significance of the songs and include both lecture and performance with an opportunity for discussion. Each program is approximately 90 minutes in length and works nicely with a small break between two sections.
Singing The Green: Historically Important Songs and the Birth of the Irish Republic
This program offers a survey of the historically significant songs associated with the Irish Republican movement between 1798 and 1998. Topics covered include the 1798 Uprising, the Irish in America - Republicanism and the emigrant, the 1916 Easter Uprising, the Irish Civil War, the Provisionals of the 1950s, the Troubles in the 70s and 80s, and the Long Kesh hunger strikes in the 80s.
Emigration/Transportation
This program covers the influences, motivations, beliefs, realities, and impact of emigration on the emigrant, their families, and society. There is also an opportunity to consider and discuss "transportation" (forced emigration or exile) for social, political, and criminal reasons. Topics include the distinct character of each wave of emigration, the effect of An Gorta Mor, the emigrant's welcome, and lasting influence.