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| WELCOME In
July 2009, the 2nd annual Ithaca Scottish Games & Celtic Festival
will be held in picturesque Ithaca, New York, home of Cornell
University, Ithaca College and the Finger Lakes' largest body of water,
Cayuga Lake. Highland games are held throughout the year in Scotland
and other countries as a way of celebrating Celtic culture and
heritage, especially that of the Scottish Highlands. Certain aspects of
the games are so well known that they have become emblematic of
Scotland, such as bagpipes, kilts, and the always popular caber toss.
With competitions in bagpiping, drumming, dancing, and Scottish heavy
athletics, the games also include other aspects of the culture such as
Celtic traditional & rock bands, exhibits, Celtic crafts and
traditional foods. Millions of Americans celebrate their Celtic heritage each year, and many of them attend one or more Highland Games during the summer months. The 2008 inaugural games brought together 6 competing bands, 2 non-competing bands, 40 soloists, 1700 spectators and 9 vendors. At the 2009 games, to open Saturday, July 11, we expect to host 12 competing bands, 60 soloists, over 2500 spectators and 11 food and craft vendors. This event is sanctioned by the Eastern United States Pipe Band Association (EUSPBA), the governing body for competitions held at Highland games and will be produced by Bishop Events, an environmentally-conscious company dedicated to the development, production and promotion of ecologically friendly events. Proprietor Mary Bishop is an Ithaca native with strong ties to the community. She also has ties to the Celtic community having participated in competitions for many years as a member of the Syracuse Bagpipe Band. |
Music
The music of the bagpipe has come to symbolize the music of the Games and, indeed, of Scotland itself. For many who attend the Highland Games, the most memorable event of all is the massing of the pipe bands. Normally held at the opening and closing ceremonies, this simultaneous performance by 20 or more pipe bands results in a thunderous rendition of traditional favorites such as Scotland the Brave, Amazing Grace, and other crowd-pleasing favorites. The Highland Games also feature a wide range of piping and drumming competitions, including solo piping and drumming, and small group ensembles. .
There are two basic forms of dance performed at modern Highland Games --Scottish Highland dancing and Irish step dancing. Scottish Highland dance is a competitive and technical art form that requires many years of training and practice to perfect. The rigor and dedication required to master Highland dance have much in common with ballet. Irish step dancing, original to Ireland, is based upon traditional folk dance. Irish step dancing has received a recent boost in popularity by the show "Riverdance" and interest in the form continues to grow..