Sunday Afternoon

Sunday afternoon from noon until 6 used to be all that there was to Celtfest, and it was very fine. Gradually, they expanded to Saturday night before adding Saturday afternoon as well. For the past two years, they have also added Friday night. It has become quite the event. But that seems to mean that there are fewer acts left for Sunday, and, therefore, each act performs longer. So, if there's a ho-hum act (and there were a few), they play longer than they used to — or so it seems to me.

Oh dear, I am making it sound poor, and it isn't, but I am tired and less inspired to photograph by the time that Sunday rolls around. It's partly because I have shot a ton already and partly because I know that daytime photos are flatter and less interesting than nighttime photos when the colourful lights are on (although they didn't do as good a job with the night lighting this year). One year, I didn't even bother to take my camera on Sunday, so that I wouldn't be tempted to frustrate myself. Last year, we decided not to go on Sunday afternoon because we were tired and had had enough by that point.

What with the flat lighting and my tiredness, I don't always work very hard to get into a good shooting spot, and the conditions were a bit hazy from a distance, but while I am on the Celtfest diaries as it were, I shall post a few photos.

The final act was The Fitzgeralds, consisting of three siblings and another accompanist. They played Celtfest quite a few years ago as Everything Fitz, which included their father and another brother.

Julie is the oldest and a Canadian Grandmaster Fiddle Champion.  

She is also a Stepdancing Champion. The sister and brother are too, I believe, but I have lost track.

They have a polished and well rehearsed routine that flows without hitch. Here ↓ they have a dance-off between Superman and Batman. Their fitness level was off the charts as they could dance and dance, and Ottawa Valley stepdancing is a very strenuous and exuberant dance form and not at all sedate.

They had a whole routine with drumsticks, including more stepping. This is somewhat in honour their drummer brother who has moved on from the band at this point. (Tired of the blah colour, I am switching to mono.)

They do some trick fiddling. He loosened the bow with the handle part under the fiddle and played a tune.

Another trick: Julie does the fingering on two fiddles simultaneously while her siblings do the bowing.

It was a very lively and well performed show, and except for the finale, which is all of the performers and audience singing The Parting Glass, was the end of Celtfest for another year. And a very fine year it was. In case you don't know the song, I'll include a rendition from YouTube, which is not from Celtfest. You perhaps can appreciate how poignant a conclusion this is to conclude every Celtfest.