Submitted by Tommy ThompsonPeggy Stone, the doyenne of Docs Bar, determined that the celebrants of St. Patrick’s Day needed a refresher course for the upcoming 2010 celebration. To fill this training gap in the collective Irish and Irish-for-a day population she sponsored the first annual St. Practice Day on Sunday January 17, 2010.
The hundred or so attendees for St. Practice Day were a testament to her insight into a celebration deficiency. Irish folk music was provided by the Savannah Celli Band. Their music was the catalyst, but it was the energetic response of those in attendance, with their Irish dancing, clapping and singing along that was the real entertainment.
The Savannah Celli (pronounced
kay-lee) band with Colleen Settle –fiddle, Michael Corbett - guitar and vocals, Jerry Stenger – guitar and vocals, Jim Quigley – bodhran (Irish drum), hail from all parts of the USA and have been performing together in the Savannah area for about three years. Their love of the craft and enthusiasm shined through their music and the only negative was that they didn’t stay and play on all night…!
Their music and the spontaneous audience participation were reminiscent of afternoons spent in New England seaside taverns with the singing of sea shanties (folk songs of the sea) by customers along with the performers. Those afternoons, just as the St. Practice afternoon were a throwback to simpler times when entertainment was more of a shared act.
So, all hail St. Practice Day and the afternoon of folk entertainment, let’s hope we’ll see more in the future.
