For years I’ve wanted to help put on a Celtic festival and have discussed that with several friends and considered several different locations. Most recently, a friend and I discussed putting one on here in Plymouth and made some very general inquiries about whether that would be doable or even welcomed.
More recently I’ve felt like as good as a Celtic festival would be, they are pretty common. I’ve been to a few different ones a number of different times and they all, for reasons that are hardly surprising, lean heavily toward Irish music and culture. The Scots are represented and highland games (and similar events) round out what tends to get left out of the more general “Celtic” festivals. Welsh music and culture, at least in my experience, are not represented at all.
Obviously, nothing of English culture is represented at such events, one, because of the historic animosity between the Celtic folks and the English and, two, for the obvious reason that the English aren’t Celts. Maybe some exist on the East Coast, but I am not aware of any festivals that celebrate Anglo-Saxon music and culture.
I’m English, Irish, Ulster-Scot, Scottish and Welsh, but mostly English and Irish. It has recently dawned on me that my English ancestry has not been as personally significant to me as the others though it is the bulk of my genetic make-up. From that it hit me that my personal feelings seem to mirror American recognition (or lack thereof) of heritage. Everyone’s Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, but when is anyone ever English?
I’d love to see Plymouth have a festival that brings in food, music, cultural and historical/educational events that recognize the people of all the so-called British Isles, both collectively and seperately. If I knew there was interest in something like this, I would take a serious look at trying to organize it.
Let me know what you think. If it sounds like an even that you would attend and/or want to participate in, feel free to comment. Of course, if it sounds like a lousy idea, you can say that as well.
