BILL BLACK'S "CAPEIRISH"
NEWS/INFO PAGE
A LISTING OF EVENTS AND RESOURCES RELATING TO IRISH TRADITIONAL MUSIC
IN THE CAPE COD AND NEARBY S.E. NEW ENGLAND AREA
email:bill@capeirish.com
updated: 1/1/26
A happy and blessed 2026 (and lots of good music) to all!
New: updated sessions list
If I've missed yours, please email me the details!
CHRISTMAS THOUGHTS
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Some say that ever 'gainst that season comes
Wherein our Saviour's birth is celebrated,
The bird of dawning singeth all night long:
And then, they say, no spirit dares stir abroad;
The nights are wholesome; then no planets strike,
No fairy takes, nor witch hath power to charm,
So hallow'd and so gracious is the time.
- Hamlet, Act I, Scene I
“I think God must have said to Himself: Man does not love Me because he
does not see Me; I will show Myself to him and thus make him love Me. God’s
love for man was very great and had been great from all eternity, but this love
had not yet become visible…. Then, it really appeared; the Son of God let Himself be
seen as a tiny Babe in a stable, lying on a little straw." (Saint Alphonsus)
G. K. Chesterton quote
I'll be happy to include your SE New England traditional event if you send me an email with the details - try to include as much information as possible, including ticket prices, relevant websites, etc.
NEWS, COMMENTS, OTHER IMPORTANT STUFF
FUNDRAISER FOR "BELONGING TO EACH OTHER"
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"BTEO" is a Falmouth-based charity with a mission to improve the condition of the homeless. It provides living space and meals for those who need assistance with the basics of life.
Recalling the years when a group of local musicians got together at a local pub every December to assist Bob Murray (RIP) and his Falmouth Housing Assistance with a fundraiser, we revived the custom this year for BTEO. In the process we raised close to $2000 for the cause.
My warmest thanks to the musicians who showed up to make it all happen: the Familiars of Cape Cod, the Falmouth Fiddlers, Sonnay, and our very own Cat's Melodeon. It couldn't have happened without you all!
For more information about BTEO, contact event coordinator Jay O'Connell.
CHATHAM FIDDLE ACTIVITIES
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Concert with Rose Clancy & Max Cohen
January 31st - 3PM
Eventide Theatre Company
713 Main Street, Route 6A
Dennis, MA 02638
Tix at eventidearts.org
new session:
Naukabout Brewery
Route 130 Mashpee
Every Friday starting January 9th 6:30-8:30
Co Hosted with Kelly Family
naukabout.com
Hope to see you soon and thanks for supporting live music on Cape Cod!
Rose
A "REALLY BIG SHOW" TO OPEN 2026
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I'm pleased to announce GOLDEN LANE's first concert of the season. For this
show we'll be joined by the multi-talented John Alden and the great dancers
of the Maureen Haley School.
# Venue location:
Cultural Center of Cape Cod
307 Old Main St., So. Yarmouth 02664-4534
# Venue phone
508.394.7100 - www.cultural-center.org
# Date/time:
Friday January 30th, 6:00 pm
# Admission:
$25 members, $30 non-members
SOUTH COAST ACTIVITIES
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Greetings Fellow Musicians and Happy New Year to all,
The Mattapoisett library session will follow on the first Sunday of the month until May 2026 (January 4th is 1st of 2026).
Davoll’s is on Sundays 2:30-4:30 (see dates, generally the 3rd Sunday, but not always).
Troy City Brewery is the second and fourth Wednesday of the month. Fall River. 7:00-9:00
Here are the Davoll’s dates that we have for 2026, so far:
January 18th
February 22nd
March 22nd
April 19th
May 17th
June 14th
July 19th
IRISH CULTURAL CENTER
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The ICC in Canton is offering some very nice traditional programs - if you're interested you might want to check their website.
They also have the Friday evening session that's been running for a good number of years (I ran it for a few years quite a while back). It's an open session and John, Eamonn, and co. are very welcoming, so check it out if you need some tunes on a Friday.
THANKS AND THANKS AGAIN
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. . . to our Cat's Melodeon musicians, through whose efforts at the Auld Triangle session we raised:
% $3000 for the Cape Cod Veterans
% $1700 for Mass. Special Olympics
% $500 for Project Bread 2024
% $2120 for Toys for Tots
% $400 for Kind Hearts for Kids
% $2900 for Project Bread 2025
% $3100 for "Adelia Strong" (pediatric brain cancer research) (plus an additional
$400 from the Canal cruise passengers on mv "Monhegan")
% $2600 for Toys for Tots 2025
% $900 for Kind Hearts for Kids 2025
That's nearly $18,000 for good causes. As I said in an email to the gang "Feel good about yourselves!"
Thanks also to Des & Terry and their staff at the pub, and of course to all the great patrons who made this achievement possible!
CAPE COD IRISH SESSION
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Saturdays 3 - 5 pm
featuring Bill Black and musicians of "Cat's Melodeon"
Auld Triangle Pub, 412 Main St., Hyannis
(formerly British Beer Company)
phone 508.771.1776
email info@theauldtriangle.com
JRHSP* for further orders, songs too
* jigs reels hornpipes slides & polkas
My sincerest thanks to "the regulars" (you know who you are!) and guests who make my job as "session alpha" so much more enjoyable.
The Cats at work (?) at the "inaugural session". Thanks to Mrs. Black for the photo!
IRISH TRADITIONAL TUNE LIBRARY
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I'm pleased to announce that the "ITTL" - my digitized repository of over 9500 trad tunes - is finally finished and available to any musician willing to try it. I have tried to make the site as user-friendly as possible. All the details are on the home page:
www.capeirish.com/ittl/index.html
Have a look when you can. Comments, criticisms, suggestions, etc. are welcome.
WELLFLEET SESSION
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Following received from Denya LeVine:
Hi folks, Hog Island Surf Lodge, at 842 Route 6, in Wellfleet, is the new site of weekly indoor sessions every Tuesday from 6:30-8:30 beginning May 21.
Please please spread the word! If I left off anyone do forward to those who will be interested.
Musicians: just for the first session, let me know if you'll be there so I can arrange enough chairs.
Currently only open for breakfast and lunch, beginning 5/20 Hog Island Wellfleet will be open 7 days a week for breakfast through 9PM.
I understand the website is not always updated in a timely manner. [hogislandbeerco.com/wellfeet]
I'm happy to field any questions. I beg you not to Reply All.
Looking forward to seeing you soon. Denya 508-255-5090
IRISH MUSIC INSTITUTE
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Earlier this year I received an announcement from piper Seán Gavin about the formation of a new entity called the "Irish Music Institute", which has been created to provide online traditional music training. Quoting from the announcement:
"It is my great pleasure to announce the launch of a new non-profit organization, the Irish Music Institute. Its purpose is to encourage people of all ages to explore the traditional music and song of Ireland. Based in Southeast Michigan, IMI connects a broad network of players, learners, and enthusiasts worldwide. We offer private, online lessons from a top notch faculty with instructors throughout North America and Ireland."
A complete copy of Seán's announcement is here. This sounds like a most worthy endeavor and I wish them the best of luck going forward!
"SUPPORT FOR THE ARTS" Dept.
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Elizabeth Sylvia, wife of our good friend and bandmate Colin Everett,
has published a book of poetry inspired by women in the works of
William Shakespeare (you may have heard of him). If you're interested,
the website is:
https://www.elizabethsylviapoet.net
As an aspiring (expiring?) writer myself, I wish her the best of luck.
A very wise man named Don Marquis once described the process of
bringing out a volume of poetry as akin to dropping a rose petal into
the Grand Canyon and waiting for the echo. Let's hope that Elizabeth
has more success than he did!
Please take advantage of our links to other websites to keep current on what these and other local musicians are doing these days!
Check out my Goods and Services area - let me know if you want me to list something for you. My commissions are negotiable - or should I say negligible?
GOODS AND SERVICES DEPT.
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Various friends have asked me over the years to post information about goods and services they have to offer, which I am happy to do free of charge for anyone who provides me a short description of what's involved and a website or email contact where potential clients can find out more.
Disclaimers:
(1) I reserve the right to decide what goes on this website
(2) I'd like to think these folks know what they're doing, but no guarantees of any kind are implied.
