manx celtic music and dance

Come and celebrate Shenn Laa Nollick!

03 Dec 2012


Peter Cubberley of Ny Fennee writes:

To those uninitiated to older customs of the Isle of Mann, it may seem like a bit late to celebrate Christmas in January and you’d think Christmas would be over. However in the old style calendar Christmas fell on January 6th. Don’t put your baubles back in the attic until after the 6th, as the old Manx Christmas Day (Shenn Laa Nollick) is January 6th, and it is being celebrated on the Friday nearest with a festive ceili in Ramsey on the 4th. In the Mann of yesteryear the 12 days of Christmas were known as Y Kegeesh Ommidjagh (The Foolish Fortnight), a period of communal music and dancing that culminated on the 6th. In 2013 that party will remain alive, as Manx traditional music and dance group Ny Fennee will stage their inaugural Giense Shenn Laa Nollick – Old Christmas Day Ceili. The doors of the Masonic hall in Lezayre Road will swing open at 7.30pm and the Celtic music and footwork will flow until 10:30pm. Ny Fennee musician Peddyr Cubberley is the man behind the event, which is open to all ages. He said: “Christmas time is usually a quiet time for ceilis as a rule and we decided last year that it’d be a great opportunity to celebrate old Christmas Day and bring the community together for a good night of music, dance and fun and we’re doing the same again this year thus keeping our traditional customs alive!” People new to Manx dancing are as welcome as the old hands, as ‘callers’ will be on hand to talk the crowd through the steps, while musical interludes from members of band Mactullagh Vannin, Ny Fennee and hopefully guest musicians will provide breaks for the dancers and variety in general. There is an admission of £4 for adults and £2 for under 16s which will help towards Ny Fennee’s funding. “We have about 40 kids involved in Ny Fennee and they all need costumes, and every penny helps toward trips away to festival to showcase Manx traditional and contemporary dance in traditional style,” explained Peddyr.

Ny Fennee leader Juan Garrett says people was looking forward to the event, as it’s a last chance for many to come together before the end of the Christmas break, especially for our students studying away at university. He said: “A few members go out to Hunt the Wren on St Stephen’s Day, but we don’t usually do anything as a whole group over Christmas. In the past we’ve been part of the Oie’ll Verrey (old Manx Christmas Eve) service in Kirk Michael, but we want a social event to get the whole group together.” As a Christmas event, will any aspect of the evening be festively themed? “It will just be a normal ceili, though I suppose it’s Christmassy in the sense that in the old days the barns would all be full of music throughout Kegeesh Ommidjagh / Foolish Fortnight,” said Juan. “And it’s a chance for people to get together for a party on the date of old Manx Christmas.’ As for the ceili, Peddyr concluded: “It will be good for burning off those Christmas calories. People just need to bring themselves, a few quid, and plenty of energy and craic and a good way to celebrate the end of our 30 years and the beginning of the next 30 years to come!”

Northern-based Ny Fennee, which means ‘The Heroes/Champions’ in Manx, has been active since 1982, and as well as busy summer schedules and representing the Island at festivals home and abroad, they are the group behind the Shennaghys Jiu (Tradition Today) Celtic youth festival around Easter time.

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