Hammered Dulcimer Festival ~ Bushmills, Co. Antrim, Ulster

*No CDF06*

Sorry, but unfortunately, as funding was not available for this year's event, in 2006, there will be no Causeway Dulcimer Festival this year.

However, rather than cancel it altogether, I have decided to go ahead & simply run a couple of Hammer Dulcimer orientated sessions on the Thursday night, Friday night & during Saturday afternoon & night, of the first weekend in June, just to keep the concept alive until next year.

On a more positive note, Rick Davis will be here from North Carolina, with his Hammered Dulcimer, so anyone who is planning to be in the area & who would like to get a few lessons from Rick, should contact me soon, & I'll try & arrange a venue for a class.

For the sessions, I'm hoping to at least have local players of Hammered Dulcimer, Harp, Fife, Flute, Northumbrian Pipes, Uilleann Pipes, Fiddle & Lindsay Porteous is also planning to come over from Scotland, with his Mountain Dulcimer.

Please note - as, not surprisingly, nobody has booked in for this year's event, I have had to cancel the hire of the Education Centre in Bushmills.

It is hoped that normal services will be resumed next year.

For the information of anyone who finds themselves in the area this weekend & is looking for somewhere to play a few tunes, you will find us:

Thursday night from 10pm in the 'Springhill Bar', Causeway St. Portrush

Friday night from 10pm in the 'House of McDonnell', Castle St. Ballycastle

Saturday night from 9pm in the 'Smuggler's Inn', Bushmills

On Saturday afternoon Rick Davis & I will be playing in a concert in Coleraine & any musicians around are welcome to come join us at this event.

At some stage, Rick & I will be playing a few tunes in Glenarm too, in memory of John Rea.

On Sunday afternoon we will be heading up to Omagh to the 'Ulster American Folk Park' to enjoy the

‘Old, New, Borrowed, Blue…’ event which will celebrate marriages on both sides of the Atlantic.

"The first wedding will take place in rural Ulster during the 19th century, where a great number of marriages came about with the help of a matchmaker and this wedding will be no different. Visitors will be taken on a journey from courting to the church and then on to the wedding feast. Along the way they will learn about the traditions associated with marriage at this time including the local blacksmith making a lucky horse shoe as a present for the bride to be.

Visitors will then travel back in time to an 18th century wedding in pioneer America through a visit to the ‘New World’ side of the outdoor museum. After the wedding ceremony, which traditionally took place in the house of the bride, the wedding feast will begin. As well as sampling traditional Frontier American wedding fayre, visitors can enjoy some old-time music, which was brought to the New World from Ulster. To end the day there will of course be dancing in the Pennsylvania Barn with the rest of the wedding party."

Anyone wishing to join us at any of these venues should either E-mail me for details, or phone or text me on -

Mobile - 079130 75848

Hammered Dulcimer

Set in Co. Antrim, the CDF helps to preserve the memory of Co. Antrim's, & Ireland's, most famous Hammered Dulcimer player, John Rea of Glenarm.

John Rea

It also promotes an interest in the Traditional Music, Song & Rhyme of North Antrim, and so each year Smallpipes, Fife & Fiddle will also be featured.

Smallpipes, Fife & Fiddle

The Scotch/Irish played a large part in introducing the Hammered Dulcimer to the Appalachian region of America & at CDF each year, an American tutor will promote the playing of another popular instrument of that region, the Mountain Dulcimer, and so return the favour.

Mountain Dulcimer

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The 2005 festival had classes for complete beginners on Hammered Dulcimer, Mountain Dulcimer & Northumbrian Pipes, with a variety of other talks & recitals on The Fife, John Rea, The Fiddle, Tunes from Ulster to Appalachia, North Antrim Rhyme, Traditional Songs & Singers of Bushmills & the Piper's Gathering, plus open air & evening concerts, open sessions & a Scottish Ceilidh Dance.

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Musicians who enjoyed CDF05 travelled from:

England: Jenny Coxon ~ Colin Ross ~ Julia & Barry Say ~ Dick Siddall ~ Christine Smith ~ Alyn & Sheila lorwerth ~ George Monger

USA: Rick & Brandy Davis ~ Christie Burns ~ Butch Ross ~ Lisa & Heather Malyuk ~ Julia Lane & Fred Gosbee ~ Dale Nupp ~ Sharon Martin

Scotland: Michael Smith & Alisdair ~ Janetta & Peter Fairbairn ~ Lindsay Porteous

Ulster: Nat Magee ~ William Rea ~ Dick Glasgow ~ Mary Phelan ~ Alan Wade ~ Sabine Glasgow ~ Sam Fleming ~ Greg Gault ~ Charlie Gillen ~ John Moulden ~ Kathleen Smith ~ Susan & Ian Miller ~ Ciaran Kelly ~ John Hughes

Eire : Barry Carroll & Niall O Cearbhaill ~ Vince Hearns ~ Nick O'Sullivan

Europe: Jan Maes (Belgium)

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I'm delighted to say that the first 'Causeway Dulcimer Festival' was a great success.

Unfortunately, there will be no CDF06 but it is hoped that normal services will be resumed next year.

In the meantime, why not read the review of this year's festival, just to whet your appetite.

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The Hammer Dulcimer came to Ulster from Scotland in the C18th & travelled on to the Americas with the Scotch/Irish. The Causeway Dulcimer Festival then will annually reunite these strands, bringing Scottish, English & American players together, with local players, to celebrate the 'Middle Ground'.

For anyone who hasn't visited this area before, they are in for a surprise because it is one of the most scenic areas, with plenty to do and see while you are here.

This website is constantly being updated, so please keep in touch.

I hope you enjoy exploring the many pages on this site to learn more about this new festival.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to E-Mail Me

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