Warm thanks to the many fine musicians who come to Roche Harbor Traditional
Irish Music Retreat! Everyone's participation is appreciated, whether you're a newcomer
or veteran. Roche Harbor is
looking forward to hosting us again during the week of Feb 23 - 29, 2020. The
ferry reservation system is still
in place; make sure you've got a reservation! The Meet and Greet is Monday
night 7-10pm in the Pavillion. All are welcome - bring your instruments and
optionally some finger food. Looking forward to seeing you, and please help
spread the word!
Please visit our FORUM, where you can jump in
with your comments or view transciptions from the tune swap workshop
(registration required to post).
You're invited to the Traditional Irish Music Retreat at the lovely waterfront village and resort of Roche Harbor, located on San Juan Island, Washington. Roche Harbor management is looking forward to our arrival and continues to offer greatly reduced housing rates for the week. See the FAQ for more information.
This event is an outgrowth of the Friday Harbor Irish Music Week that, after 10
great years, ended in 2011. Big thanks go to Randal Bays and Dan
Paulson for starting and running FHIMW. The Irish Music Retreat at Roche Harbor is
entirely new, yet many of the previous attendants are the same. Dan continues to work with Roche Harbor so that this great gathering may continue. There are big changes as
we evolve from faculty, classes and concerts to an unstructured musical week. In
2012 when Friday Harbor Irish Music Week was cancelled, over half of the
registered participants decided to come anyway, creating their own ad hoc
event. There are no tuition fees, faculty, formal classes or concerts. However, participants have been
offering guided sessions and workshops on a casual basis.
Our emphasis remains in keeping the Irish music tradition alive, joyfully immersing ourselves in the music, sharing tunes and techniques, and having friendly sessions day and night. Roche Harbor is generously making the entire village available to us so that we can benefit from both the intimate session and rousing pub venue.
We welcome your suggestions and comments and look forward to seeing old and new faces in February. We hope those of you who have come in past years will return, while spreading the word to other Irish musicians. May the event grow and continue to be a fun place to meet and share the music that we all love.
Folks have shown some interest about the local session etiquette. Here are some Rules of the Road - enjoy :)
Please if you will be attending. We will provide event updates as needed.
Many thanks - we're looking forward to seeing you in February!
Sláinte!
