Lake School Home Page

UPDATE - The 11th Lake School will be launched at Micky Bourke's Hotel in Koroit on July 4 2009

Paddy Fitzgerald will be inducted by Mary Fiorini-Lowell (Mary Bourke)as a Legend of the Lake.

Dennis Taberner, Margie Brophy and Christine Meagher inducted as Life Members.

Featuring a bracket by Paddy O'Neill Award Band - Dram! $25 per head 7pm start

See Mary Bourke on youtube perform the Humble Spud. Filmed by Australian film maker and

Lake School tutor, Ray Argall, at the Lake School in January 2009 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3Inu5UJmaE

The Koroit Community Association Inc presents:-

The 11th Lake School of Celtic Music Song and Dance to held in Koroit Victoria

from Sunday January 3 to Friday January 8 2010

The photo below was provided by James Byron.

Baz Luhrmann Australia's film director has agreed that we can use a photo of him to promote the 2010

Lake School Youth Concert (hopefully at Crossley Hall). Below is a photo of Baz outside St Brigids Church (next to Crossley Hall). Thanks Baz!

"Koroit- a majestic element, a creative atmosphere, and clean air" Baz Luhrmann

Baz Luhrmann

Reviewing the 10th Lake School Paddy Fitzgerald - the next Legend of the Lake

Tenth Lake School - and all is well!

G'day
I have been getting lots of feedback from people who went to the the tenth Lake School 2009 in Koroit, and it is very pleasing and edifying. Thank you.

The week was blessed with some moderate weather, and the camping ground was a much more pleasant place to be than it is has been the last couple of years, and the camping ground was very pleasantly packed out. The numbers of students was the second best ever, and many people rocked up on the opening day which boosted the enrolment.

Once again we had a mix of people from all over the country, Darwin, Queensland, Sydney, Ballarat, Melbourne, Geelong, Gippsland, Adelaide as well as Terang and Warrnambool.

Some of the highlights included the Youth Concert at Crossley Hall, the Spud Poets Award at the Koroit Country Bakehouse (this years winner was Clare Milesi) and the Ted Egan and Rant concert at the Footy Clubrooms.
We hadn't held a Lake School concert for seven years at Crossley Hall, and it was great to be back there - some of us got a peek in at the Church which was looking grand and ready for the Shane Howard and Teresa O'Brien wedding that followed on the weekend.

In general the performances and songs written by young people were a particular highlight this year. The Paddy O'Neill Award group Dram lived up to high expectations, and their act included original songs. Original songs by Michaela Hickey and Olivia Brooks-Meagher featured, and Georgia Rose, a twelve year old fiddle player from Briagolong gave an indication that she will be a very fine player in the future.

Students from the Lake School Youth Program!!!! (photo by Emily Ann Meagher...hang on! Emily is in the photo, someone must have taken it with her camera. Perhaps her mum!)

The Koroit Historical Society made space available for us this year at the old Lake School (the building in the background of the photo below) and Lou Hesterman and Ozzie produced and edited some fine recordings of the week's music, and sold nearly a 100 CDs. Brenda Osborne also took a very fine set of photos of the week.

The Lake School Newlsetter worked well again and it was good to get the witty insights of D.P. Encarso (Lewis Argall) who reported on some controversial and unusual topics.

The music sessions in the Pubs were once again a "mighty craic." As well as the Paddy Fitzgerald lead sessions at Micky Bourke's, there were the slow sessions at the Commercial Hotel. Mark McDonnell reported that there was a great feeling up at the Commercial and we look forward to the sessions continuing there next year.
Late night sessions at the Basketball Stadium also flourished

Danny Bourke arrived to lead the irish Music Master Class on the final day Friday and the Master Class capped off the great work done by the tutors during the week.

The Grand Ceilidhe held on the Thursday at the Koroit Theatre with an attendance of nearly 300 people went for nearly five hours, and although a great triumph asked the question yet again how we better stage and organise such a concert.

The 2009 Lake School was also the time when we farewelled Fay and Morgan McAlinden as tutors. Fay and Morgan have been with the Lake School

since it began, and we are very sad to lose their good humour and their ability to get us dancing. Fay sent in a note afterwards -

"Morgan and I wish to thank the organising Committee of The Lake School for the lovely gifts presented at our final dance session, they are much appreciated. We would also like to thank the committee for having us as tutors during the past 10 years, we estimate that more than 300 people learned some facet of Irish Set Dancing during those years and that is a very pleasing thought."

I would like to thank all the tutors and the committee for their work and to compliment the students and families for their good spirits and excellent behaviour.

Felix Meagher

The photos below from the 10th Lake School provided by Brenda Osborne

Paddy Fitz and Nick Martin at Micky Bourke's Jim Lawrenson and Garry Rose at Songwriters Brigid Glaisher member of Paddy O'Neill

Pub session concert Award band - Dram!

Are these your agile fingers Mary? Slow session lead by Mark McDonnell Ted Egan - one of Australia's National Living

Treasures

Sile Coleman at Singers Night Jenny McKechnie - Dram!! Ewen Baker - fiddle tutor

Mark McDonnell leading the Slow Session players at the Grand Ceilidhe January 6 2008

Photo courtesy Dale Hanson

Ticket prices for 2010

Adults $175 Children under 16 $100 Family ticket $485 (two adults and five children)

Prices include GST

Co-ordinator

Felix Meagher

Contact details: 03-98791654

0413-801294 (Mob)

or email felix@bushwahzee.com

alternative email bwz@alphalink.com.au

Correspondence for the Lake School can be addressed to Felix Meagher PO Box 22 Mitcham 3132

Cheques should be made out to the Lake School

NB Please note this is an event that welcomes families and children. However, with the exception of the Kids Program

which runs from 9.30am to 1pm every day, children under 16 may only attend programmed Lake School classes when

accompanied and supervised by one of their parents, or a nominated supervising adult.

For the Kids Program children need to be signed in and out, bring a drink and a snack, and refrain from leisure use of

mobile phones.

Lake School Honour Roll

Legends of the Lake

2003 Billy Moran inducted by Irish Ambassador Declan Kelly

2004 Fay and Morgan McAlinden inducted by Martha McEvoy (Embassy of Ireland)

2005 Dennis O'Keeffe inducted by Val Noone (Tain Magazine)

2006 Maria Forde inducted Marion O'Hagan (Irish Welfare Bureau)

2007 Vince Brophy inducted by Martha McEvoy

2008 Tommy Carty inducted by Ted Egan

Paddy O'Neill Band Award Winners

2007 Beltane

2008 Rant

2009 Dram

Spud Poet Awards Winners

2006 Chris Healy (Mas-cav-enger)

2007 Harry Reed (Spud Train)

2008 Francis Duggan (Old Casey)

2009 Clare Milesi (Soda Scones

Maity Swallow Award

2008 Mischa Herman

Life Members

2007 Eileen Moran

Foundation Award

Felix Meagher

Mogyum Award

(an ocassional award made for people whose help behind the scenes

may have gone unnoticed - named after Barb Argall's unique and yummy chocolate cookies)

2006 Vicki Thorpe and Georg Diegmann

2007 Lillian O'Donnell

2008 Ray Argall

2009 Alan Birchmore

PADDY O'NEILL AWARD - 2010

The Paddy O'Neill Award was first held by the Lake School in January 2007, and

resulted in the creation of the amazing young celtic band - Beltane. After working for a week in January

in Koroit under the guidance of tutors Ade Kelly and Geoff McArthur, Beltane went on to record a

demo CD "The First Summer," and to play at the Port Fairy Festival, the Koroit Irish Festival

and the National Celtic Festival in Portarlington. Their photo is featured on the 2008 Lake School

flyer/application form.

The program was repeated in January 2008 when the four piece band Rant was formed, and they have gone on

tohave similar success to Beltane (see photo of Rant below)

The Paddy O'Neill Award is being offered again at the Lake School in 2008 and applications for an

audition are open from June 14 (at the National celtic festival, Portarlington ). The Award is open to musicians aged 16-29

who are keen to play in a musically competent celtic style group/band.

Applicants are urged to think about the logistics of rehearsing and playing in a band, particularly if they are

under 18 and don't have a Driver's Licence.

The award was named after Paddy O'Neill, an Irish musician who lived in Melbourne and taught tunes

to young players for many years.

For further enquiries contact Felix Meagher email felix@bushwahzee.com or mob 0413-801294

or Ade Kelly 03-52413749 email adenmyra@bigpond.com.au

2009 Paddy O'Neill Award Winners - DRAM

2010 Application form