Letter to the editor
To the editor:
Well, Marty Bernstein has created still another extravaganza! Before a completely packed house, he presented an early St. Paddy’s Day wonder show. When we walked in, we were all struck by the beautiful green decorations featuring leprechauns, shamrocks, brightly colored flowers and kelly-green grass. Over the dessert table, there was a RED ROSE CAFE sign with a leprechaun perched, pointing down to a rich array of foods ranging from Irish soda breads, butter, cakes, pies, cookies, platters of candies, coffee, tea, decaf and an assortment of sodas. Many of these foods were sugar-free. Most unusual was a tray of quartered oranges on one side and green grapes and kiwi fruit on the other, something Marty called "The Orange and the Green!" Nearly all of this plentiful display was gone by the end of the show … and what a show it was!
Starting off with Mark Forman’s Friends of Ireland Band, playing "The Gypsy Rover," "Sweet Molly Malone" and "The Parting Glass," music supported by Jay Mallet and Jim Doyle on guitar, sax, tenor guitar and vocals, the room soon filled with the nostalgia of a pub in Ireland (except there was no smoke!).
Immediately following, was a performance put on by the DeNogla School of Irish Dancing (973-325-6762 in case anyone’s interested!), where head teacher Joanne Connell and champion dancer Katie Stannard, wearing her thousand-dollar costumes, demonstrated both the Riverdance ballet steps and the traditional Irish dances that have caused such a recent stir in the world of entertainment. Younger brother Thomas Connell then used his fiddle to play two traditional Irish jigs and reels.
By 8:30, the mood was ripe for featured entertainer Jimmy Dwyer, the lead singer in an international singing group from Bantry Bay, Ireland, called The Bantry Boys, to step up to the mike. Referring to the 34-page booklets Marty had produced for each attendee, Mr. Dwyer invited the audience to join him on each song’s chorus and even the stanzas where they felt confident to do so. In a stirring tenor voice, he delivered songs that told of Ireland’s rich history, it’s resistance to England, the potato famine, the intricacies of courtship and marriage, the love of the land, their struggles on the sea, and, most of all, the incredible spirit and ironic humor so much a part of the Irish people themselves. The most touching song, "Fields of Athenry," was about a young father who, while attempting to feed his family, stole some corn and was sent to Australia’s Botany Bay prison colony. Both the melody and the words, as well as Mr. Dwyer’s amazing delivery, were magnificent!
Arthur Miller, president of the Princeton Folk Society, then sang a deeply touching song focusing upon a sampling of five letters written over 10 years by an Irish family to their son in America. This was followed by Marty Bernstein singing about the wonders and the fears of the immigrant experience itself, with a message by a grandfather about the promise of America and a loving challenge "not to take it for granted." Marty then sang about the Irish sailors’ humorous concept of heaven, Fiddler’s Green. The program ended with Jim leading everyone in the very traditional Irish songs, "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling" and "Toora, Loora, Loora."
This was a magnificent program that emphasized the joys, hopes, loves, fears, ironies and humor of the Irish experience … an experience many of us from both the Irish and other cultures knew quite well. I was glad the mayor and several dignitaries were present to see just how far Marty has come in bringing these riches to East Windsor. What made it even more amazing was that the foods and admission were free and the cost to the community, as a whole, an unbelievable $230. Many thanks to Marty Bernstein for putting in so many hours and so much hard work to make these Sing-Along Concert Socials happen so often for the rest of us.
Marty reminded us that he’ll be featuring two truly wonderful entertainers, Chris Williams and Greg Greenway, in this same Twin Rivers Community Room at 8 p.m. March 17.
Sue Kean
East Windsor