"There was once a time, and a very good time it was too, when the streets were paved with penny loaves, the houses were built with bars of butter and little birds made their nests in old men's beards, and in that time..."

— an Irish piper and storyteller

There was once a time when the telling of traditional tales touched nearly every child's life, a time when the tales spoke of things that touched nearly every child's heart. These tales kindled their imaginations and taught them the pleasures of listening. They gave them a sense of place, of belonging, and taught them many of life's lessons. They inspired the children to tell these tales themselves and to experience firsthand the power and beauty of the spoken word. These tales gave them joy.

Now these tales and their proper telling have been all but forgotten, and children have suffered the loss of them. For storybooks may hold the old tales, but rarely are they rendered with the music of the traditional speech, and never can they come alive and sing as when they are spoken from one heart to another.

Patrick Ball encountered such storytelling first and most memorably in the West of Ireland, and then later in the hollows of the Southern Appalachian mountains.The stories he heard there were fiery and tender, funny and filled with wild flights of the imagination. The tellers spoke them with a rhythmic charm and a poetry of phrase that was striking and beautiful and a feast for the mind of a child.

Patrick lived in these lands, listened and became a part of the cultural life in which these tales unfold. These stories that were passed down for generations were passed down to him. As a result he tells them with a full measure of authenticity and he presents a vibrant picture of the character and folk beliefs of the Irish and Appalachian peoples.

As an accompaniment to these tales Patrick plays the Celtic harp and offers the children an introduction to this rare, legendary instrument, its music, its playing technique and its place in Irish culture and folklore.

Drawing by Moises Garcia
Ms. Amy Ellison's 4th Grade Class, Ramona Alessandro Elementary School, San Bernardino, CA

The Performance

The performance customarily lasts for forty-five minutes, though it is adaptable to other times and formats.

The performance is appropriate for children from grade school through high school, though the material will change with the age group.

The performance is particularly valuable for children studying English Literature, Folklore and Mythology, Theater/Storytelling, Music, Ireland or Appalachia.

Teacher Preparation

A bibliography of Irish and Appalachian stories and culture, and of the art of storytelling will be available on request. The books will be suggested according to the age of the group.

Classroom Follow-up

The children should be encouraged to retell these tales themselves. The tales are vivid, easy to remember and have come down to us through the generations because they are designed to be retold. They are traditional in form, yet lend themselves to the most creative of retelling.The children should be encouraged to recall the elements of Patrick's performance that made the story memorable (voice, character, movement), and to try these themselves.

The children should be encouraged to retell these tales on paper as a writing exercise, again bringing all the imagination they can to their telling.

Reviews

“It was such a joy and a delight to have you perform at Berkeley Hall School. You were an absolute smash with everyone, from the head of the Board of Trustees, to the teachers, headmaster and best of all, the students...Your music was beautiful, your tales were enchanting, and your command of the audience impressive. I can’t tell you how grateful we were to have you. My colleagues on the Cultural Arts Committee join me in saying “Bravo! Many thanks for a beautiful and enriching afternoon.”
Los Angeles Music Center Performance

“Fabulous to work with, talented, warm, approachable and intelligent. He gives each group more than their money’s worth. I learned so much. What a unique program!”
Young Audiences of the Bay Area Performance

Click here to read more reviews

Sasmiere Burrell
Ms. Amy Ellison's 4th Grade Class, Ramona Alessandro Elementary School, San Bernardino, CA

References

Los Angeles Music Center
Education Division / Artists on Tour

Los Angeles, CA
Barbara Leonard, Artistic Director
(213) 972-3356
bleonard@musiccenter.org
http://musiccenter.org/education

Orange County Performing Arts Center / ArtsTeach

Costa Mesa, CA
Jason Siebert
(714) 556-2122 ext. 4310
ArtsTeach@ocpac.org
www.ocpac.org/artsteach