The Irish Teachers Festival '08: Practically Perfect in Every Way

By: Tony Mussari

Event Photographs By: Kitch Loftus-Mussari & Bill Gaydos

May your home always be too small to hold all your friends. -Irish Saying

It’s almost a week since Windsor Park was alive with the sights and sounds of the Irish Teachers Festival. The house is empty.  We survived the eighteen hour day of the festival, and a nineteen hour day on Saturday which included breakfast for 12 people, a beautiful wedding ceremony and reception and the Irish teachers farewell dinner at King’s College. On Sunday we said our farewells to my daughter, Elena, and her two children, Julia and P.J. The house was relatively quiet when Emma, Kitch and I sat in the garden to review the wonderful memories of the festival.

Producing The Irish Teachers Festival is a long, labor intensive, challenging and time-consuming experience. It is something we do with anticipation and joy because we want to bring people together to share the gardens, and celebrate the Irish teachers. We admire the people who are our featured entertainers. We consider them to be our friends.

We start thinking about and planning the festival in January. When John McKeown gives us the date, we send invitations to the performers and the process begins. The Connemara Dancers are always at the top of the list.  They are central to the festival.  They give it more than entertainment.  They provide the look, feel and sound of Ireland. As Kitch has said so many times, “Without the Connemara Dancers there would be no festival." She is absolutely right  Dressed in colorful new costumes, the Connemara Dancers were brilliant.

The Brighter Light Choral Ensemble brought an inspirational kind of music to our life in June 2007.  They are central to our world. Anyone who has watched Windsor Park Stories knows how important their song, The Music In My Life was to both Kitch and me during our Heart Scene Journey. Whenever we get the opportunity to showcase Brighter Light we do it with great joy.  They are wonderful people and their music is peaceful and entertaining. This year Brighter Light sang music from the 1940's.  Their performance resonated with the audience.

Elaine Blessing has been a part of our world for several years.  We knew her first as a caring and competent nurse who helped us care for Kitch’s mom. In 2004-5 she was a frequent and welcomed visitor to our home. Her husband, Mike, is a distinguished member of our community and a solid citizen. Elaine is the the director of the St. Ignatius Contemporary Ensemble. The very first time we heard the group sing in St. Ignatius Church, we knew they were perfect for Windsor Park and the Irish Teachers Festival. Elaine and her group bring the sounds of heaven with them wherever they perform and this night was no exception. Their beautiful voices touched the hearts of our guests.

Because of our friendship with Mike Lewis and his performance at the Dietrich Theater in March, we met Erin Canedy and Erica Leigh.  Erin is a recent high school graduate who has been performing since she was a youngster. She has a beautiful voice and an engaging personality. Kitch and I were very impressed by the poise and maturity Erin displayed at our Concert for Life at Misericordia University, and we invited her to sing in Windsor Park. Her first appearance at the festival was a great success.

Erica Leigh is our neighbor from Tunkhannock. She is a thoughtful and engaging young woman. If ever there was a breath of fresh air, it is Erica Leigh. She exudes positive energy, and she is kind and considerate.  She is as wonderful off stage as she is during her performance. Her unique style and magnetic stage presence warmed the hearts of everyone in the audience. Singing selections from her recently release CD, Love Is, Erica Leigh made everyone feel the warming glow of her enormous talent.

If you live in Northeastern Pennsylvania, you know the reputation of the One Laugh at Least Comedy Group. Their skits tell stories about humorous aspects of our culture and traditions. Their Haynabonics skit has been the rage on You Tube.  On this special evening, it brought laughter and applause when it was performed in front of the entrance to Windsor Park.  Their parody of  absentmindedness was equally well received.

Kitch’s twelve-year-old godchild, Emma, read three poems. Many in the audience were touched by her original poem called Hope.

Our special guests from Ireland were introduced by Bill Behm, the newly appointed director of the Irish Teachers Program at King’s College.  Harry Knox led the teachers in a performance of two songs that made everyone feel the welcoming spirit that is so characteristic of everyone you meet in Ireland.

During the festival we took time out to remember a good friend, Peg McKeown. Peg and John Mc Keown have been the heart and soul of the Irish Teachers Program since its beginning more than thirty years ago. Peg's passing has been marked in many special ways with beautiful tributes and memorials. During the festival we took time to remember Peg and what she and John represent to us. With the help of Michael Sackett, we were able to present John and his daughter, Alice, with a granite rock that reads: "Peg and John, Dignity and Class." Walking alone to the Garden of Life, father and daughter placed the rock in a very symbolic spot, next to the word "Faith."

I think it is fair to say that we connected with this year’s group of Irish teachers.  They enjoyed the cookout prior to the festival, the garden tour and the entertainment. A number of the teachers expressed their appreciation in very thoughtful ways on Saturday evening at King’s.  Kitch and I believe we have made some wonderful new friends. The memory of this visit and the comments of Eileen Brennan, Ann Dullea, Patricia Leahy and Arthur Geraghty will live on in our hearts.

For the first time in years, the festival was stress free.  The weather was about as perfect as it could be. The cakes baked by Judy Strish were colorful and tasty. The audience was large and enthusiastic. Several family members, neighbors and former students attended, and a special invited guest, Michael Milz and his wife, graced us with their presence.

Everyone who attended seemed to have a good time and the feedback we received gives testimony to that fact:

Thank you Tony and Kitch for a wonderful night at the Irish Teachers festival.. You really out did yourselves this year.

It has always been enjoyable in the past years but tonight was above and beyond..

Every aspect of it was perfect. The music, dancers, songs, poems, skits were wonderful.

The weather even decided to shine on you as if it knew just how wonderful the night would be.

I had the privilege to speak with several of The Irish teachers.. What a fantastic bunch of people.

I spent some time at the Garden of Life. What tranquil place.  A place to breathe and relax and think.

It was truly one of the nicest evenings I have ever had.

Thank you both for the festival.

This is a summary of some of the other comments we have received about the festival:

Kudos...on another great Irish Teachers night!

A special family event…Another special evening!

A beautiful day and a great moment of dedication in the garden.

It WAS a truly wonderful night… I never get tired of walking through the gardens and always feeling that sense of peacefulness when I visit.

What a great event.

What an amazing production!

The festival was wonderful!  You really out did your self this year.

I intend to fly to Washington, D.C next summer to pick up my daughter and drive to Windsor Park so she can see it.

It was a beautiful evening.

Thanks for a wonderful weekend. Friday nite was very enjoyable… Thank you for thinking of us, and when you get a chance keep us updated. Have a great day, and know of our gratitude.

I JUST WANT TO MENTION HOW MUCH I ENJOYED THE IRISH FESTIVAL LAST FRIDAY EVENING.  THE SINGING, DANCING AND COMEDY ROUTINES WERE GREAT.  THE WEATHER COULDN'T HAVE BEEN BETTER.  AND YOUR GARDENS ARE SO INVITING.  YOU PUT SO MUCH TIME AND EFFORT INTO THESE TYPES OF EVENINGS AND THEY TURN OUT TO BE A WONDERFUL SUCCESS.  THANK YOU FOR INCLUDING ME.

My next door neighbor is an occupational therapist at 
Mercy Center in Dallas.  She called today and put one of the Physical 
Therapists on the phone with me… this girl asked me what Windsor Park is all about. 

Apparently she saw the sign for the Irish Teacher's Festival posted

on a bulletin board at Misericordia, and invited her mother up from

Philadelphia to go to your house on Friday night. 

She said they had a great time and were only able to see a little bit 
of Windsor Park but thought it was beautiful. 

They loved the show...they had a great time, she felt like everyone there was part of Windsor Park and she was amazed how everyone in the crowd was a part of Windsor Park. 

I directed her to the website and told her all about it.  She asked if she could stop by again sometime when her mother is visiting and walk through the gardens.

It was great to hear that total strangers took part in your festival and were moved be the experience.

I had a wonderful time at the festival.  You finally got some excellent weather which I was happy about. The entertainment had a nice mixture of song, dance, choral groups, and comedy.  You couldn't ask for anything better. 

I really had a nice time at the Irish Teachers Festival... I'm glad everything turned out so well that day

At the end of this wonderful day, I thought about everything that has happened to us in the past thirteen months and an Irish saying came to mind.  The words in that saying put everything into perspective:

Get down on your knees and thank God you're still on your feet.

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