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• | June 2006 |
• | July 2006 |
• | June 2007 |
• | August 2007 |
• | November 2007 |



• | June 2008 |
• | September 2008|

Gilbert Brown , Michael Ronstadt ,
Ted Ramirez

• Ted gives an account of the SCRB touring adventures of the last 9 months in Tales From The Trail.


• Our editor , Jan Hedgecock, weaves the tales from our Wales tour of summer, 2006


• Learn more essentials of live performence techniques in Gil's Musician's Corner


• What's new on our web page? Find out from Mike!


• Have you seen a big yellow bus in your neck of the woods? It must be the SCRB in town for a visit! (follow that bus!)


• all of this, plus:
  The mysteries and magic of Merlin, new music reviews, what's cooking in La Cocina, a new face in the newletter, and letters from you, good friends!

Tales From The Trail

Our Summer 2006 tour had a little of everything - we performed at many wonderful festivals, house concerts and venues, and had the opportunity to meet many very interesting people. We had our tense moments too - a terrorist threat occurred that targeted transcontinental flights from the U.S. and U.K. We were about to fly back to the U.S when this happened. The Tucson Citizen Newspaper contacted us in Wales and interviewed us. They wanted to know about the current terrorist situation and how we felt about having to fly back home with this threat. I was quoted as saying "we are more worried about the airline baggage handlers than the terrorists". But in reality, it was Gilbert who came up with that line, and as it turned out, he was right. Our bags were slow to come off our Manchester to Chicago flight, and so we ended up missing our connecting flight to Philadelphia. We endured a 6 hour layover in a jam-packed hot and uncomfortable airport because of this delay. We were feeling very tired as we had left Manchester early that morning - by the time we got to Philly we had been awake for over 24 hours. It was a long travel day.

Our life saving help came when the Philly Folk Festival staff people were right there to pick us up as we landed in Philly around 12:00 am. They looked like angels, and made the ordeal less stressful - we all slept well that night.

The Philadelphia Folk Festival was truly amazing! We played on the main stage right after Jackson Browne and David Lindley. What a special treat it was. Jackson played his hits, "Dr. My Eyes" and "Take it Easy" as well as more recent gems. It was really cool to hear and see David and Jackson perform up-close.

The Philadelphia audience was one of the biggest we have ever played for, even bigger than the Floralia Festival in Holland. There were between 15 to 20 thousand people watching our 40-minute set. Our performance was video taped and projected onto two huge screens - one on each side of the stage. They did a great job with this; it is very nice to be able to see everything happening on the stage even when you were seated far away. It made every seat great, and the festival very enjoyable. All of the performers were outstanding, and the audience was fantastic!

A couple of special things happened during our Philly set - as we played "Living On A Plain" (our rain song) the wind kicked up right at the line that says "the wind is a blowing dust in my eyes". It blew thousands of leaves off the surrounding trees, and the leaves floated gently across the audience - it was truly a beautiful sight many people believed it had been staged. But, it just rained leaves - everyone was amazed especially me!

Then something even more unusual happened. Off in the distance while we were singing, I noticed a hawk or maybe an eagle flying over the people - later it was related to us that, during "Living on a Plain", 9 hawks or eagles flew into the area and circled the stage as we played. Several people reported this to us. Some folks called them hawks and others said they were too big to be hawks and were eagles. Mike said he counted 9 big birds.

The entire summer tour was magical, that is for sure! In North Wales, we played for a very special group of Lord Mayors from Wales' Walled Towns and the High Sheriff of the City of Chester (England). The Lord Mayors had previously written to our very own mayor, Bob Walkup to express support of and for the Santa Cruz River Band's positive representation of Tucson's history. They wanted to celebrate Tucson's Spanish Presidio era, and acknowledge Tucson as a special, historic walled city of America. We acted as Tucson's representatives. It was great fun for all of us! Sometimes it pays to be Tucson's Official Troubadour!

After our 2006 summer tour of the U.S. and Europe, we were able to spend one week back in Tucson. Then we headed out to California for a week, and then back to Sierra Vista where we performed at Carmichael School on Friday night, September 9th, and then at the Arizona Folklore Preserve on Sunday afternoon September 10th. We were then back on the road, and off to performances in Oklahoma, Illinois, Ohio, Indiana and New Mexico.

Well good friends - there are so many stories to share - if I fail to mention an event that you attended please forgive me. I wish I could go into detail for every performance - they deserve it - the audiences make it that way for me!

Some special highlights are:

The Kennedy Center

This concert was video taped and archived, and available for viewing at the Kennedy Center home page. Please click here to view the concert!

The Kennedy Center was a very important achievement for us - we appreciate being able to share our music on such a prestigious and important stage.

Common Ground On The Hill

This cultural concert series is the brainchild of one of America's most wonderful folk musicians, Walt Michael.

Here is a look at the vision of Walt Michael and Common Ground On The Hill:

What more can I say - this is a great celebration of life and goodness. Our hats are off to Common Ground on the Hill.

Well, there were literally hundreds of appearances and performances that deserve to be mentioned. Here are just a few:

and hundreds more... I know I am missing many very special people and locations - all I can say is we love you all, and we mean it!

The most important thing I have learned in the last few years is there is no boundary or limit to love. This has been a very wonderful realization, and a true gift in life. The only limit love has - is the limit we set ourselves. I feel like I am part of a big happy family, and I hope you feel this way too!

Editor's Corner

A Special Report From North Wales!

We had a superb welcome for the Band in Manchester airport on July 19th, 2006! The weather! It was hotter than it had ever been in the UK for many, many years! We thought it was marvelous but why did the Boys just GROAN?!!!!!!!!!

After a day's rest, the SCRB were at Aberconwy High School to play for a second year class who painted a wonderful frieze depicting all things Welsh! By special request and arrangement, they had been asked to do this for an art exchange between Redbill Gallery in Shotton and Raices Taller Gallery in Tucson. The Yaqui Indian children were going to do one also, of their beloved land customs, and they were both to be displayed in the Redbill Gallery before being handed over to the other. The music session was much appreciated by the young people, which had also been attended by the Year 10 music examination class, and e-mails flowed in after the visit!

Teacher in charge of project : Mrs Elvina Clampitt. (Head of PE)

With the backing and support of the Welsh Department and use of the Art Room. Abigail Davies (in charge!), Zie Hother, Alice Owen, Megan Rodgers, Jade Davies, Darryl Corkish, Alyshea Duss, Amy Taylor, Ryan Lewis, Matt Dyke, Lauren Miles, Tom Pinkerton, and George Davies.

July 21 saw us in Talwrn Community Hall in Anglesey. What a marvellous welcome there! The Hall was packed as word had spread that “The Band Was BACK!” Thanks to Trish for arranging it with Tony…we hope it helped towards the Community funds for the kids!

July 22 the Redbill Art Gallery was host to the Band. Many local Welsh artists’ works were displayed and guests mingled amongst the paintings and listened to the music. As it was a Fancy Dress occasion many were depicted as skeletons in honour of the Mexican tradition of the Day of the Dead…Lynn and her friend were the most glamorous skeletons! …..but many were also in Western outfits also to suit the mood…!

Those who hadn’t worn Western Boots for quite a while were hobbling distractedly by the end of the evening!

Thanks to Tony and Gary who had arranged the evening.

This was an afternoon performance in the restaurant and after being fed by Stephen and Llinos it was all go! Many people had come from England for the day out to beautiful Llangollen and were more than pleased when they heard the Santa Cruz River Band!

Guess who came? Yes! No 1 Fan, Beryl, from Chester with her friends, Kathy and Joan! This was not the last time we were to see Beryl, Kathy and Joan.

July 23 evening, and 24 were both private occasions in friends’ houses… thank you to Elvina in Llanrwst and Patrick and Diane near Pantasaph church. I just love to eat outside …depending on the weather!

July 25 Golly! Did we have a REST today?!

July 26 we were at Dereks Archery Club near Bryn-y-Maen, Colwyn Bay.This outdoor event had been kindly arranged by Mike and Lynn Seiler who were members of this adventurous archery club. We sat outside all evening until dusk, balmy weather being our most unusual but welcome companion! Lynn and Mike had organised a wonderful barbecue with venison goulash!

What a great evening…..and the music was loved by all. What a surprise?!

July 27 a second visit to the Talardy Hotel, St Asaph There were many of Jan and Maurice’s friends at this performance and everyone enjoyed a meal in the Cellars bar, whilst listening to “There’s no tortillas!”

July 28 An evening performance in the bar of the Abbey Grange! As The Abbey Grange is a Welsh Stronghold, the Boys’ rendering of Ar Lan Y Mor went down with great appreciation from the audience! “Fancy they are able to sing in proper Welsh!!” gasped one or two who had really lent a discerning ear to their pronounciation! (Well done Boys! I whispered, in proud reflected glory!!) …….Hello Beryl, Kathy and Joan!

July 29 The Plaid Cymru (Political) Party of Wales was holding a Family Fun Day in a field opposite the Abbey Grange in the afternoon. So once again the Band was hired to play in the Marquee for this event. So whilst folk were entering the Sack Race and Place the Tail on the Donkey etc Ted. Michael and Gil were singing Living on a Plain! (I don’t know why they did that as sure enough, down came the rain and nearly wiped everyone off the field!) Nevermind ………. we all had Beryl, Kathy and Joan for company to stave off the near disappointment of “no show”!

In the evening, the Boys were clutched to the bosom of the Welsh Heartland in Corwen! There is nowhere more Welsh than the town of Corwen snuggled in the hills near Llangollen. Gill and Tony were the hosts of The Harp Pub in the square, situated next door to the statue of Owain Glyndwr! What a welcome from the Welsh people! It was the Annual Sheep Shearing Competition Weekend and sheep men from all over the world were in Corwen to show off their skills. A local, young men’s choir from Ruthin, (a town close by), were at The Harp early in the evening and were singing unofficially in the bar! They were magnificent, as all Welsh men are, when they sing! Our Boys got to talking and I asked the young choir if they would sing Ar Lan Y Mor. They started well, but got a bit mixed up when they got to the second verse! Forgotten and didn’t know the words!

Well! What do you know? Off went Ted, Michael and Gil into the strains of Ar Lan Y Mor! Right through the three verses without a wobble!

I heard the choir mutter one to another in guilty and ashamed Welsh whispers! “They come from Tucson Arizona and know OUR Welsh song better than we do!”

They were amazed, stunned and in awe, as we were of them, when they sang as a true Welsh choir!

The mutual admiration society!

Oh! And guess who was there! Beryl, Kathy and Joan!

July 30 Back to the Abbey Grange as a permanent Sunday lunch fixture! Stephen and Llinos more than welcoming, once more!

In the evening we were at James Berry’s Church, St Ffraids in Glan Conwy Many people were there who were “Band Followers”! Amongst whom, Mike and Lynn our friends of the Archery Club. The Ladies of the Parish were most kind in feeding us yet again, this year! I think there were many more people here than there were last year…..so you see, there is now a good Fan base!

James is a very good friend who had hosted Gil and Arthur for 2 months last year. Arthur is sadly missed.

Did we really have a few days rest again here? I can’t remember what we did, so maybe we slept right through?!

Aug 4 and we were at The Antelope Inn near Menai Bridge Many patrons visiting this family pub decided to stay and attend this venue!

A wonderful piece of good fortune arrived in the shape of Owen from Cob Records Store in Bangor! He said he would arrange a recording session with Radio Cymru in Bangor, so that the Band could be presented to the Welsh public in general! So Aug 7 it was to be! This is a very Welsh orientated Radio Show and we were honoured to be invited to do this. What a chance to sing Ar Lan Y Mor and a Mexican Song! No English!

Aug 5 and it is Pantasaph Friary Concert once again! The Band was performing for the support to the South African Aids Orphans. This had been planned for months by the Pantasaph Justice and Peace Group. Many helpers had made this event successful once again. The Padre Pio Garden setting was an inspiring venue in which to play. The weather held out and it was so quiet and calm. Astrid and Marcel from Holland were also present and they joined in one or two songs with the Boys. (They have their own Country Trail Band in Holland and so were well rehearsed!)

Oh! Is that Beryl, Kathy and Joan I see over there?! Yes! ……. Hello girls!

Aug 6 For the second season we were at the North Wales Country Music Festival in the Llandudno Theatre, Venue Cymru.

Iona and Andy Boggie, the hosts of the Show, were welcoming once more! The Theatre was well packed with Santa Cruz Supporters, amongst whom, Mike and Lynn Seiler, our avid fans, of course! A great show ………….. wasn’t it, Beryl, Kathy and Joan?! What would we do without them?!

Aug 7 The recording session with Radio Cymru! I primed the Boys with learning Welsh Greetings…Bore da! Sut a chi? Iawn diolch! They would not speak English if I could help it! This went down very well and the recording staff and Gareth Jones the Producer were thrilled with the result. This goes out on a show on Sept 3 at 2pm UK time on BBC Radio Cymru. We will be listening!

Back to the Conwy Folk Club in the Malt Loaf Pub at night, in our home base town of Conwy! A full house! Loads of fun! Many old friends from last year were in attendance! Hello Mike and Lynn! Thanks to Dennis Bennet!

Aug 8 St Mary’s Church, Towyn. A very warm welcome by Jean Carthy. Unfortunately due to family commitments, Joan and Mike Mason were unable to attend this year but all our love goes to you at this time. We enjoyed the concert of course and Astrid, Marcel and their 3 children (Amy, Sam and Isha) were once again in support. This added a different slant to the concert and we were all impressed by the children’s behaviour! And also Beryl, Kathy and Joan’s behaviour!

Aug 9 Back to the Victoria Hotel in Menai Bridge! Owen was there again and commented on the recording session. He was very pleased with the way things had gone and was already looking forward to next year!

Trish from Talwrn kept us company again and some of her Talwrn friends!

What? No Beryl, Kathy and Joan? Where are you? What’s happened?!

Aug 10 The Dinorben Arms Hotel in Bodfari. David was our host again and many new friends attended for a meal and concert in the old bar. Ah! Thank goodness! THERE you are Beryl, Kathy and Joan!

Aug 11 The Conwy Guildhall. As a Cultural Exchange between the Walled Town of Conwy and the Presidio of Tucson this was to prove to be exactly that! The Mayor of Conwy, Linda Thorp, welcomed the Band to the Civic occasion, held in the Conwy Town Guildhall. She had invited all the Mayors and Civic Dignitaries from the Walled Towns of North Wales and Chester to the gathering. She was supporting her Charity, the Hospice organization for children, of Hope House, Ty Gobaith specifically in this area. The Band was to give the concert in the Law Chambers of the Guildhall, so a few of the audience had to sit in the Dock, as the hall was filled to capacity!

Those present were: The Sheriff of Chester & His Lady, The Lord Mayor & Lady Mayoress of Bangor, The Mayors & Consorts of Abergele, Beaumaris, and Caernarfon, Deputy Mayor of Bay of Colwyn, Deputy Mayor & Mayoress of Caernarfon, Mayor & Mayoress of Llandudno, Penmaenmawr, Deputy Mayor & Mayoress of Prestatyn and of course the Mayor & Consort Conwy and Deputy Mayor & Consort Conwy.

Of course the Mayor had invited some of her friends to come along and there were several Councillors with their partners and friends coming along too.

Members of the Conwy Folk Club had been invited as they had been so enthusiastic about and welcoming to the Band last year also.

Many friends of Jan and Maurice were also invited but unfortunately because of numbers limits, health and safety issues, many of our friends had to be left out. I am sorry about this, especially Beryl, Kathy and Joan.

There was a banquet in the old hall and it was the perfect setting for the perfect evening!

Thank you to the Town Clerk, Mary Battersby, for organizing it all!

Our hosts, Kay and Don, had organized a wonderful audience in the bar lounge. Many new friends were made this night! Mike and Lynn, our faithful friends were there, and it was a wonderful atmosphere in which to sing. It was cosy and intimate!

Aug 13 Farewell barbecue at Maria’s, Le Gatte Café, in Craig-y-Don, Llandudno The weather was kinder this year so we ate outside but decided to go in for the concert! Great food, great company, great fun and great last concert!

The Musician’s Corner

Hola amigos,

We’ve been on the road for about 7 months, and I’d be hard pressed to remember where all we’ve performed. But I do remember that we were discussing “ Live Performance Techniques” in our last news letter.

Live Performance Techniques Part 3: A Properly Laid Out Set and Thoughts on Song Introductions

A properly laid out set list will help your performance to flow smoothly. There is no formula per se. My concerns are usually the energy level of the room, transition difficulties, (vocal stress or instrument changes) and occasionally the songs messages.

One problem with a set list, is that it can become too routine, so it’s good to have several lists to draw upon. By paying attention to your audience, you will know when you should make a change on the spot. Sometimes, one song just fits better than another.

Lastly, let’s consider the song introductions. This is something you won’t get when listening to recorded music, and another good reason for folks to attend your performance. Personally, I prefer my introductions to be brief and to the point, but sometimes I will embellish a bit. Not every song needs an introduction, every time, but they can be a real asset to your performance.

Till next time, adios.

The Web Page

Hello Everyone!

I would like to welcome Kristy Hom to our family. She is helping us on the web site and I encourage you all to check out the Gallery. There are lots of new photos from our wanderings as well as many photos from our trip to Wales last summer.

She has also worked very hard on the mailing list so we can get our newsletter out again. If you have any corrections please let us know and we will get your information updated. If you know anyone that would like to be on the list just have them go to santacruzriveband.com and click on the Mail List Button.

We received a stack of wonderful letters and drawings from the school kids in Metaline Falls, Washington and they will be up on the site soon. Visit the Reviews page and enjoy some of the great comments these children made.

Now that we have someone at the web helm we will be able to update our site more often and get some of the wonderful stories and pictures that you all send up for everyone to enjoy.

You can contact Kristy at:
kristy@santacruzriverband.com

If you have a large file please send it to michael.ronstadt@gmail.com. This address can take up to 10MEG at a time.

I hope this finds everyone happy and well and we always look forward to hearing from you.

Until next time,

Adios…

MR

A Newsletter Newbie

Hello Everyone! It's the newcomer here. My name is Kristy Hom, and I live in Sierra Vista, Arizona with my family: my husband, and our two youngins. We tend to follow the guys around when they perform in the southern half of Arizona- and have been doing so (with increasing frequency over the years!) since 2001.

I am sweeping out my new little corner here- please pardon the dust as I get some ideas for my own written contribution to the newsletter. As Mike wrote above, I'll be around the newsletter and the web site, helping to put the content into internet form. It is very important to us that your navigation around the web site and the newsletter is easy and intuitive, for both you and your computer! So if you experience difficulties, please don't hesitate to say so- please drop me a line at kristy@santacruzriverband.com.

Speaking of difficulties, we are aware that the photo gallery on the web site is difficult to view for the folks who have dial up/phone modem internet service. We hope to put together a dial up-friendly photo gallery in the very near future- please watch for an announcement about this soon!

I am tickled pink to be here collaborating with Ted, Michael, Gil and Jan, as well as with all of you- readers and contributors of the newsletter. (some of your guestbook comments are featured later....) To me, the newsletter feels like a a virtual SCRB gathering- with we, all over the world, coming here to celebrate the goodness of life through wonderful music and friendship, and through that common thread of love that brings us all together. What a great place to be!

Wishing you all happy days till we meet here again!

Kristy

The Big Yellow Bus!

Introducing "Bessie", the official SCRB touring RV!

by Gilbert Brown, chief mechanic

Allow me to introduce you to "Bessie". Not sure how, who or why she got the name Bessie; there were a number of entries such as "The Santa Cruzer", "Santa Banana" and "Millenium Buzzard". I actually have several pet names for the RV, but I only use them when I'm working on her, and can't print them here.

A 1976 GMC Glenwood motor home is what's on the title. She's twenty-six feet of fiberglass, rusted bolts and mysterious groans. At any given moment, tooling down the road, someone will say, "what's that noise"? I used to at least ponder the question, but now just say "I don't know" and go back to my book.

All this aside, it has made travel a totally different experience. We can nap, make a snack, take showers and don't have to floor it to the next rest area. We can even change drivers on busy freeways with no loss in speed. JUST KIDDING! We always lose a little...

Bessie is old and never passes a gas station, but covers a lot of miles pretty well. We have attempted to get on one of those TV shows where they restore and customize your old vehicle, but so far no luck. Anyone out there in need of a tax write-off?

New Articles and Reviews

The Band has been featured in several local newspapers during their touring this past year. Here are two recently published reviews from Carroll County, Maryland, and Graham, Texas:

Folklore - Myth - History - Truth

The legend of Merlin is known throughout the world. But did you know the Merlin story originated in Wales?

Merlin first appears in extant records (Armes Prydein, Y Gododdin) from the early 10th century as a mere prophet, but his role gradually evolved into that of magician, prophet and advisor, active in all phases of the administration of King Arthur's kingdom. He was apparently given the name Emrys (or Ambrosius) at his birth in Caer-Fyrddin (Carmarthen). He only later became known as Merlin, a Latinized version of the Welsh word, Myrddin, taken from the place of his birth. Geoffrey of Monmouth is thought to have invented this form (as he did so much else), since he did not want his character to be associated with the French word, merde, meaning "excrement".

Merlin was the illegitimate son of a monastic Royal Princess of Dyfed. The lady's father, however, King Meurig ap Maredydd ap Rhain, is not found in the traditional pedigrees of this kingdom and was probably a sub-King of the region bordering on Ceredigion. Merlin's father, it is said, was an angel who had visited the Royal nun and left her with child. Merlin's enemies claimed his father was really an incubus, an evil spirit that has intercourse with sleeping women. The evil child was supposed to provide a counterweight to the good influence of Jesus Christ on earth. Merlin, fortunately, was baptized early on in his life, an event which is said to have negated the evil in his nature, but left his powers intact. The original story was presumably invented to save his mother from the scandal which would have occurred had her liaison with one Morfyn Frych (the Freckled), a minor Prince of the House of Coel, been made public knowledge.

Legend then tells us that after the Roman withdrawal from Britain and the usurpation of the throne from the rightful heirs, Vortigern was in flight from the Saxon breakout and went to Snowdonia, in Wales, in hopes of constructing a mountain fortress at Dinas Emrys where he might be safe. Unfortunately, the building kept collapsing and Vortigern's house wizards told him that a human sacrifice of a fatherless child would solve the problem. One small difficulty was that such children are rather hard to find. Fortunately for Vortigern's fortress, Merlin was known to have no human father and happened to be available.

Before the sacrifice could take place, Merlin used his great visionary powers and attributed the structural problem to a subterranean pool in which lived a red and a white dragon. The meaning of this, according to Merlin, was that the red dragon represented the Britons, and the white dragon, the Saxons. The dragons fought, with the white dragon having the best of it, at first, but then the red dragon drove the white one back. The meaning was clear. Merlin prophesied that Vortigern would be slain and followed on the throne by Ambrosius Aurelianus, then Uther, then a greater leader, Arthur. It would fall to him to push the Saxons back.

True to the prophecy, Vortigern was slain and Ambrosius took the throne. Later, Merlin appears to have inherited his grandfather's little kingdom, but abandoned his lands in favour of the more mysterious life for which he has become so well known. After 460 British nobles were massacred at a peace conference, as a result of Saxon trickery, Ambrosius consulted Merlin about erecting a suitable memorial to them. Merlin, along with Uther, led an expedition to Ireland to procure the stones of the Chorea Gigantum, the Giant's Ring. Merlin, by the use of his extraordinary powers, brought the stones back to a site, just west of Amesbury, and re-erected them around the mass grave of the British nobles. We now call this place Stonehenge.

After his death, Ambrosius was succeeded by his brother, Uther, who, during his pursuit of Gorlois and his irresistable wife, Ygerna (Igraine or Eigr in some texts), back to their lands in Cornwall, was aided by Merlin. As a result of a deception made possible by Merlin's powers, Uther was transformed into the image of Gorlois. He entered their castle, managed to fool Ygraine into thinking he was her husband, had his way with her and in the course of things, conceived a child, Arthur. Poor Gorlois, not knowing what was going on, went out to meet Uther in combat, but instead, was slain by Uther's troops.

After Arthur's birth, Merlin became the young boy's tutor, while he grew up with his foster-father, Sir Ector (alias Cynyr Ceinfarfog (the Fair Bearded)). In the defining moment of Arthur's career, Merlin arranged for the sword-in-the-stone contest by which the lad became king. Later, the magician met the mystic Lady of the Lake at the Fountain of Barenton (in Brittany) and persuaded her to present the King with the magical sword, Excalibur. In the romances, Merlin is the creator of the Round Table, and is closely involved in aiding and directing the events of the king and kingdom of Camelot. He is pictured by Geoffrey of Monmouth, at the end of Arthur's life, accompanying the wounded Arthur to the Isle of Avalon for the healing of his wounds. Others tell how having fallen deeply in love with the Lady of the Lake, he agreed to teach her all his mystical powers. She became so powerful that her magical skills outshone even Merlin's. Determined not to be enslaved by him, she imprisoned the old man in a glass tower, a cave or similarly suitable prison. Thus his absence from the Battle of Camlann was ultimately responsible for Arthur's demise.

According to Geoffrey's "Vita Merlini" (c. 1151), Merlin/Myrddin was a sixth century prophet living in the north of Britain where his career extended beyond Arthur. Merlin travelled north, after Camlann, to the court of King Gwendoleu of Caer-Guenoleu (north of the Salway) where the locals called him Lailoken (or Llallogan). Shortly afterward, a war broke out between Merlin's Royal master and the three allies, King Riderch Hael (the Generous) of Strathclyde and Kings Peredyr & Gwrgi of Ebrauc (York). Gwendoleu was killed in the ensuing Battle of Ardderyd (Arthuret) and Merlin, sent mad with grief at the death of his nephew and four brothers, fled into the Caledonian Forest. He lived there in a mad frenzy for over a year, becoming known as Myrddin Wylt (the Wild), before Riderch, who was his brother-in-law, found him and brought him to safety in the Strathclyde Court.

Some scholars believe there were two Merlins: Myrddin Emrys and Myrddin Wylt. The fact that Merlin apparently lived from the reign of Vortigern (c.420) to the reign of Riderch Hael (c.580) would certainly support this view. The stretch from Vortigern to Arthur is itself unlikely and early versions of the "Vortigern at Dinas Emrys" story give the fatherless boy as Emrys Wledig (Ambrosius Aurelianus) who was living in Campus Elleti in Glywysing. Despite Myrddin Wylt's story indicating he may have had a conceptual origin in one of the wild-man-in-the-woods motifs common to the ancient folklore of the British Isles, this man's historicity is quite well established. His real name, however, may have been Lailoken. Was this man misplaced in time, by Geoffrey of Monmouth, to become King Arthur's mentor, some memory of a similar character from Caer-Fyrddin giving rise to his new name? PC Bartrum thinks not and points out that "fundamentally there is only one Merlin/Myrddin, and some of the later legends cannot be consistently classified as appropriate to one rather than the other."

His prison and/or burial place is said to be beneath Merlin's Mound at Marlborough College in Marlborough (Wiltshire), at Drumelzier in Tweeddale (Scotland), Bryn Myrddin (Merlin's Hill) near Carmarthen (Wales), Le Tombeau de Merlin (Merlin's Tomb) near Paimpont (Brittany) and Ynys Enlli (Bardsey Island) off the Lleyn Peninsula (Wales).

La Cocina

In this issue, we span part of the globe with two recipes to try and enjoy! First, from Wales:

and...from the Middle East/ India/Mediterranean regions:

Calling all recipes! Do you have a recipe you would like to share in an upcoming newsletter? Please email it to our editor, Jan Hedgecock, at jan@santacruzriverband.com.

The SCRB Pony Express

This news just in...for all the UK Fans: The Tour Gig Program is on the web site! Please visit the touring schedule there. Please check for updates often.

From Jan and Kristy: We love hearing from you all (well! perhaps not all of you at the same time!!), by letter, guest book comments, or e-mail. You can be assured of a response!

Featured in the post today are some of the many great guestbook entries since the last edition of the newsletter:

Thank you everyone! Your greetings, comments and feedback are deeply appreciated. Please stay in touch! To reach us by letter, email, or through the guestbook on the SCRB web site, Please see our contact information here in the newsletter.

"So, until we meet again......."

Best wishes to all our friends and thank you for your support!

I hope you have all enjoyed this issue and please be assured that another Newsletter is already in the planning stage! We now look forward to receiving your letters, e-mails, guest book comments. Without some communication from you, the folk on whom we depend, we cannot know what you are thinking! So please, let's hear from you! You will be assured of a response.

So, from all of us here at the newsletter: The Boys, Jan, Kristy, and of course, Lady Floppy Ears...

Until we meet again - Adios!

Contact information:

Newsletter Editor:
Jan Hedgecock: jan@santacruzriverband.com

Website and Newsletter Design:
Kristy Hom: kristy@santacruzriverband.com

Information and Spanish Language Contact:
Loraine Ramirez: loraine@santacruzriverband.com

Band Contacts:
Michael Ronstadt: mike@santacruzriverband.com
Ted Ramirez: ted@santacruzriverband.com

Snail Mail:

Santa Cruz River Band
P.O. Box 19023
Tucson, AZ 85730

For booking and Information: info@santacruzriverband.com

Band Website: santacruzriverband.com

Band Myspace site: myspace.com/ronstadtramirez

The Santa Cruz River Band Newsletter, June, 2007

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