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03/15/16 - NNHS Newsletter - Black Velvet Band
	“Beware the Ides of March.”  - William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar Act 1, scene 2, 15–19 (The “ides” of March is the fifteenth; which day of the month the ides is depends on a complicated system of calculation Caesar himself established when he instituted the Julian calendar, a precursor of our own. The ides of January, for example, is the thirteenth; the ides of March, May, July and October is the fifteenth.)

Dear Friends and Schoolmates,      All this week leading up to St. Patrick's Day we'll be celebrating with Irish songs.   This is one of my favorites.  It describes transportation to Van Dieman's Land (Van Dieman's Land was changed to Tasmania, which is now part of Australia), a common punishment in 19th century Britain and Ireland until the 1850's.     I have three different arrangements for you.  As it is a traditional folk song, you'll notice the lyrics will vary with each interpretation: BONUS #1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfsgHyymG8E -The Black Velvet Band - The Irish Rovers BONUS #2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cnzstOtW2k -The Black Velvet Band - The Dubliners BONUS #3 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBRQM0vErH8 - The Black Velvet Band - Luke Kelly, 1970

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HOMEWORK: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Diemen's_Land http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penal_transportation

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REMINDER:      From Me ('65) of IL - 03/15/15 - "Don't forget to search for the leprechauns on Tuesday morning!": http://www.chiff.com/a/leprechaun.htm

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THIS WEEK'S BIRTHDAYS:    Happy Birthday today to Joan Williams Eberwine ('57) AND Linda Robinson Gillespie ('71) of VA!    Happy Birthday tomorrow to    The late Bill Gross (deceased 22 Mar 2014) AND     Linda May Bond Crayton ('66) of VA AND    Jacque Ray Fisher ('66) of NC!    Happy Birthday this week to:

March 15, 1933 - Austrian Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss kept members of the National Council from convening, starting the austrofascist dictatorship. March 15, 1939 - German troops occupied the remaining part of Bohemia and Moravia; Czechoslovakia ceases to exist. March 15, 1939 - Carpatho-Ukraine declared itself an independent republic, but was annexed by Hungary the next day. March 15, 1943 - Third Battle of Kharkov – the Germans retook the city of Kharkov from the Soviet armies in bitter street fighting. March 15, 1945 - Soviet forces began an offensive to push Germans from Upper Silesia.

 

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THIS DAY IN 1966:

From My Friend, Daniel, of UT - 03/10/15:

   From Bill Hobbs ('66) of Northern VA - 03/14/16 - "The Missing Man Table":

     From Sarah Puckett Kressaty ('65) of VA - 03/14/16 - "Have faith in our youth! Rendition of our National Anthem":

     From Bill Hobbs ('66) of Northern VA - 03/14/16 - "A Marine Toast":

Black Velvet Band


Chorus:
Her eyes they shone like the diamonds
You'd think she was queen of the land
And her hair hung over her shoulder
Tied up with a black velvet band.

In a neat little town they call Belfast
Apprenticed to trade I was bound
And many an hour's sweet happiness
I spent in that neat little town.
Till bad misfortune came o'er me
That caused me to stray from the land
Far away from my friends and relations
To follow the black velvet band.

Well, I was out strolling one evening
Not meaning to go very far
When I met with a pretty young damsel
Who was selling her trade in the bar.
When I watched, she took from a customer
And slipped it right into my hand
Then the Watch came and put me in prison
Bad luck to the black velvet band.

Next morning before judge and jury
For a trial I had to appear
And the judge, he said, "You young fellows...
The case against you is quite clear
And seven long years is your sentence
You're going to Van Dieman's Land
Far away from your friends and relations
To follow the black velvet band."

So come all you jolly young fellows
I'd have you take warning by me
Whenever you're out on the liquor, me lads,
Beware of the pretty colleen.
She'll fill you with whiskey and porter
Until you're not able to stand
And the very next thing that you'll know, me lads,
You're landed in Van Dieman's Land.