Virginia Scottish Games in the Media

WTOP had a great piece about the Games, and your Webmaster & Games Coordinator was interviewed on Fox 5 news! It's going to be a great weekend, so come on out.

Final Set Order for Virginia Scottish Games Concert

1. QUICKSTEPS: Corriechoillie’s Welcome to the Northern Meeting (XVIII-2) / Loch Ruan (XVIII-2)

2. STRATHSPEY AND REEL: Allowa Kirk (XVIII-22) / Far Form Home (XVIII-4)

3. LESLIE’S SQUIRREL: Leslie’s March (XVIII-9) / The Squirrel (XVIII-23)

4. STRATHSPEY AND REELS: Thorn Bush (XVIII-24) / The Hurdle Race (XVIII-24) / The Bungalow (XVIII-5)

5. FAIRY SET: I Left my Baby Lying There (XVIII-26) / Cailleach Beinn na Bric (XVIII-27)

6. MAGGIE’S GENERAL STORE: Maggie Lauder (XVIII-8) / Linda and Barry’s Treat (XVIII-20) / Patterson’s General Store (XVIII-19)

7. TROWS IN 6/8: Vallafield (XVIII-29) / Aith Rant (XVIII-29) / Garster’s Dream (XVIII-29)

8. CAPE BRETON MSR: James Cameron (XVIII-20) / Miss Ann Moir’s Birthday (XVIII-30) / West Mabou (XVIII-30) / Gin I Had a Bonnie Lassie (XVIII-30)

9. AIR: Johnnie Faa (XVIII-16)

10. CAPE BRETON JIGS: The Trippers (XVIII-31) / Minnie MacMaster (XVIII-18) / The Four Musketeers (XVIII-31)

11. AIR, STRATHSPEY AND REEL: Eilean Beag Donn a’ Chuain (XVIII-5) / Charles Leslie of Findassie (XVIII-33) / Mr Natty McColl (XVIII-33)

12. TROWIE SET: Winyadepla (XVIII-25) / Wast Side Trows’ Reel (XVIII-28) / Hylta Dance (XVIII-28)

13. AIR AND COUNTRY DANCE: My Nanny O (XVIII-13) / Flowers of Edinburgh (XVIII-11)

14. MARCH STRATHSPEY REEL: Burning of the Piper’s Hut (XVIII-1) / Loch Ness (XVIII-7) / The Wooden Whale (XVIII-32)

Fiddle Club mourns the passing of Newsletter Editor Leah Sparks

John Ward has recently notified the board of the sad news that our wonderful newsletter editor, Leah Sparks, passed away last night. She had just turned 39. Her parents have sent us the following:

On August 31, 2011 Leah Joy Sparks died peacefully at her parent’s home in Severn after a long battle against soft tissue sarcoma. Leah endured fifteen months of chemotherapy with seven different drugs and also radiation until she exhausted all of her options. To quote her oncologist, “You fought the fight and finished the race.”

Leah was born August 30, 1972, in Delaware, Ohio. In 1986 she lost her left leg to osteosarcoma during her first bout with cancer. She graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University in 1995 and held a Master’s in Library Science from the University of Maryland and a Master’s in Publishing from Oxford-Brookes University in Oxford, England.

Leah was employed as an intelligence analyst for the FBI in Baltimore. She was extremely dedicated to her job and it brought her great joy to work for the Bureau. She was given the Leadership Award by her FBI colleagues at Quantico, Virginia and was the student speaker at graduation. Leah wanted to be remembered for her integrity, her loyalty, and her love for her family and country. She was a voracious reader and enjoyed playing the Scottish fiddle and cycling; she once rode 54 miles using her biking prosthesis. She was a member of Severn United Methodist Church where she wrote the bi-monthly newsletter and prepared the weekly bulletins. She insisted on finishing the bulletin after being admitted to hospice eight days before her death.

Leah will be forever held in the hearts of her grateful parents, Rev. Dr. Kelly and Myra Sparks, her sister, Erin Sparks Talbot and her husband, Mark Talbot, of Moorestown, New Jersey. “Auntie Leah” will never be forgotten by Ethan and Spencer Talbot, Leah’s 7 year old twin nephews. Other survivors include Leah’s maternal grandmother, Mrs. James Holtsclaw of Charleston, West Virginia and paternal grandmother, Mrs. James Sparks of Hurricane, West Virginia. Leah was loved and respected by her many aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.

Leah wanted everyone to remember her as she was before her illness. At her request, a private viewing for family only will be followed by a celebration of her life on Saturday, September 3rd, 2011 at Severna Park United Methodist Church in Severna Park, Maryland at 3:00 p.m. A private burial will follow.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Leah’s favorite charity, the Ronald McDonald House