Michael Montgomery writes: "The Celtic peoples lived throughout much of continental Europe during the Iron Age. They are thought to have migrated to southern Britain sometime between the 12th and 6th century B.C. 'Dawn in the Glades' attempts to paint a musical portrait of the arrival of these first tribal groups as they settled in open landscapes that may have first been cleared by Neolithic farmers of ages past.

Whether or not they recognized the handiwork of earlier inhabitants in the forest clearings, the Celts would have certainly appreciated the remarkable resourcefulness of the predecessors who created the monument we today call 'Stonehenge'. The circle of giant stones, brought to this site nearly 2,000 years before the Celtic immigration, would certainly have left them with the same sense of wonder we still experience today.

With their hooded white robes and oak staffs the Celtic priests, or 'Druids', would have recognized the great potential for liturgical movement and procession in the concentric rings of massive stone that were long before set in the middle of a basin on Salisbury Plain. It is said that the Druids more than likely did use Stonehenge as a temple of worship and sacrifice when they moved into the region.

It is know that early Britons, from the late Neolithic time until the end of the Bronze Age (2900-800BC), buried their dead beneath earthen mounds known as 'Barrows'. Stonehenge itself served not only as a place of religious ceremony, but was also apparently a cemetery - in its immediate area we find two very large long and several hundred smaller barrows.

After Julius Caesar's invasion of southeastern Britain, much of the old way of life was lost as the Celtic society here was slowly absorbed into the Roman Empire. We are indeed fortunate that Celtic culture managed to survive to some extent in Ireland, which the Roman armies were not able to conquer. Happily, we in the United States find remnants of old Celtic music brought to our country by Irish immigrants when they settled in the Appalachian and Ozark Mountains. It is hoped that the 'Celtic Dance' will reflect our appreciation of this ancient heritage.

Double bassist Michael Montgomery, a student of Robert Rohe and Lucas Drew, has a Doctor of Musical Arts degree, played in the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra for many years, and now lives in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas, where he teaches at the University of Arkansas Fayetteville and the Suzuki Music School of Arkansas. His articles have been published in American Suzuki Journal, Bass World, and Pastoral Music.