Gang, I just wanted to remind you that this weekend, February 12-14, 2010, is the annual DanceFlurry Festival!
Visit http://www.danceflurry.org/festival/index.html for more information, including times, schedules, locations, jamming, performers....and parking!
Have a great time and hope to see you there!!!
The Trad
p.s. make sure you go see Nightingale, one of my very favorite bands! Also, Storyteller Bairbre McCarthy will be there with her very large posse, including one of our very favorite local fiddlers: Maura MacNamara! Bairbre and Maura are finishing up an album to be released very soon. Eyes open here for details!
Showing posts with label Irish. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Irish. Show all posts
1.15.2010
Irish Slow Session at The Jam & Sing Thing
Hi, Friends! I'd like to invite you all the come to the Jam & Sing Thing this weekend (http://www.jamsingthing.webs.com/ for schedule, ticket prices, staff/workshops, etc.), January 15-17, 2010 on Madison Avenue in Albany, NY.
We're doing an "As If" Old Songs Irish Slow Session so folks who haven't visited us at Old Songs on the second Wednesday of the month can see what we're all about.
Tonight, Friday 1/15, we have guest teacher David Smith teaching one of four tunes (we'll see what people want to work on). We will provide sheet music, so bring a pencil to mark changes. Bring a recorder to capture what the tunes sound like! I will also lead a tune, and then we'll take suggestions from the group for tunes to work on slowly. We'll also play some of our standard Old Songs Slow Session sets (look to the right for more info), and we can see if we have tunes in common to share!
If you're an intermediate player and have 50-150 tunes at speed, feel free to participate in the Tri-City Trad Irish Mist Session that will follow in the same location. Those who are newer to the music are invited to stay and participate when they can!
See you at the Jam & Sing Thing!
The Trad
fidilkid at hotmail dot com
See you at the Jam & Sing Thing!
The Trad
fidilkid at hotmail dot com
12.19.2006
Teada and the Great Christmas Extravaganza
Well, my friends, it's just two weeks until I change the date back to the American style. I know you're holding your collective breath. In the meantime Trad Scribe Karen wants to share her thoughts on the Christmas fundraiser concert at the Egg:
Irish Christmas in America @ the Egg on 12/12/2006
by Karen White, Trad correspondent
"Irish Christmas in America" was a pleasant evening's entertainment despite the fact that the performers turned out to be not exactly as originally billed. Cathie Ryan did not appear and two members of Teada (Damien Stenson, Flute/Whistle and Paul Finn, Button Accordion) were also among the missing. Tommy Martin (Uillean pipes), Grainne Hambly (Irish harp), andMichael Londra of Riverdance fame proved to be wonderful surprises though. Tristan Rosenstock (Bodhran) of Teada served as narrator for the evening and recounted many of the traditional Irish holiday customs as slides were projected behind the performers. The musicians were joined from time to time by smiling dancers whose straight locks were a nice departure from the usual ringlet curl wigs. The first set featured Michael Londra's rendition of Wexford Carol and the singer later proudly announced to the audience that he is indeed from County Wexford.The second set involved more great music and a few chuckles brought on by a short skit. The images of the thatched cottages and people dressed intraditional garb were a nice touch and a reminder to the audience that Christmas was not/is not ALL about the craziness we Americans participatein each year at this time. The compact performance came to a close about an hour and 45 minutes after it started. Soloist Londra sang a verse of Silent Night in Gaelic and then, at his urging, the crowd joined in singingthe English version. And for a brief moment after the carol was finished, everyone seemed quietly surprised at how lovely it had turned out!
__________________________________________________
We have to agree with Karen on her point about Irish Christmas not being all craziness like in America. We had friends visiting from Ireland this Autumn who shared their dismay at our collective Christmas psychosis. They did say that things were changing at home (i.e. becoming more commercial), but they were completely shocked at how much Christmas had taken over everything around here so quickly and so soon after Halloween!
Thanks again, Karen, and Happy Christmas to all!
The Trad
Irish Christmas in America @ the Egg on 12/12/2006
by Karen White, Trad correspondent
"Irish Christmas in America" was a pleasant evening's entertainment despite the fact that the performers turned out to be not exactly as originally billed. Cathie Ryan did not appear and two members of Teada (Damien Stenson, Flute/Whistle and Paul Finn, Button Accordion) were also among the missing. Tommy Martin (Uillean pipes), Grainne Hambly (Irish harp), andMichael Londra of Riverdance fame proved to be wonderful surprises though. Tristan Rosenstock (Bodhran) of Teada served as narrator for the evening and recounted many of the traditional Irish holiday customs as slides were projected behind the performers. The musicians were joined from time to time by smiling dancers whose straight locks were a nice departure from the usual ringlet curl wigs. The first set featured Michael Londra's rendition of Wexford Carol and the singer later proudly announced to the audience that he is indeed from County Wexford.The second set involved more great music and a few chuckles brought on by a short skit. The images of the thatched cottages and people dressed intraditional garb were a nice touch and a reminder to the audience that Christmas was not/is not ALL about the craziness we Americans participatein each year at this time. The compact performance came to a close about an hour and 45 minutes after it started. Soloist Londra sang a verse of Silent Night in Gaelic and then, at his urging, the crowd joined in singingthe English version. And for a brief moment after the carol was finished, everyone seemed quietly surprised at how lovely it had turned out!
__________________________________________________
We have to agree with Karen on her point about Irish Christmas not being all craziness like in America. We had friends visiting from Ireland this Autumn who shared their dismay at our collective Christmas psychosis. They did say that things were changing at home (i.e. becoming more commercial), but they were completely shocked at how much Christmas had taken over everything around here so quickly and so soon after Halloween!
Thanks again, Karen, and Happy Christmas to all!
The Trad
12.08.2006
Are you a people, too?
Power to the People!
I went to a concert last night at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY. Nine amazing musicians (two of whom come regularly to our slow session), spent an evening sharing songs, tunes, stories and folklore from the Adirondack region and the world. There should have been a campfire in the middle of it all...building codes be damned! It was great, and it was exactly the way this tradition should be shared: from person to person. Folk music is the same the world over: made by the people for the people about their stories, their lives, their loves, and their joys and sorrows. What is so exciting is that evenings like these, with many, many talented local, regional, and professional musicians, are happening all over the world, every single night of the week!
I hope you'll stick with me...
This blog is for my friends at the Old Songs slow session, and anyone else who's got an interest in traditional Irish music. Even though we're just focusing on learning tunes at the session, I want to encourage you to read and listen and look around and meet people who are doing what you're doing. Visit the links below for ideas and connections. I'll post concerts I think you should know about, and I'll include my listening suggestions, and I want to hear yours, too.
I'm no expert, that's for sure, but I'm trying to do my part in passing the tradition along: I'll give you the tunes I've got, the bits and pieces of stories and information that get shared around, some recommendations on music, and some tips on playing as I get them from the masters who let me pay to watch what they do with their bow hand....um, when they play...ahhh..oh, dear, that did not come out right....but you know what I mean. I'll share what I learn, if I can. So, you're all welcome to our slow session. We're focusing specifically on Irish music, and trying to do as much as we can to practice our new tunes or instruments by ear.
Ah, well, in the meantime: stay warm, practice lots, and keep the faith! This is the people's music, and everyone can play (one bodhran at a time, though, OK?). -- Hilary
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
p.s. I want to thank my friend and co-leader Colleen for giving me the courage to start (and maintain) this session. And to my friend Karen who comes faithfully to the session, records all our tune lists, and keeps on plugging away at the music. You are my inspiration! Thanks also to the pros who take the time to come and make the session a success (you know who you are), and I do mean Thank You all so very much!
I went to a concert last night at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY. Nine amazing musicians (two of whom come regularly to our slow session), spent an evening sharing songs, tunes, stories and folklore from the Adirondack region and the world. There should have been a campfire in the middle of it all...building codes be damned! It was great, and it was exactly the way this tradition should be shared: from person to person. Folk music is the same the world over: made by the people for the people about their stories, their lives, their loves, and their joys and sorrows. What is so exciting is that evenings like these, with many, many talented local, regional, and professional musicians, are happening all over the world, every single night of the week!
I hope you'll stick with me...
This blog is for my friends at the Old Songs slow session, and anyone else who's got an interest in traditional Irish music. Even though we're just focusing on learning tunes at the session, I want to encourage you to read and listen and look around and meet people who are doing what you're doing. Visit the links below for ideas and connections. I'll post concerts I think you should know about, and I'll include my listening suggestions, and I want to hear yours, too.
I'm no expert, that's for sure, but I'm trying to do my part in passing the tradition along: I'll give you the tunes I've got, the bits and pieces of stories and information that get shared around, some recommendations on music, and some tips on playing as I get them from the masters who let me pay to watch what they do with their bow hand....um, when they play...ahhh..oh, dear, that did not come out right....but you know what I mean. I'll share what I learn, if I can. So, you're all welcome to our slow session. We're focusing specifically on Irish music, and trying to do as much as we can to practice our new tunes or instruments by ear.
Ah, well, in the meantime: stay warm, practice lots, and keep the faith! This is the people's music, and everyone can play (one bodhran at a time, though, OK?). -- Hilary
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
p.s. I want to thank my friend and co-leader Colleen for giving me the courage to start (and maintain) this session. And to my friend Karen who comes faithfully to the session, records all our tune lists, and keeps on plugging away at the music. You are my inspiration! Thanks also to the pros who take the time to come and make the session a success (you know who you are), and I do mean Thank You all so very much!
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