Oh the Merry Month of May
Week 1 (April 28 - May 4) In honor of May I have been reviving Samradh Samradh (Summer Summer) which is an easy little tune, but for some reason I never learned it fully. It was taught to me 15 years ago by Janet Harbison when I took her week long harp intensive in the Antrim Glens.
I've also been learning The Shire Song (Concerning Hobbits) and though I've spent a lot of time on it the second longer and more complicated part is still barely formed. I can play the first part and then go into another tune, but really should learn the whole thing properly.
I really jumped the gun with my busking idea as the weather has been windy and cold and a bit wet. I went walking yesterday in the Dales and needed gloves, hat, scarf, multiple layers. So yeah, I'll leave it til temps and conditions are more summery.
I did practice a good amount this week, up until Friday. We went to Manchester to visit Mike's family on the weekend.
We have a play-together at one of the ladies' houses on Sunday and I'm going to teach a tune by ear. I have decided on The Rakes of Clonmel as it's one I've taught before and it's one of the first tunes I learned, so should be doable.
Open mic night was last night. I stumbled a lot. Once I get unhinged I find it really hard to recover. A bit nervous, a bit too dark, hard to see the strings, lost the red and blue ones to the background. It was a mess. Here are a few pics from some recent nights:
Practiced loads on Tues, Wed, and Thurs. Got myself booked in to a sort of open mic that I've done once before with the harp group I play with. Our group (Pennine Harps) will be doing it next month, but this month I'll be on my own.
It's a bit more formal than an open mic with a program and everything. Everyone gets (only) 10 minutes. So I'm going to play Black is the Colour / Nellie Your Favour I'm Afraid I'll Not Gain, Teatotaller / Morning star, and Soft Mild Morning. 10 minutes exactly.
I also got myself booked in for the Kirkkstall Abbey Music in the Abbey Series. All of the deli markets were booked up but they brought back the music in the abbey series which they didn't do at all last year. I did it two years ago. There's less exposure as the deli market won't be on that day, but if the weather is good there could still be loads of people (which there was two years ago). The acoustics are better because I play just inside the abbey (facing onto the grassy area in the courtyard cloisters). Last time there was over 60 people milling around, sitting on lawn chairs and picnic blankets, etc listening! I get a two hour slot and can play for however long I want. I did and hour and a half two years ago. Mike joined me on several tunes and did a few songs on his own. We'll do it that away again this year.
Week 3
At our play together today we had at least 10 harps again! I taught Rakes of Clonmel by ear and they all learned the tune, right and left hand and they all loved it! Yay!
Week 4
I didn't post much last week, but I did practice! Last night was the Bradford Music Club which is a bit more formal than an open mic. I did great! I wasn't nervous at all and only made one little mistake--yay me!
Today I had rehearsal with the Pennine Harps ladies and we worked on our usual stuff, getting ready to do the Bradford Music Club for next month. We're getting a double slot to allow for a few solos as well as our common repertoire. I enjoy playing with the ladies very much, but don't ever get very excited about the tunes to post much here about them. A couple Welsh tunes, Princess Royale (my choice, of course), Ashokan Farewell (which I have adopted into my own repertoire), a couple others. I think for my solo I'm going to do Eleanor Plunkett / The Rights of Man.
Also, have to decide what I'm going to do for our usual open mic night which is tomorrow night...
End of May
We never made it open mic last week as Mike had to much work to do. The next one is next week. Been working on much of the same stuff. One new thing is I'm re-working (re-learning) The Blackbird (set dance).
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ReplyDeleteI figured out how to move my post all by myself!
ReplyDeleteYes, I've got the new Harper's Escape book. Mike and I were in Phila for just a few days in November because my Dad passed away. There were only 3 things on my list (besides the funeral) 1. See Leslie and Bill. 2. Go to Essene and see all my old buddies. 3. See Kathy (and Dennis and Emma). It was an absolute 3 and a half day whirlwind of very low lows and very joyous highs. I got everyone on my list in and Kathy surprised me with the book as she knew I was wanting it. It was absolutely AMAZING to see her and everyone after 6 years. I can't even explain how surreal and joyful it was. And so glad Mike finally got to meet everyone.
ReplyDeleteLucy, if you had still been in Philly you'd have been on my list, too!
ReplyDeleteI can imagine how great that was. Six years. Oi.
ReplyDeleteHow did your teaching by ear go?
ReplyDeleteThat's this coming Sunday, I'll let you know!
ReplyDeleteYou get all my kudos for just DOING the open mic!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI love Rakes of Clonmel - the folks around here play it differently though with a third part, so I never get to play it except when I'm at harp things.
ReplyDeleteA banjo player I knew in Lisdoonvarna had a third part to it, but the first two were the same. It's the first jig I learned; was it the first jig Kathy taught you as well?
ReplyDeleteHmmmm - I think it was a Harper's Escape tune at some point.... my first jig was, I think Ned Coleman's.
ReplyDeleteAs I recall - your first tune was somthing like George Brabazon! Baptism by fire! Kathy wised up - my first tune was South Wind. Easy. 2nd was a similar one, another song.
ReplyDeleteHa ha!! Geo Brabizon was one of my very early ones and I remember crying in my horrible apartment (before you knew me) on Broad Street about it. One day I worked on it for hours straight.
ReplyDeleteMy very first tune was Star of the County Down and then Rakes of Clonmel, I'm fairly sure. Oh, the memories!
For *four* hours straight, that should say.
ReplyDeleteI do think that is an easy mistake to make when you have taught for very long - to overestimate what someone can learn.
ReplyDeleteOh, I did learn it! (of course) I am very thankful for the pushing as I learned more and faster than I would have ever thought possible.
ReplyDeleteMy, my, weren't your fingers sore after all that? I was thinking that my first 'real' song might have been 'All Through the Night' from the Sylvia Woods Teach Yourself. You have no idea how envious I am that Kathy was your teacher.....
ReplyDeleteA bit sore, but I have played for longer stretches than that (not recently though!) Yes, Kathy is one of those rare instances of the right person showing up in one's life at the right time. Like, 'when the student is ready the teacher will come' but even *more so*!
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