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| Another gig at Kilshanny House Pub |
I had another gig at Kilshanny House Pub playing for a private lunch for officials who were here to decide whether or not the Burren would keep its' GeoPark status (the jury is still out).
I continue to take my harp to two different weekly sessions in Doolin (Fitz's Pub on Monday and Gus O'Connors on Friday). I was invited to a brand new session last Saturday which is out in the middle of the Burren in a little place called Carran in Cassidy's Pub. It was a lovely session and the pub was packed with locals and a few friends of those who played in the session as well.
I am learning a few more new tunes now including Farrel O'Garra's (reel), The Rolling Wave (jig), The Kerfunken (jig), and Jenny Picking Cockles (reel). I am having my own private Harper's Escape with all of these new tunes, plus the ones I mentioned last month.
Well, watch this space, as you know from my previous months I am always adding onto my post throughout the month....
This photo is from the Saturday night session at Cassidy's Pub in Carran in the Burren. The fireplace behind me is big enough to stand in!
Another new tune: Lucy Farr's (barndance). Anyone else play it? It's not too hard, has a lovely swing to it--I played it at the Monday night Doolin session last night, also did Hills of Coore again as requested by a friend.
Also, I was mentioned on the West Wind radio program on Clare FM (you can listen to the programs on podcast or whatever it's called) on Friday by the host and my friend Eoin O'Neill! He went into a play by play description of me starting up The Rolling Wave and the guys all joining in one by one, as the tune went round, lots of dynamics and we played it over and over and grooved with it as per the normal Monday night style. I was very floored and flattered. I know I'm not the best harpist out there but I am doing my best and the continued support and love from my friends is truly amazing!
For anyone curious enough to listen to the program (and it's a great trad program!) here is the link, it's the one from Friday the 17th of July::
http://www.clare.fm/west-wind-eoin-oneill
This photo is from the Saturday night session at Cassidy's Pub in Carran in the Burren. The fireplace behind me is big enough to stand in!
Also, I was mentioned on the West Wind radio program on Clare FM (you can listen to the programs on podcast or whatever it's called) on Friday by the host and my friend Eoin O'Neill! He went into a play by play description of me starting up The Rolling Wave and the guys all joining in one by one, as the tune went round, lots of dynamics and we played it over and over and grooved with it as per the normal Monday night style. I was very floored and flattered. I know I'm not the best harpist out there but I am doing my best and the continued support and love from my friends is truly amazing!
For anyone curious enough to listen to the program (and it's a great trad program!) here is the link, it's the one from Friday the 17th of July::
http://www.clare.fm/west-wind-eoin-oneill
And, as always, an inspiration! What fun! And picking up reels and jigs like that! My first harp teacher, who is a fabulous player, always said she needed a year to get reels and jigs under her fingers at full speed, before she would perform them. Are you finding the learning process goes faster learning and playing them in Sessions? All the tune names you mentioned are new to me- are some of them known by other names as well? I am so impressed with your drive to get out there and participate! Love it!
ReplyDeleteMaybe your teacher was a perfectionist? A year seems an awful long time! I'd say I can do some at full speed in public in a month or so and it's OK if they are not perfect as long as it is not a *performance*.. But I'll also go less than full speed in a session, and the guys will slow down a bit to match me. Or sometimes they end up being solos because they just want to listen (or have a smoke break!).
ReplyDeleteI could go a whole night and only play a few tunes in a session. I might be asked to start up a set or two and then the others are just what I already know when the session is in full swing. The rest of the time I try and back the tunes but only if I know what key it's in.
The tunes I mentioned above I don't have any other names for. Farrel O'Garra's is pretty common and just one that I really like. Kerfunken you'll find on one of Martin Hayes' CDs, The Rolling Wave is also common (Have you seen the film The Boys and Girl of County Clare? It's the tune the brothers are all playing in the opening scene), and Jenny Picking Cockles is also pretty common around these parts anyway.
Anyway, I'm not really just picking them up just like that cause I do hammer them into my fingers and play them over and over and some are trickier than others with the fingering and I need to actually work out the fingering (rather than do it automatically like I do for most tunes). Anyway jigs and reels and hornpipes....sure what else would I be playing (besides O'Carolan and slow airs)? :-) :-)