I'm sure this has happened to all of you: the session is well on its way, the people in the pub seem to enjoy it, and then, invariably, comes the question: "Do you do Danny Boy?"
To which we - after rolling up our eyes and muttering: "Oh no, not DB again!" - also invariably reply: "Sorry, but we don't do songs."
This usually leads to a rather perplexed look on their faces. Hadn't we been playing one song after the other for two hours?
Once in a while, we give in and give them a song (not DB, though, one has to draw the line somewhere), and the audience often joins in and usually has a grand time. But it's usually only one or two who know some of the words, and the overall quality of the presentation definitely doesn't come close to the general idea of a performance piece.
Now, this sacrilegious thought has crossed my mind: What about if the session group learns five or so tunes we actually marginally like and try to do some nice vocal harmony parts and arrangement (and learn the words), so that we have some fun doing these songs and we have something to offer the audience? At a different session in the past, we'd often do Hard Times at the end of the session with a nice vocal close harmonay arrangement, and we usually enjoyed doing it.
Has anyone's session group ever considered to learn a few songs to keep the punters happy? How do you handle these song requests?
When asked if I "do* Danny Boy, I usually reply that I'm a married woman. Anyway, if they press it, I just tell them that they don't want to hear me sing. Now, Beth will sing it if asked in the proper way, but only on St. Patrick's Day and only if an older person asks for it for sentimental reasons. And it's lovely when she does it. It'd be simply horrible if I did. ;)
George does some songs too -- Humors of Whiskey, the one about that potato worker, can't remember the name of it off-hand. And we once learned the Mermaid Song for a children's show we did, and then promptly and carefully were sure to forget it again.
Singing at an Irish session isn't really any more of a performance than playing at a session is. So it doesn't really matter if it's polished or up to some kind of standard.
I've said before that there's nothing wrong with the occasional song at an instrumental session but requests for Danny Boy, Fields of Athenry or Flower of Scotland(over here) etc make me cringe. Even at all singing sessions, the participants politely claim not to know these songs or have them within their repertoire.
One the guys at our sesh has a small encyclopedia of funny tunes tucked into his brain and he unleashes them from time to time. The most recent one he gave us was an a capella version of the Dubliners' "The Sick Note". MB said that he "liked the math" in that one. Great fun.
I'd like to break ranks here... maybe not to the extent of endorsing Danny Boy, but I don't believe it is particular songs that cause offense to anyone, but the type of singers they tend to appeal to. Personally I'd rather hear The rose of Tralee sang well and with passion than many a Sean Nos dirge. It's not that I don't like Sean Nos, or other dirges for that matter, but I have a real soft spot for Irish Parlour tunes. I love tunes like Slieveanamon and The Snowy Breasted Pearl and all those old sentimental tunes - they have great melody, but because they are so melodically strong, they are easy to overdo and kill stone dead.
The corollary to all this is to raise the question, "Why ARE some tunes 'cool' and others not? Why is Hard Times considered ok, but Fields of Athenry not? They are both pretty tunes with sentimental lyrics, and they've both been somewhat over exposed
For the record, my favourite session song of the moment is Bonnie Jean Cameron, sung by Sara Daniels. I've heard her sing it three times and she knocks the Kornog version into a cocked hat.
There are reasons Danny Boy, the Fields of Athenry, or any of the standards are so well known, and so loved. And it's often because they are great melodies with equally strong lyrics. We hear similar things repeatedly about certain tunes, but most of us have witnessed those same, worn-out, tunes played in a way that left a session is silent appreciation. If that hasn't happened for you, then you've something to look forward to. I also remember the first time I heard that a tune I particularly enjoyed was on the DO NOT PLAY list. I once heard a fiddle player announce, "I really do not like O'Carolyn tunes." To which I responded, "I'm certain he'd be crushed."
In my opinion it isn't even possible to compare a singer who'd be considered 'lucky' to get through a song with someone who commands the lyrics and lends interpretive skill to the melody. And let's not forget that song is straight from the heart of the tradition for anyone with "purist" tendencies. So no real need for concern about things like
For me, and I suspect more than a few singers, it's a classic dilemma: Do you learn songs to please yourself or to please others -- and are the two mutually exclusive?
Positing "Danny Boy" and "Fields of Athenry" as the gold standard for the sentimental/overdone/classic/your-adjective-here Irish songs, I will say that, no, I don't do 'em because I honestly don't feel I can "make them mine," if you will. Although I'd never begrudge anyone else for singing them, by themselves they just don't grab me, or more to the point I don't feel as if I could perform either with what I feel would be the appropriate degree of enthusiasm. Now, maybe if I came up with some novel yet not completely iconoclastic arrangement or approach it might be different story (I once heard Richard Thompson do a wonderful lounge-lizard version of "Danny Boy," and then turn it into a punk-rock anthem.)
I do have a pretty good stock of songs I like that, in the circles I travel, seem to be well-known enough for people to like hearing or joining in. These include "Banks of the Red Roses" (I use the first verse as the chorus), "Poverty Knock," and "To Welcome Poor Paddy Home."
If a request _does_ come for an "old familiar," I do say (and with complete honesty) that I while I know it well, I don't know it well enough to sing it. But as a consolation, perhaps, I might say, "Well, if you want a comical song, there's this-" and launch into "Mr. and Mrs. Dunn"; or if the request was for something on a more serious, or romantic note, I can say "Hmm, don't know that one. How about this one?" and start in on "Verdant Braes of Screen." Most people, I've found, tend to at least appreciate the effort, even if you don't give them exactly what they wanted.
Which reminds me: I've only got a few months to learn Robbie O'Connell's "You're Not Irish."
heike - Sorry, I neglected to answer your last question. We play tunes, predominantly. Songs usually come when someone wants a particular song they know someone has, or just "have ye a song?"might even come from within the session players. There are some players who are also good singers, and have worked up songs for performance that include instrumental accompaniment. Proficient session singing has, perhaps, served as a standard that may have intimidated a lamer or two over the years, or maybe we just look kinda mean.
STS, Is Mr and Mrs Dunn the song with the chorus "There was High Dunn, Low Dunn, Overdone and under done..." ? I think that's a great song (and very funny)and ideal for a session. I've always wanted a copy of the words so if you could either post them or e-mail me, I'll buy you a guinness. )
If these "punters" went into a song session, without an obvious instrument in sight, would they ask "can you play us a tune?". Why do they expect musicians not to play?
I have a growing collection of one-line songs to shut punters up.
Start a very solemn and serious Green Fields of France "And how are you doing, young Willie McBride, Can I take a short rest here down by your graveside?" at which point, the session loudly shouts "NO!". Much raucous laughter and "punter" is left in confusion.
Others include "Tom Pearce lend me your grey mare","NO!"
and "Bobby Shaftoes gone to sea, silver buckles on his knee, when he comes home he'll marry me", "PUFF!"
I wish Sid Kipper would take some of the Irish evergreens to bits and re-construct a real piss-take of them.
I am very lucky not to have been overexposed to "Danny Boy" and "The Fields of Athenry". My band does a nice "Danny Boy" and we have fun making it as pretty as we can without hosing it down with sentimentality. There is always someone in our audience that wants to hear it. The one song we haven't taken up and don't want to is "When Irish Eyes are Smiling"
We try to keep things balanced. We learn songs to keep in our back pocket in case someone asks and we learn songs we want to sing like the edgier Ewan MacColl songs. Some songs you just can't retire because the audience responds to well to them and we don't have as much fun doing them as when we started 5 years ago. That list of songs is "I'll Tell Me Ma", "The Merry Ploughboy", "Tim Finnigan's Wake", and "Whiskey in the Jar". I have my own short list of instrumentals that I'm a bit tired of, its a set of jigs that EVERYONE here plays ("Road to Lisdoonvarna", "Swallow Tail", "Morrison's") I've been performing them on stage for 5 years and the people always respond so well to them. As a stage performer my first responsibility is to the audience as they are the reason for my employment...if they like what I'm playing, then they will stay and keep drinking and if they don't they'll leave. If they leave I'm out of a job. My second responsibility is to myself as an artist and musician. I learn things that make me feel happy and do my best to interest the audience in my favorite songs and tunes.
I have never played in a session though. I have listened to a few of them and I think their objective and perspective is very different from mine. Pubs here don't pay musicians to have a session so I imagine that session players are not obligated to please the other patrons.
Are they asking you to sing? or only to play Danny Boy.
I suppose there is the risk that if you play, they might sing.
It depends on how politely they ask too. If they just shout out "Sing Danny Boy", then they are likely to be either ignored or told to sod off. But sometimes the punter comes and asks very very politely if we could possibly play DB or Athenry, or even Mull of Kintyre.
Our session tends to respond to such requests with a shared look of confusion and bewilderment - making it apparent that we cannot think why anyone would ask such a thing. After that it usually degenerates into a fairly intrasessional giggle. If the punter is insistent, then it is good fun to weigh them up, and if you think they can't sing for toffee then invite them to sing it for you. If they are crap, they'll soon give up, and if they're good - well you'll get a good song.
Another good response is "Buy us all a beer and we'll all play you a song" - the punter does the maths and gives up."
Why is it that people automatically think that if you can play an instrument the you can sing?! If I could sing I'm not sure I wouldve bothered taking up an instrument in the first place. If people ask us to sing we tell them they can sing if they like but we dont sing (theres not one of us who can) If they are good thats fine, if not then...depends on the mood we are in. But ultimatley its a "tune" session, I'm there for me and nobody else -its not a performance. If people want to sing there are Plenty of singing session around town they can go to.
In August, when I was in Clonmel, I went into Hearn's Hotel one evening looking for someone. Hearn's was hosting a session, with set dancing in another room, and the person I was looking for was in neither. I followed some people upstairs and found myself in a room where there must have been 20 or so people, mostly middle-aged or older, sitting round the sides of this bare room in complete silence. I thought for a moment I had wandered into a prayer meeting, and then one of them started singing a ballad, unaccompanied. I then realised it was a singing club having a session.
Trevor
There is a great parody of The fields of Athenry which is often wheeled out when pub regulars request a song. it goes:-
Oh no, not the Fields of Athenry.
If I hear it one more time I think I'll cry...etc.
It got to the stage that folks were requesting the parody.
You can't win.
I must agree with Showadyadito, if they ask me to sing, I tell them I can, thats why I dont. Granted, if they ask me to play DBoy, LeavingOfLiverP et al, I will oblige, but play they in a different tempo just for something different.
(Yes, you can play DBoy in 3/4 - try it).
And before anyone suggests it, we are not session fascists - try taking an instrument into a song session and see/hear the response.
I probably wouldn't have learned to play various instruments if I could sing reasonably well. In other words I admire and envy singers.
At he moment I'm teaching the band to sing "Wild Mountain Thyme" - they had never heard of it. I don't know if it's in your bad books. My personal "oh no" list contains songs that we learned in our English lessons at school e.g. Molly Malone, Greensleeves.
As a break in a session I would suggest "Who's the fool now" (Martin said to his man..). You can make up plenty of your own verses.
I think I'll be the one to break ranks- I have been known to sing Danny Boy on occasion when asked politely. I seem to be able to get into the song without a trace of sarcasm. It has always been one of my Da' favorite songs, so I can appreciate what it means to many ( mostly older) people. It can even be quite powerful, if not done too "vaudeville". My personal preference would be to sing something more "traditional", but I think it's kind of sad when we let ourselves get too snobby about such things.
I've been fiddling for over twenty years, but I've been singing for fifty. My original fiddle teacher was a classical violinist named Joe Leary. He once told me about being asked to play Danny Boy by an older gentleman back when he was a "young turk" ( this would have been the 1920's or 30's). When Joe indicated that that sort of thing was beneath him, the guy replied, "You little sh**, it was good enough for Fritz Kreisler, it ought to be good enough for you!"
learning songs for a session
learning songs for a session
I'm sure this has happened to all of you: the session is well on its way, the people in the pub seem to enjoy it, and then, invariably, comes the question: "Do you do Danny Boy?"
To which we - after rolling up our eyes and muttering: "Oh no, not DB again!" - also invariably reply: "Sorry, but we don't do songs."
This usually leads to a rather perplexed look on their faces. Hadn't we been playing one song after the other for two hours?
Once in a while, we give in and give them a song (not DB, though, one has to draw the line somewhere), and the audience often joins in and usually has a grand time. But it's usually only one or two who know some of the words, and the overall quality of the presentation definitely doesn't come close to the general idea of a performance piece.
Now, this sacrilegious thought has crossed my mind: What about if the session group learns five or so tunes we actually marginally like and try to do some nice vocal harmony parts and arrangement (and learn the words), so that we have some fun doing these songs and we have something to offer the audience? At a different session in the past, we'd often do Hard Times at the end of the session with a nice vocal close harmonay arrangement, and we usually enjoyed doing it.
Has anyone's session group ever considered to learn a few songs to keep the punters happy? How do you handle these song requests?
# Posted on November 18th 2003 by heike
Re: learning songs for a session
When asked if I "do* Danny Boy, I usually reply that I'm a married woman. Anyway, if they press it, I just tell them that they don't want to hear me sing. Now, Beth will sing it if asked in the proper way, but only on St. Patrick's Day and only if an older person asks for it for sentimental reasons. And it's lovely when she does it. It'd be simply horrible if I did. ;)
George does some songs too -- Humors of Whiskey, the one about that potato worker, can't remember the name of it off-hand. And we once learned the Mermaid Song for a children's show we did, and then promptly and carefully were sure to forget it again.
Singing at an Irish session isn't really any more of a performance than playing at a session is. So it doesn't really matter if it's polished or up to some kind of standard.
# Posted on November 18th 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: learning songs for a session
I've said before that there's nothing wrong with the occasional song at an instrumental session but requests for Danny Boy, Fields of Athenry or Flower of Scotland(over here) etc make me cringe. Even at all singing sessions, the participants politely claim not to know these songs or have them within their repertoire.
John
# Posted on November 18th 2003 by Johnny Jay
Re: learning songs for a session
I don't sing or dance, but I play the fiddle a little
Trevor
# Posted on November 18th 2003 by Trevor Jennings
Re: learning songs for a session
One the guys at our sesh has a small encyclopedia of funny tunes tucked into his brain and he unleashes them from time to time. The most recent one he gave us was an a capella version of the Dubliners' "The Sick Note". MB said that he "liked the math" in that one. Great fun.
Greg
# Posted on November 18th 2003 by octogreg
Re: learning songs for a session
I'd like to break ranks here... maybe not to the extent of endorsing Danny Boy, but I don't believe it is particular songs that cause offense to anyone, but the type of singers they tend to appeal to. Personally I'd rather hear The rose of Tralee sang well and with passion than many a Sean Nos dirge. It's not that I don't like Sean Nos, or other dirges for that matter, but I have a real soft spot for Irish Parlour tunes. I love tunes like Slieveanamon and The Snowy Breasted Pearl and all those old sentimental tunes - they have great melody, but because they are so melodically strong, they are easy to overdo and kill stone dead.
The corollary to all this is to raise the question, "Why ARE some tunes 'cool' and others not? Why is Hard Times considered ok, but Fields of Athenry not? They are both pretty tunes with sentimental lyrics, and they've both been somewhat over exposed
For the record, my favourite session song of the moment is Bonnie Jean Cameron, sung by Sara Daniels. I've heard her sing it three times and she knocks the Kornog version into a cocked hat.
# Posted on November 18th 2003 by Ottery
Re: learning songs for a session
Recognizing strong opinions abound:
There are reasons Danny Boy, the Fields of Athenry, or any of the standards are so well known, and so loved. And it's often because they are great melodies with equally strong lyrics. We hear similar things repeatedly about certain tunes, but most of us have witnessed those same, worn-out, tunes played in a way that left a session is silent appreciation. If that hasn't happened for you, then you've something to look forward to. I also remember the first time I heard that a tune I particularly enjoyed was on the DO NOT PLAY list. I once heard a fiddle player announce, "I really do not like O'Carolyn tunes." To which I responded, "I'm certain he'd be crushed."
In my opinion it isn't even possible to compare a singer who'd be considered 'lucky' to get through a song with someone who commands the lyrics and lends interpretive skill to the melody. And let's not forget that song is straight from the heart of the tradition for anyone with "purist" tendencies. So no real need for concern about things like
# Posted on November 18th 2003 by Stevie C
Re: learning songs for a session
For me, and I suspect more than a few singers, it's a classic dilemma: Do you learn songs to please yourself or to please others -- and are the two mutually exclusive?
Positing "Danny Boy" and "Fields of Athenry" as the gold standard for the sentimental/overdone/classic/your-adjective-here Irish songs, I will say that, no, I don't do 'em because I honestly don't feel I can "make them mine," if you will. Although I'd never begrudge anyone else for singing them, by themselves they just don't grab me, or more to the point I don't feel as if I could perform either with what I feel would be the appropriate degree of enthusiasm. Now, maybe if I came up with some novel yet not completely iconoclastic arrangement or approach it might be different story (I once heard Richard Thompson do a wonderful lounge-lizard version of "Danny Boy," and then turn it into a punk-rock anthem.)
I do have a pretty good stock of songs I like that, in the circles I travel, seem to be well-known enough for people to like hearing or joining in. These include "Banks of the Red Roses" (I use the first verse as the chorus), "Poverty Knock," and "To Welcome Poor Paddy Home."
If a request _does_ come for an "old familiar," I do say (and with complete honesty) that I while I know it well, I don't know it well enough to sing it. But as a consolation, perhaps, I might say, "Well, if you want a comical song, there's this-" and launch into "Mr. and Mrs. Dunn"; or if the request was for something on a more serious, or romantic note, I can say "Hmm, don't know that one. How about this one?" and start in on "Verdant Braes of Screen." Most people, I've found, tend to at least appreciate the effort, even if you don't give them exactly what they wanted.
Which reminds me: I've only got a few months to learn Robbie O'Connell's "You're Not Irish."
# Posted on November 18th 2003 by sts
Re: learning songs for a session
heike - Sorry, I neglected to answer your last question. We play tunes, predominantly. Songs usually come when someone wants a particular song they know someone has, or just "have ye a song?"might even come from within the session players. There are some players who are also good singers, and have worked up songs for performance that include instrumental accompaniment. Proficient session singing has, perhaps, served as a standard that may have intimidated a lamer or two over the years, or maybe we just look kinda mean.
# Posted on November 18th 2003 by Stevie C
Re: learning songs for a session
STS, Is Mr and Mrs Dunn the song with the chorus "There was High Dunn, Low Dunn, Overdone and under done..." ? I think that's a great song (and very funny)and ideal for a session. I've always wanted a copy of the words so if you could either post them or e-mail me, I'll buy you a guinness.
)
John
# Posted on November 18th 2003 by Johnny Jay
Re: learning tunes for a session. not songs
If these "punters" went into a song session, without an obvious instrument in sight, would they ask "can you play us a tune?". Why do they expect musicians not to play?
I have a growing collection of one-line songs to shut punters up.
Start a very solemn and serious Green Fields of France "And how are you doing, young Willie McBride, Can I take a short rest here down by your graveside?" at which point, the session loudly shouts "NO!". Much raucous laughter and "punter" is left in confusion.
Others include "Tom Pearce lend me your grey mare","NO!"
and "Bobby Shaftoes gone to sea, silver buckles on his knee, when he comes home he'll marry me", "PUFF!"
I wish Sid Kipper would take some of the Irish evergreens to bits and re-construct a real piss-take of them.
# Posted on November 18th 2003 by geoffwright
Re: learning songs for a session
"PUFF" ?
que?
# Posted on November 18th 2003 by Ottery
Re: learning songs for a session
I am very lucky not to have been overexposed to "Danny Boy" and "The Fields of Athenry". My band does a nice "Danny Boy" and we have fun making it as pretty as we can without hosing it down with sentimentality. There is always someone in our audience that wants to hear it. The one song we haven't taken up and don't want to is "When Irish Eyes are Smiling"
We try to keep things balanced. We learn songs to keep in our back pocket in case someone asks and we learn songs we want to sing like the edgier Ewan MacColl songs. Some songs you just can't retire because the audience responds to well to them and we don't have as much fun doing them as when we started 5 years ago. That list of songs is "I'll Tell Me Ma", "The Merry Ploughboy", "Tim Finnigan's Wake", and "Whiskey in the Jar". I have my own short list of instrumentals that I'm a bit tired of, its a set of jigs that EVERYONE here plays ("Road to Lisdoonvarna", "Swallow Tail", "Morrison's") I've been performing them on stage for 5 years and the people always respond so well to them. As a stage performer my first responsibility is to the audience as they are the reason for my employment...if they like what I'm playing, then they will stay and keep drinking and if they don't they'll leave. If they leave I'm out of a job. My second responsibility is to myself as an artist and musician. I learn things that make me feel happy and do my best to interest the audience in my favorite songs and tunes.
I have never played in a session though. I have listened to a few of them and I think their objective and perspective is very different from mine. Pubs here don't pay musicians to have a session so I imagine that session players are not obligated to please the other patrons.
~Autumn
# Posted on November 19th 2003 by autumn
Re: learning songs for a session
Heike/Geoff
Are they asking you to sing? or only to play Danny Boy.
I suppose there is the risk that if you play, they might sing.
It depends on how politely they ask too. If they just shout out "Sing Danny Boy", then they are likely to be either ignored or told to sod off. But sometimes the punter comes and asks very very politely if we could possibly play DB or Athenry, or even Mull of Kintyre.
Our session tends to respond to such requests with a shared look of confusion and bewilderment - making it apparent that we cannot think why anyone would ask such a thing. After that it usually degenerates into a fairly intrasessional giggle. If the punter is insistent, then it is good fun to weigh them up, and if you think they can't sing for toffee then invite them to sing it for you. If they are crap, they'll soon give up, and if they're good - well you'll get a good song.
Another good response is "Buy us all a beer and we'll all play you a song" - the punter does the maths and gives up."
Must go now - the pies, the pies are calling.
Dave
# Posted on November 19th 2003 by showaddydadito
Re: learning songs for a session
Across the Blen
Der and down the bread bin side ...
# Posted on November 19th 2003 by Ottery
Re: learning songs for a session
Why is it that people automatically think that if you can play an instrument the you can sing?! If I could sing I'm not sure I wouldve bothered taking up an instrument in the first place. If people ask us to sing we tell them they can sing if they like but we dont sing (theres not one of us who can) If they are good thats fine, if not then...depends on the mood we are in. But ultimatley its a "tune" session, I'm there for me and nobody else -its not a performance. If people want to sing there are Plenty of singing session around town they can go to.
# Posted on November 19th 2003 by bb
Re: learning songs for a session
In August, when I was in Clonmel, I went into Hearn's Hotel one evening looking for someone. Hearn's was hosting a session, with set dancing in another room, and the person I was looking for was in neither. I followed some people upstairs and found myself in a room where there must have been 20 or so people, mostly middle-aged or older, sitting round the sides of this bare room in complete silence. I thought for a moment I had wandered into a prayer meeting, and then one of them started singing a ballad, unaccompanied. I then realised it was a singing club having a session.
Trevor
# Posted on November 19th 2003 by Trevor Jennings
Re: learning songs for a session
There is a great parody of The fields of Athenry which is often wheeled out when pub regulars request a song. it goes:-
Oh no, not the Fields of Athenry.
If I hear it one more time I think I'll cry...etc.
It got to the stage that folks were requesting the parody.
You can't win.
# Posted on November 19th 2003 by Pete Stephenson.
Re: learning songs for a session
I must agree with Showadyadito, if they ask me to sing, I tell them I can, thats why I dont. Granted, if they ask me to play DBoy, LeavingOfLiverP et al, I will oblige, but play they in a different tempo just for something different.
(Yes, you can play DBoy in 3/4 - try it).
And before anyone suggests it, we are not session fascists - try taking an instrument into a song session and see/hear the response.
# Posted on November 20th 2003 by geoffwright
Re: learning songs for a session
I probably wouldn't have learned to play various instruments if I could sing reasonably well. In other words I admire and envy singers.
At he moment I'm teaching the band to sing "Wild Mountain Thyme" - they had never heard of it. I don't know if it's in your bad books. My personal "oh no" list contains songs that we learned in our English lessons at school e.g. Molly Malone, Greensleeves.
As a break in a session I would suggest "Who's the fool now" (Martin said to his man..). You can make up plenty of your own verses.
# Posted on November 20th 2003 by kuec
Re: learning songs for a session
Hoy, John J. -- I e-mailed you the lyrics for "Mr. and Mrs. Dunn." Let me know if they reached you...
# Posted on November 21st 2003 by sts
Re: learning songs for a session
I think I'll be the one to break ranks- I have been known to sing Danny Boy on occasion when asked politely. I seem to be able to get into the song without a trace of sarcasm. It has always been one of my Da' favorite songs, so I can appreciate what it means to many ( mostly older) people. It can even be quite powerful, if not done too "vaudeville". My personal preference would be to sing something more "traditional", but I think it's kind of sad when we let ourselves get too snobby about such things.
I've been fiddling for over twenty years, but I've been singing for fifty. My original fiddle teacher was a classical violinist named Joe Leary. He once told me about being asked to play Danny Boy by an older gentleman back when he was a "young turk" ( this would have been the 1920's or 30's). When Joe indicated that that sort of thing was beneath him, the guy replied, "You little sh**, it was good enough for Fritz Kreisler, it ought to be good enough for you!"
# Posted on November 22nd 2003 by Murph