Voice Crying in the Wilderness. For youse wot don't know no Latin. And that's just me showing off...well, it's the only Latin phrase I know, actually. It refers to John the Baptist when he was in the wilderness. I'm sure you've felt this wrt The Music when trying to explain what it's about to the non-cogniscenti.
I'm thinking more of any humorous or perplexing anecdotes you may have come across in your travels within the Music.
We all know about punters and the various things people come out with, eg, whoever regaled us this one:
"Do you do requests?"
"Yeah - what do you want us to play?"
"Whatever you want."
and so on.
I was once doing a Sunday shift on a building site where I worked as a carpenter. At around 1.00pm I was just about packing up, on my way to a session. I had my flute in its case. One of the lads asked "what's that in your case?"
"A flute - I play a wee bit of Irish music" Blah blahh, etc. So he persuaded me to play a tune. I could see by half way through "Over the Moor to Maggie" he was rapidly losing interest and glazing over, so I finished after playing it just once through.
"You'll always be able to make money if you can play an instrument" he politely informed me.
It was in the late eighties or early nineties, when everyone was chasing every buck going, double bubble being the in-phrase.
I was once told by someone that if I went busking I might get "discovered."
Not to do with the Music, but a lassie once asked me about long distance running and training, as she knew that was my sport. "Do you need a licence to go running in the streets?"
Any more anecdotes to try the patience of a saint?
I always loved the question I got from British Soldiers here in Belfast in the 1980s and 1990s.
You would be on your way to a session. They would stop you and shout out
"Here Paddy!" What's in the guitar case!"
Which I always thought was a terrifying question.
If you said it was something other than a guitar, then you would have been examining the inside of the armoured car very quickly.
But if you said 'it's a guitar', the answer would have been so blindlingly obvious, the soldier would have been insulted, and, again, you would have been inside the armoured car.
Three of the musicians from an Irish group in Switzerland often get together to perform just ITM, fiddle, flute and banjo/backing guitar. It was at an open air barbeque to which they had been invited. I went along to listen to them. One guy in the audience (no longer sober) clearly doesn't get it. He really isn't yer heckler type, just is obviously trying to understand:
- what prompted you to take up this music?
- why play the fiddle? it's kinda wussie, no?
- why don't you play some Apolyptica?
- why don't you play something a bit more upbeat? [this just after a reel at around 260]
- I don't know how to dance to this music. Why don't you play something russian?
I think he was also very curious about the "hup" they kept making (usually signalling a new tune in the set), but his girlfriend glared at him so that he wouldn't make too much of a fool of himself.
From the Antiques business – Do you buy antiques too? My response is usually; “No, I make them!” Or whilst displaying at a show or when I had a physical shop – “My grandmother had something just like this, only…”, my response; (this one is classic and used by many) “The only person really interested in what your grandmother had was your grandfather!” Another frequent query is when someone picks up a priced item and enquires as to how much it is worth.
Music related – The mandolin player in our ensemble frequently hears; “You’re really good on that thing, what’s it called?” His response; “A tuba”
Vox Clamantis in Deserto
Vox Clamantis in Deserto
Voice Crying in the Wilderness. For youse wot don't know no Latin. And that's just me showing off...well, it's the only Latin phrase I know, actually. It refers to John the Baptist when he was in the wilderness. I'm sure you've felt this wrt The Music when trying to explain what it's about to the non-cogniscenti.
I'm thinking more of any humorous or perplexing anecdotes you may have come across in your travels within the Music.
We all know about punters and the various things people come out with, eg, whoever regaled us this one:
"Do you do requests?"
"Yeah - what do you want us to play?"
"Whatever you want."
and so on.
I was once doing a Sunday shift on a building site where I worked as a carpenter. At around 1.00pm I was just about packing up, on my way to a session. I had my flute in its case. One of the lads asked "what's that in your case?"
"A flute - I play a wee bit of Irish music" Blah blahh, etc. So he persuaded me to play a tune. I could see by half way through "Over the Moor to Maggie" he was rapidly losing interest and glazing over, so I finished after playing it just once through.
"You'll always be able to make money if you can play an instrument" he politely informed me.
It was in the late eighties or early nineties, when everyone was chasing every buck going, double bubble being the in-phrase.
I was once told by someone that if I went busking I might get "discovered."
Not to do with the Music, but a lassie once asked me about long distance running and training, as she knew that was my sport. "Do you need a licence to go running in the streets?"
Any more anecdotes to try the patience of a saint?
# Posted on October 6th 2005 by Rudall the time
Re: Vox Clamantis in Deserto
Endless requests for "Danny Boy", "Queen of All Argyle" and "Freebird" (they always think they're the first one...).
# Posted on October 6th 2005 by JeffK627
Re: Vox Clamantis in Deserto
I always loved the question I got from British Soldiers here in Belfast in the 1980s and 1990s.
You would be on your way to a session. They would stop you and shout out
"Here Paddy!" What's in the guitar case!"
Which I always thought was a terrifying question.
If you said it was something other than a guitar, then you would have been examining the inside of the armoured car very quickly.
But if you said 'it's a guitar', the answer would have been so blindlingly obvious, the soldier would have been insulted, and, again, you would have been inside the armoured car.
Sometimes there is no way the good guy can win.
# Posted on October 6th 2005 by Pól
Re: Vox Clamantis in Deserto
"What kind of music do you play?"
"Irish traditional"
"Oh, Irish! Play something of The Corrs!"
# Posted on October 7th 2005 by Janek
Re: Vox Clamantis in Deserto
Or, when Irish expats are around in a pub when we're having a session:
"Ey, traditional! By loooooonely prisooon waaaaaall...."
# Posted on October 7th 2005 by Janek
Re: Vox Clamantis in Deserto
A guy turned up at our session and asked us for that lovely old Irish song,"Loch Lomond"
# Posted on October 7th 2005 by dafydd
Re: Vox Clamantis in Deserto
So we're in a session and someone will listen for a while, and then ask:
"What do you call yourselves?"
# Posted on October 7th 2005 by showaddydadito
Re: Vox Clamantis in Deserto
Three of the musicians from an Irish group in Switzerland often get together to perform just ITM, fiddle, flute and banjo/backing guitar. It was at an open air barbeque to which they had been invited. I went along to listen to them. One guy in the audience (no longer sober) clearly doesn't get it. He really isn't yer heckler type, just is obviously trying to understand:
- what prompted you to take up this music?
- why play the fiddle? it's kinda wussie, no?
- why don't you play some Apolyptica?
- why don't you play something a bit more upbeat? [this just after a reel at around 260]
- I don't know how to dance to this music. Why don't you play something russian?
I think he was also very curious about the "hup" they kept making (usually signalling a new tune in the set), but his girlfriend glared at him so that he wouldn't make too much of a fool of himself.
Greg
# Posted on October 7th 2005 by Tirno
Re: Vox Clamantis in Deserto
From the Antiques business – Do you buy antiques too? My response is usually; “No, I make them!” Or whilst displaying at a show or when I had a physical shop – “My grandmother had something just like this, only…”, my response; (this one is classic and used by many) “The only person really interested in what your grandmother had was your grandfather!” Another frequent query is when someone picks up a priced item and enquires as to how much it is worth.
Music related – The mandolin player in our ensemble frequently hears; “You’re really good on that thing, what’s it called?” His response; “A tuba”
Peace,
Ed
p.s. Thanx for the Latin lesson!
# Posted on October 7th 2005 by ejsant
Re: Vox Clamantis in Deserto
Vox Dicentis, Clama?
# Posted on October 7th 2005 by geoffwright
Re: Vox Clamantis in Deserto
'Non carborundum illegitimi' is a uselful phrase, in the style of the session abbreviated to DLTBGYD!
The other one I love is 'Nil satis nisi optimum" - I jsut wish my beloved Everton could put it into practice!
Bx
# Posted on October 7th 2005 by briantheflute