This is Scottish music but could this type of arrangement work with ITM. Personally speaking I'd love to give it a go and try it at a Fleadh Ceol Ceili Band competition.
And I'm not so sure that having both a drummer and a bongoist (and no fiddle!) is a good thing for a ceili band. But the dancers do seem to be having a good time, so what do I know?
I know some of the guys in the band there and they are top musicians (some of them play in Jenna Reid's band and in the RSNO I think) however I find this music neither particularly tasty for listening to nor all that great for dancing to.
I think when you look at Scottish dancing there has been an interesting trade off at some point. There is a vibrancy to traditional dance in Scotland that is unmatched in perhaps any other western country (very similar to the unmatched vibrancy of traditional music in Ireland). However a price has been paid for this vibrancy and that is the dumbing down of the dances ("swing them round until their dizzy!" etc.).
The music has also suffered I feel at the hands of 'improvers'. I'd imagine many Ceilidh bands would feel that their arrangements are more sophisticated than an equivalent Ceili band (I know the traditions are VERY different and probably shouldn't be compared but what the hell) and yet despite this 'sophistication' much Scottish Country Dance and Ceilidh music is crass in its sound and execution.
Ah yes, the old trade-off between popularity and dumbing down.
Oh for the days when only people who *knew* what they were doing played and danced to the music and the support base grew more intense (and incestuous) the more it dwindled.
But, we can hope that, as with pyramids, the broader the base, the higher the peak - and vibrancy has to be better than stasis, surely?
And unlike SCD, "ceilidh" implies a social gathering without exactly prescribing how and what music should be played, doesn't it?
Something for the new year
Something for the new year
This is Scottish music but could this type of arrangement work with ITM. Personally speaking I'd love to give it a go and try it at a Fleadh Ceol Ceili Band competition.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILgGeYWZyCo
# Posted on December 28th 2007 by Free Reed
Re: Something for the new year
I could well be, and I'll give them the benefit of the doubt, that that low whistle was in tune with one of the sets of reeds on that accordion.
# Posted on December 28th 2007 by llig leahcim
Re: Something for the new year
Yes, that is one "wet" piano accordion.
And I'm not so sure that having both a drummer and a bongoist (and no fiddle!) is a good thing for a ceili band. But the dancers do seem to be having a good time, so what do I know?
# Posted on December 28th 2007 by mickray
Re: Something for the new year
Bongo or bodhoran? Which is the greater of the two evils?
# Posted on December 28th 2007 by geoffwright
Re: Something for the new year
The whistle sounds a bit wibbly but no one goes to a *ceilidh* to critique the band arrangements
# Posted on December 28th 2007 by Bren
Re: Something for the new year
I know some of the guys in the band there and they are top musicians (some of them play in Jenna Reid's band and in the RSNO I think) however I find this music neither particularly tasty for listening to nor all that great for dancing to.
I think when you look at Scottish dancing there has been an interesting trade off at some point. There is a vibrancy to traditional dance in Scotland that is unmatched in perhaps any other western country (very similar to the unmatched vibrancy of traditional music in Ireland). However a price has been paid for this vibrancy and that is the dumbing down of the dances ("swing them round until their dizzy!" etc.).
The music has also suffered I feel at the hands of 'improvers'. I'd imagine many Ceilidh bands would feel that their arrangements are more sophisticated than an equivalent Ceili band (I know the traditions are VERY different and probably shouldn't be compared but what the hell) and yet despite this 'sophistication' much Scottish Country Dance and Ceilidh music is crass in its sound and execution.
# Posted on December 28th 2007 by theboymcdermott
Re: Something for the new year
Ah yes, the old trade-off between popularity and dumbing down.
Oh for the days when only people who *knew* what they were doing played and danced to the music and the support base grew more intense (and incestuous) the more it dwindled.
But, we can hope that, as with pyramids, the broader the base, the higher the peak - and vibrancy has to be better than stasis, surely?
And unlike SCD, "ceilidh" implies a social gathering without exactly prescribing how and what music should be played, doesn't it?
# Posted on December 28th 2007 by Bren