Are there any Irish sessions there, any ceilis? Do they dance? Do they have traditions unique from their neighbours?
Actually, while I would like to know that, this is a ruse to draw your attention to another subject ~ where's the most bizarre place you've found an Irish session or ceili, Irish music of any species? That could mean your involvement, or you just stumbling across something and observing from a distance ~ "I'm not admitting to anyone here I play Irish music!" ~ sort of thing... Incognito!
For starters, and not so unusual, we regularly played sessions and even for dancing on Irish Ferries, crossing to and fro, and also crossing the English Channel, on those ferries too, and the occassional 'other'... We've hauled out instruments and our arses into wilderness areas and had a few tunes and steps, wet and dry, high mountain and lonely isle ~ and ~ we've even managed to fit a session, though a very tight fit, into a closet ~ and a row boat, out on a narrow floating pier and making noise in natural hot and bubbling springs (no musical instruments were abused in the process)...
I suspect, or at least in my case, the music does funny things to you at times... I remember some strange settings too, if the above is too normal for you all, but this question is really for the rest of you to address and weave your tales about, me seeking to be entertained further by you lot...
I do regularly play or lilt music while soaking in the tub. But please, don't tell anyone...
And, if any of you do know anything about Luxembourg ~
When they have weekend Irish ceilis and workshops at the Irish Institute in Leuven (Belgium) there are dancers from Luxembourg. That implies the some Irish playing at least in that country.
It's probably common knowledge by now, as I've told the story so many times on this board. I rolled into Latvia on my bike in 1997 and discovered a bunch of musicians playing Irish music - after a fashion. They took me hostage for two years and made me teach them everything I knew about the stuff - which was not very much really. I was actually learning a lot from them - although, some (but not all) of that was how *not* to play it. Our weekly residency (nobody quite managed to grasp the idea of a 'session' there) in Tim McShane's pub brought Riga's hidden Irish community out of the woodwork - there were a number of semi-resident Irish businessmen there at the time, working for an Irish civil engineering company. Now and again, one of them would burst into song, play a tune on the harmonica or dance a step (There was an All-Ireland step-dancer in Riga, who performed with us at a few gigs).
That was over 10 years ago. I suspect Irish music is much better known there now than it was then. There might even be a session going.
By the way: There are lots of Irish people in Luxembourg and consequently they have some Irish clubs, set dancers and even a Comhaltas branch. I am not so sure about the regular session, but there used to be one.
Garner Ted Armstrong! Now there's a name from the past.A bible thumper and famous enough in his time to be mentioned in The Bonzo's 'The Intro And The Outro' I know a fine Luxembourgish fiddler name of Vincent Soubryan.He has played in a number of bands.He has a huge repertoire of Luxembourgish,Centraal Massief,Balkan,Old Time American and the like.He knows a lot of Irish tunes,and can hold his own at a session.He gets a lot if work playing Volksbals in Wallonia and France.He used to be in a band called Trivelin,if anyone's heard of them.I don't know if there are any sessions in Luxembourg,I'll ask him.
Dafydd, you beat me to it. I was planning on dropping an email to you and to swisspiper, for starters... While your chatting with him, I'd love to know, along with things Irish, what sort of trad music and dance exists in that lovely duchy?
We have a dear friend down here who plays with us, originally from Luxembourg. She's a huge fan of all Traditional music, and loves to play Irish with us. I'll see if she's got any insight for us.
Good to hear from you ceolachan butty.This thread has set me a-pondering.I used to go every year to the Gooik festival in Belgium.The tradition was that every night the last band would stay on stage and play the ball.I've danced there to Spanish,Welsh,Estonian,Danish,Swedish,Norwegian,Italian etc. bands,but never to a Scottish or Irish band.Did this tradition of European folk dances ever exist in those countries,or has it been forgotten? There was the occasional English band,with a caller who soon realised they were redundant because dancers here do not need a sergeant-major telling them what to do.
Here is the intro to the Lëtzebuergesch Wikipedia.
'Op eiser Wëllkomm-Säit fir nei Mataarbechter fannt Dir déi wichtegst Informatioune fir bei der Wikipedia matzemaachen. Dir kënnt natierlech och eng Fro stellen oder an der Sandkaul ronderëmspillen. Dir kënnt Iech natierlech och registréieren.'
No, it means "to pose a question". In my German home-region, we also talk a Mozelle-Frankish dialect and so Lëtzebuergesch is easy to understand for me .
While there we never managed to find anything in the way of a lesson book and recording, and yes, we did look... We also didn't manage to find any music and dance...
ceol - the bizarreness of a session is probably directly related to my presence there.
The best way to infiltrate without incurring damage is probably to approach the session and call, "What you all having, then?" - which will stop the "music" in its tracks: whatever racket the sessioneers make as they demand drinks and hand over pocketfuls of small change will do your hearing altogether less damage than their playing will. And you will be favourably remembered; who says you can't buy love?
We know a musical lady lives on the banks of the Orange River, right near here, has a nice chunk of ground. From time to time we head out there, light the campfire, and crank out tunes by the bonny banks, entertaining the palm trees and frogs. There's nothing more visually jarring than to see a pack of musicians sitting around a campfire by a river in the Florida swamp cranking out Irish tunes.
Obviously, this is not the time of the year for that now. I suggest February. HA!
dafydd, you just reminded me how wrong my memory can be. We did find music, but it was some kind of brass band festival, loads of brass bands with marching, no dance.
De Dannan on a boat, I remember that being broadcast on RTE, one of those lovely Galaway sailboats. I love them, and that clip is also a pleasure to hear and see again, thanks leoj...
" ~ session going on at this very moment in the Oscar Wilde's pub in the Grund, in Luxembourg city." ~ claudine
Claudine, flute player from Luxembourg, please tell us more? Is it weekly? Is this an Irish session? Do you go? What's it like? Could you add it to the session list here, there's nothing at all on site yet for Luxembourg except this discussion...
nicholas, thankfully that section of the river has houses pretty regularly, so the little bit of civilization makes them keep their heads down as they pass through, I think. Honestly, it's a case of they're more scared of you than you are of them, kind of thing.
They're out there, but you've definitely got to go looking for them, really harass them, if you want to get attacked. Either that or go golfing. They love water hazards, apparently.
The most foreign experience Ive had the pleasure of suffering through is making the mistake of blessing a session with my presence and being the only one there not toting an ugly organically woven bag of flattened trees sporting patterns of dots that were of no more value to me than a bag stuffed with pigeon sh*t labeled "ITM.".
There is a Comhaltas branch in Luxembourg and they organize set dancing lessons and weekends, sometimes ceilidhs, although not very often. There used to be a regular monthly session, but I wouldn't like to post it, as it has become rather irregular lately. I am a member of Comhaltas and do participate in their musical events quite often and also go to the sessions whenever I can. There is also a monthly session in Metz (France), and musicians from Lux. and Metz go to each other's sessions. And there is a session in Nancy, but I have never been there. If interested, send me an e-mail. Here is a link to the ceili on St Patrick's day, organized by the local Comhaltas folks. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoMVGUG6Fx8
Never smile at a crocodile
No, you can't get friendly with a crocodile
Don't be taken in by his welcome grin
He's imagining how well you'd fit within his skin
Never smile at a crocodile
Never dip your hat and stop to talk awhile
Never run, walk away, say good-night, not good-day
Clear the aisle but never smile at Mister Crocodile
You may very well be well bred
Lots ot etiquette in your head
But there's always some special case, time or place
To forget etiquette
For instance:
Never smile at a crocodile
No, you can't get friendly with a crocodile
Don't be taken in by his welcome grin
He's imagining how well you'd fit within his skin
Never smile at a crocodile
Never dip your hat and stop to talk awhile
Never run, walk away, say good-night, not good-day
Clear the aisle but never smile at Mister Crocodile
Thanks claudine, much appreciated, and for the links. I was hoping for several things in starting this, to knock the bushes and get someone to show from that realm, and sure enough, there you are, and to get information on music and dance in Luxembourg, Irish and hopefully something akin to 'native' origins. And, also, the crazy notion of unusual areas where this music finds root. So far we hadn't anything added from your realm, and now we do...
Hey, stop slaggin' off alligators you lot, some of my best friends have been alligators... But crocodiles, they're definitely from the wrong side of the track, you can slag them off all you like...but don't say to their face...
ceol - that last link fitted my preconceptions of music in Luxembourg uncannily closely. But posts from claudine et al. must serve to prise me away from these surly prejudices.
Luxembourg should not be considered an unusual place for irish music, at least not more unusual than one of the neighbor countries. Although the country is tiny with a total population of about 450.0000, 40% of these are strangers. There are about 1500 Irish people living here, also many English and Americans. Many of these people work for the European institutions, international banks and schools... There is an Irish Club here and a Comhaltas branch. The sessions are always multilingual with musicians of various nationalities, generally luxembourgish, irish, french, american, english, german ... As the number of active musicians is small, it is sometimes difficult to keep the session alive. But there are a few very committed people who work to keep it going. I can not tell much about the dancing activities, but you should find information on the Comhaltas website or write to comhaltas_luxembourg@hotmail.com.
Outside of the diddly scene, Luxembourg has a very active musical life. A lot of people of every age play music. The most popular and traditional forms are probably wind bands and choirs, but there are also big bands, jazz groups, rock bands, early music ensembles, symphonic orchestras ... There is a multitude of music groups of various kinds. We have 3 major music schools (conservatoires) and a number of smaller music schools where children and adults can learn classical or jazz music, also dance or drama ..... So there is a lot of music in Luxembourg.
They don't play music in Luxembourg do they?
They don't play music in Luxembourg do they?
Are there any Irish sessions there, any ceilis? Do they dance? Do they have traditions unique from their neighbours?
Actually, while I would like to know that, this is a ruse to draw your attention to another subject ~ where's the most bizarre place you've found an Irish session or ceili, Irish music of any species? That could mean your involvement, or you just stumbling across something and observing from a distance ~ "I'm not admitting to anyone here I play Irish music!" ~ sort of thing... Incognito!
For starters, and not so unusual, we regularly played sessions and even for dancing on Irish Ferries, crossing to and fro, and also crossing the English Channel, on those ferries too, and the occassional 'other'... We've hauled out instruments and our arses into wilderness areas and had a few tunes and steps, wet and dry, high mountain and lonely isle ~ and ~ we've even managed to fit a session, though a very tight fit, into a closet ~ and a row boat, out on a narrow floating pier and making noise in natural hot and bubbling springs (no musical instruments were abused in the process)...
I suspect, or at least in my case, the music does funny things to you at times... I remember some strange settings too, if the above is too normal for you all, but this question is really for the rest of you to address and weave your tales about, me seeking to be entertained further by you lot...
I do regularly play or lilt music while soaking in the tub. But please, don't tell anyone...
And, if any of you do know anything about Luxembourg ~
# Posted on June 26th 2008 by ceolachan
Re: They don't play music in Luxembourg do they?
Luxembourg is a beautiful place and I stopped off for lunch there about 11 years ago. Only there for about three hours though...
I'd imagine that an irish session there would be great fun as long as there weren't...208... bodhrans.
# Posted on June 26th 2008 by Johannes J
Re: They don't play music in Luxembourg do they?
When they have weekend Irish ceilis and workshops at the Irish Institute in Leuven (Belgium) there are dancers from Luxembourg. That implies the some Irish playing at least in that country.
# Posted on June 26th 2008 by lazyhound
Re: They don't play music in Luxembourg do they?
It's probably common knowledge by now, as I've told the story so many times on this board. I rolled into Latvia on my bike in 1997 and discovered a bunch of musicians playing Irish music - after a fashion. They took me hostage for two years and made me teach them everything I knew about the stuff - which was not very much really. I was actually learning a lot from them - although, some (but not all) of that was how *not* to play it. Our weekly residency (nobody quite managed to grasp the idea of a 'session' there) in Tim McShane's pub brought Riga's hidden Irish community out of the woodwork - there were a number of semi-resident Irish businessmen there at the time, working for an Irish civil engineering company. Now and again, one of them would burst into song, play a tune on the harmonica or dance a step (There was an All-Ireland step-dancer in Riga, who performed with us at a few gigs).
That was over 10 years ago. I suspect Irish music is much better known there now than it was then. There might even be a session going.
# Posted on June 26th 2008 by granama
Re: They don't play music in Luxembourg do they?
By the way: There are lots of Irish people in Luxembourg and consequently they have some Irish clubs, set dancers and even a Comhaltas branch. I am not so sure about the regular session, but there used to be one.
# Posted on June 26th 2008 by fiddlinsue
Re: They don't play music in Luxembourg do they?
Talking of Radio Luxembourg, there used to be a regular programme called "Irish Requests" during the fifties.
A pleasant antidote to Hughie Green and Garner Ted Armstrong, I'm sure !!!!
# Posted on June 26th 2008 by Johannes J
Re: They don't play music in Luxembourg do they?
Garner Ted Armstrong! Now there's a name from the past.A bible thumper and famous enough in his time to be mentioned in The Bonzo's 'The Intro And The Outro' I know a fine Luxembourgish fiddler name of Vincent Soubryan.He has played in a number of bands.He has a huge repertoire of Luxembourgish,Centraal Massief,Balkan,Old Time American and the like.He knows a lot of Irish tunes,and can hold his own at a session.He gets a lot if work playing Volksbals in Wallonia and France.He used to be in a band called Trivelin,if anyone's heard of them.I don't know if there are any sessions in Luxembourg,I'll ask him.
# Posted on June 26th 2008 by dafydd
Re: They don't play music in Luxembourg do they?
Dafydd, you beat me to it. I was planning on dropping an email to you and to swisspiper, for starters...
While your chatting with him, I'd love to know, along with things Irish, what sort of trad music and dance exists in that lovely duchy?
# Posted on June 26th 2008 by ceolachan
Re: They don't play music in Luxembourg do they?
Ah Mr C, you clever fella. Up Luxembourg!
We have a dear friend down here who plays with us, originally from Luxembourg. She's a huge fan of all Traditional music, and loves to play Irish with us. I'll see if she's got any insight for us.
# Posted on June 26th 2008 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: They don't play music in Luxembourg do they?
Good to hear from you ceolachan butty.This thread has set me a-pondering.I used to go every year to the Gooik festival in Belgium.The tradition was that every night the last band would stay on stage and play the ball.I've danced there to Spanish,Welsh,Estonian,Danish,Swedish,Norwegian,Italian etc. bands,but never to a Scottish or Irish band.Did this tradition of European folk dances ever exist in those countries,or has it been forgotten? There was the occasional English band,with a caller who soon realised they were redundant because dancers here do not need a sergeant-major telling them what to do.
# Posted on June 26th 2008 by dafydd
Re: They don't play music in Luxembourg do they?
Three bars and I imagine you're out of the country.
What do they speak there? Anything? Nothing? French? Flemish? Irish? Patois?
The most bizarre sessions I've been to have probably been relatively close to home in Northumbria.
# Posted on June 26th 2008 by nicholas
Re: They don't play music in Luxembourg do they?
They speak Lëtzebuergesch, Mozelle-Frankish dialect.
# Posted on June 26th 2008 by dafydd
Re: They don't play music in Luxembourg do they?
a Mozelle-Frankish dialect.
# Posted on June 26th 2008 by dafydd
Re: They don't play music in Luxembourg do they?
Here is the intro to the Lëtzebuergesch Wikipedia.
'Op eiser Wëllkomm-Säit fir nei Mataarbechter fannt Dir déi wichtegst Informatioune fir bei der Wikipedia matzemaachen. Dir kënnt natierlech och eng Fro stellen oder an der Sandkaul ronderëmspillen. Dir kënnt Iech natierlech och registréieren.'
# Posted on June 26th 2008 by dafydd
Re: They don't play music in Luxembourg do they?
I take it "Fro stellen" means cold Stellas.
# Posted on June 26th 2008 by nicholas
Re: They don't play music in Luxembourg do they?
No, it means "to pose a question". In my German home-region, we also talk a Mozelle-Frankish dialect and so Lëtzebuergesch is easy to understand for me
.
# Posted on June 26th 2008 by fiddlinsue
Re: They don't play music in Luxembourg do they?
nicholas ~ "The most bizarre sessions I've been to have probably been relatively close to home" ~
I have no doubt... I'm still working on a disguise to infiltrate without suffering too much damage...
Yes SWFL, this one's for her, you, and your session too...
# Posted on June 26th 2008 by ceolachan
Re: They don't play music in Luxembourg do they?
My wife and I quite liked the sound/accent of the dialect in Luxembourg, without knowing what it was or understanding it...
# Posted on June 26th 2008 by ceolachan
While there we never managed to find anything in the way of a lesson book and recording, and yes, we did look... We also didn't manage to find any music and dance...
# Posted on June 26th 2008 by ceolachan
Re: They don't play music in Luxembourg do they?
Visit Echternach on the day of the Procession.
http://www.luxembourg.co.uk/dancproc.html
# Posted on June 26th 2008 by dafydd
Re: They don't play music in Luxembourg do they?
ceol - the bizarreness of a session is probably directly related to my presence there.
The best way to infiltrate without incurring damage is probably to approach the session and call, "What you all having, then?" - which will stop the "music" in its tracks: whatever racket the sessioneers make as they demand drinks and hand over pocketfuls of small change will do your hearing altogether less damage than their playing will. And you will be favourably remembered; who says you can't buy love?
# Posted on June 26th 2008 by nicholas
Re: They don't play music in Luxembourg do they?
Session on a boat . Here's a great video...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUnSUfw0WGc
# Posted on June 26th 2008 by leoj
Re: They don't play music in Luxembourg do they?
I love that clip leo, looks like a blast. Maybe chilly, but a blast.
# Posted on June 26th 2008 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: They don't play music in Luxembourg do they?
Now here's a odd spot for a session.
We know a musical lady lives on the banks of the Orange River, right near here, has a nice chunk of ground. From time to time we head out there, light the campfire, and crank out tunes by the bonny banks, entertaining the palm trees and frogs. There's nothing more visually jarring than to see a pack of musicians sitting around a campfire by a river in the Florida swamp cranking out Irish tunes.
Obviously, this is not the time of the year for that now. I suggest February. HA!
# Posted on June 26th 2008 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: They don't play music in Luxembourg do they?
And if you follow the other videos on that link,you can see our own Cathy Cook, playing on fiddle and melodeon,sometimes watched by her cat.
# Posted on June 26th 2008 by Guernsey Pete
Re: They don't play music in Luxembourg do they?
I watched it!
Heya Cathy, well done!
# Posted on June 26th 2008 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: They don't play music in Luxembourg do they?
In Ian Paisley's undergarments
# Posted on June 26th 2008 by de Selby
Re: They don't play music in Luxembourg do they?
there is a session going on at this very moment in the Oscar Wilde's pub in the Grund, in Luxembourg city.
# Posted on June 26th 2008 by claudine
Re: They don't play music in Luxembourg do they?
I used to think Arkansas was a bizarre and unusual place for an Irish Jam Session but it seems I was wrong.
# Posted on June 26th 2008 by fauxcelt
Re: They don't play music in Luxembourg do they?
I actually know some Set dancers from Lux .Very nice girls regulars at Tubbercurry
# Posted on June 26th 2008 by bazouki dave and the real tooty flutey
Re: They don't play music in Luxembourg do they?
dafydd, you just reminded me how wrong my memory can be. We did find music, but it was some kind of brass band festival, loads of brass bands with marching, no dance.
De Dannan on a boat, I remember that being broadcast on RTE, one of those lovely Galaway sailboats. I love them, and that clip is also a pleasure to hear and see again, thanks leoj...
" ~ session going on at this very moment in the Oscar Wilde's pub in the Grund, in Luxembourg city." ~ claudine
Claudine, flute player from Luxembourg, please tell us more? Is it weekly? Is this an Irish session? Do you go? What's it like? Could you add it to the session list here, there's nothing at all on site yet for Luxembourg except this discussion...
# Posted on June 26th 2008 by ceolachan
Claudine ~ is there any social dancing happening regularly there?
# Posted on June 26th 2008 by ceolachan
'social dancing' ~ along the lines of set dancing or a ceili, Irish or otherwise?
# Posted on June 26th 2008 by ceolachan
Re: They don't play music in Luxembourg do they?
Bless the Galway Hookers ~
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galway_Hooker
http://www.galwayhookerassociation.ie/
# Posted on June 26th 2008 by ceolachan
http://homepage.eircom.net/~galwayhooker/index.htm
# Posted on June 26th 2008 by ceolachan
Re: They don't play music in Luxembourg do they?
SWFL Fiddler - is your music in the swamps a guaranteed protection against being eaten by alligators?
I gather they're not quite as formidable as Australian salt-water crocs, but nasty nonetheless.
# Posted on June 27th 2008 by nicholas
Re: They don't play music in Luxembourg do they?
And I thought Arkansas was a bizarre and unusual place, full stop...
# Posted on June 27th 2008 by nicholas
Re: They don't play music in Luxembourg do they?
nicholas, thankfully that section of the river has houses pretty regularly, so the little bit of civilization makes them keep their heads down as they pass through, I think. Honestly, it's a case of they're more scared of you than you are of them, kind of thing.
They're out there, but you've definitely got to go looking for them, really harass them, if you want to get attacked. Either that or go golfing. They love water hazards, apparently.
# Posted on June 27th 2008 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: They don't play music in Luxembourg do they?
...plus the awful noise we're making probably terrorizes them too, so...
# Posted on June 27th 2008 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: They don't play music in Luxembourg do they?
The most foreign experience Ive had the pleasure of suffering through is making the mistake of blessing a session with my presence and being the only one there not toting an ugly organically woven bag of flattened trees sporting patterns of dots that were of no more value to me than a bag stuffed with pigeon sh*t labeled "ITM.".
# Posted on June 27th 2008 by McCracken
Re: They don't play music in Luxembourg do they?
... you mean they had sheet music? That's terrible.
# Posted on June 27th 2008 by Joe CSS
Re: They don't play music in Luxembourg do they?
There is a Comhaltas branch in Luxembourg and they organize set dancing lessons and weekends, sometimes ceilidhs, although not very often. There used to be a regular monthly session, but I wouldn't like to post it, as it has become rather irregular lately. I am a member of Comhaltas and do participate in their musical events quite often and also go to the sessions whenever I can. There is also a monthly session in Metz (France), and musicians from Lux. and Metz go to each other's sessions. And there is a session in Nancy, but I have never been there. If interested, send me an e-mail. Here is a link to the ceili on St Patrick's day, organized by the local Comhaltas folks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoMVGUG6Fx8
# Posted on June 27th 2008 by claudine
Re: They don't play music in Luxembourg do they?
http://www.comhaltas.lu/
# Posted on June 27th 2008 by claudine
Re: They don't play music in Luxembourg do they?
Never smile at a crocodile
No, you can't get friendly with a crocodile
Don't be taken in by his welcome grin
He's imagining how well you'd fit within his skin
Never smile at a crocodile
Never dip your hat and stop to talk awhile
Never run, walk away, say good-night, not good-day
Clear the aisle but never smile at Mister Crocodile
You may very well be well bred
Lots ot etiquette in your head
But there's always some special case, time or place
To forget etiquette
For instance:
Never smile at a crocodile
No, you can't get friendly with a crocodile
Don't be taken in by his welcome grin
He's imagining how well you'd fit within his skin
Never smile at a crocodile
Never dip your hat and stop to talk awhile
Never run, walk away, say good-night, not good-day
Clear the aisle but never smile at Mister Crocodile
# Posted on June 27th 2008 by dafydd
Re: They don't play music in Luxembourg do they?
Tom Lehrer?
If not, who?
# Posted on June 27th 2008 by nicholas
Re: They don't play music in Luxembourg do they?
Thanks claudine, much appreciated, and for the links. I was hoping for several things in starting this, to knock the bushes and get someone to show from that realm, and sure enough, there you are, and to get information on music and dance in Luxembourg, Irish and hopefully something akin to 'native' origins. And, also, the crazy notion of unusual areas where this music finds root. So far we hadn't anything added from your realm, and now we do...
Hey, stop slaggin' off alligators you lot, some of my best friends have been alligators... But crocodiles, they're definitely from the wrong side of the track, you can slag them off all you like...but don't say to their face...
# Posted on June 27th 2008 by ceolachan
Re: They don't play music in Luxembourg do they?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVWuAyWWuAU
# Posted on June 27th 2008 by ceolachan
Re: They don't play music in Luxembourg do they?
Never Smile At A Crocodile is a song in the Walt Disney film Peter Pan. I can't remember who wrote the music and lyrics,but it wasn't Tom Lehrer.
# Posted on June 27th 2008 by dafydd
Re: They don't play music in Luxembourg do they?
ceol - that last link fitted my preconceptions of music in Luxembourg uncannily closely. But posts from claudine et al. must serve to prise me away from these surly prejudices.
# Posted on June 27th 2008 by nicholas
Re: They don't play music in Luxembourg do they?
Luxembourg should not be considered an unusual place for irish music, at least not more unusual than one of the neighbor countries. Although the country is tiny with a total population of about 450.0000, 40% of these are strangers. There are about 1500 Irish people living here, also many English and Americans. Many of these people work for the European institutions, international banks and schools... There is an Irish Club here and a Comhaltas branch. The sessions are always multilingual with musicians of various nationalities, generally luxembourgish, irish, french, american, english, german ... As the number of active musicians is small, it is sometimes difficult to keep the session alive. But there are a few very committed people who work to keep it going. I can not tell much about the dancing activities, but you should find information on the Comhaltas website or write to comhaltas_luxembourg@hotmail.com.
Outside of the diddly scene, Luxembourg has a very active musical life. A lot of people of every age play music. The most popular and traditional forms are probably wind bands and choirs, but there are also big bands, jazz groups, rock bands, early music ensembles, symphonic orchestras ... There is a multitude of music groups of various kinds. We have 3 major music schools (conservatoires) and a number of smaller music schools where children and adults can learn classical or jazz music, also dance or drama ..... So there is a lot of music in Luxembourg.
# Posted on June 28th 2008 by claudine