The Session >> Discussions >> 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
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5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
Entries are invited - just send an email to eileen.hassett@ddm.ie for entry form
Seisiun na hEireann - A competition for the best Traditional Irish Music Session
Prize: €5,000.00
Sept 23rd -26th 2004
Musicians can represent a pub session or an area (e.g. where the musicians perform regularly). Traditional song, dance and recitations welcome.
Competitions will be held in a regular pub environment in Quin, Co. Clare.
Entries will be accepted on a first come, first serve basis and places are limited - Closing date: Aug 31st
Entry Fee: €20.00 per musician - Min 3 musicians per group, Max 8
Field available for CAMPING or B&B accommodation arranged for all entries (€30-35 pps)
Accommodation enquiries:
Village Inn (Margaret Hayes): 065 6825991
The Monks Well (Claire Titley): 087 2431419
The Abbey Tavern (Mark Carroll): 087 2935774
Malachy's Bar (Gemma Hassett): 087 9799219
To enter, send an email to eileen.hassett@ddm.ie requesting entry form
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
I can just see it, somebody telling the adjudicators, "here, you lot are putting us off, this isn't a public performance, you know, go talk real loud and drink more, will you?" *grin* Perhaps we should put together a The Session session entry...
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
If this competition wasn't held in Ireland somebody would surely say that these people had no idea what sessions are all about.
It would still be interesting to know where the 5000 € come from.
Anyway, an interesting idea.
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
Wow. Um, Geoff, Zina was making a *joke.* See, it'd be funny (to some of us at least) to be playing in a session and look up only to realize that judges were in the room, looking all intent and serious, scoring your abilities. Many session players might be put off by that, and would prefer that the adjudicators behave more like typical punters, drinking and talking loudly over the music. That's the sort of attention us session players are accustomed to.
Could be why Zina put the *grin* in her post, Geoff....
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
None of which should cast aspersions on Eileen for posting this info here. It sounds interesting, and likely more fun than some competitions. If I were in Clare the end of August, I'd be sure to pop my head in.
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
Hi there,
Firstly apologies if I have posted this in the wrong place. I'm a new member. As I musician, I understand your comments.
To answer your questions;
Judging criteria will include; Tuning, Tempo, Balance, Variety, Blend of Instruments, Interaction, Humour, Spontaneity and General Entertainment Value.
The judges will not be made known to the musicians and will comprise both qualified adjudicators and members of general public.
The 5000.00 has been raised by the Publicans in the village and local sponsors.
We have keen interest from even the USA and Europe so it should prove very interesting indeed.
The idea behind it is to promote links between traditional irish musicians and the people of Quin. If you enter a group, you are allocated a local liason person - sort of like a personal tour guide to book your B&B, collect you from the airport/train station, cheer you on when playing, and generally look after you and make you feel welcome during your stay in Quin.
The 5000.00 is really only a carrot to make it happen - there will be only one winner out of 32 entries.
If we get more sponsorship we can offer money to second and third place but at the moment, it's just the winner that takes it all.
And its on September 23rd-26th 2004, so if you are in the locality - do drop in.
Eileen
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
Eileen, that really does sound like a lot of fun, and a great way to bring trad musicians to Quin. I like that the ulterior motive is to bring people together, and the prize is just icing.
Wish I could be there. I'd be proud to come in 32nd....
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
mind you i can imagine it might be frustrating, wandering into a pub and there's this great session going, tunes are flowing, and... "no, sorry lad, we can't let you join in, it's a performance not a session"... mind you, i suppose no different from any closed session. and i imagine the spin-off, impromptu, sessions'll be fantastic.
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
*grin* Does Geoff Wallis understand that maybe he should find out something about the people he talks about in a public forum before he opens his big mouth to make an asinine comment and then sticks his foot in it? *smirk*
Sorry, Geoff, couldn't resist.
Actually, I think it sounds like a blast, which was why I thought it would be fun to put together a The Session entry...
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
As a I feel myself to be a seasoned campaigner of Irish music sessions and so forth I beg to ask a few questions on Seisiun na hEireann. Firstly will the competitiors be made aware of the criteria they have to meet before competing. Would it then be ok to assume the more variety and crowd pleasing session would be a winner or what is a good pub session ? I need to be clear and what exactly is the purpose of holding this competition ?
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
Not a session musician myself but love the craic which surrounds the music, expect this to be mighty - in both the non-musical sense too.. "a period of heavy or sustained drinking"...
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
Hey, Gemini Guest - is it the feckin' star sign that making you so confused?? Lara you got it the point of a session is simple..ITS FOR THE CRAIC OF IT...and the pints ...The point is to play to please the crowd sure otherwise why bother???
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
So the purpose of the 'Seisiun na hEireann' is to have a bit of craic, and encourage the players to participate the real question then is..is the 5,000 a carrot or a stick OR DRINKING money...the POT for want of a better term? So are anyone of you lot going to play?
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
The ques to ask now is who are the judges and have they enough right to judge any group that participates in this comp ? Isn't a trad session is a spontaneous thing and therefore cannot be conducted under such false and judgemental circumstances?
Imagine charging musicians to provide entertainment for everyone else to
listen to, while the pubs cream it and the whole locality gets a boost -
Why is it being held in Clare - the competition for the best trad session in
Ireland should at least be held in the Capital?
An hour isn't enough time for a judge to make a decision on a session?
or - An hour is too long ?
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
"Isn't a trad session is a spontaneous thing" Er...no, not always. Of course, sometimes it is.
I'm not sure why this rubs you up the wrong way so much, Gemini Guest, because Eileen was pretty clear that it's mainly for the fun of it as well as helping boost Quin up a bit on the radar. Why *shouldn't* the town of Quin host something like this? Why does it have to be in a capitol city of anywhere? Why *not* in Clare? If other cities or towns want to have their own contest, then they can raise the money and do it. If you don't like the sound of it, don't go, it won't hurt you any that way.
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
Is this thread just a posting of information or are we allowed to be discussing it like this and giving our opinions?
Well, seeing as the whole point of this discussion board is to discuss aspects of traditional Irish music, I'll post my opinion. If you don't like it, tough tattie:
I find this a bit of an odd idea. I know what I think a good session is, and it usually involves extended drinking time after the end as a necessity. I assume that wouldn't be one of the criteria for the judges.
The cash prize sounds nice. If I did it, I'd totally be doing it for the money. I'd make sure there were only 3 of us so we could each get 1666 euros
What happens to the inexperienced musicians in these sessions? Do they get told by their elders to be somewhere else for those days so that they can win the money?
I wonder whether they'd be like money-grabbing little me and do it for the money, or whether it would be for the status, or just for fun...
So I've come to the conclusion that (in response to Geoff Wallis) I personally have no concept of competition in Ireland. I'm learning some interesting stuff here though ',:-\
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
Bang on Jim Troy, the meaning of the term session is derived for sessio(n) Latin for seated, a deliberate or pre-arranged meeting.
So the musicians are normally seated, and the rest of us can never find a seat - elbow room with a ledge to balance our pint is the best we can hope for...and a porcelain bus...and competition in Ireland, its all about how many pints you can hold, and stay standing...so whats this about judges??
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
I'm taking all of this in....
Ceili Band Competition - no I don't think so, but Jim please do change your vest. Since the recent smoking ban and the sudden awakening of sense of smell in pubs, we are actually toying with the idea of working in some sort of points penalization for blatent flatulance or body odours emitting from session musicians.
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
Zina,
Thanks for your support on Quin as the location. As far as I'm concerned, Quin is Centre of the Universe!
You won't find a village as quaint as it in the whole of Ireland. The legendary John Lyons has been hosting a session in Malachy's Bar now for 21 years. Other resident musicians down through the years include Josephine Marsh, Tola Custy, Cyril O'Donoghue and loads more. I played my first session and had my first illegal drink there and haven't looked back. There's always great impromptu sessions in The Village Inn.
The great thing about John Lyons is that, no matter how good or bad a visiting musician is, he always makes them feel welcome and encourages them to play their own set of tunes.
You always get great respect from drinkers in the bar. You can hear pin drop when someone is singing. Trad music in Quin has been a well-kept secret for a long time
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
In current climate of political correctness, wouldn't it be unfair to deduct points for odour emission???...and wouldn't that eliminate some of our best musicians??? I can think of one very notable example - no names..and no prizes for guessing...
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
Lara,
You are probably right, or should I say "politically correct" about the odour emission issue. It has been a major problem in the pubs of Quin since the fag ban. How should we address it though?
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
I wonder why the competition is held for session. Most of musicians are just
interested in 5,000euros, aren't they? Since I was into Irish music, I've
been to Ireland from Germany several times, and found that some seesions
are terrible and miserable as chatting and drunk people ruin them. Is there
a necessity that the competition takes place in the terrible atmosphere? In
my opinion, those kind of competitions should be held in a quiet environment
which musician can concentrate on playing.
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
Wolfgang,
The competition is for the best Pub session so it has to be held in a pub.
True, you could have a session in your kitchen or somewhere quiet, but you're not going to get the same spontaneity as you would in a Public Drinking house where anybody can join in - (and usually it's a toss as to whether this would add to or take from the session). Pot luck!
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
I just hear Eileen on Clare fm... I think. It was the one who was organizing the whole thing and she mentioned thesession.org as having had quite a contraversial conversation about it. I don't know if this is the first time the yella board has been mentioned on Clare fm, but it was today. Sounds like a good line-up of musicians in some of the pubs. Some notable and well known names amonst them. It should be a great night to be in Quinn. I think I'll head tto Malachy's Bar a couple of times at least while I'm in Ennis.
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
Not only is trad music the best kept secretin co clare but Malachie himself is a bit of a legend as well.DO NOT shake his hand.He's as strong as an ox!!!
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
For the first Friday of the month I and a few other musicians get together at Macneil O'Loughlin's tiny pub, in Ballyvaughan. We've been doing it for years. Nobody gets paid. We play for the fun of the music and each other's company. Margaret O'L is paying our way to Quin to represent the oub and Ballyvaughan. We're all thrilled to be going to Quin to play together.
Winning isn't the reason we're entering. We know that these contests don't mean anything (except a load of dough for the winner and momentary ego gratification). It is all about music and fun and the chance to hear other pub musicians. Detractors show their own limitations. Too bad. We'll be having fun while other people are saying what a bad idea it is. We think it's a great idea.
5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
Entries are invited - just send an email to eileen.hassett@ddm.ie for entry form
Seisiun na hEireann - A competition for the best Traditional Irish Music Session
Prize: €5,000.00
Sept 23rd -26th 2004
Musicians can represent a pub session or an area (e.g. where the musicians perform regularly). Traditional song, dance and recitations welcome.
Competitions will be held in a regular pub environment in Quin, Co. Clare.
Entries will be accepted on a first come, first serve basis and places are limited - Closing date: Aug 31st
Entry Fee: €20.00 per musician - Min 3 musicians per group, Max 8
Enquiries to:
+ 353 (0)87 6371163, eileen.hassett@ddm.ie (Eileen Hassett)
+ 353 (0)87 9877540 zyn_ohalloran@modus.com (Zyn O'Halloran)
Field available for CAMPING or B&B accommodation arranged for all entries (€30-35 pps)
Accommodation enquiries:
Village Inn (Margaret Hayes): 065 6825991
The Monks Well (Claire Titley): 087 2431419
The Abbey Tavern (Mark Carroll): 087 2935774
Malachy's Bar (Gemma Hassett): 087 9799219
To enter, send an email to eileen.hassett@ddm.ie requesting entry form
# Posted on July 16th 2004 by eileen.hassett@ddm.ie
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
Interesting. What will the sessions be judged on? That is, what are the criteria to determine a 'best' session?
# Posted on July 17th 2004 by Will CPT
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
The winner will be the one you didn't hear about till the next day.
# Posted on July 17th 2004 by Phantom Button
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
You mean, of course, the day after the day of the morning it ends from the night before....
# Posted on July 17th 2004 by Will CPT
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
I can just see it, somebody telling the adjudicators, "here, you lot are putting us off, this isn't a public performance, you know, go talk real loud and drink more, will you?" *grin* Perhaps we should put together a The Session session entry...
# Posted on July 17th 2004 by Zina Lee
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
I wonder who's perspective it will be judged from; the musicians, or the public?
# Posted on July 17th 2004 by Phantom Button
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
Good point, Jack. Good point.
# Posted on July 17th 2004 by Zina Lee
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
If this competition wasn't held in Ireland somebody would surely say that these people had no idea what sessions are all about.
It would still be interesting to know where the 5000 € come from.
Anyway, an interesting idea.
# Posted on July 18th 2004 by kuec
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
I take it as read that points will be deducted for daggy tunes? (or is it pints?)
# Posted on July 18th 2004 by geoffwright
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
Wow. Um, Geoff, Zina was making a *joke.* See, it'd be funny (to some of us at least) to be playing in a session and look up only to realize that judges were in the room, looking all intent and serious, scoring your abilities. Many session players might be put off by that, and would prefer that the adjudicators behave more like typical punters, drinking and talking loudly over the music. That's the sort of attention us session players are accustomed to.
Could be why Zina put the *grin* in her post, Geoff....
# Posted on July 18th 2004 by Will CPT
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
What!??? Zina was JOKING???!!!
# Posted on July 18th 2004 by Phantom Button
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
*snort*
*smirk*
# Posted on July 18th 2004 by Will CPT
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
*This* is a very serious occasion, mmmmmmmmmmm....
# Posted on July 18th 2004 by Will CPT
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
None of which should cast aspersions on Eileen for posting this info here. It sounds interesting, and likely more fun than some competitions. If I were in Clare the end of August, I'd be sure to pop my head in.
# Posted on July 19th 2004 by Will CPT
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
Hi there,
Firstly apologies if I have posted this in the wrong place. I'm a new member. As I musician, I understand your comments.
To answer your questions;
Judging criteria will include; Tuning, Tempo, Balance, Variety, Blend of Instruments, Interaction, Humour, Spontaneity and General Entertainment Value.
The judges will not be made known to the musicians and will comprise both qualified adjudicators and members of general public.
The 5000.00 has been raised by the Publicans in the village and local sponsors.
We have keen interest from even the USA and Europe so it should prove very interesting indeed.
The idea behind it is to promote links between traditional irish musicians and the people of Quin. If you enter a group, you are allocated a local liason person - sort of like a personal tour guide to book your B&B, collect you from the airport/train station, cheer you on when playing, and generally look after you and make you feel welcome during your stay in Quin.
The 5000.00 is really only a carrot to make it happen - there will be only one winner out of 32 entries.
If we get more sponsorship we can offer money to second and third place but at the moment, it's just the winner that takes it all.
And its on September 23rd-26th 2004, so if you are in the locality - do drop in.
Eileen
# Posted on July 21st 2004 by eileen.hassett@ddm.ie
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
Eileen, that really does sound like a lot of fun, and a great way to bring trad musicians to Quin. I like that the ulterior motive is to bring people together, and the prize is just icing.
Wish I could be there. I'd be proud to come in 32nd....
# Posted on July 22nd 2004 by Will CPT
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
I have to say, I like the minimum and maximum number of musos allowed in each session part of the requirements: 3 to 8 musos in each session.
# Posted on July 22nd 2004 by Phantom Button
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
mind you i can imagine it might be frustrating, wandering into a pub and there's this great session going, tunes are flowing, and... "no, sorry lad, we can't let you join in, it's a performance not a session"... mind you, i suppose no different from any closed session. and i imagine the spin-off, impromptu, sessions'll be fantastic.
# Posted on July 22nd 2004 by rog
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
*grin* Does Geoff Wallis understand that maybe he should find out something about the people he talks about in a public forum before he opens his big mouth to make an asinine comment and then sticks his foot in it? *smirk*
Sorry, Geoff, couldn't resist.
Actually, I think it sounds like a blast, which was why I thought it would be fun to put together a The Session entry...
# Posted on July 22nd 2004 by Zina Lee
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
Go for it Zina!
We'd love to welcome you to Quin in September.
# Posted on July 25th 2004 by eileen.hassett@ddm.ie
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
As a I feel myself to be a seasoned campaigner of Irish music sessions and so forth I beg to ask a few questions on Seisiun na hEireann. Firstly will the competitiors be made aware of the criteria they have to meet before competing. Would it then be ok to assume the more variety and crowd pleasing session would be a winner or what is a good pub session ? I need to be clear and what exactly is the purpose of holding this competition ?
# Posted on August 12th 2004 by Gemini Guest
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
Um, see Eileen's post of July 21st...
# Posted on August 12th 2004 by Zina Lee
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
Not a session musician myself but love the craic which surrounds the music, expect this to be mighty - in both the non-musical sense too.. "a period of heavy or sustained drinking"...
# Posted on August 12th 2004 by Lara Lough
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
Hey, Gemini Guest - is it the feckin' star sign that making you so confused?? Lara you got it the point of a session is simple..ITS FOR THE CRAIC OF IT...and the pints ...The point is to play to please the crowd sure otherwise why bother???
# Posted on August 12th 2004 by The Lad Mac
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
So the purpose of the 'Seisiun na hEireann' is to have a bit of craic, and encourage the players to participate the real question then is..is the 5,000 a carrot or a stick OR DRINKING money...the POT for want of a better term? So are anyone of you lot going to play?
# Posted on August 12th 2004 by Lara Lough
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
The ques to ask now is who are the judges and have they enough right to judge any group that participates in this comp ? Isn't a trad session is a spontaneous thing and therefore cannot be conducted under such false and judgemental circumstances?
Imagine charging musicians to provide entertainment for everyone else to
listen to, while the pubs cream it and the whole locality gets a boost -
Why is it being held in Clare - the competition for the best trad session in
Ireland should at least be held in the Capital?
An hour isn't enough time for a judge to make a decision on a session?
or - An hour is too long ?
# Posted on August 13th 2004 by Gemini Guest
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
"Isn't a trad session is a spontaneous thing" Er...no, not always. Of course, sometimes it is.
I'm not sure why this rubs you up the wrong way so much, Gemini Guest, because Eileen was pretty clear that it's mainly for the fun of it as well as helping boost Quin up a bit on the radar. Why *shouldn't* the town of Quin host something like this? Why does it have to be in a capitol city of anywhere? Why *not* in Clare? If other cities or towns want to have their own contest, then they can raise the money and do it. If you don't like the sound of it, don't go, it won't hurt you any that way.
# Posted on August 13th 2004 by Zina Lee
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
There's *always* a porcelain bus...
# Posted on August 13th 2004 by Zina Lee
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
And if jim drinks more than 5 pints, he'll be 'licensed' to drive it....
# Posted on August 13th 2004 by Will CPT
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
Is this thread just a posting of information or are we allowed to be discussing it like this and giving our opinions?
Well, seeing as the whole point of this discussion board is to discuss aspects of traditional Irish music, I'll post my opinion. If you don't like it, tough tattie:
I find this a bit of an odd idea. I know what I think a good session is, and it usually involves extended drinking time after the end as a necessity. I assume that wouldn't be one of the criteria for the judges.
The cash prize sounds nice. If I did it, I'd totally be doing it for the money. I'd make sure there were only 3 of us so we could each get 1666 euros
What happens to the inexperienced musicians in these sessions? Do they get told by their elders to be somewhere else for those days so that they can win the money?
I wonder whether they'd be like money-grabbing little me and do it for the money, or whether it would be for the status, or just for fun...
So I've come to the conclusion that (in response to Geoff Wallis) I personally have no concept of competition in Ireland. I'm learning some interesting stuff here though ',:-\
# Posted on August 13th 2004 by Dow
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
Bang on Jim Troy, the meaning of the term session is derived for sessio(n) Latin for seated, a deliberate or pre-arranged meeting.
So the musicians are normally seated, and the rest of us can never find a seat - elbow room with a ledge to balance our pint is the best we can hope for...and a porcelain bus...and competition in Ireland, its all about how many pints you can hold, and stay standing...so whats this about judges??
# Posted on August 13th 2004 by Lara Lough
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
I'm taking all of this in....
Ceili Band Competition - no I don't think so, but Jim please do change your vest. Since the recent smoking ban and the sudden awakening of sense of smell in pubs, we are actually toying with the idea of working in some sort of points penalization for blatent flatulance or body odours emitting from session musicians.
# Posted on August 13th 2004 by eileen.hassett@ddm.ie
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
Zina,
Thanks for your support on Quin as the location. As far as I'm concerned, Quin is Centre of the Universe!
You won't find a village as quaint as it in the whole of Ireland. The legendary John Lyons has been hosting a session in Malachy's Bar now for 21 years. Other resident musicians down through the years include Josephine Marsh, Tola Custy, Cyril O'Donoghue and loads more. I played my first session and had my first illegal drink there and haven't looked back. There's always great impromptu sessions in The Village Inn.
The great thing about John Lyons is that, no matter how good or bad a visiting musician is, he always makes them feel welcome and encourages them to play their own set of tunes.
You always get great respect from drinkers in the bar. You can hear pin drop when someone is singing. Trad music in Quin has been a well-kept secret for a long time
# Posted on August 13th 2004 by eileen.hassett@ddm.ie
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
In current climate of political correctness, wouldn't it be unfair to deduct points for odour emission???...and wouldn't that eliminate some of our best musicians??? I can think of one very notable example - no names..and no prizes for guessing...
# Posted on August 13th 2004 by Lara Lough
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
Lara,
You are probably right, or should I say "politically correct" about the odour emission issue. It has been a major problem in the pubs of Quin since the fag ban. How should we address it though?
# Posted on August 16th 2004 by eileen.hassett@ddm.ie
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
I wonder why the competition is held for session. Most of musicians are just
interested in 5,000euros, aren't they? Since I was into Irish music, I've
been to Ireland from Germany several times, and found that some seesions
are terrible and miserable as chatting and drunk people ruin them. Is there
a necessity that the competition takes place in the terrible atmosphere? In
my opinion, those kind of competitions should be held in a quiet environment
which musician can concentrate on playing.
# Posted on August 16th 2004 by Wolfgang1
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
Wolfgang,
The competition is for the best Pub session so it has to be held in a pub.
True, you could have a session in your kitchen or somewhere quiet, but you're not going to get the same spontaneity as you would in a Public Drinking house where anybody can join in - (and usually it's a toss as to whether this would add to or take from the session). Pot luck!
# Posted on August 16th 2004 by eileen.hassett@ddm.ie
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
I just hear Eileen on Clare fm... I think. It was the one who was organizing the whole thing and she mentioned thesession.org as having had quite a contraversial conversation about it. I don't know if this is the first time the yella board has been mentioned on Clare fm, but it was today. Sounds like a good line-up of musicians in some of the pubs. Some notable and well known names amonst them. It should be a great night to be in Quinn. I think I'll head tto Malachy's Bar a couple of times at least while I'm in Ennis.
# Posted on September 8th 2004 by Phantom Button
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
Not only is trad music the best kept secretin co clare but Malachie himself is a bit of a legend as well.DO NOT shake his hand.He's as strong as an ox!!!
# Posted on October 7th 2004 by downey
Re: 5000 Euro Prize for Best Seisiun at "Seisiun na hEireann" Sept 23-26th 2004, Quin, Co. Clare, Ireland
For the first Friday of the month I and a few other musicians get together at Macneil O'Loughlin's tiny pub, in Ballyvaughan. We've been doing it for years. Nobody gets paid. We play for the fun of the music and each other's company. Margaret O'L is paying our way to Quin to represent the oub and Ballyvaughan. We're all thrilled to be going to Quin to play together.
Winning isn't the reason we're entering. We know that these contests don't mean anything (except a load of dough for the winner and momentary ego gratification). It is all about music and fun and the chance to hear other pub musicians. Detractors show their own limitations. Too bad. We'll be having fun while other people are saying what a bad idea it is. We think it's a great idea.
# Posted on September 10th 2005 by cocus