Among the po-faced fiddlers, whey faced whistlers and grim guitarists at any session you often have a glee-club member who likes "The craic with Paddy Jack". These are the people who give a good name to pub sessions and detract nicely from the "we're not here to enjoy ourselves, this is a deadly serious business" crowd.
Who is the Glee club member in your session?
My only session is in the comfort of my home. I thought I was the leader of this affair, but in reality:
The callers who ring while I am playing. Craic with Paddy would be a welcome addition, instead I'm stuck with a loud piercing whiny rrrrrrrriiiiiiiinnnnnnngggg. It's their favorite and their sticking with it.
The pinheads who come to the door selling something. Their offering is worse than the phone ringing. They just want to sing Danny Boy.
The neighbor dogs who live to bicker with each other. Their rendition of the Kesh is enough to make me grab a garden hose and spray em.
If there is such a thing, as the "po-faced fiddler" - I think I know him.
He is the Glee Club member of our session, but for all the wrong reasons. He is the grumpiest, nastiest and angriest man I've ever come across in my life, and I love him because of it! He can take the atmosphere out of a session in one second flat. Ruin your jokes, tell the Seamus Tanseys of the world, to tune up, and the Steve Cooney's to slow down.
He is a real character, and makes us all laugh alot, though its never intentional...sometimes the punters just hang around to hear him talk.
His surname is Doyle, and one of his oft played tunes is the Plains of Boyle.....for him (without his knowing) we have renemed his version to "The Pains of Doyle"
I go to a session where *everybody* is in the glee club. There's nothing like sitting down with a bunch of uncomplicated, happy folks who are all there to play a bit of music with no melodrama. No jealousy, no bitterness, no condescension, no snobbery, nobody's irritable and the music is brilliant. I know - sounds too good to be true.
Then again, maybe the language barrier prevents me from noticing all the complex layers of contempt just below the shimmering surface...
It's not mine, but of course you can. In fact, you *should*. There isn't really enough space for more than six or seven players and the repertoire is all Quebecois, but it's great music.
Quebecois music is pretty unique - wacky, crooked tunes with odd key changes and extra bars (and missing bars) all over the place. Goes well with crazy step dancing and musicians' feet tapping out every 8th note (you need both feet for this).
It has "Celtic" influences, but I think it's its own thing. Maybe I'll waste more of my work day by finding some more information about it for you.
Hm. Not easy to find decent english sites about Quebecois music. I did find this though:
"...the memoirs of a French immigrant landed in Montréal around 1770 provide the following description of dancing in that city:
Jamais je n'ai connu nation aimant plus a danser que les Canadiens; us ont encore les contre-danses francoises et les. minuets, qu'ils entremelent de danses angloises.' "
It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy, but doesn't answer your probing question as to whether it has anything to do with "Occitano music". (Although I don't know what "entremelent" means either).
I've heard French families in Quebec took in loads of Irish orphans fresh off the boat during the famine. I don't know about a particular settlement, though I'll bet there is one. Canada is full of little pockets of hardcore Irish / Scottish / French descendents with their traditional music pretty much intact. Last night at this session I was asked to play a tune from Alberta (which is more full of pockets of Germans) and I was ashamed to admit I've never even heard of one. No point really. Hey, has anyone ever heard of "traditional Albertan music?" Where can I get clued in?
Occitano is the music language and culture common to the Piedmont region of the North of italy and provence in the South of France which was the area under the Savoy kings. i believe there is a similar infleunce in Catalan. the singing is akin to our Sean Nòs. they play lots of polkas, mazurkas and jigs amongst other forms. AND it's GREAT CRAIC!
Debwah I've looked under the stairs but can't find the go-go boots. Have you got them?
Quebecois seems to be mostly reels with a few waltzes and jigs thrown in for variety. I'm really new to it, so the most in-depth analysis I can give you is "Boy is this stuff ever wicked". The singing is mostly call and response though, not at all like sean nos.
First two albums of La Volee d'Castors should give anyone a decent idea of quebecois, I suppose, although they are no closer to the hardline original folklore than Lunasa is to Irish (i.e., if you don't like smarty arrangements, you'll be disappointed). 'Par Monts et par Vaux' is my favourite.
Kerri,
how on earth do they tap their feet? I've only heard albums and never ever did any quebecois come over here to show how it's done (it doesn't sound like what our drunkards are doing in a pub when the music is on).
Both these bands are awesome and a much less rock-and-rolly. If you can make it to Montreal tonight, le vent du nord is releasing their 2nd CD at Cabaret du Roy.
Janek, like this: tap-a-TAP... tap-a-TAP... tap-a-TAP-a-tap-a-TAP, where all the "tap"s are your right foot, and all the "a"s are your left. Pascal from genticorum says he uses his calf muscles like springs, but that doesn't explain how he can play a crooked reel at the speed of light and have an easy-going conversation about which tune to play next at the same time.
Whatever happened to La Bottine Souriante? I have a couple of LP's and saw them 15-20 years ago in an early incarnation with fiddle, guitar, accordion, feet, etc. I heard a CD maybe ten years ago and it was very different. Horns and piano and different repertoire.
They're still around. They and Volee d'Castors both played at a festival I was working at last year. The saxophones are definitely not traditional, but the tunes are. (For the most part). The organizers of that particular event got a little carried away with the Natalie MacMasterization of trad. (Actually she was playing there too). There's a much more "trad" trad festival happening in August this year.
Glee club members
Glee club members
Among the po-faced fiddlers, whey faced whistlers and grim guitarists at any session you often have a glee-club member who likes "The craic with Paddy Jack". These are the people who give a good name to pub sessions and detract nicely from the "we're not here to enjoy ourselves, this is a deadly serious business" crowd.
Who is the Glee club member in your session?
Joe
# Posted on March 16th 2005 by Joe Quinn
Re: Glee club members
The bodhran player, unfortunately.
# Posted on March 16th 2005 by Johannes J
Re: Glee club members
Good for him/her!
# Posted on March 16th 2005 by Joe Quinn
Re: Glee club members
My only session is in the comfort of my home. I thought I was the leader of this affair, but in reality:
The callers who ring while I am playing. Craic with Paddy would be a welcome addition, instead I'm stuck with a loud piercing whiny rrrrrrrriiiiiiiinnnnnnngggg. It's their favorite and their sticking with it.
The pinheads who come to the door selling something. Their offering is worse than the phone ringing. They just want to sing Danny Boy.
The neighbor dogs who live to bicker with each other. Their rendition of the Kesh is enough to make me grab a garden hose and spray em.
# Posted on March 16th 2005 by Agnes Nutter
Re: Glee club members
If there is such a thing, as the "po-faced fiddler" - I think I know him.
He is the Glee Club member of our session, but for all the wrong reasons. He is the grumpiest, nastiest and angriest man I've ever come across in my life, and I love him because of it! He can take the atmosphere out of a session in one second flat. Ruin your jokes, tell the Seamus Tanseys of the world, to tune up, and the Steve Cooney's to slow down.
He is a real character, and makes us all laugh alot, though its never intentional...sometimes the punters just hang around to hear him talk.
His surname is Doyle, and one of his oft played tunes is the Plains of Boyle.....for him (without his knowing) we have renemed his version to "The Pains of Doyle"
# Posted on March 16th 2005 by Hugo Chavez
Re: Glee club members
Renamed : )
# Posted on March 16th 2005 by Hugo Chavez
Re: Glee club members
I go to a session where *everybody* is in the glee club. There's nothing like sitting down with a bunch of uncomplicated, happy folks who are all there to play a bit of music with no melodrama. No jealousy, no bitterness, no condescension, no snobbery, nobody's irritable and the music is brilliant. I know - sounds too good to be true.
Then again, maybe the language barrier prevents me from noticing all the complex layers of contempt just below the shimmering surface...
# Posted on March 16th 2005 by Kerri Brown
Re: Glee club members
Gee Kerri, Can I come to your session?
Stef, Where IS your session?
# Posted on March 16th 2005 by Joe Quinn
Re: Glee club members
It's not mine, but of course you can. In fact, you *should*. There isn't really enough space for more than six or seven players and the repertoire is all Quebecois, but it's great music.
# Posted on March 16th 2005 by Kerri Brown
Re: Glee club members
Hmmm Quebecois! i used to play Occitano music in Italy and in Provence. (Savoy) wonder if there's any similarity.
# Posted on March 16th 2005 by Joe Quinn
Re: Glee club members
ummmmmm.... what is "Occitano"?
Quebecois music is pretty unique - wacky, crooked tunes with odd key changes and extra bars (and missing bars) all over the place. Goes well with crazy step dancing and musicians' feet tapping out every 8th note (you need both feet for this).
It has "Celtic" influences, but I think it's its own thing. Maybe I'll waste more of my work day by finding some more information about it for you.
# Posted on March 16th 2005 by Kerri Brown
Re: Glee club members
Kerri, wasting more of a work day could get you fired
. After listening (and watching) Andre Brunet, I loved it!
I think Brunet indicated that there is a small irish settlement near Montreal. He played some tunes which definately had the the irish influence.
Joe, you have to start learning to tap both feet, but you should be able to handle that (that's what the boots are for).
# Posted on March 16th 2005 by Agnes Nutter
Re: Glee club members
Hm. Not easy to find decent english sites about Quebecois music. I did find this though:
"...the memoirs of a French immigrant landed in Montréal around 1770 provide the following description of dancing in that city:
Jamais je n'ai connu nation aimant plus a danser que les Canadiens; us ont encore les contre-danses francoises et les. minuets, qu'ils entremelent de danses angloises.' "
It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy, but doesn't answer your probing question as to whether it has anything to do with "Occitano music". (Although I don't know what "entremelent" means either).
# Posted on March 16th 2005 by Kerri Brown
Re: Glee club members
I've heard French families in Quebec took in loads of Irish orphans fresh off the boat during the famine. I don't know about a particular settlement, though I'll bet there is one. Canada is full of little pockets of hardcore Irish / Scottish / French descendents with their traditional music pretty much intact. Last night at this session I was asked to play a tune from Alberta (which is more full of pockets of Germans) and I was ashamed to admit I've never even heard of one. No point really. Hey, has anyone ever heard of "traditional Albertan music?" Where can I get clued in?
# Posted on March 16th 2005 by Kerri Brown
Re: Glee club members
Occitano is the music language and culture common to the Piedmont region of the North of italy and provence in the South of France which was the area under the Savoy kings. i believe there is a similar infleunce in Catalan. the singing is akin to our Sean Nòs. they play lots of polkas, mazurkas and jigs amongst other forms. AND it's GREAT CRAIC!
Debwah I've looked under the stairs but can't find the go-go boots. Have you got them?
# Posted on March 16th 2005 by Joe Quinn
Re: Glee club members
Quebecois seems to be mostly reels with a few waltzes and jigs thrown in for variety. I'm really new to it, so the most in-depth analysis I can give you is "Boy is this stuff ever wicked". The singing is mostly call and response though, not at all like sean nos.
# Posted on March 16th 2005 by Kerri Brown
Re: Glee club members
Have a sister in Toronto and a niece in Calgary. Must get them to bring me over some Quebecois musique next time they come on a visit.
# Posted on March 16th 2005 by Joe Quinn
Re: Glee club members
First two albums of La Volee d'Castors should give anyone a decent idea of quebecois, I suppose, although they are no closer to the hardline original folklore than Lunasa is to Irish (i.e., if you don't like smarty arrangements, you'll be disappointed). 'Par Monts et par Vaux' is my favourite.
Kerri,
how on earth do they tap their feet? I've only heard albums and never ever did any quebecois come over here to show how it's done (it doesn't sound like what our drunkards are doing in a pub when the music is on).
# Posted on March 16th 2005 by EastPole
Re: Glee club members
Thanks, Janek.
Must away. where's me coat? All the best on Paddy's day to ye.
XX Joe
# Posted on March 16th 2005 by Joe Quinn
Re: Glee club members
http://www.vdc.qc.ca/
Not very traditional - you wouldn't find congas, normally. The tunes are there though. Energetic band.
http://www.genticorum.com
http://www.leventdunord.com
Both these bands are awesome and a much less rock-and-rolly. If you can make it to Montreal tonight, le vent du nord is releasing their 2nd CD at Cabaret du Roy.
Janek, like this: tap-a-TAP... tap-a-TAP... tap-a-TAP-a-tap-a-TAP, where all the "tap"s are your right foot, and all the "a"s are your left. Pascal from genticorum says he uses his calf muscles like springs, but that doesn't explain how he can play a crooked reel at the speed of light and have an easy-going conversation about which tune to play next at the same time.
# Posted on March 16th 2005 by Kerri Brown
Re: Glee club members
Whatever happened to La Bottine Souriante? I have a couple of LP's and saw them 15-20 years ago in an early incarnation with fiddle, guitar, accordion, feet, etc. I heard a CD maybe ten years ago and it was very different. Horns and piano and different repertoire.
# Posted on March 16th 2005 by Bob himself
Re: Glee club members
Quebecois anyone?
http://www.clic.net/~thirtybe/catalogue.html#Danses%20/%20Dances
http://www.qbc.clic.net/~thirtybe/contredanse.mp3
# Posted on March 16th 2005 by joesmith
Re: Glee club members
They're still around. They and Volee d'Castors both played at a festival I was working at last year. The saxophones are definitely not traditional, but the tunes are. (For the most part). The organizers of that particular event got a little carried away with the Natalie MacMasterization of trad. (Actually she was playing there too). There's a much more "trad" trad festival happening in August this year.
# Posted on March 16th 2005 by Kerri Brown
Re: Glee club members
M.Gill
# Posted on March 17th 2005 by bodhran bliss