This new weekly session starts from 7PM Monday 21st September 2009 and is run by Tim Whelan (fiddle), Bartley O'Donnel (fiddle) and Lucy Langhham (flute, whistle), so it will undoubtedly turn out to be a very high level session, not likely to be particularly suited to beginners or the faint-hearted.
As expected, this has turned out to be a high level session in what is a very pleasantly quiet pub on a Monday night. It is great for learning new tunes as it is quiet enough to hear really well what others are playing.
The tune sets to be played on a particular night are written up on a board. This list is adhered to. That way, everybody knows in advance what is coming so that they can be there for their favourite tunes and they know when they will have a chance to slip off for a drink and a bit of craic when the ones they don't know are being played. The evening is about 60% reels and 40% jigs..
Having the tune sets decided beforehand also prevents less capable players coming in and taking over the session by wanting to play slow waltzes and simple tunes all night. This tends to happen too often, driving the better players away. This way, it encourages them to move ahead, learn more tunes and become better players.
The evening consists of three blocks of sets, each around 45 minutes, with a drink break between each block, finishing up around 10PM
Actually I apologise. That came across as a little harsh. Sessions come in all shapes and sizes and you are entitled to run your session however you want. It is just it doesn't sound like an advanced session as you describe it but maybe more like an "improvers session" (whatever that is!) with someone helping to run it who has an unexplained desire to want to invade Poland!
High level session
This new weekly session starts from 7PM Monday 21st September 2009 and is run by Tim Whelan (fiddle), Bartley O'Donnel (fiddle) and Lucy Langhham (flute, whistle), so it will undoubtedly turn out to be a very high level session, not likely to be particularly suited to beginners or the faint-hearted.
# Posted on September 17th 2009 by bjlenny
Update on how this session works
As expected, this has turned out to be a high level session in what is a very pleasantly quiet pub on a Monday night. It is great for learning new tunes as it is quiet enough to hear really well what others are playing.
The tune sets to be played on a particular night are written up on a board. This list is adhered to. That way, everybody knows in advance what is coming so that they can be there for their favourite tunes and they know when they will have a chance to slip off for a drink and a bit of craic when the ones they don't know are being played. The evening is about 60% reels and 40% jigs..
Having the tune sets decided beforehand also prevents less capable players coming in and taking over the session by wanting to play slow waltzes and simple tunes all night. This tends to happen too often, driving the better players away. This way, it encourages them to move ahead, learn more tunes and become better players.
The evening consists of three blocks of sets, each around 45 minutes, with a drink break between each block, finishing up around 10PM
# Posted on October 26th 2009 by bjlenny
Are you serious? I mean actually serious? Or is this just a very funny wind-up?
I mean you can't actually be serious can you? Nah, this must be a joke.
Because if you were being serious then that would make you a bunch of nutters and I don't believe that for an instant.
# Posted on October 26th 2009 by No Cause For Alarm
Actually I apologise. That came across as a little harsh. Sessions come in all shapes and sizes and you are entitled to run your session however you want. It is just it doesn't sound like an advanced session as you describe it but maybe more like an "improvers session" (whatever that is!) with someone helping to run it who has an unexplained desire to want to invade Poland!
Good luck to you.
# Posted on October 27th 2009 by No Cause For Alarm
Gone.
The hotel changed hands a year ago and is to be converted into a Chinese restaurant.
There are facilities for editing this entry but I could not work out how to completely delete it.
# Posted on May 20th 2012 by bjlenny