Quite an ancient ITM session now.
Spent a year working in the North-East and used to get booed for purposefully going in there and trying to get them to play either Scottish or Northumbrian music as I found their ITM a bit tame. This was last century and long before the internet was invented - I would have probably featured on this site if I had done it nowadays.
My favorite tune at the time was Bonny Woodside which they were intent on turning into Tripping Upstairs.
I am told the Folkworks undergraduates go there nowadays so the standard should be excellent.
I visited the Cumberland 2nd week in April. It is still going strong - excellent musicians, some on folkworks course.
Wednesday night is ITM only.
Tuesday night is anything but ITM.
See Colpitts in Durham on a Monday
This session has gone through something of a nadir. There were some weeks when it barely took place at all. It seems to be slowly coming out of it now -the sword dance practices are still strong and remain upstairs (castleside early, kingsmen later)- so there does tend to be a number of people about. There seems to have been something of a change of personnel in the session (ahem!).
The friday night is still going, as is the tuesday night (mainly scottish and scandinavian through there are moves afoot to play english music on the last tuesday of the month I gather).
Now living 45 minutes away I've stopped going. The last time I went - 6 months ago - there was one visiting fiddle player and the time previous to that no one had turned up by 10. If there are players out there - preferably of melody instrumests - who are willing to come along and get there at 8.30 or so please post a comment and I will try top raise a quorum. It would be a shame if this old established session was to disappear entirely. It's a great bar for tunes with a piano and a distinguished history and the Tuesday night people don't accommodate ITM.
this session has now been taken over by guitar wielding blues singers playing pop songs and blues songs
after having pointed out to them that this place was known for its Wednesday night ITM session they replied saying that they had been there for 9 months and so are staying.
me, along with a few other ITM playing students have decided to turn up early at around 7 o clock giving us time to play proper music for a bit but once the singers arrive with their 59 guitars then it turns into something of a duel where one side will complete their set and the other one starting up straight away.
oh and you might think, surely these guitar players can accompany the tunes? the answer is no, because they only know three chords (I, IV and V) with them using a capo to play in another key signature
Irish musicians (singers Dan mentioned above, y'all can log off right now), come to the Cumberland Arms every and any Wednesday night you can, armed with fiddles, pipes, harps, flutes, whistles and all else, to resurrect this great session, to save it from the dry, dead books of History.
Dan and I, at the very least, will be there from 7pm, and will stay until the end of the night, come what may, playing tunes, tunes, TUUUUNES!
Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more;
Or close the wall up with our ITM dead!
In peace there's nothing so becomes a man
As modest stillness and humility:
But when the blast of BlooZ blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger;
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood,
Disguise fair nature with hard-favoured rage;
Then lend the eye a terrible aspect.
Last night, there was a brilliant session here, mostly students, but also with about 5 older locals, who apparently used to come before the Irish session fizzled out a couple of years ago. The atmosphere was brilliant, the tunes were flowing, the barstaff and punters were, they said, much happier that Wednesday had tunes again instead of the singers that had been coming the past 9 months or so.
Due to, I assume, some words between them and the owner of the pub that must have taken place in the past week, the singers did not turn up last night, and I suspect this means that we will not run into each other again, at least at the Cumberland on a Wednesday night!
It's quite a long session -- 6:30-7:00 till about midnight. I think what'll be is that it starts off small, just 4 or 5 people sharing tunes in quite a quiet pub, until 9ish, when more people start coming, and it turns into a bigger, noisier session.
The last 6 sessions have gone really well. More than 5, and some weeks more than 10, musicians and cracking tunes. Start time has been 8.30. There is no ITM session on the first Wednesday of the month - a singalong instead.
Recomended by Folkworks undergrads!!
Quite an ancient ITM session now.
Spent a year working in the North-East and used to get booed for purposefully going in there and trying to get them to play either Scottish or Northumbrian music as I found their ITM a bit tame. This was last century and long before the internet was invented - I would have probably featured on this site if I had done it nowadays.
My favorite tune at the time was Bonny Woodside which they were intent on turning into Tripping Upstairs.
I am told the Folkworks undergraduates go there nowadays so the standard should be excellent.
# Posted on December 23rd 2003 by geoffwright
Still going strong
I visited the Cumberland 2nd week in April. It is still going strong - excellent musicians, some on folkworks course.
Wednesday night is ITM only.
Tuesday night is anything but ITM.
See Colpitts in Durham on a Monday
# Posted on April 26th 2004 by geoffwright
Cumberland still going
Just to update this to let people know that this session is still alive and well and worth visiting. Friendly and welcoming.
# Posted on May 24th 2005 by helenakitt
Cumberland wednesday night
This session has gone through something of a nadir. There were some weeks when it barely took place at all. It seems to be slowly coming out of it now -the sword dance practices are still strong and remain upstairs (castleside early, kingsmen later)- so there does tend to be a number of people about. There seems to have been something of a change of personnel in the session (ahem!).
The friday night is still going, as is the tuesday night (mainly scottish and scandinavian through there are moves afoot to play english music on the last tuesday of the month I gather).
# Posted on June 16th 2009 by bizen
Irish Music at Cumberland on Wednesday nights
Now living 45 minutes away I've stopped going. The last time I went - 6 months ago - there was one visiting fiddle player and the time previous to that no one had turned up by 10. If there are players out there - preferably of melody instrumests - who are willing to come along and get there at 8.30 or so please post a comment and I will try top raise a quorum. It would be a shame if this old established session was to disappear entirely. It's a great bar for tunes with a piano and a distinguished history and the Tuesday night people don't accommodate ITM.
# Posted on February 7th 2010 by peterh2009
this session has now been taken over by guitar wielding blues singers playing pop songs and blues songs
after having pointed out to them that this place was known for its Wednesday night ITM session they replied saying that they had been there for 9 months and so are staying.
me, along with a few other ITM playing students have decided to turn up early at around 7 o clock giving us time to play proper music for a bit but once the singers arrive with their 59 guitars then it turns into something of a duel where one side will complete their set and the other one starting up straight away.
oh and you might think, surely these guitar players can accompany the tunes? the answer is no, because they only know three chords (I, IV and V) with them using a capo to play in another key signature
a real shame.
# Posted on February 17th 2011 by I ♥ Dow
CALL TO ARMS
This means War.
Irish musicians (singers Dan mentioned above, y'all can log off right now), come to the Cumberland Arms every and any Wednesday night you can, armed with fiddles, pipes, harps, flutes, whistles and all else, to resurrect this great session, to save it from the dry, dead books of History.
Dan and I, at the very least, will be there from 7pm, and will stay until the end of the night, come what may, playing tunes, tunes, TUUUUNES!
Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more;
Or close the wall up with our ITM dead!
In peace there's nothing so becomes a man
As modest stillness and humility:
But when the blast of BlooZ blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger;
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood,
Disguise fair nature with hard-favoured rage;
Then lend the eye a terrible aspect.
# Posted on February 18th 2011 by Joe CSS
Many of the wednesday players now go on fridays instead .
In fact will be there next friday myself
# Posted on February 18th 2011 by bazouki dave
Yeah but I'm Jewish!
# Posted on February 18th 2011 by Joe CSS
THIS SESSION IS BACK
Last night, there was a brilliant session here, mostly students, but also with about 5 older locals, who apparently used to come before the Irish session fizzled out a couple of years ago. The atmosphere was brilliant, the tunes were flowing, the barstaff and punters were, they said, much happier that Wednesday had tunes again instead of the singers that had been coming the past 9 months or so.
Due to, I assume, some words between them and the owner of the pub that must have taken place in the past week, the singers did not turn up last night, and I suspect this means that we will not run into each other again, at least at the Cumberland on a Wednesday night!
It's quite a long session -- 6:30-7:00 till about midnight. I think what'll be is that it starts off small, just 4 or 5 people sharing tunes in quite a quiet pub, until 9ish, when more people start coming, and it turns into a bigger, noisier session.
Come along!
# Posted on March 24th 2011 by Joe CSS
Irish Music Session Going Strong
The last 6 sessions have gone really well. More than 5, and some weeks more than 10, musicians and cracking tunes. Start time has been 8.30. There is no ITM session on the first Wednesday of the month - a singalong instead.
# Posted on November 1st 2011 by peterh2009