The Shamrock Inn: Irish Pub in Asquith Leagues Club,
Alexandra Pd. Waitara, NSW Australia. (Sydney's upper north shore). 2nd & 4th Tues 7.30-10.30pm
Train from Central Station on North Shore line. Alight at Waitara. Exit left and turn left into Alexandra Pd. 100yds.
The Shamrock Session is not really a “new” session. It’s been going for about 3 years and before that we used to session every Tuesday at the Railway Hotel in Hornsby (next suburb down the line) for about 4 years until the noise of the pin-ball machines and pool players drove us away.
Since we moved to the Shamrock we get together every 2nd & 4th Tuesday each month (except January) and our focus is predominately for playing tunes: jigs, reels, hornpipes, polkas, and other types of tunes which make up the vast collection of traditional Irish (and Celtic based) music. It’s a friendly, informal gathering where playing, listening and dancing to music are all part of the night and all those interested are very welcome.
The Shamrock Inn where we session, is a great space. It’s an Irish theme bar attached to a leagues club but, on Tuesday nights it’s closed and so we have it all to ourselves. We can still buy drinks (very reasonable prices & Guinness on tap) from the club bar but the only ones who turn up are the musos, sometimes some dancers and anyone else who wants to hang out and listen, and we don’t have to complete with external noises such as TV’s, pokies, juke boxes etc.
We try to be as inclusive as possible and the regulars who come along vary from quite experienced musos with a pretty good repertoire of tunes to beginners who want to learn and who might only have a few tunes. With this in mind we try to keep the first hour (7.30-8.30pm) at a steady pace and the tunes not too difficult. And oh yes bold sessioneers, we dare to go where many would never venture – we do play polkas and even the occasional waltz. We sometimes have focus tunes and encourage session players to learn these for the next session. When we had the session at the “Railway” we even did a tune of the week and compiled a couple of tune books with sets as an aid to playing. The tunes from these two books along with a few others we’ve added form the core session tunes we now play. That doesn’t mean we only play those tunes. We’ve added lots more since then and when new or visiting musos turn up there is always a healthy exchange of tunes as well. What you can be assured of is that if you come along to the session and play any of the tunes listed below there will be a core of people to join you.
Do we like songs? Well, we don’t not like them, and are happy to have a few peppered throughout the night but our session is really for the “tunesters”! In other words it’s tunes, tunes, tunes that are focus, the driving force, the life blood!
Playing in a session is a valuable experience and a chance to improve your own musical skills, as well as lots of fun. Sessions however are not free-for-alls and you should always be mindful of your fellow musicians, especially if you're not a regular and, be sympathetic to the aims of the night. Whether it’s the Shamrock or any of the other great sessions that happen around the greater Sydney area it’s a good idea to keep in mind some basic session etiquette.
• If you’re not a session regular it’s a good idea to listen and get the feel for the session before you start to play if you’re unsure about the sessions focus. Chat to the regulars during the breaks between tune sets.
• If you don’t know a tune either don't play or, play very quietly, as your wrong notes can distract and/or irritate others around you.
• If you play a percussion or rhythm instrument don't play too loudly or out of time as this is very irritating to the melody players. In the music we play, the melody is FAR more important than the backing. A good rule of thumb is only one bodhran and/or guitar at a time. The accompanists should know the tune as well as the melody players to be sympathetic to the tune and get a good feel for it.
• Playing too fast and/or too loud so that you take over from the person leading the tune set is considered highly discourteous and can alienate you from others in a session. And remember, the person who starts the set calls the tunes and the tempo.
Some tunes you’ll hear played regularly at the Shamrock Session
Reels:
Bucks of Oranmore
Concertina Reel
Congress, The
Cooley’s
Crooked Road
Cup of Tea
Dick Gossip’s
Donegal, The
Drowsy Maggie
Dublin Reel (D)
Flogging Reel
Foxhunter’s (G)
Gravel Walk
Green Fields of Rossbeigh (Kerry Reel)
Green Gates
High Reel
Honeymoon
Humours of Tulla
Ireland in New York
Ivy Leaf
Jackie Coleman’s
Jolly Clan Diggers (Old Blackthorn)
Killavel Fancy
Knotted Chord (Junior Crehan’s)
McMahon’s (Banshee)
Maid Behind the Bar
Maid of Mount Cisco
Man of Aran
Man Of The House
Maple Leaf
Master McDermott’s
Merry Blacksmith
Morning Dew
Morning Star
Miss McLeod’s
Mountain Road
Musical Priest
Off to Mass (Primrose Lass)
Over the Moor to Maggie
Pigeon on the Gate
Pigtown Fling
Sailor’s Bonnet
Sailor on the Rock
Saint Anne’s
Sally Gardens
Silver Spear
Sligo Maid
Temple House
Wind That Shakes the Barley
Wise Maid (All Around The World)
Jigs:
Banish Misfortune
Behind the Haystack
Bill Harte’s
Blackthorn Stick
Blarney Pilgrim
Boys Of Tanderagee
Buck in the Woods
Burnt Old Man
Calliope House
Clare Jig
Cliffs of Moher
Connaughtman’s Rambles
Dingle Regatta
Dusty Windowsills
Father O’Flynn (Top of the Cork Road)
Frost is all Over
Full Rigged Ship
Geese in the Bog
Hag at the Churn
Haste to the Wedding
Humours of Glendart
Irish Washerwoman
Kesh (The Castle)
Killavil Jig
Lannigan’s Ball
Lark in the Morning, The
Leitrim Fancy
Life is all Chequered
Lilting Banshee
Mist Covered Mountains
Mooncoin Jig
Morrison’s
Mug of Brown Ale
My Darling Asleep
Out on the Ocean
Palm Sunday
Pipe on the Hob (D)
Pipe on the Hob (Am)
Rakes of Kildare
Rakes of Clonmell
Rambling Pitchfork
Rolling Waves, The
Saddle the Pony
Scotsman Over the Border
Smash the Windows
Sporting Pitchfork
Tenpenny Bit
Tripping Up the Stairs
Walls of Liscaroll
Ward’s Jig
Polkas:
Ailbe Grace’s
Ballydesmond 3
Ballyvourney
Battle of Aughrim
Black Rock, The
Dalaigh’s
Denis Murphy’s
Jenny Lind
Jim Keefe’s
John Ryan’s
Kerry Cow, The
Lakes of Sligo
Maggie in the Wood
O’Sullivan’s
Pat Horgan’s #1
Peg Ryan’s Fancy
Rakes of Mallow
Rakes Polka, The
Rattling Bog
Tom McGowan’s (Pat Horgan’s #2)
Tralee Jail
Hornpipes, Flings & Barndances:
Boys of Bluehill
Cronin’s
Doris Browne’s
German, The
Greencastle
Green Grow the Rashes O
Harvest Home
King of the Fairies
Martin Hayes’ Barn Dance
Off to California
Rug Row (Keel Row)
Stack of Barley
Slip Jigs:
Another Jig Will Do
Boys of Ballysadare
Ceol na Mara
Coleman’s No 1
Drops of Brandy
Foxhunters’ Jig
Hills of Tipperary
Kid on the Mountain
Moll Roe
Rocky Road to Dublin
Slides:
Dennis Murphy’s
Going to the Well for Water
Long Note, The
Star Above the Garter
O’Keefe’s 1
O’Keefe’s 2
Other miscellaneous tunes we play:
Athol Highlanders
Boda Waltz
Buachaill an Eirne (air)
Cold Frosty Morning
Da Slockit Light (Session closing tune)
Dawning of the Day (march)
Flatbush (waltz)
For Ireland I’ll Not Tell Her Name
Hills of Glenorchy (air)
Hobart’s Transformation
Jig of Slurs
Margaret’s Waltz
Mountains of Pomerory
New Ridded Ship
Planxty Irwin
Possum up a Gumstump (but only if Trish is there to lead it!)
Return to Fingal (march)
Roddy McCorley (march)
Si Beg Si Mor
Soldier’s Joy
Sweets of May
Waltz of the Little Girls
Willafjord
Just for the record, thought last Tues at K on K was briliant. Inspirational! And I didn't get too many of the tunes but then that's what it's all about. If we just sat round playing the same old stuff week in week out WE'D all bored Sh**less.
Really enjoyed last night's session, although still find it much easier playing Scottish rather than Irish!
The suggested tune to learn for next session is The Pinch of Snuff. James played it beautifully, but wasn't sure of the third(?) part. Norm said it went up the octave.
I did a search, and came up with a four part version and the link that leads back to the original low D tune.
There is quite a bit of discussion on the sections in the Session and music, but I found the best version in John Chambers' data base. This is accessible by doing a search on John Chambers tune match or trillian.mit.edu. There are several versions - keep looking until you find the one with 9 lines ie in keys of D, G, A and back to D
Great to see yourself and Tim there last night! Yes good stuff – the Pinch of Snuff. Put it on the list for next time. Not sure where himself & James got their version. Thanks for the links. Also put Pigeon on the Gate – get it at http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/517
and Dick Gossips – get at http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/408
Do you have the slides that Larry plays - they’re also down for next time? Ask me tomorrow.
Check out the session website for some new pics from last week. http://www.members.optusnet.com.au/~galimore/celtic_music_session.htm
And let's try to keep the circle tight so we can hear and see each other. Doesn't matter if it's two deep 'cause it's a better sound when we're close-up. Ooooh! Nice 'n cosy.
Shhh! Don't tell anyone but this session is one of the best kept secrets in Sydney. People have to make a bit of an effort to get there but it's well worth the trek when you do. We've had some great tunes in the past weeks so thanks lads, for the music.
You can now join our session group on facebook and see all the latest session posts and tunes. And you can also find us at http://www.myspace.com/shamrocksession
The Shamrock Session
The Shamrock Inn: Irish Pub in Asquith Leagues Club,
Alexandra Pd. Waitara, NSW Australia. (Sydney's upper north shore). 2nd & 4th Tues 7.30-10.30pm
Train from Central Station on North Shore line. Alight at Waitara. Exit left and turn left into Alexandra Pd. 100yds.
The Shamrock Session is not really a “new” session. It’s been going for about 3 years and before that we used to session every Tuesday at the Railway Hotel in Hornsby (next suburb down the line) for about 4 years until the noise of the pin-ball machines and pool players drove us away.
Since we moved to the Shamrock we get together every 2nd & 4th Tuesday each month (except January) and our focus is predominately for playing tunes: jigs, reels, hornpipes, polkas, and other types of tunes which make up the vast collection of traditional Irish (and Celtic based) music. It’s a friendly, informal gathering where playing, listening and dancing to music are all part of the night and all those interested are very welcome.
The Shamrock Inn where we session, is a great space. It’s an Irish theme bar attached to a leagues club but, on Tuesday nights it’s closed and so we have it all to ourselves. We can still buy drinks (very reasonable prices & Guinness on tap) from the club bar but the only ones who turn up are the musos, sometimes some dancers and anyone else who wants to hang out and listen, and we don’t have to complete with external noises such as TV’s, pokies, juke boxes etc.
We try to be as inclusive as possible and the regulars who come along vary from quite experienced musos with a pretty good repertoire of tunes to beginners who want to learn and who might only have a few tunes. With this in mind we try to keep the first hour (7.30-8.30pm) at a steady pace and the tunes not too difficult. And oh yes bold sessioneers, we dare to go where many would never venture – we do play polkas and even the occasional waltz. We sometimes have focus tunes and encourage session players to learn these for the next session. When we had the session at the “Railway” we even did a tune of the week and compiled a couple of tune books with sets as an aid to playing. The tunes from these two books along with a few others we’ve added form the core session tunes we now play. That doesn’t mean we only play those tunes. We’ve added lots more since then and when new or visiting musos turn up there is always a healthy exchange of tunes as well. What you can be assured of is that if you come along to the session and play any of the tunes listed below there will be a core of people to join you.
Do we like songs? Well, we don’t not like them, and are happy to have a few peppered throughout the night but our session is really for the “tunesters”! In other words it’s tunes, tunes, tunes that are focus, the driving force, the life blood!
Playing in a session is a valuable experience and a chance to improve your own musical skills, as well as lots of fun. Sessions however are not free-for-alls and you should always be mindful of your fellow musicians, especially if you're not a regular and, be sympathetic to the aims of the night. Whether it’s the Shamrock or any of the other great sessions that happen around the greater Sydney area it’s a good idea to keep in mind some basic session etiquette.
• If you’re not a session regular it’s a good idea to listen and get the feel for the session before you start to play if you’re unsure about the sessions focus. Chat to the regulars during the breaks between tune sets.
• If you don’t know a tune either don't play or, play very quietly, as your wrong notes can distract and/or irritate others around you.
• If you play a percussion or rhythm instrument don't play too loudly or out of time as this is very irritating to the melody players. In the music we play, the melody is FAR more important than the backing. A good rule of thumb is only one bodhran and/or guitar at a time. The accompanists should know the tune as well as the melody players to be sympathetic to the tune and get a good feel for it.
• Playing too fast and/or too loud so that you take over from the person leading the tune set is considered highly discourteous and can alienate you from others in a session. And remember, the person who starts the set calls the tunes and the tempo.
Some tunes you’ll hear played regularly at the Shamrock Session
Reels:
Bucks of Oranmore
Concertina Reel
Congress, The
Cooley’s
Crooked Road
Cup of Tea
Dick Gossip’s
Donegal, The
Drowsy Maggie
Dublin Reel (D)
Flogging Reel
Foxhunter’s (G)
Gravel Walk
Green Fields of Rossbeigh (Kerry Reel)
Green Gates
High Reel
Honeymoon
Humours of Tulla
Ireland in New York
Ivy Leaf
Jackie Coleman’s
Jolly Clan Diggers (Old Blackthorn)
Killavel Fancy
Knotted Chord (Junior Crehan’s)
McMahon’s (Banshee)
Maid Behind the Bar
Maid of Mount Cisco
Man of Aran
Man Of The House
Maple Leaf
Master McDermott’s
Merry Blacksmith
Morning Dew
Morning Star
Miss McLeod’s
Mountain Road
Musical Priest
Off to Mass (Primrose Lass)
Over the Moor to Maggie
Pigeon on the Gate
Pigtown Fling
Sailor’s Bonnet
Sailor on the Rock
Saint Anne’s
Sally Gardens
Silver Spear
Sligo Maid
Temple House
Wind That Shakes the Barley
Wise Maid (All Around The World)
Jigs:
Banish Misfortune
Behind the Haystack
Bill Harte’s
Blackthorn Stick
Blarney Pilgrim
Boys Of Tanderagee
Buck in the Woods
Burnt Old Man
Calliope House
Clare Jig
Cliffs of Moher
Connaughtman’s Rambles
Dingle Regatta
Dusty Windowsills
Father O’Flynn (Top of the Cork Road)
Frost is all Over
Full Rigged Ship
Geese in the Bog
Hag at the Churn
Haste to the Wedding
Humours of Glendart
Irish Washerwoman
Kesh (The Castle)
Killavil Jig
Lannigan’s Ball
Lark in the Morning, The
Leitrim Fancy
Life is all Chequered
Lilting Banshee
Mist Covered Mountains
Mooncoin Jig
Morrison’s
Mug of Brown Ale
My Darling Asleep
Out on the Ocean
Palm Sunday
Pipe on the Hob (D)
Pipe on the Hob (Am)
Rakes of Kildare
Rakes of Clonmell
Rambling Pitchfork
Rolling Waves, The
Saddle the Pony
Scotsman Over the Border
Smash the Windows
Sporting Pitchfork
Tenpenny Bit
Tripping Up the Stairs
Walls of Liscaroll
Ward’s Jig
Polkas:
Ailbe Grace’s
Ballydesmond 3
Ballyvourney
Battle of Aughrim
Black Rock, The
Dalaigh’s
Denis Murphy’s
Jenny Lind
Jim Keefe’s
John Ryan’s
Kerry Cow, The
Lakes of Sligo
Maggie in the Wood
O’Sullivan’s
Pat Horgan’s #1
Peg Ryan’s Fancy
Rakes of Mallow
Rakes Polka, The
Rattling Bog
Tom McGowan’s (Pat Horgan’s #2)
Tralee Jail
Hornpipes, Flings & Barndances:
Boys of Bluehill
Cronin’s
Doris Browne’s
German, The
Greencastle
Green Grow the Rashes O
Harvest Home
King of the Fairies
Martin Hayes’ Barn Dance
Off to California
Rug Row (Keel Row)
Stack of Barley
Slip Jigs:
Another Jig Will Do
Boys of Ballysadare
Ceol na Mara
Coleman’s No 1
Drops of Brandy
Foxhunters’ Jig
Hills of Tipperary
Kid on the Mountain
Moll Roe
Rocky Road to Dublin
Slides:
Dennis Murphy’s
Going to the Well for Water
Long Note, The
Star Above the Garter
O’Keefe’s 1
O’Keefe’s 2
Other miscellaneous tunes we play:
Athol Highlanders
Boda Waltz
Buachaill an Eirne (air)
Cold Frosty Morning
Da Slockit Light (Session closing tune)
Dawning of the Day (march)
Flatbush (waltz)
For Ireland I’ll Not Tell Her Name
Hills of Glenorchy (air)
Hobart’s Transformation
Jig of Slurs
Margaret’s Waltz
Mountains of Pomerory
New Ridded Ship
Planxty Irwin
Possum up a Gumstump (but only if Trish is there to lead it!)
Return to Fingal (march)
Roddy McCorley (march)
Si Beg Si Mor
Soldier’s Joy
Sweets of May
Waltz of the Little Girls
Willafjord
# Posted on April 20th 2007 by merro
Nominated for the 2007 *Dow* awards , category Session Entries (Sydney, NSW)
er, no chance of moving it to a Monday night ... ?
# Posted on April 20th 2007 by Bren
And THAT explains why you lot are never at Kellys!! ;)
# Posted on April 21st 2007 by kookabat
To be fair, they do come every fortnight, whenever the Shamrock isn't on...
# Posted on April 21st 2007 by Dr. Dow
Who said we had to be fair??
# Posted on April 21st 2007 by kookabat
Oh dear!
# Posted on April 22nd 2007 by merro
Just for the record, thought last Tues at K on K was briliant. Inspirational! And I didn't get too many of the tunes but then that's what it's all about. If we just sat round playing the same old stuff week in week out WE'D all bored Sh**less.
# Posted on April 22nd 2007 by merro
The Pinch of Snuff
Really enjoyed last night's session, although still find it much easier playing Scottish rather than Irish!
The suggested tune to learn for next session is The Pinch of Snuff. James played it beautifully, but wasn't sure of the third(?) part. Norm said it went up the octave.
I did a search, and came up with a four part version and the link that leads back to the original low D tune.
There is quite a bit of discussion on the sections in the Session and music, but I found the best version in John Chambers' data base. This is accessible by doing a search on John Chambers tune match or trillian.mit.edu. There are several versions - keep looking until you find the one with 9 lines ie in keys of D, G, A and back to D
Trish
# Posted on April 25th 2007 by trishssf
Tunes
Great to see yourself and Tim there last night! Yes good stuff – the Pinch of Snuff. Put it on the list for next time. Not sure where himself & James got their version. Thanks for the links. Also put Pigeon on the Gate – get it at
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/517
and Dick Gossips – get at
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/408
Do you have the slides that Larry plays - they’re also down for next time? Ask me tomorrow.
# Posted on April 25th 2007 by merro
Session Pics
Check out the session website for some new pics from last week.
http://www.members.optusnet.com.au/~galimore/celtic_music_session.htm
And let's try to keep the circle tight so we can hear and see each other. Doesn't matter if it's two deep 'cause it's a better sound when we're close-up. Ooooh! Nice 'n cosy.
# Posted on May 18th 2007 by merro
Some great nights of recent times!
Great to see such a good role-up each time. Really enjoying the tunes and the people but hey! that's what it's all about.
# Posted on August 19th 2008 by merro
This Session just keeps getting better.
Shhh! Don't tell anyone but this session is one of the best kept secrets in Sydney. People have to make a bit of an effort to get there but it's well worth the trek when you do. We've had some great tunes in the past weeks so thanks lads, for the music.
# Posted on November 17th 2008 by merro
Session News
You can now join our session group on facebook and see all the latest session posts and tunes. And you can also find us at http://www.myspace.com/shamrocksession
# Posted on April 11th 2010 by merro