Sunday April 30th 2006

This weekend is Rochester Sweeps or 'Medway Sweeps' as the council would like it. Usually, there's a lively session in the Victoria and Bull, but there doen't seem much appetite for it this year. Anyway, as a result and because it's the 5th Sunday, there is no session tonight at the Rose and Crown. Wednesday's Irish and Thursday's mixed lumpy went well. Problem still not resolved with thumpy-shaky-bangy. Further thought needed.

Sunday, April 23rd 2006 St George's Day

I wonder why it is that we don't celebrate St George in England? Are we ashamed of the association of Englishness with something negative about England? I know quite a few musicians who would happily go and celebrate St George's Day by playing some traditional tunes but there isn't the audience enthusiasm as there is with St Patrick. May day will be celibrated by the Morris Men and then there will be the Folk Festival Season where folk music of all kinds will be played, but will there be an 'English Session'? I doubt it. There'll be an Irish one at every venue though.

The Irish session is exciting, pulsing, toe-tapping stuff so that's where it scores I suppose, but nothing is nicer than good lumpy English music played on a Summer afternoon or evening, in a garden....

Thursday Session 20th April 2006

The mixed lumpy session was its usual lively self. The fearless leaders have returned from darkest (and apparently coldest) France and had two weeks to make up. May have been a record number of tunes in a 2 hour session! Some guests. An extra table strategically placed by the landlord, possibly entirely coincidentally, meant that the string bass could not be used. Ah, what a pity. Still the percussion in use sounded like intermittent rounds being fired by the Gurkhas on the practice range. "20 rounds, intermittent drum beating, in your own time. Fire! How we stay on the tunes sometimes amazes me. Despite the acoustics, the heat, the confined space, (and the amusical contributions) the Bear is still a fabulous atmosphere with a very appreciative audience.

I would have thought that there would be a session of English Music for St Georges day on Sunday 23rd, but there doesn't seem to be anything happening. Curious isn't it - every pub has a band for Paddy's night, but not a sausage for good old St George. Not even a mummers play.

Wednesday Session 19th April 2006

The Irish session - back to full strength. The flautist returned from Syria enthusing about whirling dervishes that he saw there. No strangers, no iteinerants. Not that they are not welcome - just sometimes nice to be in the familar and cosy just as at othet times it's nice to have something different. Ah - one member missing - the pipes. There was some swapping of seating arrangements going on too. Maybe because it's spring. Good banter as always, and a question. Is there any other accordianist out there apart from ours who travels with a tea cosy in his case? We think he may be unique.

One of the hot topics at the moment and discussed in every (other) session is how to get rid of the session nuisance. The one with much more neck than talent and actively detracts from any gathering he attends. Yes we have one. There are a few out there and they come in all guises but generally what they have in common is to offend the musicians or cause them to play less well or struggle against what they are doing. Now music should be sympathetic. Adding to the mix if it enhances the overall. I know that's not always true. Sometimes you're learning a tune, sometimes you're just playing along because you know it, but it should be like the Hypocratic Oath -First Do No Harm! Anyway thing may come to a head tonight....

The Monday Session

Unexpectedly, I went along to the Monday Session. Normally I'm out dancing on a Monday night, and the session is only once a month - the third Monday. Sometimes holidays and things conspire to make me free when it's on. I've only been once before and the atmosphere was distinctly breton-esque but I was assured that it should be a mixed session. The venue is very conducive. Small but the acoustics are good and the staff and regulars are keen on the music. Way out in the back of beyond - it is just a pub and a church but what a pub and what a church! (The Yew Tree at Barfreston in Kent BTW). A good time was had by all and it was still going at 11:30 when I left. A fair mix of players but vey good if beginners want to go somewhere less threatening than one of the bigger sessions where there are 'pro-sessioneers'. Some of the tunes were way too fast (a sign of nerves?) and not many joined in on the standards (which was a bit strange). It was almost as if each had a repertoire and only played if their list coincided with yours. Still much to commend it, especially for beginners.

The Sunday Session

Another Irish session tonight. A friend likens the Irish session to the 'A' levels - English traditional music being the 'O' levels. Reels are tunes. Everything else is named, as in 'We'll play 3 tunes and a hornpipe'. The venue is middle-of-nowhere which seems to be normal for the Sunday session. At a pub of course - this one's the Rose and Crown at Stelling Minnis. Never quite know what the dynamic will be. It depends on the weather, the season, family, the school calendar and probably a mysterious quintessence as well.

The Thursday Session

The Thursday session was wonderful - mostly. Our fabulous Duette concertina player joined us and we played a whole bunch of tunes we normally don't play. And mostly good lumpy English tunes as well. Two singers though. What should one do with singers in a music session? One body of opinon says they've got open stage nights elsewhere and music sessions are not the right place for them. It certainly disrupts the flow and changes the mood you've created with the music. A fair few thumpers and graters and shakers at that session unfortunately. I reccommend a stanley knife as standard equipment to cut the string of the wretched tea chest bass and the skin of any of the various drums. Is it possible people, with instruments go to a session and have no idea about timing, rhythm, tuning or keys? Incredible but apparently true and I'm sure you've all experienced it. Promise of a recording anyway but we'll wait and see about that. Talked to my friend Richard at the bar. Apparently Diamond Geezer was filmed in Lincoln Prison in the Castle grounds (and also an old mental home in Leeds). We talked about Lincoln and how nice it is and the Christmas Market they hold eash year. 'Now why doesn't Faverham have one?' he asked. Anybody know? It'd be a great venue for one.

The Wednesday Session

Arrived back from the Midlands with enough time to get a meal and straight out to the session.
Now our session is a real mixture. There are experienced players with a lifetime of tunes, there are beginners who try and pick a tune out and all stages in between. There are also very good players who 'drop in' occassionally and completely change the dynamics. There's a very chatty girl who drops in and plays the goat (bodhran) when she's around but the hard core is still a handful of dedicated, moderately talented players. The good players, having had their fix, leave early and often a second, short impromptu session starts with different music and a different dynamic.

The beers expensive - £2.40 a pint now.

I'm going up to Nuneaton today to take a relative home. I hope to be back for the Irish session tonight but that depend on the vaguaries of the M25 and M1 neither of which are good at the moment. Normally six hours is enough there and back, but six hours in one direction has been known. Still on the way, I can play Bothy Band CDs and listen to Clare FM trad archive on my MP3 player.

OK. It's been a few days since the first post so it's time for a second. Session dynamics are fascinating. Different sessions have characteristics all their own, coloured by the environment (invariably a pub), the acoustics, the players, the mix of instruments .....

There's a critical mass that occurs when you get enough players (minimum 4, preferably 5). More is good but too many end up as porridge. A good balance of different instruments helps of course (not too many of the same) with some willing to do the rhythm while others do the melody. Good rhythm players are hard to find. I know of only a handfull out of all the dozens of sessioneers.

As far as dynamics go, it's amazing how a small change in the make-up of the session can change the entire feel. One more player (or one fewer) , a different venue or having an audience! Next session is Wednesday, so more to report then.

Well, this is the first post to the session diary.

It's a funny old world, playing in traditional music sessions. You meet all sorts. You know people for years, what they play, what they drink, but you only know their first names. The Irish session was once described to me as an exclusive club. You can go anywhere in the world and drop into a session and be accepted. Not the same with English ('lumpy') sessions or the 'mixed-lumpy' sessions (choose from a mixture of English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Shetland, Belgian, French...........).

Then there's session etiquette - when you don't crash back in from the bar while a set is being played (or leave a set for that matter). I wish the etiquette would extend to bangers and graters so that they would only play when it was in time and in key. Ho hum. And session politics of course. Whose seat is it anyway?

Now there will be stories from the sessions in the weeks to come but just recently we've been celebrating a birth and lamenting a death, welcoming old friends and finding new and trying desperately to learn some new tunes!