Thursday, 30th October 2008

We are now in that gloriously confused season which combines the pagan and the Christian with a soupcon of rebellion. (sorry about the cedilla - I can't find one).

Yes of course it's Samhain / Halloween /Mischief Night / All Hallows / All Souls / Souling / Guy Fawkes. If you look closely it's the same festival underneath.

Anyway, despite the dark nights, attendance at sessions has been good and we have even seen new faces - or in some cases, old faces but with an instrument. Maybe there are closet sessioneers. The Irish Session is going strong and we still have our Slovakian Fiddler for a while. If anybody wants to give her a job .......

The English / Mixed is also going great guns and has acquired two new Melodeons and a harmonica. We continue to attract itinerant sessioneers who drop in for a tune when they're passing through and it's always nice to see them.

I was musing the other day on the international aspect of our sessioneers. We've had American, Dutch, Belgian, French, Slovakian, Irish, Scottish and German to my certain knowledge. It adds a certain something but it's hard to get them to play their own traditional material.

Some of our favourites seem to be Scandinavian - Swedish in particular with wonderful names that mean such ordinary things - ganglat- 'Walking Dance' for example or even more exotic - ganglat fran Applebo - ' Walking Dance from Applebo' (second apology for lack of accents. I must find out where this editor keeps them. There's probably a heap of mis-shapen and rusting diacritics in a box waiting to be picked out and inserted into the text after a quick polish)

The debate about 'What is a session?' continues to rumble as it always will. Just accept that it may be a:

• Band Practice
• Rehearsal
• Practice
• *SESSION*
• Concert
  
• Sing-around
• Open Mic

and the content may not be as advertised, and you won't go far wrong.

Not long now to the second most confused celebration of Yule / Christmas /Natalis Solis Invicta /Visa/ etc ............

5th October 2008

Winter draws on.

You can tell it's Autumn - Strictly Come Dancing has started again.

The Festival Season is almost over - just Tenterden to go.

There has not been a great deal to report on the session scene of late as everything seems to have settled to near-normality. Or as near normal as it ever gets.

Of note:

The 4 hour marathon session in the Ship in Deal over the festival weekend was very enjoyable and contained an unexpected gem. One of the few times that Desperate Measures have played again since they disbanded. Lumpy English Music at its finest and worthy of Old Swan or Tiger Moth.

On the Irish scene we lost one young talented female fiddler and gained another. Serena has left to pursue other things and Suzannah has returned (with George) from their world tour. That's not as grand as it sounds, the took a year out to go round the world. And now they're back.

I gather Tilmanstone is still a debatable issue. Will it continue or will it disband? Watch this space.....

I must mention a project before closing. It's an attempt to raise interest in and get traditional music played on St George's Day (23rd April). The idea is to play lumpy English tunes with an English place name in their title - such as Newcastle, Portsmouth, Morpeth Rant, Wiltshire Tempest etc.
More details as they emerge. This is Kent Brockman signing off.........

4th September 2008

I don't really know how to approach this post. A lot has happened recently and it's difficult to know how to relate the bizarre events which were the Faversham Hops Festival Sessions.

Now we all know that sessions at festivals are different from regular weekly sessions and anyone can drop in. One is prepared for a wide spectrum of ability and musicianship. The leader skillfully guides the session through the shoals and keeps it all together. OK. The session leader prevents mayhem and bloodshed.

I have a friend who believes that there are musicians and those who worry instruments so one gets melodeon-worriers and guitar-worriers and so on. There are always a fair few worriers at festival sessions.

Now, the Friday night was an Irish Session which had not been advertised so no new faces and a packed, roasting hot bar. A couple (who we normally see at the regular Thursday session) did come in briefly and after a bewildered interval, left. I think they thought it was one of them there 'normal' sessions and Irish was a step too far. Well, they have joined a Morris side.

Saturday and Sunday mornings brought the glory that is the festival band. This is a line up to rival Albions and Oysters in it's sheer entertainment and effrontery. With many of the musicians in bands and a line up including drums and bass it can really rock. It is so much more than an amplified-session-on-stage and how does the programme describe it? 'enthusiastic locals'. That sounds like a euphemism if ever I heard one. And not even any expense money let alone payment. I wonder if they expect us to help next year. How the Pogues got their name comes to mind.

After a civilised interval of tea and scones, we headed on both days for the Bear to lead anybody who was there in the 'come all ye' all day session. It transpired that this activity clashed with a delica-session up the road hosted by two stout locals - Chris Taylor and Bob Kenwood. For those of you wondering what a delica-session is, it's an idea borrowed from some folk clubs where it operates a bit like the deli counter at Sainsbury's. You take a ticket and when your number is called you do your spot and ask for 3 slices of corned beef and a pork pie. It's all true except for the corned beef and pork pie. I think.

On the Sunday, always a quieter day, the session started gently in the Bear and we were joined by Chris the Concertina who is always welcome at any gathering plus a few regulars and irregulars. Always nice to see his daughter Ellie who does a powerful song. She got way more applause than we did. Everything was going so well and then in came the menagerie. Or is it bestiary?

Joining the session were a large, hairy, smelly, slavering dog and a serpent with their human keepers. The dog was real and the serpent was of the musical kind but modern and made of fibreglass (I didn't know that). The dog didn't want to be there and we didn't want the dog to be there so it was mutual and right next to me. I don't know about the serpent but it seemed more relaxed than the dog and looked as though it wanted to be there. Actually, it made it a more exciting day that it would otherwise have been. Yes I know.

Thank goodness Wednesday night was back to the steady Irish in the Anchor. And tonight shall be the Bear again boys and girls. What will the evening bring?