16th November 2008

I was musing on the fortunes of sessions recently because of two events.

The first was our mixed lumpy session on Thursdays at the Bear in Faversham where the week before last, the musicians outnumbered the audience. I swear there were 16 musicians there or possibly more. Well, there were at least 16 bodies in musician's corner bearing instruments. And a singer or two.

There is a problem with sessions that get quite big and that is that they get mushy - the sound that is. It gets harder to play against the background. It's not that there are too many melody instruments, it's often that there are too many accompanists (including cutlery). Still I would rather see too many than too few. Oh, and the variety of tunings increases of course with the number of instruments. Sometimes it gets difficult to play because some instruments are 'not quite in'. Now I know it's not the boxes because they're static (although I have come across more than one concertina in the 'old' tuning). So it's the strings and woodwind. I know my stringed instruments change with the temperature and humidity levels throughout an evening.

The second event was our last Irish session on Wednesday in The Anchor at Wingham (or 'The Spoonerism' as we call it). There were just 4 of us - and 3 were banjos. The fourth was a flute. He is an explosives expert in real life - I keep thinking Blaster Bates for some reason. So 3 banjos - normally a daunting prospect but we enjoyed ourselves and didn't drown the flute at all.

One way to be less unpopular with a banjo is to take two instruments - a melody instrument (banjo) and a chord maker (guitar, bouzouki etc). Two of us regularly alternate banjo and bouzouki so that it does not get too imbalanced. Oh and the Irish session does have a tune-up - even if the pipes only stay in for one set! :-) Overall, the Irish sessions are just more fastidious about tuning which makes the music better. Much better.

Let's see what this week brings ................

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.........