> -----Original Message----- > From: Roy Trotter [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: 13 October 2006 09:37 > To: hg@hurdygurdy.com > > Irish sessions are > boring with dragging out the same 30 tunes every time and we have to > play the version that whoever knows.
I can sympathise with that feeling! But to be honest, Roy, I reckon this jaded feeling is a fairly common phenomenon at sessions of all ilk, particularly if there's a slow turn-over of session members. I recall going to a French / Euro session outside my area a few years ago and having a great time because of all the new material I heard. Even the usual old tunes had new life breathed into them because of the different ways they were played. I did play the hurdy-gurdy at an Irish session at Sidmouth festival a little while ago and was told in no uncertain terms by one particularly vocal individual that it was an 'Irish Only' session. So I started playing Irish tunes. I'm not sure he could tell the difference! I've been told by one of my music friends (who is a superb Uillean Piper) that when I play Irish tunes the sound I produce simply doesn't sound Irish. I'm convinced that this isn't because the HG has the wrong sound for the music, but more that I have developed an Anglo-French 'accent' in my playing. I suspect it is largely to do with the way I ornament my melody. This notion of 'accent' can be quite pronounced in some instruments and with some musical traditions. So I imagine it would be quite easy to distinguish someone brought up in the Irish tradition playing the same tune as someone brought up in, say, the Finnish, or the Hungarian traditions. Has anyone ever experienced this phenomenon of regional 'accents' in hurdy-gurdy playing? If asked to play a particular piece of music, do you think you would be able to tell the difference between a Vielleuse, a 'Tekerist' and a hurdy-gurdy player, for example? Mike This email, including any attachment, is a confidential communication intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. It contains information which is private and may be proprietary or covered by legal professional privilege. If you have received this email in error, please notify either the sender or telephone ++ 44 (0) 1963 370551 upon receipt, and immediately delete it from your system. Anything contained in this email that is not connected with the businesses of Thales Naval is neither endorsed by nor is the liability of this company. Whilst we have taken reasonable precautions to ensure that any attachment to this email has been swept for viruses, we cannot accept liability for any damage sustained as a result of software viruses, and would advise that you carry out your own virus checks before opening any attachment.
