Ah yes, I remember it well - even in the same city, whack! C I was the one who sang interminable unaccompanied ballads. My sister was the other one. I also almost got murdered by Barry Halpin for singing "with God on our side" at his club. Ah, madcap youth! c
>-----Original Message----- >From: colin [mailto:cwh...@santa-fe.freeserve.co.uk] >Sent: Thursday, April 16, 2009 1:07 PM >To: Dartmouth NPS >Subject: [NSP] Re: Not again! > >Anthony, >Many of us "older" ones on the list should remember the folk >revival of the >60's when every pub had a folk club of some sort. >This discussion very much reminds me of the selectiveness between them. >There was a huge difference between the clubs - some being "pure >traditional" with no instruments of any sort allowed and others with >electric guitars etc. >There was always tension between them as to what constituted "Folk". >We decided to go with a "come along and sing whatever you like >and have a >good time". >We got everything from Bob Dylan to Copper Family. >One of our best nights was when a certain Mr Anderson played >concertina and >pipes (I still have most of the reel-to-reel recording of that >night) and >the reception was fantastic - many never having heard anything >but my poor >attempts to play the pipes before that (this was late 70's >early 80's, I >think). >We never did solve the problems between the clubs but did >agree to differ >whilst (a) accepting that different people had different >viewpoints and (b) >agreeing that neither was "right" and accepting that, if one visited a >"traditional" club, one left the guitar at home and also the >opposite - that >Tom Paxton fans could sit through several dozen Elizabethan >verses without >passing out from lack of beer because they couldn't get up to >go to the bar. >The audience decided what they liked. >Lets all agree to differ and enjoy a wonderful instrument >without becoming >too pedantic. >We're musicians first and academics second, surely? >Let's not argue over which end of the egg to open :) >Colin Hill >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Anthony Robb" <anth...@robbpipes.com> >To: "Dartmouth NPS" <nsp@cs.dartmouth.edu> >Sent: Thursday, April 16, 2009 11:25 AM >Subject: [NSP] Not again! > > >> >> >> >> Hello again >> >> The number of people asking me to stay on the list has >really touched >> me. I did leave but rejoined this morning as Iam convinced there is >> much still to be said; in no particular order: >> >> >> * It wasnat just Barry Sayas contribution that made me >question my >> presence on the list. It came after some very >unpleasant postings, >> which, for me, came as quite a shock. This list can be >a source of >> genuine information and help to pipers everywhere but >it will only >> succeed if opinions are sensitively voiced and readers >take time to >> assimilate what has been said. >> * Surely it is contradictory to talk about aproper >pipinga, amoving >> ona, apaths to perditiona and aconversiona and then >claim rules are >> not being implied? >> * Why, when Kathryn Tickell has done more, >single-handedly, to raise >> the profile of piping than the NPS has ever done, are >some people >> on the list frightened to even mention her name? Could >it be she >> doesnat follow the (non-existent) rules? Or perhaps it is her >> success? I have watched her inspire extremely talented >bairns who >> might not have been switched on to Northumbrian piping >if the some >> of the more vociferous elements on this list had been doing the >> teaching. Kathryn is one of the hardest working, talented and >> modest (yes modest!!) people I have ever worked with. >> * Last year I brought Chris Ormston in to teach some >pipes lessons at >> The Sage Gateshead. His talent stood out but his single-minded >> approach was not what is required in an area of music >that is meant >> to be fun and all-encompassing. I was hoping to carry >on with my >> Northumbrian Band workshops. It would have been >perfect for me if >> Chris had delivered what the people were paying for >and been the >> popular choice to carry on with the pipes when Paul >Knox had moved >> on. Caedmon participants are from all walks of life >and pay good >> money for help in getting what they want from the >pipes. Being told >> that the sounds that had attracted them to the pipes >was not the >> way to do it wasnat exactly the best choice of >teaching strategy. >> So now I am back doing the pipes lessons at TSG. Not my ideal >> outcome but it is why his ajobs for the boysa jibe was >particularly >> nasty nonsense. >> * With regards to my teaching philosophy and standards, >I invite any >> one of you to ask any of the participants of aThe Cool >Breath Toura >> if they found my approach musical and challenging. We >were aiming >> for the highest standard of musical enjoyment and >there will soon >> be a recording available to see if this was achieved >and to what >> extent. Perhaps Barry can recommend a similar >project/recording of >> his own so that we can hear for ourselves just how far >along this >> road he has travelled himself? >> * As for the question of gracing; perhaps it is precisely because >> such notes intrude and give some form of dynamics that >I find them >> so musical and appealing. For heavenas sake, the pipes >are limited >> enough to start with, please do not impose further >restrictions on >> what they should or shouldnat do. If you want your >music clean and >> unadulterated then Noteworthy or Sibelius might be the >answer. As >> for Adrianas conversion, may I suggest that this is >the greatest >> loss to Northumbrian piping since the death of Joe Hutton? >> * The description of conversions to the clean Clough >style sound as >> inviting as joining some strict religious sect. This >contrasts to >> what I was told by Bill Hedworth when I first asked for advice >> about playing the pipes back in 1969, aAnthony, we each have to >> find our own salvation when it comes to this instrumenta. >> >> >> OK, this is plenty to be going on with. It has always been >my position >> that the strength of our music is its breadth of appeal. I >am doing no >> more than offering a description of my own salvation and >invite others >> to take it or leave it. Unless, of course, you want me to organise >> tours/concert groups etc. when youall have no choice but >to take it, at >> least until I have left the room. >> >> As aye >> >> Anthony >> >> -- >> >> >> To get on or off this list see list information at >> http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html >> >> > > > >
