Chiff and Fipple Forums

In preparation for Saturday's (27:4:13) Gwyl Cadi Ha' festival in Holywell & Mold, Flintshire, N. Wales, where I shall be afflicting the good folk..... a new recording on my Pibgorn of the Cadi Ha' Processional dance/song tune. There is full info and links to more (including notation) on the YouTube blurb - just click the "Show More" tab.

Could you please tell us the reaction you get when you pull out that instrument and start playing it among friends and family who have never seen that instrument before? My family would probably roll on the floor in laughter. (They're not that musical.)

Well, my friends and family are pretty used to me doing weird stuff, and a good proportion of 'em are at least as weird on their own account. But yeah, what you said isn't too bad an approximation of one typical response. Another is for folk to clap their hands to their ears and run away screaming: Benhall1, for example.
But seriously (and often to my own surprise), quite a lot think it's odd but awesome, and loads want to have a go. I got a lot of unsolicited compliments for it during and after the Cadi Ha' procession and dancing out on Saturday, and at the evening Twmpath ("ceilidh"/barn dance).

Who me? Yes, I think the world would be a better place without the shouty, bleaty excrescences. They look unnecessarily weird, and they sound dreadful. So bleugh!

Here's what I would rather be doing any day rather than even hear (let alone listen to) one o' they hideous bloody popcorn thingies:

Thank you jem (but not benhall). I am glad I am in good company.

Well, this should keep our immoderate moderator off this thread quite effectively, then.....



There's a short article about the event. Typical journalistic hyperbole, mind - very, very few people not directly involved/participating "attended", and Holywell High St. was pretty much dead (as is sadly the norm nowadays) in terms of shoppers/casual passers by.

If you click the link, there's a gallery of fairly decent photos and also a rather scruffy compilation video of the dancing, though unfortunately nothing of the initial procession (with a mistaken inclusion from some other event at the end of it!!!).

You're not fooling us, Jem, with that fake YouTube clip. We know there's a screen in the end of that thing, and a plastic baggie and matches in your pocket.

MTGuru wrote:You're not fooling us, Jem, with that fake YouTube clip. We know there's a screen in the end of that thing, and a plastic baggie and matches in your pocket.

???
I think the "atmosphere" in California must be addling your wits, or something, MTG.

No smoke!
And Mr. silly billy scaredy-cat cloth ears Hall can attest to the fact it really makes a sound, even if he doesn't like it.

Philistines!

benhall.1 wrote:Here's what I would rather be doing any day rather than even hear (let alone listen to) one o' they hideous bloody popcorn thingies:

Normal life, then? You should branch out a bit, live a bit......

I guessed "pibgorn yt" meant something to do with popcorn. Boy, was I wrong.

Blimey, 3 consecutive moderators in one thread! Probably 'cos you're the only Chiffers who (perforce) regularly peruse this forum.......

Perforce? Perforce??

Oh, that's right - given the propensity for relict amusements like timber flutes and the pibgorn and stuff, no one should be surprised that you might likewise pepper your speech with quaint obsolescences. My bad.

Indeed. (?)
Whose relict?

By the way, what's "pibgorn player" in Welsh?

(This is not a trick question. Honestly. I'm guessing it's pibgornydd...)

Mmmm. I don't actually know. My guess is pibgornwr (s), pibgornwyr (pl). I'm asking from Welsh speaking friends - will let you know! Of course, the generic pibydd (= "piper") would serve.