So I just found out from a friend that I may be kidnapped and taken to the S.F Tionol this year. I think it is in February sometime.
Questions:
Is there a site with more info?
And are any of YOU gonna be there? It’d be great to meet some of the piping faces from C&F!
Bri~
Go here, Brian:
http://www.katzwerk.com/sfpipers/tionol2003.html
I will be there, and it will be my first! Hope to see you…
Hi Brian,
I hope you get kidnapped and brought here. Once here you will only have to pay for meals, pints and $10 admission to the concert. We will set you up with someone to stay with, if you would like, and also arrange transportation to and from the airport, if needed, and get you to and from events. Let us know how and when you will be arriving. It is a long one day drive from SLC. This is a very beginner-friendly event.
Who is kidnapping you?
Hope you can make it,
Ted
ted@bigsurtapes.com
The SF tionol is always a great experience. The only thing you’ll regret is your new reputation…ill gotten from hanging out with a bunch of guys…in SF…on Valentines day??? My wife always humorously raises a brow but understands the real reason we’re there is our love of our instruments and the music and the great craic. Sure would like to spend Valentines with her some day…perhaps I’ll convince her to attend some day.
I’ll likely be joining a friend of mine from up near Twin Falls Idaho, and we’ll either drive from there, or she’ll come down here, and we’ll leave from Salt Lake. Can you guys give me an idea of the mileage at all?
I’ve just got my Daye penny chanter practice set, but she’s got a beautiful half set from Gallagher. She’s cuter too. I’m afraid she’ll get all the attention.
LOL
Looking forward to meeting you guys. A place to stay would always be great, please feel free to email me off list, and we can begin to look at some options.
Brian~
Hi glands 
A tionól is no place for a wife, unless of course she plays Irish music in which case bring her along… otherwise you’ll be missing out on all the fun because you’ll have to leave all the parties and sessions early to get a good sleep 
Patrick.
Hello Patrick. Agreed! She plays the box, though. I even learn a few tunes form her! Love the pipes -n- box sound. When are you coming to our town?
Actually there was talk of me heading down there the weekend before St. Patrick’s Day on a recording gig… MAYBE!!! Still not in stone.
Patrick.
QUESTION FOR TED, PATRICK, ANYONE:
What are some of the currently popular session tunes everyone can expect to hear at the SF Tionol? Maybe a short list of regular easy tunes, and regular harder tunes.
For anyone contemplating going to San Fransisco…you will utterly be stunned at the number of great pipers and sets of pipes you’ll see (most of them never visit this forum). The Tionol is basically free!
Someone asked if Koehler will be making reeds right there for people. Will anyone else be providing this service ouside of a workshop?
Benedict Koehler will indeed be holding forth at reedmaking, as will others.We will adjust or fix existing reeds, if possible, or make new ones if necessary. We will emphasize reed maintenance/adjustment. Some reed problems are really not knowing the breadth and limits of reed adjustability. Two beginner approaches are: “don’t touch it or look at it crosseyed” and “sand, chop, squeeze and improve it out of existence”. The first approach will not get you very far, while the second approach, at best, may teach you what NOT to do with your next reed. Reed adjustment is best learned by watching and trying it with an experienced piper to help show you the ropes. Less reeds would have to be made if more aspiring pipers learned proper reed adjusting. Many seemingly bad reeds may just need adjustment, rewrapping or a new bridle to work well.
Anything and everything might come up as session tunes.
Ted
[ This Message was edited by: Ted on 2003-01-27 15:33 ]
I agree entirely, Ted.
The pity is that some people are reluctant to teach reed adjustment rather than reedmaking from square one, and that deters a lot of people, because when you’re a beginner you can waste a lot of valuable practice time at reedmaking before ever making a reed that’s good enough.
Frustration with the climate here has driven me back to reedmaking after an almost completely unbroken gap of about 30 years. I’ve just made one useless reed and one not-bad one following Dave Hegarty’s booklet (we were beginners together in NPU), and one following Evertjan 't Hart’s method. I found an amazing amount of information about reedmaking on the internet today whose existence I never even suspected before, and have printed reams of it so that I can study it at my leisure. Even though I got the basics when I first learned, there are things that I wasn’t too sure about, and it occurred to me that maybe we should start a thread on reedmaking for people who have had some hands-on tuition but need the odd steer. Whaddya think?
By the way, I’ll be coming to San Francisco in April, but as a tourist with wife accompanying rather than as a piper, so it’s probably just as well that I’ll miss the tionol!
Roger,
Let me know when you are comming to S.F. and we will show you around.
I agree, if you have reedmaking problems or questions you should put them here to get feedback.
Ted
Thanks for that offer, Ted. We’re beginning to firm up our plans in consultation with friends who live in Piedmont, and I’ll be in touch as things develop.
I don’t know if Tok has been lurking, he’s just posted a new thread that looks like a response.
ACK!
It doesn’t look like I’ll be able to make it this year after all. Work schedules, and a lack of useable vacation/personal time looks like it’s gonne keep me here in SLC.
DANG! I may send my PC with my friend who is still planning to go, and see what Benedict thinks of the reed in it.
Slán
Bri~
Brian…I have several Koehler #2 reeds which actually work just fine in my Quinn-bored chanter. Maybe I can mail you one (on loan) so you can see if it gives you anything like the performance you expect. It’s made for a dry climate. Send me your address.
When I read your other thread about reed problems, I thought you had one of those metal brass tubes, glued-together, PCs…but now I see you have a delrin chanter. Is the delrin chanter actually called a PC? If the bore of the delrin is like that of a wood chanter, and has a reverse taper at the reed seat, my reeds should fit in it just fine.
Who all’s going to the SF Tional? Be sure and bring back some great photos, and stories. It starts today. Damn! Wish I could have gone! Just can’t leave the ranch that long right now.
A note of appreciation:
I attended the concert last night that was part of this event. As many of you know, I only whistle, not flutle or piple.
What a wonderful event! Many people attended despite a blustery storm and 300,000 people out on the streets on the other side of town for Chinese New’s Year.
I did not get a program so I don’t have all the names of who I saw, but I see that participants are contributors here so they will cover that, I am sure.
The evening began with a talk about the history of the pipes with Sean Folsom, a truly entertaining and knowledgeable fellow. He started at Sumer, 5000 years back, I guess, then brought it up to the creation of the Union pipes, then the concert began. A series of performers followed, with soloes, duos, a trad band (the Woodchippers) and a finale of three pipers, something I didn’t think possible : )
As I say others will grace this with the names, but I writing just to express the wonder and appreciation for this friendly monstrosity called uilleann pipes. Both the other weekender and I were struck by the complexity of the instrument itself (which necessitates multiple skills for the builder) and the fullness of talents which are tapped in playing it.
Hearing the pipes reinforced the sense of ornamentation that we often discuss regarding the whistle. I was particularly struck by a Vermont piper and his instrument. The whole affair sounds rather like a musical fox hunt, the occasional partials yelp like hounds, the keyed harmonies like the bugles and the journey through both well-known and lesser-known tunes is exhilarating.
And, after hearing a reel that I know that was been rendered by the pipes rather than a fiddle for example, my perception of the tune is forever influenced. I kind of wonder if the whistle style of Miko Russell , for example, with its stops and starts rather than melismatic smoothness, is not the product of being surrounded by great pipers in Clare.
My hat is off to all of you who pursue this wonderful instrument . And $10 per person, that is a concert given for love not money! We will stay tuned to the SF Piper’s Club henceforth.
Weekenders…the piper from Vermont would be Benedict Koehler, the tune–“The Fox Chase” -a tune played (or attempted) by many a piper.
I wouldn’t dare say this on the Whistle Board, so don’t quote me, but I’ve noticed over the years that some of the best whistling ornaments come from pipers playing the whistle. Interesting how some can fake open running triplets…and make them sound like their pipes.
Here’s my recollection of the performers and some of the tunes played.
First was the one-man riot known as Sean Folsom, as was mentioned. I can’t remember the exact order but the next in my mind was a young piper (24) from Boston named Patrick Murray, who started out with a Scottish march, then some reels which included “The Rainy Day” , then a selection of hornpipes.
SF’s Todd Denman came out and did three sets. The highlight of the concert, to my mind, was Todd’s rendition of the Sean Nos’ “Caoine Na Tri Mhuire” or “Keening of the Three Mary’s.” Then a group of “local worthies” called “The Woodchippers” came out to play a set with Todd, then into their own set on flute, fiddle, guitar, and bodhran. Next was Limerick’s Lilis O’Laoire who gave a set of songs including “Raglan Road” and some Irish singing. I believe he did do one Sean Nos piece as well. The last peformance was two pipers. Brian Macnamara was the Tionol’s guest piper and instructor for the weekend. He played duets along with Vermont piper and reed-maker Benedict Koehler. They played a long (40 min or so) set. Mostly less-often played tune types such as slip jigs, flings, slides, hornpipes, piping “pieces” etc. Brian played I believe “Bean Dubh a’ Ghleanna” a classic piping slow air. The last set Todd Denman came back out for and the trio played a set of “old standard” reels to finish off.
Well, hopefully others might be able to fill in my recollections a bit.
james
For the record…The Fox Chase was NOT played at the tionol. And, it was me at the recital that sounded like the hound dog!!