Gathering of ChiFFers at Willie Clancy week
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Martin Milner
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Martin Milner
- Posts: 4350
- Joined: Tue Oct 16, 2001 6:00 pm
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 1
- Location: London UK
The Chiffers: The Chiffy crew comprised Azalin, Avanutria, Eldarion, MurphyStout Peter Laban and myself. Az also had a couple of friends over from Montreal doing the fiddle classes, who were awarded honourary chiffy status for the week.
As Peter said in his post, people came across in real life much as they do on the board.
Az is a very good whistler who mostly plays reels and jigs, so he joined in most in sessions.
MurphyStout and Eld were both on the flute, Eld being an absolute practise merchant, frequently vanishing after supper to get back to his flute, while MurphyStout blows a beautiful flute and whistle, but has fewer tunes then Az and prefers to listen to the sessions.
Avanutria has being playing her concertina for only a couple of months, but has already mastered several tunes, and I could never get my head round the idea that one button produces two notes depending on whether you pull or push.
Peter Laban plays his pipes beautifully. I heard him in one session out of town and later on at a lunchtime recital, and enjoyed both occasions immensely. He also played his Sindt whistle a fair few times in sessions, and was also busy with his renowned camera taking shots of various players throughout the week. Peter came across to me as quite shy at first but knowledgeable, and he probably hears and plays more live IT music in an evening than most of us do in a month.
I was not surprised to find that everyone had more tunes and played them better than I did, but I’m happy to say I was the biggest fathead there, and that counts for something.
The Whistles: What did I see played? At first I saw a lot of Sindt whistles, but then I realised only one of these was in the hands of a non-Chiffer. Generally in sessions and classes, Feadog, Walton and Generation whistles were most in evidence. Susatos were generally frowned upon for students because they are so loud they drown out the other whistles, and are considered loud even in sessions, though the teachers played them occasionally. Peter Phelan, one of the teachers and great player, had a Desi Seery handmade whistle.
The Classes: The main reason for going to this particular week, at first I found the organisation to be chaotic. I was shuffled into a class on the basis of a few bars of music played in the school playground, then moved again, so it took half the first lesson to get settled. Then on day 2 I moved again, and on day 3 back again before I murdered the child who kept moving around and playing with his lunchbox while I was listening or playing.
Generally, the aim was to learn some tunes and then smarten them up with ornamentation, better rhythm etc, and to develop one's ear for picking up tunes. From what Jack and Beth told me, this was much the same for their classes. Adults are generally separated from pre-teens, though one or two slipped through the net somehow. The higher classes will be quicker to pick up the tunes, and better at throwing in their own ornamentation, so they get through more tunes. It’s hard to say whether I’d go again on this basis. My main problem is that I’m too lazy to practise regularly and too easily distracted, rather than having any particular playing problems the teachers could iron out for me.
The Sessions: There were sessions springing up and dying down in every pub in town, and that covers about 20 venues. One or two were for singing only, but most were mainly music, with maybe a smattering of songs. As the week wore on the newbies like myself found out which sessions or venues we preferred and then stuck to them. There are also sessions in several pubs outside the town, but without my own wheels I stuck to the Miltown sessions and was very happy with that.
The Ceili: Every day there was a Ceili from 3-6pm and again from 9 till 1am, both in town and in two other venues further afield. I stuck to the Ceili in The Mill Theatre, where several big name Ceili bands played and managed to join in several sets even as a beginner.
Set dancing is similar to barn dancing or Scottish Country dancing, but the dances are in sets of 4-7 separate dances. The dances are constructed from standard moves, e.g. house around & ladies’ chain, so generally after watching for a while you get the idea. Top couples go first, then side couples, so beginners are advised to be a side couple so you see the dance before you have to do it. Great fun, good exercise, and a great way to make friends.
The Recitals: Each weekday evening there was a recital by teachers and big name players in the Community Hall. I enjoyed the first two, fiddle and flute/whistle, but each lasted 2/12 hours which is a long time to sit in one place. The acoustics in the hall weren’t the best, though the playing was wonderful. I’d have preferred a briefer programme, as some of the later players had to cut their performances short, and when that included players like Sean Ryan, Joannie Madden and Cathal McConnell that seems a shame.
The Shopping: I’ve added several CDs to my collection, six of fiddle playing, two of tin whistle playing, and a couple that have accompanying books, where tunes are played in sets for practise. I didn’t buy any new whistles, though the Cillian O’Briain improved whistles sold out twice in the week or I might have got one, until I got to the airport on the way back and added a spare black Feadog to my collection. I also bought two books about set dancing (Toss the Feathers & The Flowing Tide), and a book called “A Trip to Sligo” with lots of sheet music and brief biographies of the various flute and fiddle players who play the tunes.
Overall: I’ve had a great nine day week, the most enjoyable I’ve had in years, thanks to my fellow chiffers, new found friends, the organisers of the Festival, chill out strolls round town with Beth when the music got too much even for us, and my drinking buddy Azalin stopping me from felling like a lush in the company of teetotallers. I would never have even thought of going without Beth’s influence, so a big thank you to Avanutria.
I’m certainly planning on going again next year, I have my landlady on a promise to hold my room, though I’m hoping to develop my fiddle playing to a level where I can join those classes instead. That means a year of dedicated practise – but with Willie Week to look forward to at the end, I hope to stay focussed and get a lot more tunes in my fingers.
As Peter said in his post, people came across in real life much as they do on the board.
Az is a very good whistler who mostly plays reels and jigs, so he joined in most in sessions.
MurphyStout and Eld were both on the flute, Eld being an absolute practise merchant, frequently vanishing after supper to get back to his flute, while MurphyStout blows a beautiful flute and whistle, but has fewer tunes then Az and prefers to listen to the sessions.
Avanutria has being playing her concertina for only a couple of months, but has already mastered several tunes, and I could never get my head round the idea that one button produces two notes depending on whether you pull or push.
Peter Laban plays his pipes beautifully. I heard him in one session out of town and later on at a lunchtime recital, and enjoyed both occasions immensely. He also played his Sindt whistle a fair few times in sessions, and was also busy with his renowned camera taking shots of various players throughout the week. Peter came across to me as quite shy at first but knowledgeable, and he probably hears and plays more live IT music in an evening than most of us do in a month.
I was not surprised to find that everyone had more tunes and played them better than I did, but I’m happy to say I was the biggest fathead there, and that counts for something.
The Whistles: What did I see played? At first I saw a lot of Sindt whistles, but then I realised only one of these was in the hands of a non-Chiffer. Generally in sessions and classes, Feadog, Walton and Generation whistles were most in evidence. Susatos were generally frowned upon for students because they are so loud they drown out the other whistles, and are considered loud even in sessions, though the teachers played them occasionally. Peter Phelan, one of the teachers and great player, had a Desi Seery handmade whistle.
The Classes: The main reason for going to this particular week, at first I found the organisation to be chaotic. I was shuffled into a class on the basis of a few bars of music played in the school playground, then moved again, so it took half the first lesson to get settled. Then on day 2 I moved again, and on day 3 back again before I murdered the child who kept moving around and playing with his lunchbox while I was listening or playing.
Generally, the aim was to learn some tunes and then smarten them up with ornamentation, better rhythm etc, and to develop one's ear for picking up tunes. From what Jack and Beth told me, this was much the same for their classes. Adults are generally separated from pre-teens, though one or two slipped through the net somehow. The higher classes will be quicker to pick up the tunes, and better at throwing in their own ornamentation, so they get through more tunes. It’s hard to say whether I’d go again on this basis. My main problem is that I’m too lazy to practise regularly and too easily distracted, rather than having any particular playing problems the teachers could iron out for me.
The Sessions: There were sessions springing up and dying down in every pub in town, and that covers about 20 venues. One or two were for singing only, but most were mainly music, with maybe a smattering of songs. As the week wore on the newbies like myself found out which sessions or venues we preferred and then stuck to them. There are also sessions in several pubs outside the town, but without my own wheels I stuck to the Miltown sessions and was very happy with that.
The Ceili: Every day there was a Ceili from 3-6pm and again from 9 till 1am, both in town and in two other venues further afield. I stuck to the Ceili in The Mill Theatre, where several big name Ceili bands played and managed to join in several sets even as a beginner.
Set dancing is similar to barn dancing or Scottish Country dancing, but the dances are in sets of 4-7 separate dances. The dances are constructed from standard moves, e.g. house around & ladies’ chain, so generally after watching for a while you get the idea. Top couples go first, then side couples, so beginners are advised to be a side couple so you see the dance before you have to do it. Great fun, good exercise, and a great way to make friends.
The Recitals: Each weekday evening there was a recital by teachers and big name players in the Community Hall. I enjoyed the first two, fiddle and flute/whistle, but each lasted 2/12 hours which is a long time to sit in one place. The acoustics in the hall weren’t the best, though the playing was wonderful. I’d have preferred a briefer programme, as some of the later players had to cut their performances short, and when that included players like Sean Ryan, Joannie Madden and Cathal McConnell that seems a shame.
The Shopping: I’ve added several CDs to my collection, six of fiddle playing, two of tin whistle playing, and a couple that have accompanying books, where tunes are played in sets for practise. I didn’t buy any new whistles, though the Cillian O’Briain improved whistles sold out twice in the week or I might have got one, until I got to the airport on the way back and added a spare black Feadog to my collection. I also bought two books about set dancing (Toss the Feathers & The Flowing Tide), and a book called “A Trip to Sligo” with lots of sheet music and brief biographies of the various flute and fiddle players who play the tunes.
Overall: I’ve had a great nine day week, the most enjoyable I’ve had in years, thanks to my fellow chiffers, new found friends, the organisers of the Festival, chill out strolls round town with Beth when the music got too much even for us, and my drinking buddy Azalin stopping me from felling like a lush in the company of teetotallers. I would never have even thought of going without Beth’s influence, so a big thank you to Avanutria.
I’m certainly planning on going again next year, I have my landlady on a promise to hold my room, though I’m hoping to develop my fiddle playing to a level where I can join those classes instead. That means a year of dedicated practise – but with Willie Week to look forward to at the end, I hope to stay focussed and get a lot more tunes in my fingers.
It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that schwing
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eskin
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Just returned from Willie Week, posted some photos online:
http://www.pbase.com/eskin/willie_clancy_2003
Enjoy!
Michael
http://www.pbase.com/eskin/willie_clancy_2003
Enjoy!
Michael
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Martin Milner
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- Location: London UK
In Mike's picture of the high street, my B&B was the blue house, third on the right with the windowboxes. Very convenient for poppoing in and out during the day, shame about the nightclub going every night until 2:30am every night.
The Chiffers met everyday at 6pm outside the Central Hotel, the building on the left, to decide where to go for supper and what to do each evening (sessions, recital, ceili etc).
Shame you didn't make yourself known to us sooner Michael! An online pic of the Chiffy Crew is in the pipeline, but not until Azalin gets a chance to download his digipics.
The Chiffers met everyday at 6pm outside the Central Hotel, the building on the left, to decide where to go for supper and what to do each evening (sessions, recital, ceili etc).
Shame you didn't make yourself known to us sooner Michael! An online pic of the Chiffy Crew is in the pipeline, but not until Azalin gets a chance to download his digipics.
It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that schwing
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Cayden
Glad at least Martin liked the piping, I was very unhappy at the lunchtime recital but that's the way I suppsoe. All's quiet again, more or less. Most people have gone as has teh weather. ELD phoned last night to say he ahs returned to town, disappointed about Tubbercurry so I'll try meet him tonight [am very busy trying to catch up with everythings that didn't get done during Willie].
I saw a very different week from the one Eskin snapped but that's the way too, everybody gets something different out of it.
I saw a very different week from the one Eskin snapped but that's the way too, everybody gets something different out of it.
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Eldarion
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Hey hey wait a minute! From everyone's reports it almost sounds like I was having a totally crappy time in Ireland! Its true that Tubbercurry was not so nice though. The flute teachers seem largely Molloy influenced (big no no for myself) and they seem to be proud of a fluting tradition thats almost extinct in the area with the exception of a few players. Jack and I managed to catch Peter Horan playing a couple of tunes, and sit in a few sessions with Seamus Tansey though. The sessions in Tubber weren't that good, with only two bars in town with music. Food variety was also rather limited - even for rural Ireland.
We got our refunds on the second day. It was probably a good thing that we left Tubbercurry though, cos that gave us time to visit the Cliffs of Moher and do other stuff. The trip to the cliffs was well worth it as the weather was clear and the tide was in when we arrived. Very lovely view. We headed back to Miltown Malbay to check out the place after the Week (that was when I gave Peter a call) and it was totally transformed. We headed to this very nice session with Kevin O'Reilly, who's a really good fiddle player, and this concertina player called Dale Fox or something like that, with her piper friend. The pub wasnt too crowded and the music was very good.
On the whole I'd say I benefitted a lot from the Week. Marcas O Murchu helped me a lot with my embouchure problems and my tone is noticibly more pleasant now. I also got to spend most of my week in the class of my favourite flute player Catherine McEvoy - I have never heard sweeter flute playing. I absolutely love her style and she is every bit of a great teacher she is reputed to be. It was really an eye opener to see Miltown Malbay at Willie Clancy, with every pub packed to the brim with people and sessions going on round the clock. "Big names" everywhere too! It was also great to be able to put faces to the names of the Chiffy gang at last! I'll probably head to Willie Week again but I'll make sure that I'll be a wicked flute player by then.
We got our refunds on the second day. It was probably a good thing that we left Tubbercurry though, cos that gave us time to visit the Cliffs of Moher and do other stuff. The trip to the cliffs was well worth it as the weather was clear and the tide was in when we arrived. Very lovely view. We headed back to Miltown Malbay to check out the place after the Week (that was when I gave Peter a call) and it was totally transformed. We headed to this very nice session with Kevin O'Reilly, who's a really good fiddle player, and this concertina player called Dale Fox or something like that, with her piper friend. The pub wasnt too crowded and the music was very good.
On the whole I'd say I benefitted a lot from the Week. Marcas O Murchu helped me a lot with my embouchure problems and my tone is noticibly more pleasant now. I also got to spend most of my week in the class of my favourite flute player Catherine McEvoy - I have never heard sweeter flute playing. I absolutely love her style and she is every bit of a great teacher she is reputed to be. It was really an eye opener to see Miltown Malbay at Willie Clancy, with every pub packed to the brim with people and sessions going on round the clock. "Big names" everywhere too! It was also great to be able to put faces to the names of the Chiffy gang at last! I'll probably head to Willie Week again but I'll make sure that I'll be a wicked flute player by then.
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Walden
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Sounds like quite a week, Eld! I doubt most of us accomplished so much in that time.Eldarion wrote:On the whole I'd say I benefitted a lot from the Week. Marcas O Murchu helped me a lot with my embouchure problems and my tone is noticibly more pleasant now. I also got to spend most of my week in the class of my favourite flute player Catherine McEvoy - I have never heard sweeter flute playing. I absolutely love her style and she is every bit of a great teacher she is reputed to be. It was really an eye opener to see Miltown Malbay at Willie Clancy, with every pub packed to the brim with people and sessions going on round the clock. "Big names" everywhere too! It was also great to be able to put faces to the names of the Chiffy gang at last! I'll probably head to Willie Week again but I'll make sure that I'll be a wicked flute player by then.
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Azalin
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Okay, let's see...susnfx wrote:Then will we be seeing a picture of your smiling face soon, Eld?????
<IMG SRC='http://www.metayer.info/willie2003/119-1940_IMG.JPG'>
I'm glad to have met you Eld, maybe we can try to make it to Achill Islands next year?