to all flute members who will be part of hammy flute meeting this weekend i wish you all good time, music, to learn a lot on seminars and to record this event much as possible and, of course to share yours impresions and good advices of tutors with other members who will not be part of that event.
marin
hammy flute meeting
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kenny
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Ballyvourney
Marin - I'll post my thoughts on the few days spent in Ballyvourney soon, and can tell you now, they will all be positive. I certainly had a great time, and so did everyone else I spoke to. Hammy and all his helpers, and the tutors, did a great service to the flute-playing community with arranging this event, and I certainly hope it will be repeated. That's all for now - much more to follow, but please be patient.
"There's fast music and there's lively music. People don't always know the difference"
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radcliff
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kenny
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Who's who.....
That’s only half of it. I’m playing on the right hand of the photo, and there were another 12 flutes or so to the right behind me. Immediately behind me is Jean Michel-Veillon. The guy with the glasses, playing left-handed, had come down from Ennis, just for the “craic”, along with another flute player, plus the box-player. Very good players all 3 of them. Paul McGrattan’s just to the left of him, and slightly behind Paul in the blue shirt is Brian Duggan, a fine player from Dublin.
In case anyone didn’t recognise them , the 2 players in the other photo are Harry Bradley and Conal O’Grada.
Thanks for the photos Neil. Hope you have a good time in Germany.
In case anyone didn’t recognise them , the 2 players in the other photo are Harry Bradley and Conal O’Grada.
Thanks for the photos Neil. Hope you have a good time in Germany.
"There's fast music and there's lively music. People don't always know the difference"
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Loren
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And get yourself free - Location: Loren has left the building.
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Cathy Wilde
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Cathy Wilde
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Markus
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Suppose enough time has passed that I actually have something to say. First and foremost, the craic was marvellous. Which I suppose is no surprise...
Harry Bradley, Paul McGrattan and Jean-Michel Veillon all gave us a different angle on playing the flute. Both their individual workshops and discussion seminars where all the teachers were present created an opportunity to make observations of one's playing based on what the other had just said. So playingwise, thereis a heap of new tunes to learn and great new pointers to inspire practicing.
I found myself making experimentations with the embouchure and doing excercises which I haven't been doing in a while. This would have to do with meddling around with harmonics/overtones and/or striving to play in the third octave as quietly and in tune as possible.
And now for what's really important. A B&B hostess in Miltown Malbay said to me once that if from an event such as this one gets one new tune and two new friends, everything will be worth the while. I definitely felt that the balance of the Flute Meeting exceeds that many times. This is something that everybody who was present, be (s)he student, teacher or otherwise involved deserves to be thanked of. It is the people that make the event.
The only negative thing is obvious from the photographs; the flatulence of flute players as Conal Ó Grada put it, sometimes became musically chaotic. There were, however, also musically brilliant moments in the sessions. Not to mention the recital given by Conal with Hammy interviewing him between tunes (and playing a few duets as well) and the brilliant gala concert featuring all the teachers and Conal.
Anyhow, 'twas grand. Not much more can be said without unnecessary raving.
Harry Bradley, Paul McGrattan and Jean-Michel Veillon all gave us a different angle on playing the flute. Both their individual workshops and discussion seminars where all the teachers were present created an opportunity to make observations of one's playing based on what the other had just said. So playingwise, thereis a heap of new tunes to learn and great new pointers to inspire practicing.
I found myself making experimentations with the embouchure and doing excercises which I haven't been doing in a while. This would have to do with meddling around with harmonics/overtones and/or striving to play in the third octave as quietly and in tune as possible.
And now for what's really important. A B&B hostess in Miltown Malbay said to me once that if from an event such as this one gets one new tune and two new friends, everything will be worth the while. I definitely felt that the balance of the Flute Meeting exceeds that many times. This is something that everybody who was present, be (s)he student, teacher or otherwise involved deserves to be thanked of. It is the people that make the event.
The only negative thing is obvious from the photographs; the flatulence of flute players as Conal Ó Grada put it, sometimes became musically chaotic. There were, however, also musically brilliant moments in the sessions. Not to mention the recital given by Conal with Hammy interviewing him between tunes (and playing a few duets as well) and the brilliant gala concert featuring all the teachers and Conal.
Anyhow, 'twas grand. Not much more can be said without unnecessary raving.
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kenny
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Flute meeting in Ballyvourney
I’m going to post this in 2 parts, so that it doesn’t become the C& F equivalent of “War & Peace”.
Here are my own thoughts and opinions on the 3 days and 4 nights I spent in Ballyvourney as a student at the first ever “Cruinniu Na bhFliuit” organised by Hammy Hamilton. The following are my own experiences, and others may have different views and opinions. My recollections may not be perfect – it was that kind of a 3 days – and if anyone from C & F who was there wants to correct or disagree with anything , feel free. I did meet C& F members “Markus” and “NeilC”, and also Harry, of course.
I arrived in Ballyvourney on the evening of Wednesday 19th April, and after sorting the hotel room out, and a bite to eat, headed up the road to the Mills Inn. A reception had been organised for the students and tutors who had arrived, with wine and nibbles provided, followed by a welcome speech from a certain Mr. Conal O’Grada. This was followed by a session hosted by fiddler Vince Milne, and box-player Dave Hennessey. They were quickly joined by Hammy, Conal O’Grada, and the 3 tutors, Harry Bradley, Paul McGrattan, and Jean-Michel Veillon. Quite a few of the students joined in, but I was too slow in getting a seat, so gave this one a miss, content to just listen, meet some of the others, and down a few pints. A very pleasant start to the event, ending somewhere around half-past midnight.
On Thursday morning, we went to work. Classes started at 10.30am, after registration, and the cast of assembled flute-players [ numbers were limited to 39, I believe ]were divided at random into 3 groups and sent to a classroom. The plan was over the 3 days to rotate the 3 tutors around the 3 groups, so that everyone spent some time with each tutor.
My group started off with Harry Bradley. To begin with, Harry showed us an exercise to develop tone, especially on the bottom “D”. He got us all to play the following sequence of notes:
D- F# - D – G – D – A – D – c# - D – e – D – f# - D – g – D – a – D – b – D – c#’
And back down again. We all did this for a few minutes and it also helped to warm the flutes up. Harry then taught us a few tunes – the jig “Jackson’s Coagy”, the 4-part “Waterford Waltz, a tune played as a march in Tyrone, [ which I’ve heard played by pipe-bands in Scotland, as “The Hills Of Gareloch”,and was recorded by Desi Wilkinson on the Highland pipes !! ], and 2 versions of a Northern tune called “The Young Men In Their Bloom”, played as a march, and also as a jig. There was also some discussion about ornamentation, articulation, and dynamics and the importance of emphasising certain notes at the expense of others to give the music a “lilt”, or “lift”, rather than playing all the notes evenly with equal emphasis. A very useful workshop, and a good start to the 3 days of learning.
The afternoons were given over to various discussions, lectures, and “question & answer” sessions. Hammy Hamilton gave the first one on the subject of the flute and its’ history in Irish traditional music, illustrated with several flutes by several makers, from various periods in Irish history. This was followed by a short discussion on tone and tuning. Again, all very interesting.
In the evening we were invited to watch 2 short films, one about an Irish flute workshop which had been held in Poland, the other called “mPingo”, a documentary about African blackwood which is used to make clarinets, and quite relevant since most of us there were playing flutes made of blackwood. Quite a few people visibly cringed when some of the workers fingers and feet got dangerously close to circular saws.
Another session soon got going, the invited musicians this time being Peadar O’Riada on concertina, and the three fiddles of Connie & Aine O’Connell, and Francis O’Connor, the latter being no mean flute-player himself. I left some time after 1.00am, first day over, some good music, some new friends, and well-pleased.
More to follow :
Here are my own thoughts and opinions on the 3 days and 4 nights I spent in Ballyvourney as a student at the first ever “Cruinniu Na bhFliuit” organised by Hammy Hamilton. The following are my own experiences, and others may have different views and opinions. My recollections may not be perfect – it was that kind of a 3 days – and if anyone from C & F who was there wants to correct or disagree with anything , feel free. I did meet C& F members “Markus” and “NeilC”, and also Harry, of course.
I arrived in Ballyvourney on the evening of Wednesday 19th April, and after sorting the hotel room out, and a bite to eat, headed up the road to the Mills Inn. A reception had been organised for the students and tutors who had arrived, with wine and nibbles provided, followed by a welcome speech from a certain Mr. Conal O’Grada. This was followed by a session hosted by fiddler Vince Milne, and box-player Dave Hennessey. They were quickly joined by Hammy, Conal O’Grada, and the 3 tutors, Harry Bradley, Paul McGrattan, and Jean-Michel Veillon. Quite a few of the students joined in, but I was too slow in getting a seat, so gave this one a miss, content to just listen, meet some of the others, and down a few pints. A very pleasant start to the event, ending somewhere around half-past midnight.
On Thursday morning, we went to work. Classes started at 10.30am, after registration, and the cast of assembled flute-players [ numbers were limited to 39, I believe ]were divided at random into 3 groups and sent to a classroom. The plan was over the 3 days to rotate the 3 tutors around the 3 groups, so that everyone spent some time with each tutor.
My group started off with Harry Bradley. To begin with, Harry showed us an exercise to develop tone, especially on the bottom “D”. He got us all to play the following sequence of notes:
D- F# - D – G – D – A – D – c# - D – e – D – f# - D – g – D – a – D – b – D – c#’
And back down again. We all did this for a few minutes and it also helped to warm the flutes up. Harry then taught us a few tunes – the jig “Jackson’s Coagy”, the 4-part “Waterford Waltz, a tune played as a march in Tyrone, [ which I’ve heard played by pipe-bands in Scotland, as “The Hills Of Gareloch”,and was recorded by Desi Wilkinson on the Highland pipes !! ], and 2 versions of a Northern tune called “The Young Men In Their Bloom”, played as a march, and also as a jig. There was also some discussion about ornamentation, articulation, and dynamics and the importance of emphasising certain notes at the expense of others to give the music a “lilt”, or “lift”, rather than playing all the notes evenly with equal emphasis. A very useful workshop, and a good start to the 3 days of learning.
The afternoons were given over to various discussions, lectures, and “question & answer” sessions. Hammy Hamilton gave the first one on the subject of the flute and its’ history in Irish traditional music, illustrated with several flutes by several makers, from various periods in Irish history. This was followed by a short discussion on tone and tuning. Again, all very interesting.
In the evening we were invited to watch 2 short films, one about an Irish flute workshop which had been held in Poland, the other called “mPingo”, a documentary about African blackwood which is used to make clarinets, and quite relevant since most of us there were playing flutes made of blackwood. Quite a few people visibly cringed when some of the workers fingers and feet got dangerously close to circular saws.
Another session soon got going, the invited musicians this time being Peadar O’Riada on concertina, and the three fiddles of Connie & Aine O’Connell, and Francis O’Connor, the latter being no mean flute-player himself. I left some time after 1.00am, first day over, some good music, some new friends, and well-pleased.
More to follow :
"There's fast music and there's lively music. People don't always know the difference"
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Cathy Wilde
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