Lucie Skeaping - DFW, TX-Apr 5, 07

Subject: Lucie Skeaping - DFW, TX-Apr 5, 07
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Apr 07 - 01:58 PM

A press release on the University of Texas at Arlington campus today:

ARLINGTON—English musician and music historian Lucie Skeaping will introduce locals to Broadside Ballads at a free lecture/recital at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 5, in Irons Recital Hall in the Fine Arts Building, 700 Greek Row Drive, on The University of Texas at Arlington campus.

Broadside Ballads, popular from the 1500s through the 1700s, were the supermarket tabloids and the popular songs of their day. Often played by roving bands of street musicians, the tunes provided political comment, religious instruction, royal gossip, marital advice and even folk remedies.

"The ballads were set to some of the most delightful tunes England ever produced," said Elisabeth Cawthon of UT Arlington's history department which is sponsoring the event, along with the College of Liberal Arts. It is free and open to the public.

A musician, writer, and broadcaster, Skeaping is the host of BBC Radio 3's "Early Music Show." She specializes in the reconstruction and performance of 16th and 17th century English popular music and performs throughout the world. Along with her performances on CDs, she can be heard on television and film soundtracks such as Simon Schama's The History of Britain, and The Pianist.

Combining music, history and images, Skeaping's presentation features musical examples and explores the context in which broadside ballads were written and sold, their language, printing and musical references. She will be accompanied by lutenist Robin Jeffries. Musical sources for the show include the Samuel Pepys Library at Magdalen College, Cambridge; the Roxburghe, Bagford, and Huth ballad collections; Thomas Durfey's anthology "Pills to Purge Melancholy?" and Playford's "The English Dancing Master."

Google Map. The recital is free and open to all. The Fine Arts Building is on the west side of Cooper Street. When you drive north from I-20 or south from I-30 on Cooper, when you get to the campus you'll see the recessed roadway and the three overhead pedestrian bridges. The Fine Arts building lines up with the middle bridge. I would suggest parking in the Davis Hall lot (turn west on Nedderman Drive and it's the lot at the corner building) or in the large lot on the east side of Cooper between Nedderman and Mitchell. There is a light at each of these intersections. To get into that lot, you must take Mitchell east and then turn north on West street, where the bars will be up after 5pm. Drive through the lot to the west side and you'll be about a half block from the Fine Arts building, and you'll be near the exit from the lot.

I'm going to try to be there, with my son.

SRS

Subject: RE: Lucie Skeaping - DFW, TX-Apr 5, 07
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Apr 07 - 05:59 PM

Subject: RE: Lucie Skeaping - DFW, TX-Apr 5, 07
From: Tootler
Date: 02 Apr 07 - 07:10 PM

Should be an interesting talk. I have a book of 17th. century broadside ballads produced by her. It is an interesting collection. I also have a CD of her and others singing some of them. She is a classically trained singer and it shows. Sometimes I think they try a little too hard and their interpretation does not quite come off. On the other hand the CD is a useful resource if you ever think of singing any of these songs as it lets you hear the tune sung.

Enjoy the talk and let us know what it was like.

Subject: RE: Lucie Skeaping - DFW, TX-Apr 5, 07
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Apr 07 - 10:15 PM

That's good to know. Thanks!

Subject: RE: Lucie Skeaping - DFW, TX-Apr 5, 07
From: GUEST,chris
Date: 03 Apr 07 - 04:03 AM

Try and get to hear 'The City Waites'. Lucy and Roddy did an interesting duet on a viol- she sat on his knee fingering on one part of the viol neck and bowing with the other hand and Roddy doing the same on a different part of the neck and also bowing in different places. Lacking a little in accuracy but fun to watch.
chris

Subject: RE: Lucie Skeaping - DFW, TX-Apr 5, 07
From: GUEST,Sapper stuck on the TIC at Hither Green
Date: 03 Apr 07 - 06:08 AM

Lucy Skeaping is also one of the presenters on BBC R3's "Early Music Show" that is well worth listening to every week.

Subject: RE: Lucie Skeaping - DFW, TX-Apr 5, 07
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Apr 07 - 10:24 AM

Refresh--This performance is on Thursday night at UTA.

Subject: RE: Lucie Skeaping - DFW, TX-Apr 5, 07
From: JedMarum
Date: 04 Apr 07 - 10:25 AM

We'll be there! I am looking forward to it.

Subject: RE: Lucie Skeaping - DFW, TX-Apr 5, 07
From: GUEST,Lighter
Date: 04 Apr 07 - 10:49 AM

Splendid singer!

Subject: RE: Lucie Skeaping - DFW, TX-Apr 5, 07
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Apr 07 - 07:53 PM

I'll see you then, Jed. I'm bringing my son.

Subject: RE: Lucie Skeaping - DFW, TX-Apr 5, 07
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 04 Apr 07 - 08:28 PM

I take it this is the same Lucie Skeaping who plays with the Jewish Music band, The Burning Bush. I really like their album, Music of the Old Jewish World.

Subject: RE: Lucie Skeaping - DFW, TX-Apr 5, 07
From: JedMarum
Date: 04 Apr 07 - 10:18 PM

My wife and I are bringing our son too - plus his girlfriend ...

Subject: RE: Lucie Skeaping - DFW, TX-Apr 5, 07
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Apr 07 - 05:05 PM

One last swing through, the concert is tonight. The price is right--free--and it is open to everyone.

Subject: RE: Lucie Skeaping - DFW, TX-Apr 5, 07
From: JedMarum
Date: 05 Apr 07 - 11:15 PM

Lovely presentation!

A modest crowd, not bad for a week night ... all listened attentively ... A sort of half/lecture, half performance carried on for an hour - followed by 30 minutes of q&a.

Very enjoyable, very very interesting.

Problem is; Now I need one of those lutes!

Subject: RE: Lucie Skeaping - DFW, TX-Apr 5, 07
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Apr 07 - 11:58 PM

Jed, where were you? I looked around. Have you changed your appearance lately?

I was the one who asked a couple of questions, about Shakespeare and about their possibly looking to the U.S. for versions of songs.

SRS

Subject: RE: Lucie Skeaping - DFW, TX-Apr 5, 07
From: JedMarum
Date: 06 Apr 07 - 12:01 AM

I was a few rows back ... I asked about the instruments.

I came forward to say hello afterwards, but you'd disappeared by the time we got near the front. I was with my wife, son and daughter-in-law.

The pony tail's gone, but otherwise, I look the same.

Subject: RE: Lucie Skeaping - DFW, TX-Apr 5, 07
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 Apr 07 - 12:17 AM

I was looking for the ponytail. :-/   I was speaking with a history professor, then we were out in the hall, where my son disappeared into the loo, so I wandered back in and spoke with Lucie and Robin for a few minutes.

I remember your question about the instruments--and I have one for you. I asked Dylan, but he's too new at the guitar to know. Is there a sameness between stringed instruments that allows you to learn from one to the other pretty easily? I can play piano, and I can make a stab at the organ because of the similarity, though I'd have to learn all of the extra stuff that goes with it (stops, pedals, etc.) Is it like that?

SRS

Subject: RE: Lucie Skeaping - DFW, TX-Apr 5, 07
From: JedMarum
Date: 06 Apr 07 - 09:17 AM

The tuning, and therefore the fingering is typically different from stringed instrument to stringed instrument - however once you've made that switch the next time you encounter a new tuning it's much easier to do it again (and again).

BUT - the lute is plucked differently then what most guitar or banjo players are used to ... it is a technique more common to finger-style players; you use all four fingers for plucking and the thumb for picking bas or melody notes. You also place the upper portion of your left hand thumb flat against the neck while fretting the instrument, rather then sitting the neck against the palm or lower portion of the thumb.

Both left hand and right hand techniques ARE taught for modern guitar - but they are NOT commonly practiced by most players. Electric players typically use a pick, and use various positions of the left hand thumb on the back of the neck - acoustic players more frequently plant a finger on the body of the guitar and three finger pick with the right hand.

Having said all of that - I am sure a guitar player could make music with a lute quickly - and learn the instrument with soem effort and dedication.

I believe they would find the cittern would be easier to play.

Subject: RE: Lucie Skeaping - DFW, TX-Apr 5, 07
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 Apr 07 - 11:33 AM

But harder to tune!

Thanks. I've been learning a lot about instruments along with my son as he takes lessons. I almost feel like I should go back and learn a completely new instrument (from the piano) in order to learn some of the music theory that was never included when I took piano lessons from the various "nice little old ladies down the street." By the time I was in high school, a "real" teacher got her hands on me, but by then I'd learned so many bad habits from all of those women who taught me to play songs but not to understand my instrument, that there was just too much unlearning to do. I would start with the guitar, not the lute, but I like the idea of translating from one instrument to another, if one can.

SRS