Dulcimer player Roger Nicholson

Subject: RE: Dulcimer player Roger Nicholson
From: leeneia
Date: 20 Jan 18 - 06:55 PM

I'm listening to Roger's Nonesuch album on YouTube, and I'm much impressed.

Subject: RE: Dulcimer player Roger Nicholson
From: GUEST,Sharon Deegan (Brooks)
Date: 20 Jan 18 - 04:48 AM

So very sorry to hear of Rogers passing and regret that I have only heard all these years later. Roger taught me to play dulcimer back in the 70's but sadly over the years we had lost touch. I have very warm memories of visiting with Kay and Roger at their home for some delicious meals and delightful musical evenings. I have since learned to play Celtic harp having been inspired by meeting Bonnie Shaljean at a festival with Roger and Kay. Roger was a great teacher as well as performer and had great patience with my attempts to master his incredible style of dulcimer playing. RIP

Subject: RE: Dulcimer player Roger Nicholson
From: Will Fly
Date: 26 Oct 17 - 11:42 AM

Nice to see you here, Kay. I regret that I hadn't contacted Roger much, much earlier. Nonesuch for Dulcimer was and is a great record, and I still play it regularly. Loved it then, love it now. His place doesn't appear to have been filled...

Subject: RE: Dulcimer player Roger Nicholson
From: GUEST,Kay Nicholson
Date: 26 Oct 17 - 11:19 AM

thank you all for the very kind comments on Roger. It's hard to believe that the 8th anniversary of his death is coming up soon (18 November).

Again a very big thank you for remembering him.

Kay

Subject: RE: Dulcimer player Roger Nicholson
From: GUEST,Suibhne Astray
Date: 12 Dec 11 - 04:31 AM

Thanks for the YouTube hint, Bonnie. Who'd have thought one could ever listen to this on line?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHeuC30s1zw

Seminal stuff! The little symphony style hurdy gurdy JW used on the T&TFD album (not on this track) was made by one Michael Lynch of London, who also made bespoke ukes for Vivian Stanshall. Check out Vivian Stanshall's Week on You Tube, in which he pays him a visit (Part Two, 5.55 in)...

Subject: RE: Dulcimer player Roger Nicholson
From: GUEST,Clementine Docherty
Date: 11 Dec 11 - 11:48 PM

Very sorry to hear about Roger. My dad(Bill Docherty) had immense respect for Roger and made him a beautiful custom made dulcimer.

Subject: RE: Dulcimer player Roger Nicholson
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 07 Nov 11 - 06:43 PM

It's lovely to see this thread surface from time to time with people's memories. There are some video clips on YouTube if you type "Roger Nicholson dulcimer" into the search box:

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=roger+nicholson+dulcimer&aq=f

A true gentleman. I was given his copy of Diana Poulton's biography of John Dowland as a momento, and it is is much treasured, both for its contents and for its connection with Roger. R.I.P. indeed.

Subject: RE: Dulcimer player Roger Nicholson
From: Will Fly
Date: 07 Nov 11 - 02:40 PM

RIP Roger - just to add a sad coda to this thread, started by me in 2008...

Subject: RE: Dulcimer player Roger Nicholson
From: GUEST,Randy Mohr
Date: 07 Nov 11 - 02:34 PM

It was thanks to "Times and Traditions for Dulcimer" that I first heard the hurdy gurdy and have been happily playing one for the last 30 years!! Thank you so much, Roger and Jake!!

Subject: RE: Dulcimer player Roger Nicholson
From: GUEST,Roger Fleming
Date: 19 Feb 10 - 02:30 PM

I used to meet on Saturday mornings at Roger Nicholson's home in
Paddington. Peter Knight of Steeleye used to join us and a couple
of others whose names I've forgotten.
I rang the Folk Cellar at CSH after Jack & Margaret King and before
Kevin Shiels.
I also sang each Sunday at the Hampstead Folk Club and would run the
club when the residents were on holiday.
I also ran the BBC's Folk club when residen Peter Charlton was on holiday.
I used to organise the instrumental workshops on a Tuesday evening at CSH and teach a beginners' class, after which I ran a Songswop to get newcomers used to singing in public. Peter Knight and Terry Gould would drop in to try out their new arrangements to songs.
Anyone remember me??? Still alive and playing Hummelchen bagpipes and the 5-string banjo at age 72!!!

Subject: RE: Dulcimer player Roger Nicholson
From: Will Fly
Date: 14 Jan 09 - 03:54 AM

Update:

I had a very nice letter from Roger just after Christmas. He has been in hospital with pneumonia - as he put it, nearly a Grim Reaper moment - but he's OK and back home safe and sound. He's as active as he can be, given the circumstances, with both dulcimer and uke, and sends good wishes to all who remember and know him.

Will

Subject: RE: Dulcimer player Roger Nicholson
From: katlaughing
Date: 25 Nov 08 - 03:34 PM

Jean, I hope you do have it available, sounds like something I would love to hear!

Subject: RE: Dulcimer player Roger Nicholson
From: Irene M
Date: 25 Nov 08 - 02:25 PM

I have The Gentle Sound of the Dulcimer (Argo ZDA204), The Dulcimer Players (Roger Nicholson, Stefan Sobell, Liz Sobell, Pete Coe & Holly Tannen with Jake Walton, Steve Morrison, Chris Coe and Martin Simpson. Leader records), Southern Light (Mark Nelson, on Flying Fish) and Le Dulcimer Special Instrumental par Mary Rhoads (on Le Chant Du Monde).

What was the question again?

Irene

Subject: RE: Dulcimer player Roger Nicholson
From: GUEST,dulcimerjohn
Date: 25 Nov 08 - 08:53 AM

hmm, dulcimerjohn has heard of him, never heard a recording though, wonder how similar his playing is to Jean's and other traditional players here in Va, WVa, Ky etc, Dulcimerjohn

Subject: RE: Dulcimer player Roger Nicholson
From: Vic Smith
Date: 25 Nov 08 - 06:06 AM

I have a copy of "Nonesuch For Dulcimer" and it is a really innovative album. There were quite a number of mountain dulcimer players around the folk scene at that time but they all just stopped the top string - fretted as it was with diatonic gaps - and used the others strings as drones whilst it was strummed.
Roger was the first man I heard who fretted more than one string, plucked tunes, experimented with tunings and tried to widen the repertoire and range of the instrument. At times he made it sound like one of those early Baroque keyboards that plucked rather than hammered the strings.

Subject: RE: Dulcimer player Roger Nicholson
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 25 Nov 08 - 05:06 AM

So will I - Roger and Kay gave us no end of delicious meals, warm hospitality and great musical memories when I lived in London. They also ran a brilliant series of house concerts which we played at a number of times. I'm so sorry to hear he's not well, but am glad to be able to re-establish contact. I'll write him straightaway. Thanks so much for posting, WF - PM on the way.

Subject: RE: Dulcimer player Roger Nicholson
From: Kevin Sheils
Date: 25 Nov 08 - 04:41 AM

Diane passed the news to me Will so I have the contact details.

Hadn't heard of or seen Roger for many years but he was a friend at the Guitar classes at CSH in the 60's and a regular visitor to the Enterprise Chalk Farm in the 60's/early 70's when I was involved there.

I'll pass snailmail greetings to him.

Subject: RE: Dulcimer player Roger Nicholson
From: kytrad (Jean Ritchie)
Date: 23 Nov 08 - 07:14 PM

Gerry, we still have some copies of that album, and I think we can also supply it it CD format- I'll have to verify that.

Subject: RE: Dulcimer player Roger Nicholson
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 23 Nov 08 - 07:08 PM

I'm sorry to hear that Roger Nicholson is not well.

I have the album, An Exultation of Dulcimers, Roger Nicholson and Lorraine Lee, on the Greenhays label, from 1980. Also appearing on the album are Jean Ritchie, Rick Lee, Jake Walton, Joe Gerhard, Gary Reiger, and Peter Pickow. The liner notes say, "If you enjoy this record half as much as they enjoyed making it, then they'll have enjoyed it twice as much as you."

It's a fine album.

Subject: RE: Dulcimer player Roger Nicholson
From: RolyH
Date: 23 Nov 08 - 03:23 PM

I've another album called "The Gentle Sound of the Dulcimer" ( Argo ZDA 204)
Sorry to hear Roger is not so well these days, his albums are always wonderful to listen to.

Subject: RE: Dulcimer player Roger Nicholson
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 23 Nov 08 - 03:08 PM

Sorry to hear it. Roger Nicholson was an early influence & remains a continued inspiration. One of my all time treasures is his 1976 Leader album Times and Traditions for Dulcimer (the sequel to Nonesuch) featuring both Jake Walton and occasional contributions from Andrew Cronshaw. I also have a duo album he made with Jake entitled Bygone Days on Fronthall Records from 78/79 - featuring both Lorraine Lee and Bill Spence - recorded in Bath and America.

If you're interested, I can do you copies on cassette (remember them?) or if pushed it might just be the excuse I need to do a digital transfer.

Subject: RE: Dulcimer player Roger Nicholson
From: Will Fly
Date: 23 Nov 08 - 02:40 PM

PM'ed Diane.

Regards,

Will

Subject: RE: Dulcimer player Roger Nicholson
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 23 Nov 08 - 02:37 PM

Roger Nicolson also did some recordings with Andrew Cronshaw . . . lost Leaders, I'm afraid.
Will, I've PMed you to verify his address. Shocking news.

Subject: Dulcimer player Roger Nicholson
From: Will Fly
Date: 23 Nov 08 - 06:43 AM

I treasure a 1970s album from the English mountain dulcimer player Roger Nicholson. It's titled "Nonesuch for dulcimer" and Roger was accompanied by guitarist Robert Johnson (the "other" Robert Johnson), alias Bob Johnson who played with other folk outfits. As far as I'm aware, Roger didn't make any other dulcimer recordings - please correct me if there are others - and his playing, along with the dulcimer playing of Jean Ritchie and John Pearse, was a revelation to me at the time.

I was trying, on and off and in vain, to find out where Roger is or isn't, on the scene. With the recent, and kindly, help of Jean Ritche and Lorraine Hammond, I found out that Roger is frail after a severe heart attack, is not online, but is doing lots of reading, taking up the uke, and happy to communicate by snailmail with anyone who wishes to contact him.

I have his London address and can pass it on to other 'Catters (PMs, please) who remember Roger and who may wish to contact him.