Festival workshop etiquette question

Subject: Festival workshop etiquette question
From: Marion
Date: 03 Sep 01 - 07:47 PM

Just for curiousity's sake, I'd like to know Mudcatters' opinions on something I saw at a folk festival this summer.

One of the workshops consisted of some of the festival's Celtish acts taking turns leading a tune or song. One of the participants was a very famous fiddler (double points if you can guess who it was!). Another was a not particularly famous local band playing Irish pub type material.

The local band was up first, and their fiddler lead the tunes Devil's Dream then Mason's Apron.

Famous fiddler was up second, and he played Devil's Dream then Mason's Apron, adding a variation to Mason's Apron the local band guy hadn't put in.

I wasn't at all impressed by famous fiddler's manners, but most of the audience laughed when he started and gave him a good round of applause when he finished, so apparently my reaction wasn't unanimous.

What do you think?

Marion

Subject: RE: Festival workshop etiquette question
From: kendall
Date: 03 Sep 01 - 08:08 PM

What is he famous for? His manners?

Subject: RE: Festival workshop etiquette question
From: Sorcha
Date: 03 Sep 01 - 08:11 PM

If you are asking about playing the same tunes, that is common at the workshops I have been to. Different players play the same tunes so that style differences can be heard. I myself use Turkey in the Straw to demonstrate the differences in style. You haven't lived until you have heard Turkey a la Beethoven or Vivaldi!! How about a "bloozy" Turkey?.......was it Mark O'Connor? I have never been very impressed with him, his playing or his manners.

Subject: RE: Festival workshop etiquette question
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 03 Sep 01 - 08:37 PM

Difficult one and I'm not familiar with the workshop environment.

I can see cases to illustrate variations in style or tune where the purpose is hopefully understood and explained but outside that, generally speaking, it is IMO the height of ignorance to re-play what someone else has done.

I wasn't there to judge but the "famous fiddler" could have easily lost every bit of respect I had for him/her if such an action was taken without good (educational) reason.

Jon

Subject: RE: Festival workshop etiquette question
From: Marion
Date: 04 Sep 01 - 12:34 AM

No, Kendall, quite the opposite actually.

That's a good point, Sorcha and Jon, that I hadn't thought of: maybe he was trying to say "This is how it's done in Cape Breton." But you'd think he would have explained that if that were the case; as it was, I thought he was just trying to say "This is how it's done, boy."

Marion

Subject: RE: Festival workshop etiquette question
From: Deni
Date: 04 Sep 01 - 01:35 AM

I hope you gave the local guy an even bigger round of applause next time round, just in case! D

All power to the local guys.

Subject: RE: Festival workshop etiquette question
From: Scabby Douglas
Date: 04 Sep 01 - 04:46 AM

Hmm the other thing is that there are at least a couple of Mason's Apron variants... I'm not a fiddler, but in Scotland the tune (I think - stand to be corrected tho').. is played so that it's usually a 2- part tune, but the Irish version has 3 or maybe 4 parts...

I think that in any case, the famous fiddler would have done well to explain what he was trying to demonstrate....

Cheers, Steven

Subject: RE: Festival workshop etiquette question
From: CET
Date: 04 Sep 01 - 05:02 AM

Marion, since this is your thread, I'll leave it to you to reveal the name of the famous fiddler if you see fit. I didn't see that particular workshop, but from your description his identity is pretty clear. Apart from being a fine musician, he is also famous for being a jerk unfortunately. In fairness to him, though, he seems to be trying to live down some of his former excesses. He played some great music instead doing yet another variation on his "everybody look at me being an asshole" theme.

What he did in the workshop was probably more thoughtless and immature than genuinely contemptuous of the other musicians.

Edmund

Subject: RE: Festival workshop etiquette question
From: mooman
Date: 04 Sep 01 - 05:21 AM

If it was who I think it is, it's about par for the course. The same person became virtually public enemy number one on PEI for a while while I was there on holiday a couple of years ago for insulting a basically family audience with loutish, ignorant behaviour and bad language.

mooman

Subject: RE: Festival workshop etiquette question
From: KingBrilliant
Date: 04 Sep 01 - 07:01 AM

Could be he wasn't really listening and hadn't conciously registered the tunes, and then chose the same ones because they had entered his head subliminally. Which would of course still be very bad manners - but more forgivable.

Kris

Subject: RE: Festival workshop etiquette question
From: janey
Date: 04 Sep 01 - 04:12 PM

We met a "famous fiddler" in Dingle last year. I don't know if i am talking about the same one because this one is not known for his irish/folk playing. He is however known for being a loutish "jerk". But...he was absolutely lovely, a true gent and wonderful to listen to in the pubs. He struggled backing Dave on Crazy Man Michael and apologised for not knowing any irish tunes so he's alright by me.

Subject: RE: Festival workshop etiquette question
From: GUEST,Walking Eagle
Date: 04 Sep 01 - 04:22 PM

Could be perhaps he already had these tunes picked out for his examples and doesn't like to vary too much. But, as pointed out, manners should have come in and he could have said that here is another variation.