The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #136245 Message #3137056
Posted By: Joe Offer
17-Apr-11 - 05:45 PM
Thread Name: Music in Co Clare
Subject: RE: Music in Co Clare
This is a very interesting discussion, but please remember to keep a civil tone. We're almost all musicians here, and we've all experienced the problems expressed - on both sides.
I'm not in Ireland - I'm in Colfax, California, in the Sierra Foothills. We have a monthly singing session with eight to ten singers that is absolutely delightful, and it took years for us to build the session to what we wanted. We like visitors, but we find that sometimes they're problematic - particularly if they play instruments. If we had ten people with instruments come all at the same time, we wouldn't know what to do.
I suppose we'd have to ritualize a recitation of "the rules," so that the newcomers would know how we operate - but that's clumsy and off-putting. So, I don't really know what we would do.
I have to say that when I was in County Clare, and all over the West of Ireland, I was disappointed that I didn't find any traditional music - all I found was country-sounding music sung with a twangy brogue. I didn't find traditional music until Martin Ryan took me to a couple of sessions in Dublin, and I will be in his debt for that for the rest of my life. I really would have liked to hear some traditional sessions in County Clare - and I would have behaved myself.
-Joe-