The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #145966 Message #3378237
Posted By: Will Fly
18-Jul-12 - 08:01 AM
Thread Name: Last night's session - what a cracker!
Subject: Last night's session - what a cracker!
I popped over to a pub in Lewes (Sussex) last night - not a folk club venue - by invitation, to help a session along. And what a lovely evening it was.
The session organiser, G---, and I were there for about an hour before anyone else turned up, and played through some American old-time music on guitar/mandolin (me) and fiddle/whistles (Gill). Stuff we both knew and other tunes that I'd never heard before but were a delight to play. We were just about to finish the "Westphalia Waltz" on fiddle and mandolin when another fiddle player turned up, tuned her instrument up and managed a couple of cracking choruses with us. Then two of her friends, father and daughter, arrived with cello, guitar and French pipes, followed by another fiddler who was into Irish and French music.
So we played some Irish tunes, Welsh tunes I'd never heard before, French tunes in Bb (yes!), why I even managed to sneak in a few verses of "Deep River Blues" under the tape... It was a most pleasant evening - enough people and different instruments to make the sound work, but not so many that it became a misch-masch. A free pint from a young and friendly landlord, great musicianship from all around me - and a few bob at the end to pay for petrol.
As I've said before, it's the most fun you can have with your clothes on. G---, by the way, has an endearing habit of warming up her whistles by sticking them down her cleavage before playing them. Here's to the next time!