The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #97737 Message #3823653
Posted By: Rob Naylor
30-Nov-16 - 10:34 AM
Thread Name: Are the sessions real in Ireland?
Subject: RE: Are the sessions real in Ireland?
Will Fly: Tonight is the monthly session at the White Horse in Ditchling. The Usual Suspects will be there with fiddles, mandolins, melodeons, concertinas, a guitar or two, with nyckelharpa, flute, smallpipes and double bass in attendance. All ages. On the whole a really excellent standard of musicianship - but with encouragement for those less able to show what they can do. I help to run that session, and that's just how we want it to be. At my local French tunes session, I take a mandolin, sit well back and learn, learn, learn. Horses for courses.
And what an excellent session it is! I'm very much on the "those less able" end of the spectrum, but always asked to contribute.... sometimes more successfully than others. I drive an hour each way to this session. It's by far the best musical event I attend, and what I think of as "the ideal session". You can join in, or not, as you wish; lead off a song or tune, or not, as you wish; do a solo spot (singing, playing or both) as you wish. Will and the other "main attenders" keep a weather eye on things and make sure anyone who might want to contribute gets a chance.
I'm really sorry not to have made it on Sunday....I drove hell for leather back from Hardraw in North Yorkshire, where I'd been hill-walking in the snow (and watching the play/ listening to the music in the Green Dragon!). But time was against me and after arriving home at 6.30 pm following a 300 mile drive with one stop, couldn't face another 2 hours driving that day :-) . Hope it went well Will and hope to see you at the next one (Jan 2nd?)