The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #58122 Message #967351
Posted By: Barry Finn
16-Jun-03 - 11:11 PM
Thread Name: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival 2003
Subject: RE: Mystic Seaport Sea Music Festival
What a fantistic time & one hell of a festival. I really like the fact that there were no "money drawing" headliners not connected with sea music but certainly there were headliners. The dancer (Nick) from Hoolie is an increbile master of footwork. I would've sworn that he & Tim (the bones player) had practiced those routines before the Fri night sing, Tim said nope, they just went for it which to me seems all the more amazing.
I can't remember the youngster's name singing beside me standing on the chair. I've seen his mother & father at festivals for years (he's been going to Mystic since birth). Recently (April) at the NEFFA festival I saw them at a sea music singing jam, he had no trouble getting himself of the floor (3 or 4 times he's got a fair number of songs for a kid his age 11 yrs old maybe?) & being heard. He was a good bit to scared to try & jump in on a sing of the size & nature of this one & of trying but not being heard. I asked him (& his Mom) if I got him out & up there & promised him he would be heard, even if I had to back him up. Well he did a great version of Paddy Works on the Railway, with more verses than I'm used to hearing & some of the verses he choose to sing were not some of the usual one's. He says that he likes to sing shanties (but his friends don't) besides someone has to sing them cause you can't let them die. I believe he & his older sister have already picked up instruments. Hopefully more of his generation will be like him, on the other hand it could be a curse.
I have to be careful around the Georgia Sea Island Singers, I don't want to embrass myself by following them like a puppy dog. It seems that they do repeat their perfomences a bit but at Old Songs when I asked if they'd do some of their older material (that they recorded way back) Frankie mentioned that the youngers singers hadn't really worked or worked out alot of those songs but when I've seen her & her husband they knew & sang them.
Dan & Bonnie & Nancy Jean did a great job presenting the Flanders collection at the symposium & at one of the workshops. Only problem I was being delayed for both due to being a volunteer. I do get to see Dan & Bonnie more often though, that's a good thing? I also met up with Lynn Hasley (sp?) & her husband (she did the part of the symposiun that concerning Afro-Amenican & Afro-Caribbean music) what a very interesting & likeable couple.
MMario, you're welcome, it's me who is honored to have you think it's a decent enough song. It was good to say a few brief hi's & see you again. Are you going to try to get to Old Songs seems I manage to have a bit more time there.
It's always a treat to run into Dick & Susan, Anglo, Norris & Charley (I think Charley's "West Indian Blues" was pretty well received (when he finaly managed to squeeze his voice onto the floor. I always seem to run into Rita & Bill while they have these big smiles on there faces, puts one on mine when I seem them, Rita, thanks so much. I'm glad I get to see more of the mudcatters who were there, at the Getaway, much slower pace & much more quality time. Gee's I'm gonna be leaving out a lot of people, Nancy King, Gina Dunlap, Marc, Dick S & Nancy M are always a joy hear to & twice that to see. Only get to see & hear (by the way very nice job singing at the "sings") once a year, way not good enough. Briefly bumped into Dave, Brian (best of luck in Germany finding folk music) & some others who at this time of night I can't think of, again not enough time in the day or night. Sorry to have missed you Ron, maybe if you're going to Old Songs we can cross paths then.
Good night all. Barry