changing concertina styles

Subject: changing concertina styles
From: The Sandman
Date: 27 Oct 07 - 08:00 AM

I have been listening to many good young anglo players playing Irish traditional music.
But they all seem to have the same failing, over ornamentation.
again and again I hear the same mannerisms,not one of them ever plays a phrase unornamented,in my opinion,the occasional phrase played unornamented,would give greater contrast in the music.
these players are of a very high standard,but when I compare them to an older player like Chris Droney[who hasnt come through the comhaltas system]there playing seems to lack some spark.
Is it time comhaltas revised their marking system?, which gives such a high importance to ornamentation.,[imo]many of the comhaltas competitors mistake the idea,and think the more ornamentation that is put inthe higher marks they will get,to the detriment of the music.

Subject: RE: changing concertina styles
From: treewind
Date: 27 Oct 07 - 09:07 AM

Wasn't it Chris Sherburn of Last Night's Fun who said when he was younger he used to play lots of extra notes in ornamentation and he's spent the rest of his life taking them out again, or something like that?

Minimum notes,maximum music.

Anahata

Subject: RE: changing concertina styles
From: The Sandman
Date: 27 Oct 07 - 09:14 AM

well,Isuppose since Ihave moved to Ireland,My style has changed, as I am playing a lot of sliabh luchra music,I try to play in a dancey way.
I agree with you anahata.

Subject: RE: changing concertina styles
From: Bernard
Date: 27 Oct 07 - 10:05 AM

Yes, I find the same seems to be happening in Morris music, too - it's not so bad messing about with the tunes for performance where there is no dancing, but when there are dancers, their needs must always come first.

I must confess I was disappointed with Bellowhead's treatment of the Rochdale Coconut Dance - it was almost suggesting that the tune was so boring they had to do something to liven it up, then went a bit too far with totally irrelevant discordant noises. Getting the A and B music back to front was a shame, too!