A Folkie (sort of) Wedding.

Subject: A Folkie (sort of) Wedding.
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 12 Sep 99 - 01:26 PM

On Saturday afternoon my ace fiddler friend Jaimie Snider and I were hired to play for a very upscale wedding in the countryside north of Toronto. No big deal eh? Both of us have played for hundreds of weddings over our respective musical lives. We didn't know the couple, and the guests (for the most part) seemed to be members of the Ontario aristocracy (around here that means Scots background and racehorse affiliations).
What made this a memorable gig for me was the reaction of the guests, as Jaimie and I wandered around the grounds with our Scots, Irish, and Cape Breton tunes. Matrons and High Rollers alike, would hear the fiddle and guitar and turn around with grins on their faces, looking like they'd love to start dancing right there. Some did! The minister - who told us that he was from a small town near Carrickfergus(!) was ready to run to his car and get his melodian. Decorum prevailed, and he contented himself with humming along and getting a bit misty-eyed when I sang a couple of songs from his home turf.

Jaimie is a bit more knowlegable about certain wedding protocols than I am, and when we played a couple of requested airs at specific times during the ceremony, I watched a couple of older people nod knowingly, as if to say "yup, those are the "right" tunes". Quite a number of spectacularly attractive and expensively turned out young (and not so young) women flirted outrageously with us, and I couldn't help but think of the various "rich girl falls in love with Gypsy" ballads. Naturally, when the fiddling stops, these women know that Gypsies can't afford BMWs, so the flirtations are totally harmless.

Later in the evening they'd be listening to a DJ (probably trying to appease both kids and old-farts) but for a few hours they seemed captivated by the old music, played without amplification with only the birds and the bugs as percussion.

Good luck to the couple. I think they started off in a good way.

Rick

Subject: RE: A Folkie (sort of) Wedding.
From: katlaughing
Date: 12 Sep 99 - 05:06 PM

So ye've finally time to "cat" around wid da likes of us, eh? What wid weddin's and big Record Promotions, I'se beginnin' ta wonder!*bg*

That sounds wonderful. What a grand connection! Too bad the minister didn't get his melodian, though! Decorum bedamned!Heehee. It must've been almost idyllic.

I guess that's why I've never been that well-off...I'd go with the Gypsy, no matter the vehicle:-)

Play away gypsy man,
Play my heart strings
Aye, while held in your hands
Loving they'll bring.

Play away gypsy man
'Til morn doth come
A bright mist on the lands
When loving is done.

Play away gypsy man
Sing us a tune
Now we must be going
Ere the crow cries.

Play away gypsy man
My heart breaks now
Sad that you are leaving
Tears stain the ground.

Far away gypsy man
Dust in his wake
Lady longs so for him
Takes her last breath.

Play away gypsy man,
Play my heart strings
Aye, while held in your hands
Loving they'll bring.

KL 1999

Subject: RE: A Folkie (sort of) Wedding.
From: katlaughing
Date: 12 Sep 99 - 05:17 PM

Arggghhhhh!!!!! Never try to write, leave for unwanted, upsetting company, then come back to finish! Just reread & realised I left off rhyming in a couple of later verses!!! Duh....!Curses!! Maybe these will be a little better:

Play away gypsy man,
Play my heart strings
Aye, while held in your hands
Loving they'll bring.

Play away gypsy man
'Til morn doth come
A bright mist on the lands
When loving is done.

Play away gypsy man,
Sing us a tune
Now we must be going
Ere comes our doom.

Play away gypsy man
My heart breaks now
Sad that you are leaving
Tears stain my gown.

Far away gypsy man
Dust in his wake
Lady longs so for him,
Her final breath takes.

Play away gypsy man,
Play my heart strings
Aye, while held in your hands
Loving they'll bring.

Subject: RE: A Folkie (sort of) Wedding.
From: katlaughing
Date: 12 Sep 99 - 09:01 PM

I do have a tune, too! I love the spontaneity of the 'Cat!

Subject: RE: A Folkie (sort of) Wedding.
From: catspaw49
Date: 12 Sep 99 - 09:43 PM

Ya know, we tend to romanticize some weird stuff......I mean, the traditional "gypsy" rarely bathed, wore somewhat ragged and dirty clothing, ate "aromatically" spiced foods and drank vile, foamy liquids, the "residue" of which emanated from the pores and other orifices. You might want to add:

Play away gypsy man
But play over there
Your body aroma
Is curling my hair

Play away gypsy man
My heart you'll unlatch
These noseplugs are helpful
Just don't light a match

Otherwise, a real nice song Kat!!!

Spaw

Subject: RE: A Folkie (sort of) Wedding.
From: Cap't Bob
Date: 12 Sep 99 - 10:17 PM

Rick ~ perhaps folkie weddings are in the vogue this year. During our annual 4th of July gig at the county court house a couple of young folks sat up front and listened very intently to every song we played. They didn't even leave when the parade started (actually they were about the only ones around for our last number). When we finished they asked us to play for their wedding. We agreed despite the 200 mile trip to the wedding site. Their wedding site was at a park located on the Lake Huron beach just north of Port Huron (a really beautiful spot).

Most of the people in attendance were wearing clothes like you would likely find on the beach in Key West, Fla. The wedding party had a march from the parking lot to the beach about a quarter of a mile away. We played a Cornish slow march (actually a South American Andes tune that our guitar player thinks is Cornish) during the walk to the beach. I have no idea of what type of wedding we played for but there was a lot of talk of the forces of nature and a home made wicker broom was used to remove past footprints as the couple walked down into the shallow water near shore. (new age??? I don't know I'm an old foggy)

We played Planxty Fanny Power just before the ceremony and One Hundred and One Pipers as the march on the way back to the reception. The reception was outside so we also played without amplification and had many good comments about the sound not being so overpowering. During the reception we played IRISH, SAILING SONGS, RAGTIME, OLE TIMEY, AND TRADITIONAL TYPE FOLKS SONGS OF THE 60's era. There were a lot of young folks there that seemed to enjoy the music ~~~ perhaps there is hope for the future.....

Cap't Bob

Subject: RE: A Folkie (sort of) Wedding.
From: katlaughing
Date: 12 Sep 99 - 10:19 PM

Fock You, 'Spaw!!!!! Everyone's a CYNIC!**BSEG** T'anks, anyway, you auld sod!

luvyaKat

Subject: RE: A Folkie (sort of) Wedding.
From: katlaughing
Date: 12 Sep 99 - 10:38 PM

Cap't Bob: mayhap you've been out in the sloop in one too many peasoups, making you a bit "foggy"? Just kidding:-)

The handmade wicker broom used to be called a besom and was quite a symbol for the pagans of old times in the Great Britain and elsewhere. Whether your wedding party knew that or not, it is an ancient symbol, probably latched onto by the new age like a lot of other old religion trappings.

Upon Sandy Paton's recommendation, I've just been reading a really good book about it all, which originally came out in the 1930's, called God of the Witches by Margaret A. Murray. And, just to keep this sort of on topic for this thread, in her book, she says, "Jumping over the broomstick is said to have formed part of the gypsy marriage rites."

The Prize Besom of Shaftesbury survives, or did at her writing the book. It was a ceremonial one, from the picture it looks like it was made of some metal and gilded.

TTFN - new acronym just learned from Moonchild (TaTa For now)!

katlaughing

Subject: RE: A Folkie (sort of) Wedding.
From: katlaughing
Date: 12 Sep 99 - 10:39 PM

Dagumit! It keeps telling me it couldn't connect, so I think my posting didn't make it through, hit submit again and then there were TWO! Sorry!

Subject: RE: A Folkie (sort of) Wedding.
From: Cap't Bob
Date: 13 Sep 99 - 05:00 PM

Golly KAT

Once the word gets out that our little band is playing ''''''NEW AGE'''''''' music we will really be in demand.

I most likely have been out in the pea soup a little long and me brain does tend to lock up at times, guess ya call that foggy.

Thanks for the info on the pagens, the broom (besom), gypse ceremony, etc. I'm going to have to look into that kind of stuff ~ sounds rather interesting. Should at least keep myself informed.

Cap't Bob

Subject: RE: A Folkie (sort of) Wedding.
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 13 Sep 99 - 05:52 PM

Wow, Kat and Cap't Bob, I can tell you that no wiccan practices would have been knowingly allowed at the wedding we played at. In Ontario high society that's just not done! But It's got me to thinking. Ten to one there would be a few among the well-dressed throng who practiced some interesting hobbies behind closed doors. Probably there were a few powerful middle-aged men who couldn't get through the week without a good switching at the S and M club. Figure that at least a few of the matrons might employ a "pool boy" or two. So... I think I'm gonna write a couple of "brand new" traditional fiddle tunes with appropriate titles. How about: "Bottom Tanners Reel", "The Jolly Gigolo Jig", and a sing-along called "Show us Your Besom"!

Rick (who played the music for his own wedding)

Subject: RE: A Folkie (sort of) Wedding.
From: katlaughing
Date: 13 Sep 99 - 06:32 PM

Too right, Rick! LOL.....sounds good ta me, esp. the "Show Us Your Besom(s)"! My, you were in posh company weren't you?!

Cap't Bob: when I was looking for that book, Sandy alerted me to an auction of it on eBay. There are a couple of other places where it might show up, here at Bibliofind or, here, at Bookfinder.com.

The Spiral Dance is a modern book, which has Wiccan/Pagan rituals in it for the seasons, etc. It's pretty well done and well-known.

Now....about those new age tunes, do ya think I could book ya fer March 11, 2000?? It'll be our 20th anniversary and I'd like to do it in style! Between you and Rick, the Roving Gypsy, I think I'd be covered quite well. Only hitch is: ya gotta come to Wyomin'!**BG**

luvyaKat

Subject: RE: A Folkie (sort of) Wedding.
From: Cap't Bob
Date: 13 Sep 99 - 08:47 PM

Get to writing Rick ~ I'd sort of like to add your songs to our tune/song list. Undoubtedly there will be several new age weddings coming up during October. About the only connection I have to New Age music is on Sunday morning when our local Public Broadcasting Station plays music? on the Harps Of Space. Most of the stuff sounds to me like someone placed a recorder in the belly of a WWII ~ B-17 and let it run for a half hour or so. On occasion they will play some mystical Irish stuff that really sounds great.

Kat, you might want to check out Richard's Hot list: http://darsie.ucdavis.edu/hotlist.html

Scroll down to near the bottom to Neopagan ~ there is some pretty wild stuff there. Unfortunately the site is not well maintained as several of the listings are either no longer in existance or have moved.

Cap't Bob

Subject: RE: A Folkie (sort of) Wedding.
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 14 Sep 99 - 05:33 PM

Anybody getting married in Connecticut? I'm a Justice of the Peace and am really into home-made ceremonies. We were at an African-American/Danish-American wedding recently and were delighted to find the "stepping over the broom" ritual being used, although they insisted it was a custom dating from slavery times in African-American culture. I didn't argue that it was also a gypsy tradition, since it would have spoiled an absolutely wonderful occasion in which we rejoiced at the happiness of our friends who were getting married.

When I was first elected to be a JP here (twenty-five years ago), I looked at the guide-book provided by the Secretary of State and was happy to discover that there are no rules requiring this or that to make a wedding legal here. Therefore, I wrote my own "secular" service. If someone wants to jump over a broom, I'm all for it, as long as I recognize the authenticity of the couple's commitment to one another. I do take marriage seriously.

Sandy

Subject: RE: A Folkie (sort of) Wedding.
From: katlaughing
Date: 14 Sep 99 - 10:08 PM

How about a recommitment in Wyoming next March, Sandy?*G*

C. Bob, thanks for the link. I will take a look at it.

luvyaKat

Subject: RE: A Folkie (sort of) Wedding.
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 14 Sep 99 - 11:36 PM

Got a broom, Kat? No good jumping over an Elektrolux! Looks as though we'll be in Oregon and Washington in early March. How much does a stopover in Casper cost extra? :-)

Sandy (Here comes the judge!)

Subject: RE: A Folkie (sort of) Wedding.
From: katlaughing
Date: 15 Sep 99 - 12:15 AM

Well, staying at my house won't cost you ANYTHING! Are you driving or flying? Flying...it's gonna cost to get to these here remote parts! But, hell, the way things are going, anyday now, Rog could come home and say we're moving to oregon, so maybe.....mmmmm, that's where are friend lives who was our witness, how fitting if we had something out there with him and you guys! we'll see how it goes!

luvyaKat

Subject: RE: A Folkie (sort of) Wedding.
From: catspaw49
Date: 15 Sep 99 - 01:33 AM

Well what a bummer....using the same witness..........I waas hoping to get all gussyed up to be maid of honor.

Spaw

Subject: RE: A Folkie (sort of) Wedding.
From: Helen
Date: 15 Sep 99 - 03:42 AM

Well ,Spaw, you just jump on a plane and be over here in two & a half days and you can wear whatever you like as my maid of honour - as long as you're decent.

Geez, what am I saying? 'Spaw, decent??

Anyway, still plenty of time to be here - and you make sure you bring Karen, the boys, and Cleigh, of course. I want Cleigh to play the wedding march.

Helen

Subject: RE: A Folkie (sort of) Wedding.
From: alison
Date: 15 Sep 99 - 04:10 AM

2.5 days..... wow Helen that's close... guess you won't make it to the Macquarie Towns Folk Festival then......

Have a great day....

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: A Folkie (sort of) Wedding.
From: katlaughing
Date: 15 Sep 99 - 10:30 AM

Congratulations! Helen! 'Spaw if ya can't make it to Oz, there'll be plenty of room for you and your entourage, and yes, YOU can be my maid of honour or dishonour, whichever!*bg*

I can't think of anyone I'd rather have do this kind of ceremony more than Sandy! It would be so cool if this worked out! I've been thinking about it for years and just hadn't an idea of who would do it for us. The first time it was a judge, in an empty traffic court. In our pictures is the blackboard, which is actually green, with traffic patterns drawn on it in chalk. Mmmmmm, wonder if that was some sort of omen?.....can't think of any.

kat