oh shit! I can't do #Folklife but it's a heck of a thing (although dwindled perhaps from the days I first got to know about it) and I think it would be swell if Vanta could have some fun there, and have money enough to get some funnel-cake or a handmade tie-dye shirt or whatnot. Jeez I haven't worn tie-dye in ages. #begpost ~Chara

https://cyberpunk.lol/@vantablack/116618504935644095

Just found out that Julian Sutton (JS hereinafter) will be the third tutor at this year’s Halsway D/G weekend, so a little anecdote…

About ten years ago I went to Melodeons at Witney and JS was one of the tutors. The workshop of his I went to was “all abilities” and I was very much a beginner. It was way, way beyond me and I came away massively frustrated and annoyed that it was not as pitched. Trying to learn “The Great North Run” and “93 Not Out” at great pace, suitable for beginners?! I walked out knowing I’d learnt nothing and wasted that time when I could’ve gained useful knowledge/ technique in a different workshop.

Fast forward to last year at Halsway when playing in the bar one evening, someone started a tune and I joined in without particular difficulty although I didn’t know it, and also the one they segued into. “What were they?” I asked, “I don’t know them but seemed to be able to play them.” The reply, of course, was “The Great North Run into 93 Not Out.”
I’m not saying I guarantee I could repeat the capability to just join in and play them, but clearly something had stuck and I’d done JS a great disservice!

#Melodeon #DiatonicAccordion #Accordion #FolkLife #Folk #FolkMusic #Music #TradMusic #Trad

Looking at “Barbie Girl” (BG hereinafter) as the foreman of our morris side wants to write a new dance and it’ll need a tune… and this would fit on our instruments nicely and get the public’s attention.
By my reckoning BG has four parts. Three of those parts are eight bars each, in line with “standard form”… but the first one is 18 bars (well, 9 bars with different first/second time through endings) and includes the necessary run up for the start of the second part to feel right.
Because the run up to the B music can’t be jemmied into the end of the C or D music, we can’t just use the A music as an intro then loop the other parts (my first thought).
Do any of you internet folkies have any bright ideas to tweak BG so the A music is a multiple of 8 bars (and don’t say play it for 9x8 =72 bars, that’s much to much of it!)?
Sheet music here, (though we’d play it in G) https://sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/sheetjpg/56840.jpg

Alternatively, any suggestions for upbeat, attention grabbing, well know pop similar to BG that fits nicely into an octave and a half, is in 8 or 16 bar chunks, and isn’t beset with accidents or key changes?

#Melodeon #Accordion #FolkLife #MorrisDancing

The house is gone now.
But some stories don’t disappear with the walls.
Some things don’t need a house to stay behind.

The full tale is now up on The Moonlit Road Podcast. 🌙
https://buff.ly/xpc4m1R

#SouthernGothic #GhostStories #NewOrleans #Folklore #Folklife

In other news, I’m off to Cambridge for a day’s morris dancing with Red Cuthbert today - we’ll be at the Cambridge Blue at 2pm, the Free Press at 3 and the Mill at 4.

https://redcuthbert.uk/event/cambridge-tour

(And yes if you follow the link the poster should say “is” not “are” but I’m not the one who does that stuff any more so don’t blame me!)

#RedCuthbertMorris #MorrisDancing #MorrisDance #Folklife

Today’s exciting delivery

#Leveret #Folklife #Folk #FolkMusic #Music #TradMusic #Trad

Good night at the Insomaniacs Ball - we didn’t stick it out to the bitter end as I’d hoped we would, but left some time around 1am, as not only were our dancers tiring (and busking nearly everything as there’s very little Cotswold we actually know!) but the numbers were thinning (probably 2/3 of the proper Cotswold dancers left before us) as a hard core settled into grind out the more obscure dances until dawn, and most of the musicians had left too so we were being asked to play things we didn’t know and then having to scratch around for someone who did. At that point discretion seemed the better part of valour.

Definitely a fun experience, and good for my “playing along quietly with things I don’t really know” skills.

While we only stayed a couple of hours later than most ales, it felt a bit different and if your a morris dancer wishing striking distance of Long Clawson and haven’t been you should certainly consider giving it a go.

Mild disappointment that the excellent cheese board didn’t include Long Clawson cheese though. :-P

#FolkLife #MorrisDancing #MorrisDance #CotswoldMorris

About half an hour until we leave for the Insomaniacs Ball - because what better than an all-night session of Cotswold morris when you, um, barely dance/play any Cotswold? Fingers crossed it is going to be #Epic!

#MorrisDance #MorrisDancing #CotswoldMorris #FolkLife