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And 3 of 14 concertinas were Duet: my Morse Hayden, a Tedrow Hayden, and a vintage Maccann.

 

That aside, the meet was really English-heavy; what, maybe 8 English and 3 Anglo?

 

That's 2 more duets than we've had at past gatherings!

 

Your new Morse sounded mighty fine. And people enjoyed your shape note song.

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Thanks, I had a great time! Maybe each time there will be more and more Duets until we seize the plurality of players...

 

 

Glad you enjoyed the Shape Note tune, though I feel I was kind of rough starting it out. I'm used to doing Shape Note with a big group of people who are all familiar with the genre, and its "aural tradition" beyond just the text. So I kind of punted it at first, having to clarify that the note shapes are ancillary and can be ignored if you can read music, and the repeat isn't necessarily recognized in some tunes. Plus tough to keep time with only one person used to the song (who's used to cuing off other singers rather than literally reading the notes); having someone stand in the middle and beat out the time with their arm, as the singers do, would've made it much easier. But I am glad that I tried bringing out a multi-voice piece of 1820s American music to challenge us, though really glad I picked one of the simpler and shorter examples vice a "fuguing tune" which involves different parts coming in and out at different times.

 

Here's the one we did, Detroit. Posted below, and here's a link to a higher-res version: http://sacredharpdetroit.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/39tdDetroit.jpg

 

4r5lqx.jpg

 

 

 

I and a few other players also had some confusion over some players describing their genre of choice as "old time". Where I hang out, "Old Time" means very specifically 19th and early 20th century North American music, fiddles and clawhammer (not Scruggs-style) banjos, a mix of Irish, English, African, blues, gospel, etc. music. What used to be called "hillbilly music" or "mountain music"; not to be confused with Bluegrass, a post-WWII genre based on earlier styles.

 

A lot of folks at the Squeeze In, however, seem to use "old time" to refer to Tin Pan Alley, 1920s-1930s "pop music" tunes, etc. Not saying either side is wrong, but just found it striking that there were two completely different interpretations of the same term in the same room among players of the same instrument.

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The shape note tune was fine, as was your start. The diversity of experience and genre at these events makes it pretty inevitable that starts will be ragged.

 

There is confusion about the term "oldtime," which I inadvertently contributed to in the Theme of the Month for January.

 

At yesterdays' gathering I only heard the term applied to tunes I would consider old time: ROck the Cradle Joe, Yellow Rose of Texas, Golden Slippers. Which "Tin pan alley" tunes were you referring to?

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