I'm going to the Scandinavian Squeeze-in later this month. Who am I going to see there? Make yourselves known, folks!
Samantha

What, you don't like surprises?

Of course, I'll be there. (Actually, I'll be disappearing for a while on Saturday to record a CD with the Helsingør Sømandsforenings Shantykor -- i.e., Elsinore Seaman's Union Shanty Choir, of which I'm a member and occasional soloist. But I'll be back later in the day.)

Well.. as I already informed Samantha, I might as well "confess" in public: I am going to be there.
As this is the first squeeze-in that I will attend, I am really looking forward to it (and a bit nervous? ?)!

See you at the SSI

They couldn't use a few fillers in the chorus, could they?

Anne and I will be there, as ever. Anyone else flying in from Bristol to Copenhagen on the Wednesday before, or back to Bristol on the Monday after?

Chris

It's to be a recording of the actual group, which -- as its name suggests -- would probably not fit in the front of your average folk club. Besides, as has become (all too) common, the word "shanty" to them includes any song about the sea, not just work songs. How are you two at sight-reading Danish lyrics?

On the other hand, I really should be doing some recording of my own singing, and if you'd like to play chorus for me at Gamlegård, I would love to lay down a few tracks. (I'd also be pleased to do the same for you.)

Elsbeth and I will be there again. Look forward to seeing you

JT

I just read at the Squeeze In web site the following:



Makes it quite exciting !!

Louise told me at an early stage who the guest is. I'm tempted to let slip a clue...........but I won't. Suffice to say it'll be good.

Chris

Chris,

What can we do to increase the temptation? As I plan to come by car, I could bring some special Belgian beer (?)

Oh, gosh! I do love a drop of Duvvel, not to mention those Trappist beers. It's ... it's ... no, I can't do it. Louise will make me clean all the loos on my own on Sunday if I tell.

But, if you could bring a few bottles of something nice and Belgian along with you that will go down nicely. On the Satuday we usually have a session cum concert for which Jim brings a load of bottles of Danish beers which we then all buy to, shall I say, make sure he isn't out of pocket. Some wonderful Belgian beers wouldn't go amiss, as far as I' concerned at any rate.

Your very good health,

Chris

Anne and I were out walking earlier this evening, when she mentioned that we are flying out to Sweden next week, and do you know it took me completely by surprise. I guess it was just like Christmas, the SSI is this big treat coming sometime in the future, but I'd forgotten it was so soon.

Then, when we got home and were having tea we put Radio 3 on as usual, and we found we were listening to the inaugural concert of a series called "From Sweden", which will explore the musical links between England and Sweden. Spooky or what?

Chris

Definitely do not name the "special guest", because we don't have one.
Chris, I suspect that Louise told you that we would try to get him to come, but you apparently missed getting the later message that he can't join us. (More's the pity.)
This is why our SSI web site makes no mention of a possible "guest".

Well Chris than you can make up your mind: how much trouble will it be to clean all the loos on sunday and will it compensted by the pleasure of Duvel & Trappist??

Now serious: as far as I know, I am allowed to take 200(!) bottles of beer, so I guess it will be more than one drop !!

Well, I'm afraid that what the web site actually says is:-



So since I didn't receive any subsequent message you can't blame me (and Henk) for being confused. I think you need to sort out the web site, and clarify the situation fairly quickly.

Regardless, it will still be a great weekend.

Chris

Ah well maybe Chris Henk or Jim is the special guest.

Yep, when I checked the site it did say a special guest was coming. Maybe it is Jim and they don't want to make him nervous by telling him. Shhh don't let on.

Helen

OUCH! You're right!

I was sure that mention was removed quite some time ago. I must contact Pontus immediately.

I definitely don't blame you and Henk for the confusion.

We (at leat Chris and I) will drown our disappointment and confusion is "some drops" of Duvel

The web site has now been corrected. Sorry about the confusion.

Hello peeps - I'll miss you all!

I'm coming too - but as Jake Makepeace (12 years old and totally misnamed) shouted out in tutor class .........

"you're well over-excited miss and that's bad at your age..."

I'm really hoping therefore to hold out until Friday and will see you all later after school....

Jill

I hope you gave him a stern, yet gentle "... and what age is that?" It's great to be excited and engaged in life.

Young Master Makepeace sounds far too serious for HIS age. As someone who was much too serious in my youth, please tell him it is dangerous to be so serious. It leads to excess frivolity in one's twilight years -- 35 'til the grave.

ldp

Oh, rats! If you'll pardon the expression. Hope you make next year!

Chris

Excellent! That's half the Mr Wilkins Shilling band will be there. Anyone for North West?

Chris

Hello IDP



Jake is firmly of the belief that beyond 30 is "like almost like dead, miss" and, as I am according to Makepeace, at least 29 obviously I need to take it steady. I haven't got the heart to tell I'm 43 and still staggering on .... just. Jake's profoundly misnamed, never short of an opinion and consequently tremendous fun to know and teach. The air of assumed gravitas just adds to the merriment. I could ask him to lighten up a bit but I fear the result may not be contained to Wiltshire. On the other hand if you're right then I think we may all need to take cover in 23 years time when Jake enters his frivolous stage!

In fact, my entire tutor class was stunned this morning when I told them I was going to Sweden to play my concertina for a weekend especially when I explained that there'd be other concertina players. Other classic quotes included " ...your instrument Miss Shep .... they made more than one then?" and " ..... do they all play in English?...." Which raises an interesting point which probably belongs to another strand!

I can't decide who I love more, my Edeophone or my students; it's a close call at the start of term.....

Jill

Wait until you get your Edeophone back from Colin Dipper - there'll be no competition then!

Chris

LOL! Keep him ignorant in that department only!

And do believe me ... please. I was a horrible boring, greasy grind in my younger years. Now I am making up for all the lost fun. Not that I didn't have fun, but everything had to have a purpose and such. Aiming for good grades to get into a good university. Trying to decide on a career. Reading like mad. Working.



Oh my! They are gunning for you, aren't they?

LDP or ldp, caps off for my convenience ; P

No. Some play in anglo or duet.
And some can play in more than one "language".

And all are multi-lingual, since every reed has it's own "tongue".
... (Do you know the one about the dog and the secretarial job?)

Myabe you should show them this picture, and this.

If it doesn't frighten them, maybe when they realize that there are other concertinas, they'll realize that other people can play, too... maybe even themselves. Of course, I don't know how they'll react when they see what sort of people play concertina. (But notice that some of us did also bring other instruments.)

Although there will be no secret guest of honour there are rumours that this guy (see photo) will come

It is told that after drinking some beer he even can play.. Or at least people (after some beer) have heard him play!

You know, Henk, I think I've seen him.

He is so cute, I printed him out. (And I wonder why I have to change ink cartidges so often).

Helen

Is he available, or is there some plush hussy who has her eye on him?

Helen

There is no copyright on this one. I took this picture a few days ago and it is free to use by anyone (even PA-addicts )

I will attach a downsized picture that could be used as an avatar.. so feel free to take it!!

Henk, he is adorable!!
Is he available for sale where you live? What form of bribery would work for you? Would chocolate do??

Allison

Oh Allison, not fair, bribing with chocolate.

No no, Henk, give him to me, I asked first.

Besides, Allison's bunny had his head bitten clean off.

You don't want a headless bunny.

What's his name, no not the chocolate bunny, your little guy (soon to be my little guy).

Hee hee.

Helen

You guys have lots of fun at your Squeeze In. Wish I was going.

This question has now been answered! I just came home from this event and it his been a memorable squeeze-in for me. Thanks to all the organizers, especially Luise, Pontus and Jim and thanks to all the wonderfull participants!!
I will come back next year

Henk,

The same for me too. Thanks to Louise, Pontus and Jim for organising it and to all us wonderful participants, I couldn't have wished to meet such a nice group of people! I've put faces to names and fingers to tunes I would never had known without going and so I'm looking forward to next year already.

Sadly, Jake is on holiday until Wednesday, but I've taught some of the girls how to dance the sonderhoning that Jesper taught us and we're going to get him to dance it in assembly later this week. I reckon that should finish him off for a couple of minutes at least.

Jill

Well, I've just got home now after a memorably good SSI. Henk was as good as his word by bringing the Duvel (and other Belgian beers) and there were various bottles of single malt and Irish whiskey floating around (the SSI is not a good place for an abstainer), but it all just lubricated the music, which got better and better as the weekend progressed. For me it was particularly good because this is the first time since the stroke last year that I've felt reasonably at ease with my playing.

Louise, Pontus and Jim: that was a blinder, and I want to add my thanks as well.

Chris

Here's a brief, incomplete review of the weekend:

Attendance was down slightly from last year, but not because any previous attendees didn't want to return. In fact all those who missed said please keep them on the list for next year. There seemed to be far more employment-related conflicts this year -- I hope only a temporary sign of the times, -- but others included finger surgery (he'll be fine, and he'll be back) and competition for the Irish national bones title. But we also had some new participants, including two "newly-discovered" Danish players (a third couldn't make it because of a conflict, but I expect he'll be with us next year), and "our own" Jill (Wriglefingers) and Henk.

Most of us met Friday evening at Louise and Pontus' home before caravanning out to Gamlegård. I was delayed, so I drove straight there, arriving in time for the evening meal. Then off to Tolvan (I think it translates as "The Twelve") a local cafe/pub run cooperatively by the villagers. This was our fourth year there, and they keep welcoming us back. Good sessioning, as usual. (A couple of us disappeared in the middle to fetch Samantha and Jill, who arrived on late flights.) After we closed Tolvan, we returned to "our" house for more impromptu playing and/or sleep. It was after 3 when I went up to bed, leaving a few others still going.

I unfortunately missed Saturday during the day, because Helsingør Sømandsforengens Shantykor (The Elsinore Seaman's Union Shanty Chorus) had carelessly chosen that day to record their first-ever CD. As an accompanist and sometime soloist, I felt obliged to join them. (Besides, I've never before been recorded on a CD, though I should have made one of my own long since.) But here's some of what I hear happened:
.. As usual, there was no program planned in advance, but the paricipants got together to discuss what they wanted to do... and then did it. As usual, there were different workshops running in parallel, accomodating people with differing interests. And as usual, I wished I could have participated in all of them.
.. Jesper taught folks the dance Sønderhoning -- from the town of Sønderho on the little island of Fanø, yet famous throughout Denmark and beyond -- and some of the tunes specific to the dance.
.. Richard taught a workshop in harmony. I understand his approach was one of fitting chords to the different notes of the scale, in order to have them follow the tune.
.. Pontus did a workshop in Swedish folk tunes. The tunes from the different areas of Sweden vary considerably, and each has its own excitement.
.. Well, there were surely others, but I still have to hear about them. We were all so busy doing things that there was little time to talk about what I had missed. Maybe some of the other C.net participants can fill in details here.

Saturday evening we gradually progressed from dinner to forming a circle for a playaround-session-concert, and I feel the one was a sort of continuation of the other. The dinner conversation ranged widely, including jokes and stories, and even a song. The "concert" had no audience as such, though the caterer did stay to join us and even sang a song before finally departing. The format was basically "around the circle", but with frequent digressions for comment, conversation, and "that reminds me of this one". Some played tunes; some sang, with or without accompaniment; some told stories. Some played instruments other than concertinas... banjo, autoharp, bones, whistle.... (Don't tell anybody, but not only can Henrik make an English sound like an Irish anglo, he can also make a banjo sound good. ) After twice around the circle, a few folks drifted off to bed, while the rest of us abandoned any pretense of formality as we continued. Once again, I was neither early to bed, nor the last to go. There were two that we had to make a special effort of raising for Sunday breakfast.

In another post, somebody mentioned beer and other alcoholic beverages. Don't feel you have to be a boozer to join us. The fact is that far more was left over than was drunk. I think even those who are pub regulars found it difficult to stop playing music for long enough to take a drink.

Sunday morning after breakfast was informal until we gathered for the group photos -- our instruments, including non-concertinas, and our instruments with ourselves -- and then to clean the house and pack for our departure. An after-the-official-end event the first year -- lunch at a local restaurant, where we also did an impromptu concert -- turned into an annual tradition, but the "audience" at the restaurant was just the few folks who had come for Sunday lunch. This year Louise' mother arranged for us to do the same for a luncheon of an organization she belongs to. I think the audience was about 100 people, and our performance clearly did not spoil their apetites. No, we had a great time, and they definitely enjoyed us. I think we've just established a new "regular" venue.

After the lunch-concert we saw some folks to the train (less than 10 min. walk from the lunch venue; whoever planned that deserves a medal!), the "locals" (Swedes & Danes) drove home, and a few came back to Louise & Pontus' place for dinner and a night's rest before departing in the morning. I left them at about 8 pm to drive myself home.

As usual, I enjoyed myself immensely, and I'm really sorry that I missed some of it this year. Next year I won't let that happen. I'm really glad we do this!

Chris:

I was very touched by your comment about the event.



I am sure it was the good company as much as the good spirits that helped. Feeling comfortable among the group probably helped you ease off any self-judgement/criticism you've been doing. This can be true even for those of us not facing a physical challenge. So often mind and body work together that we forget that they can easily get in the way of each other.

Hooray for you!

ldp

Some more info on this remark of Jim:



I was so lucky to be at Jespers workshop. He is a great story-teller and a natural teacher, although he never gave a workshop before and was for the first time at at a squeeze-in like the the SSI .
The first tune he learned us was a so called Sønderhoning, titled: "Hans Peder Madsens styk"
You can find the tune at: http://www.folketshus.dk/cgi-bin/visnode.cgi?fa-hansped.

The second one he taught us was "Andet Brudestykke" and you can find it at: http://www.folketshus.dk/cgi-bin/visnode.cgi?fa-brud2.

You can find much more very nice Sønderhonings at:
http://www.folketshus.dk/spillefolk/noder.html. Select tune type "Fanø og Mandø ".

Thanks again Jesper for your great workshop !!

Which translates as "Hans Peder Madsen's piece", or in more idiomatic English, "Hans Peder Madsen's tune".


Which translates as "Second Bride's piece", or "The Second Bride's March". (I believe that's the second march, not the second bride. )

Enough already!

I couldn't make it which was bad enough but to hear you guys going on and on about how good it was..................................

Mind you there's always next year

If you start browsing through the tunes here, you may find some with the notation *=slutning near the end. That means "ending", and the section so marked is meant to be played -- instead of the measure(s) immediately following the preceding isolated * -- as a special ending the last time through the tune.

A few translations also for the search engine:
.. Melodityper = Tune types
.. Gå til = Go to
(Sorry. I'm not going to translate the categories.)

.. Fast søgning = Fixed search
.. Søg = Search
(Again, no translations of categories.)

.. Fri søgning = Free search (open search)
.. Alt = Everything
.. Titler = Titles
.. Komponistnavne = Composer names

.. Noder indlagt eller rettet siden: = Notes entered or edited since:

Have fun!

We'll be expecting you.

I could have done with you this year. The one teeny tiny criticism I could make (and it's not a criticism, because an event like this is the people who come, and you accept it and them and enjoy what comes) is that the Irish contingent had it mostly their own way this year. We could have used your melodeon to give the English stuff more volume

Chris

Edited to add PS

PS all being well I should be bringing the anglodeon next year.