Rhomylly

I noticed the dulcimer festival posted their 2006 dates last week. So what's the scoop for the concertina contingent for next year? (been waiting since March, and I'm already excited!)

Hooray! another Edgley lover!

What a shame. Kate is (or was) one hell of a caller. My Baltimorris/Bluemont Ale days (and my ex's rapper days) were 1982-1986. I still have a photo of the mass dance in front of the courthouse, Bluemont Ale 1982 with me with a huge bandage covering my left middle finger (accident requiring stitches 3 days pre-ale) dancing across from Alistair Brown of Thames Valley Morris. One of the bigger thrills of my life, I should add; he is one hell of a dancer on top of being one hell of a melodeon player! I was 19 and skinny...

Jim B. -- What happened to Kate? Lord, I think my ex (or his spouse) may have founded Charm City Rapper -- or maybe it was the team before Charm City. Hell, I'm old enough to have been a member of Baltimorris, what do I know?

I thought Foggy Bottom had one? Or is he more on button box now? I've known Rock Creek's fiddler for about 25 years now, back when she was really new at playing for morris, back in the early Baltimorris days (okay, I just dated myself).

My father, a pipe and tabor morris musician of some note, always preferred 3-hole pipe to concertina for his morris accompaniment because he felt the pipe "cut through" the crowd noise better and the dancers were always able to hear him. (personally I think it's because he could never get the hang of anything with free reeds. So what is my instrument family of choice? Freud? Freud?) I'm thinking straight octave playing would double the volume of the concertina and deftly eliminate that problem. What do the EC players in DC think, Jim? And as a former morris dancer, I can honestly say that I didn't give a damn what the musician was playing just so he/she didn't drop the beat. They could have been playing the theme to Star Wars for all I cared.

Jim, I just ordered the wrist wand, hoping it will help my carpal tunned AND tennis elbow thanks

Hmm, I bet a lot of us on this site would be very interested in hearing that tape... Welcome, Jo. What a thrill to discover that your family legacy is still appreciated by so many

remember, you can rest and play your Edgley at the same time if you get bored with TV unless, of course, it was hand or arm surgery. Or possibly neck.

(trying not to sound like a mom) mmm, yes, taking it easy would be a very good idea.

I like it. That would give those of us not staying for a festival an extra day to get home that we (generally) wouldn't have to take a vacation day for.

Will keep you in my thoughts. rh

Helen!!! (and the rest of y'all too) Yesterday an e-friend turned me on to www.accuradio.com which has 5, count them 5 channels of celtic music (and it's free!) I must be very techno-slow because I feel like the last person on the planet to be listening to online radio. Lots of free reed listening happiness, especially on the "traditional" station. (Okay, they also have Elvis Costello listed as a "traditional" station artist, but you can delete him if you want. I did.) Anyway, they just played a cut from a CD by a young lady named Harriet Bartlett, who plays traditional celtic music on the PA. You *have* to check her out, Helen! Her stuff is quite beautiful, if the track I just heard was any indication. rh

My thoughts and prayers to everyone affected by the storm.

I will neither confirm nor deny my part in this.

way to go, Helen!!! I'm still about 50/50. The dots are only useful if it's a tune I've heard often enough to recognize. Noodling out a tune I know very well without benefit of any dots works pretty well but annoys the hell out of my family. Now I need to get one of those high tech thingys that can record to a disk, not tape. Any suggestions, folks? Helen, I am quite, quite proud of you edited to finish incomplete sentence. geesh.

Awww, thank you Helen. I look forward to it! Funny you should mention teachers. I just signed up for a beginner's guitar class which, since I work for the university that is offering it for college credit, won't cost me anything. 2 hours one night a week. Having not had an instrument teacher since my 8-year-old piano lesson days, I am rather looking forward to it. I wonder, though, how much of the teacher's personal style I will pick up? Maybe that's why bohola said no teacher?

Remind me, Helen, when I meet you, to ask for an impromptu PA recital

thank you all for the light bulb jokes. I feel better now. Somehow my understanding of English/Australian slang does not include a definition or pronunciation of "wotcher" Can someone help?

I have only one concertina now, and unless I were going to a concertina-specific event, I think I would be reluctant to take it, in case of damage, etc etc. Probably shouldn't have sold off the Tedrow Turbo Stagi after all...sigh.

Huh. I was looking for a joke, actually, as in "how many English players does it take to screw in a light bulb?" Although the statistics are interesting

what's a vacation?

Thank you, David. I think we all needed that spot of good news today...

I've been glued to the tv all day. My thoughts and prayers are with London tonight. Has anyone heard from Chris Timson?

The one with risque lyrics? Berea must be even more sheltered than I thought! Jim, you don't know the half of it! Are these the number of versions you sing, or have you only heard so few. Of versions I've encountered, I'd say there are at least half a dozen of each of those songs, a dozen or more of Darby Ram. I love the variety. Versions I sing, when pressed to do so. As I recall, pagans get reborn as home-brewed ale. ... Well, at least John Barleycorn did. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Only when we're really lucky