It's That Time Of The Year

[PeterT]

Who would think that just playing the wrong tunes on a concertina in public and having people join in to sing could have me branded a subversive criminal by comrade Blair's Big Brother State, Silent Night is allowed but not Jingle bells as it's a 'comercial' tune

Bring back Guy Fawkes, all is forgiven!

[AnnC]

Visions of groups of guerilla concertina players smuggling gunpowder into the Houses of Parliament then fleeing into the night playing 'revolutionary' tunes as the place explodes

[PeterT]

Visions of groups of guerilla concertina players smuggling gunpowder into the Houses of Parliament then fleeing into the night playing 'revolutionary' tunes as the place explodes

How about:

 

"Land of Hope and Glory"

 

"There'll Always be an England"

 

or, my favourite:

 

"Roll out the Barrel"

 

There's a garden, what a garden,

Only happy faces bloom there

And there's never any room there

For a worry or a gloom there.

Oh! there's music and there's dancing

And a lot of sweet romancing

When they play a polka

They all get in the swing:

 

Ev'ry time they hear that oom-pa-pa

Ev'rybody feels so tra-la-la

They want to throw their cares away

They all go lah-de-ah-de-ay,

Then they hear a rumble on the floor

It's the big surprise they're waiting for

And all the couples form a ring

For miles around you'll hear them sing

 

Chorus:

 

Roll out the barrel

We'll have a barrel of fun

Roll out the barrel

We've got the blues** on the run.

Zing! Boom! Ta-ra-rel

Ring out a song of good cheer!

Now's the time to roll the barrel

For the gang's all here.

 

** Colour to be changed for each chorus, to ensure no political bias!

 

Here's hoping!

 

Peter.

[AnnC]

Or that lovely one with the chorus.....

 

Ta Ra Ra BOOM de ay, Ta Ra Ra Boom de ay......

[PeterT]

It's that time of the year, when thoughts turn to Christmas. Mulled wine, minced pies.....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/north_y.../6207970.stm?ls

 

Anyone else having this kind of problem?

[PeterT]

It's that time of the year, when thoughts turn to Christmas. Mulled wine, minced pies, Carol Singers nailed up along the drive.....(oops; sorry, wrong show!).

 

Christmas Carols. I always have problems with these, at any Church, or similar, service. They are seldom in the right keys for me. I think that my voice is "roughly" described as Baritone. On occasions when I lead popular carols, my notes indicate that I pitch many of them in the keys of E',F,F#. Fine for me, and most other people seem to manage.

 

Other people have told me that C and F are "popular" singing keys. To find the "common denominator" for carols at a pub session, which keys would other singers/musicians recommend? I can then happily play, and let others do much of the leading (leaving the Boar's Head Carol for myself! )

 

Regards,

Peter.

Well, I have to report that last night's session/carol singing was its normal chaotic standard for December, but we all enjoyed overselves, which was the main thing. Many carol tunes were played in G, meaning that those who were not playing an instrument had to sing! So, we could have done with a few more singers.

 

Towards the end, we sang "Silent Night", and my friend, Yoshi, sang a verse in Japanese.

 

Anyway, it can't have gone too badly, since I've been asked to go back, next Tuesday, to accompany members of the BRIT School (see link below). Some of their music teachers were in the pub, last night. So, another fun-packed evening in store!

 

http://www.brit.croydon.sch.uk/

 

Not quite sure whether this school is ready to meet traditional music head-on!

 

Regards,

Peter.

[PeterT]

Anyway, it can't have gone too badly, since I've been asked to go back, next Tuesday, to accompany members of the BRIT School (see link below). Some of their music teachers were in the pub, last night. So, another fun-packed evening in store!

 

http://www.brit.croydon.sch.uk/

 

Not quite sure whether this school is ready to meet traditional music head-on!

Well, quite an amazing night; as well as doing all the usual carols, we ended up doing songs from the shows, Beatles numbers etc. We only ran into serious trouble on Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody", but then it's not the kind of song that you normally do in the local pub............

 

The three singers were all teachers at the BRIT School; Kerry from Scotland, Connor from Northern Ireland, and Liz, who also played keyboard for most of the numbers. All were excellent, and had me playing in some interesting keys on the Anglo.

 

During a break in proceeding, Connor got talking to me. It turns out that his father used to play Anglo, but sold it, some years ago, to a better player. Connor, himself, went to college with a certain Niall Vallely. So, he knows a bit about concertinas!

 

Regards,

Peter.

[AnnC]

It's that time of the year, when thoughts turn to Christmas. Mulled wine, minced pies.....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/north_y.../6207970.stm?ls

 

Anyone else having this kind of problem?

 

Yes....... our local event was threatened by reams of politically correct ' risk assesment' legislation,equal oppertunities, minority access twaddle and bumph so the commitee disbanded so that there was no 'official' do and the whole thing just happened anyway. Individuals did things in their own houses and gardens( there's no law yet stopping people inviting passers by to step inside for a mince pie and sing song), and nearly all the events that would have been planned occured as an 'ahem' spontaneous do. I just happened to be there dressed in Victorian costume idly practicing seasonal tunes in the open air. We weren't going to let Blair's Big Brother State stop our local fun.

[d.elliott]

Try singing 'While Shepherds' to the tune, 'House of the Rising Sun'

 

Dave

[Thom Davies]

Try singing 'While Shepherds' to the tune, 'House of the Rising Sun'

 

Dave

 

 

Most Sundays I worship with folks who are homeless and they insist on singing Amazing Grace every week. Often it is sung to the tune "House of the Rising Sun".

 

Thom

[david ayres]

I just wanted to wish everybody a really enjoyable Christmas and a peaceful new year. I log in most days and am grateful for the advice, and information from so many knowledgeable people. Hope to meet up with some of you next year.

 

David.

[Paul Woloschuk]

... morris dancing, the music for same and traditional carols being exempt from the terms of the Act)

I read in a Wiltshire paper that Mummers are unable to perform in a pub where they had previously done so, because when that publican filled out his licencing requirement, he failed to put a tick in the box for acting performances (thinking that he would not be having actors preforming in his pub). But because of that oversight, mumming is prohibited unless he pays £190 for an ammendment (should the mummers perform without the licence, the publican would suffer a £1000 fine ) http://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/dev...licence_law.php

So, no mummers...and no collection for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance

[PeterT]

... morris dancing, the music for same and traditional carols being exempt from the terms of the Act)

I read in a Wiltshire paper that Mummers are unable to perform in a pub where they had previously done so, because when that publican filled out his licencing requirement, he failed to put a tick in the box for acting performances (thinking that he would not be having actors preforming in his pub). But because of that oversight, mumming is prohibited unless he pays £190 for an ammendment (should the mummers perform without the licence, the publican would suffer a £1000 fine ) http://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/dev...licence_law.php

So, no mummers...and no collection for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance

I bet that most other countries would be more supportive of their cultural heritage, and flex the laws around this type of performance.

 

By the way, I note that the Mummers' spokesperson is Bob Berry, Director of Chippenham Folk Festival (must be the same person). Anyone know how he is getting on with his Anglo? I remember that Bob came along to one of my Sidmouth (WCCP) workshops in the early 1990's.

 

Merry Christmas.

 

Peter.

[AnnC]

I bet that most other countries would be more supportive of their cultural heritage, and flex the laws around this type of performance.

 

By the way, I note that the Mummers' spokesperson is Bob Berry, Director of Chippenham Folk Festival (must be the same person). Anyone know how he is getting on with his Anglo? I remember that Bob came along to one of my Sidmouth (WCCP) workshops in the early 1990's.

 

Merry Christmas.

 

Peter.

Not under this government we're not even allowed to put that we're English on any official forms and while I am a subject of Her Britanic Majesty ( Britain encompassing Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland) I am certainly not Irish or Welsh and only a quarter Scottish from my mothers side of the family.