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Author Topic: English Tunes - a continental opinion?  (Read 5897 times)

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Sage Herb

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Re: English Tunes - a continental opinion?
« Reply #20 on: March 14, 2013, 07:56:37 AM »

English tradition tunes played with great rhythm by someone from the European tradition

Anahata says - He may be from the European tradition, but his way of playing those tunes is straight out of the "modern British tradition"

Absolutely.
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911377brian

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Re: English Tunes - a continental opinion?
« Reply #21 on: March 14, 2013, 09:52:18 AM »

My German son in law is a huge fan of Lester, and considers he epitomises ''English Playing'', even when playing continental style music ''...it is like he dances when he is playing...''  quote from a recent phone call... :||: :M
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Lester

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Re: English Tunes - a continental opinion?
« Reply #22 on: March 14, 2013, 09:56:26 AM »

My German son in law is a huge fan of Lester, and considers he epitomises ''English Playing'', even when playing continental style music ''...it is like he dances when he is playing...''  quote from a recent phone call... :||: :M

 :|bl

Chris Ryall

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Re: English Tunes - a continental opinion?
« Reply #23 on: March 14, 2013, 12:38:32 PM »

On the other side of the coin: on an early family expedition to  St Chartier my own son had "just" turned 3. 

When the French bagpipers started up in the afternoon in the camp site - the little fella  hoicked a couple of tent pegs out. Treated them to an impromptu morris dance  ;D
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malcolmbebb

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Re: English Tunes - a continental opinion?
« Reply #24 on: March 14, 2013, 12:41:43 PM »

My German son in law is a huge fan of Lester, and considers he epitomises ''English Playing'', even when playing continental style music ''...it is like he dances when he is playing...''  quote from a recent phone call... :||: :M

For Lester's material, that is exactly how it should be!

That is my target for the music I like - learn to play it how I would like it played, for me to dance.
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Rob2Hook

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Re: English Tunes - a continental opinion?
« Reply #25 on: March 14, 2013, 08:35:19 PM »

Our Border side elbowed our way into a twinning visit to the Poitier area.  The local bars were delighted to sell more beer in ten minutes than they usually did in a week and the morris dancing was something of an eye-opener for those attending the occasions.  The last event was a sort of picnic with a "vin d'honneur".  The local traditional dance gruops all performed and much to our surprise we knew at least half their tunes!  Went on to social dancing (all local speciality dances) and we knew them all from ceilidhs at Godalming!  I didn't know so much culture went back to the time we shared royalty with them.

Rob.
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Theo

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Re: English Tunes - a continental opinion?
« Reply #26 on: March 14, 2013, 08:57:57 PM »

The local traditional dance gruops all performed and much to our surprise we knew at least half their tunes!

Had a similar experience in Estonia a few years ago.
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diatosoldo

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Re: English Tunes - a continental opinion?
« Reply #27 on: March 19, 2013, 07:45:30 PM »

I can play a Playford tune : "dove's vagary" .... ( :-\ but not very well, in fact)
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Jono

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Re: English Tunes - a continental opinion?
« Reply #28 on: March 19, 2013, 10:30:56 PM »

I don't know a thing about Morris dance, or the music played for it. Can someone point me towards a video or two that encapsulates the general idea of the dance, with a good example of the music accompanying it? I could get onto youtube and type in Morris dancing but I wouldn't know if it was a good example.
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Ollie

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Re: English Tunes - a continental opinion?
« Reply #29 on: March 19, 2013, 11:06:28 PM »

It very much depends on the type of Morris dancing. Here's a few examples

Cotswold Morris - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLL6Fk8xtBM (music by yours truly  :|glug)
Border Morris - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jOtlqJ8kDE
North-West Morris - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndRuE21Oa4U
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Thrupenny Bit

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Re: English Tunes - a continental opinion?
« Reply #30 on: March 20, 2013, 08:35:54 PM »

Ollie has some very good examples here.
The first, the wonderful Fools Gambit, dancing Glorisher is the perfect example. The tune fits exactly the dance. It changes as the dance progresses and has to allow for each individual to come to the front and do their bit. Bear in mind, each individual will dance subtly differently and the music must reflect this to give them each a chance to dance at their best whether higher by slowing imperceptably, or conversely speed up a touch for those not dancing quite so high. On top of this, the dance moves on to slows, where the dancers carry out steps much higher and slower. Again the musician emphasises these steps by adjusting yet again to take into account these steps. Having danced to Ollie's playing, and watched him play when dancing out, I can assure you that he manages these strange subtle adjustmenst all the time. It's not easy playing for Cotswold morris!

To my mind Border and North West very broadly speaking need a far more constant rhythym and not so extreme variations of music as the stepping tends to be more even - no slows for a start! Mind you Bedlams have many tunes written by JK so he inevitably puts in odd beats and rhythyms  etc. which totally fits the dance and is mesmerising too.
Playing for morris is a whole different thing, and a real art if it's done well.
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Jono

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Re: English Tunes - a continental opinion?
« Reply #31 on: March 23, 2013, 11:48:27 AM »

Thanks Ollie and Thrupenny bit. I liked it and thought the music was great. Very English somehow, in a way that isn't usually obvious to a non-Englishman. It's hard to explain. The second dance to me looked almost Monty Pythonesque but I don't mean this disrespectfully. A sort of healthy celebration of humour and wackiness - or so it appeared to my eyes.













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Thrupenny Bit

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Re: English Tunes - a continental opinion?
« Reply #32 on: March 23, 2013, 04:48:19 PM »

Nicely put - all morris should be a celebration, and whackiness and humour helps too!
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Owen Woods

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Re: English Tunes - a continental opinion?
« Reply #33 on: March 23, 2013, 08:08:09 PM »

Just to emphasise that the stunning playing in the first video that Ollie linked to was Ollie himself.

And blimey Remco can play!
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dunlustin

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Re: English Tunes - a continental opinion?
« Reply #34 on: May 29, 2013, 06:47:24 PM »

There was an LP (aaah, sigh) of Playford tunes recorded by a French group in the late 1970s - at the height of the French Folk revival.
I don't remember the name of the group. I didn't have the recording long - lent it to a bloke called Serge - if you should happen to see him, I'd like it back.
There was a tale going round at the time about Cecil # House dancers.
 At first they were outraged at how fast the tunes were played.
Then somebody said that on reflection that was how they used to dance them but what with the ravages of time ...
Don't know if it's true but it's a good story.
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Chris Ryall

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Re: English Tunes - a continental opinion?
« Reply #35 on: May 29, 2013, 08:23:28 PM »

Just to emphasise that the stunning playing in the first video that Ollie linked to was Ollie himself.

And blimey Remco can play!

You listening to this Ollie? Be jealous! be better!  ;)
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