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Author Topic: gypsy music heritage research  (Read 4164 times)

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sqwzboxstudent

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gypsy music heritage research
« on: March 24, 2012, 07:22:12 PM »

hi guys , im doing some research into english gypsy (romany gypsy, rather than irish,scottish or new age traveller) folk musicians / step dancers , particuliarly melodeon players !.

im aware of the brazil family (but have only heard 1 recording of them) and of course my own family, but i dont know of any others.

is there, or was there, a gypsy family in your area that has a musical tradition?

can anyone tell me any storys, information, or pictures of these people?

i would be very gratefull for any information recieved !

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Theo

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Re: gypsy music heritage research
« Reply #1 on: March 24, 2012, 07:47:27 PM »

Talk to Katie and John Howson.  I believe several gypsy step dancers are known to them.
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Ollie

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Re: gypsy music heritage research
« Reply #2 on: March 24, 2012, 08:36:46 PM »

You might be interested in one of the new Voice of the People CDs - I’m A Romany Rai, two discs of Southern English Gyspy singing.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Im-A-Romany-Rai-Various/dp/B0072OJP3A

I'm sure if you were to get in contact with Shirley Collins, she'd be happy to help.
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sqwzboxstudent

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Re: gypsy music heritage research
« Reply #3 on: March 24, 2012, 08:49:48 PM »

cheers ollie , just checked the track listing and my extended family seem to be in force on that album, lots of family names on there ! i will pick up a copy . i seem to be able to find loads of englisdh gypsy  singers but not many melodeon or instrument players.
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oggiesnr

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Re: gypsy music heritage research
« Reply #4 on: March 25, 2012, 07:22:13 PM »

Try contacting or googling Mic and Susie Darling (they're on Facebook).  Susie plays melodeon and they have a wide repertoire ranging from trad to show songs.  They're also great people.  There are a couple of Youtubes I think but not sure if Susie's playing melodeon on any.  Mic plays five string banjo!

Steve
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Chris Ryall

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Re: gypsy music heritage research
« Reply #5 on: March 25, 2012, 09:16:45 PM »

A MUST is Charles Parker's 1964 (and final) Radio Ballad on travelling people

  http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/radioballads/original/travellingpeople.shtml

The broadcast doesn't seem to be on line on this site. Topic had them on CDs, but I didn't buy this particular one.  But Parker was by now very experienced and the condensation of 300 hours of 'actuality' recording from 45 years ago will be a rich source of material. To say nothing of McCall's songs. Google, google - seems Youtube only has the songs
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Inventor

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Re: gypsy music heritage research
« Reply #6 on: March 26, 2012, 04:07:04 PM »

There is an English Gypsy family living very privately not too far from where I live. The Father is Romany, decended from a line of Gypsy Fiddlers who were turned out of Dargets Wood (Kent) in the 50s or 60s. At one time he and his two sons played fiddle with wife on tambourine. They played at my mothers funeral 14 years ago; it was beautiful. He no longer plays, nor one of the sons. The other son composes music in the Gypsy tradition. 
Many years ago I labourously wrote down a lot of their tunes, but not wishing to steal their copyright; gave them the complete copy to publish themselves; this they never did. Most of the tunes came with a story attached to it.
Many years ago when the late Richard Morse of Button Box (along with Doug Chrighton & Dana Williams) came to stay with me, they came up to my place and played for them.
They are highly suspicious of any strangers, wanting to steal their music; I am not sure if I should be writing this at all on the Web.
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Inventor

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Re: gypsy music heritage research
« Reply #7 on: March 27, 2012, 11:32:04 AM »

A further thought on Gypsy music occurs to me.
In the 50s & 60s Peter Kennedy made a lot of recordings of traditional musicians in England Scotland and Ireland, many of the performers were Gypsies. The collection is now housed at Halsway Manor in Somerset, and might be worth looking into.
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Marje

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Re: gypsy music heritage research
« Reply #8 on: March 27, 2012, 06:05:42 PM »

As various people have remarked, there seems to be more collected material on gypsy songs than on their instrumental music. I think Peter Kennedy was more of a song collector than a tune collector (although songs have tunes too of course!). But I haven't come across

But don't overlook your own sources, Tommy. You have access to your family and their contacts, and if you ask around you may find they can point you to some music or musicians you hadn't come across before. Much of it - as for anyone seeking "source" music/songs - will turn out to have been learned from commercial sources (radio, recordings, etc) but there may be the odd item that is not yet in the mainstream of folk music. Sometimes the tunes or songs that they regard as uninteresting are the very ones that will turn out to be special and not found much elsewhere. Or it may just be the way they play them, or the way they join them together in sets, that turns out to be a particular "gypsy" form of the music. In any case, try starting with your own close contacts, and they may lead you to other things.
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Graham Spencer

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Re: gypsy music heritage research
« Reply #9 on: March 27, 2012, 08:51:22 PM »

I'll be interested in the results of your research.  My great-great-great-grandfather was a Boswell, travelling the South and West Midlands.  A very distant link, I know, but there's a tiny bit of Romany blood in there somewhere!

Best of luck with the project
Graham
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**DTN**

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Re: gypsy music heritage research
« Reply #10 on: March 27, 2012, 09:21:29 PM »

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Inventor

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Re: gypsy music heritage research
« Reply #11 on: March 28, 2012, 12:33:08 PM »

Regards Peter Kennedy and instrumental music, Gypsy and otherwise:
In the early sixties (1963 I think) Peter Kennedy went to Donegal to record Irish Gypsy Fiddler, John Docherty. He had planned to return to England with him and give a lecture tour. He did make extensive recordings and produced an LP of his playing, but at the last minute Docherty decided not to come, and his place was taken by Packie Byrne.
I  have the Docherty LP somewhere but no longer have equipment to play it. All the tracks except I think 2 are purely instrumental, none are in what I would call the current ITM. Two that I particularly liked "Atlantic Sounds" and the "Speaking Waltz" don't sound Irish at all, the former is more of a Strathspey, and the latter more of a Fair-ground Organ or German UmPah Band waltz.
Both of these tunes are published (unatributed) in the later "Fiddlers Tune Books".
In the late fifties as a young melodeon player I used to go to EFDSS folk music sessions, where Helen Kennedy often used to play us her son's recordings of traditional instrumental (not song) musicians; to show us how we ought to be playing
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Graham Spencer

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Re: gypsy music heritage research
« Reply #12 on: March 28, 2012, 07:28:03 PM »

Helen Kennedy often used to play us her son's recordings of traditional instrumental (not song) musicians; to show us how we ought to be playing

H'mmmm.........but then it was the EFDSS.... >:E ;)

Graham
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sqwzboxstudent

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Re: gypsy music heritage research
« Reply #13 on: March 28, 2012, 09:35:51 PM »

thanks for the replys guys, keep em coming !
GPS - you would do well to google " gordon boswell" he owns a museum in spalding lincolnshire, hes a realy nice guy, and is a fine singer also, he has released 2 cds, they are available from his website - 10 quid for the pair ! also, my mate romany giller is a great singer / performer and related to the boswells, he has a cd available too !.

going off topic, im related to the boswells in cornwall, and in the witches museum at boscastle, is a picture of "granny " boswell, a distant relative. i hope she wasnt burned at the stake !
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pikey

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Re: gypsy music heritage research
« Reply #14 on: April 04, 2012, 11:02:00 PM »

I'll be interested in the results of your research.  My great-great-great-grandfather was a Boswell, travelling the South and West Midlands.  A very distant link, I know, but there's a tiny bit of Romany blood in there somewhere!

Best of luck with the project
Graham

I'd be very interested too - I'm descended from the Bridge and the Williams Romany travelling families from Essex, who ended up in Yorkshire!
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Rob2Hook

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Re: gypsy music heritage research
« Reply #15 on: April 05, 2012, 09:43:50 AM »

It may also be worthwhile contacting Simon Ritchie.  He has recorded a number of songs and tunes that he learnt from, and plays with, the local Romany families including a song which is liberally peppered with Romany terms (I shan't attempt to render them in writing).  Perhaps he can give some local information or even put you in touch with some of his contacts.

Rob.
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Anahata

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Re: gypsy music heritage research
« Reply #16 on: April 05, 2012, 11:11:02 AM »

It may also be worthwhile contacting Simon Ritchie.

Who, in case it wasn't obvious, is "Student I" here on melnet (and email address in profile)
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