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             Strathspey and Reel Society of New Hampshire
                              Newsletter
                   Volume 12, Number 4, December 1999
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                                SRSNH
                         102 Little Pond Road
                     Concord, New Hampshire 03301
                            (603) 225-6546

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DECEMBER 26 GATHERING
Sunday Afternoon, 1-5 pm
Margaret Lepley, Music Director
Annichiaricho Theatre, S. Main St & Thompson Sts, Concord, N.H.

Approximate schedule:
1:00 - 3:00  December's tunes
3:00 - 3:30  Refreshments & Jamming
3:30 - 5:00  Requests & Solos


NOTES FROM THE MUSIC DIRECTOR
--by Barbara McOwen

I'll be away in December (watching Robert dance at the Kennedy Center in
Washington at the very time of the Gathering), and Margaret Lepley has
graciously consented to step in and lead some of her favorite tunes.
Margaret is a Charter Member of the SRSNH and has performed as both dancer and
fiddler in almost every Gala. She has been my friend and colleague for
many years, and I'm only sorry I can't be there, too. Look for her
article below about the tunes.

Some notes about the rest of the year: I'll also be away for the February
Gathering, so Terry Traub will present some of his favorite tunes. Sylvia
Miskoe will organize the bi-annual Original Tunes Session* in April. For
our Non-Scottish Session this spring, Ebba Andersen will take us through
some Chinese tunes!

*Note: the deadline for submitting tunes is February 1.


ABOUT THIS MONTH'S MUSIC
--by Margaret Lepley

Remember those infamous "My Summer Holiday" reports for school? Well
this month is devoted to "Music from My Summer Holidays." Nearly every
year I visit friends and feast on music at Valley of the Moon in
California  and this summer was no exception. But this year I splurged
and also attended a fiddle week at Sabhal Mor Ostaig on Skye. So now my
head is bursting with tons of new tunes. I'd love to be able to play
them in the SRSNH, hence the drastic step of accepting the music director
post for the day after Christmas.

There were so many great tunes in the two camps that I had to enlist
helpers to choose the subset here. (Kudos to the November mailing party
people for their forbearance and assistance.) Maybe a few more will
sneak in later, but this month nearly all the tunes come from Iain
MacFarlane, a fiddler from Glenfinnan who also plays pipes. Because of
this, his fiddle dialect is heavily influenced by the sound of the pipes
and gaelic song.

"Flight of the Eaglets" is a slow air that was written for Lady MacRobert
in memory of her three sons who died in World War II. It is played
plaintively, with subtle gracings and lots of breathing space.

"The 92nd Gordon Highlanders March" is a three part pipe march that is
easy to memorize because of all the repetition. It has a very strong
march quality, with plenty of opportunity to throw in pipey sounds.  Even
though fiddlers don't play pipe music note for note, Iain recommends
staying away from high-B gracings if you want a pipe quality.

Next are a couple of old traditional tunes. "MacFarlane's Rant" is a
highland reel that Iain likes for its name and melody. "Och is  Duine
Truagh Mi" (translation: Oh Man, You Sadden Me) is one of those fantastic
gaelic song tunes. Unfortunately I don't have the words for this one, so
I'd love it if someone could pass them along.

Then, from the very old, we jump to the present day. The last page
contains compositions by two gentlemen who just can't seem to write a bad
tune. "Fag am Phiob Bhochd" (Leave the Poor Pipe) is a hornpipe by Allan
MacDonald. You can hear Allan himself playing it on pipes on the CD
"Fhuair Mi Pog". Along with some purely instrumental cuts, this CD
contains the surprising but lovely combination of pipes and voice.

The last tune in my summer retrospective was taught by Liz Dougherty at
Valley of the Moon. "Frank's Reel" by John McCusker*, a blend of Irish
and Scottish influences, fits in lots of places. It is particularly
appropriate for the SRSNH just now because the B-part contains a bit of
the calypso rhythm that was so memorable in last month's Gala concert.

*see article about John McCusker in People News


MAILINGS
--by Barbara McOwen

If you're interested in helping out occasionally with the newsletter
mailings, please let me know. They take place sometime during the week or
weekend one or two weeks before our Gathering. It's fun, and your
presence will be appreciated not only by the other volunteers, but by
everyone in the organization, and then some!


BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETS
--by Sandy Lafleur, Secretary

(Note: Members wishing a complete copy of the Minutes should contact the
Secretary.)

Highlights from the Nov. 17th meeting:

The Board adopted a policy which sets forth guidelines for the payment of
lead musicians, producer, other performers to help guarantee high quality
performances.

Mike is making progress on the creation of a Grant Request Application
form to be used by individuals requesting financial help in pursuing
their Scottish music studies. The SRS scholarship committee will be
composed of three members.

Mike reported that we are in the process of converting over to our own
domain-named website. Mike will add a button to direct people who enter
the domain-name website to the wonderful site maintained by Terry Traub
until the conversion is complete.

The Nominating Committee will be looking for candidates for office for
this spring's elections. How about you?

Note: there will be NO December Board meeting. The next scheduled
meetings are as follows: Tuesday, Jan 11th, Wednesday, February 9th, and
Wednesday, March 22nd. All meetings begin at 7:30 p.m. and are held at
the NH School of Scottish Arts in Manchester. Please contact the
secretary if you need directions. These meetings are open to all
members.


THE BALLOTS HAVE BEEN COUNTED
--by Sandy Lafleur

As you recall, a special ballot was sent to each member requesting their
vote on a proposed change to the by-laws of the SRSNH. This amendment,
if passed, would require a 2/3 majority of all ballots returned, rather
than a simple majority of all members on record, to enact a proposal. The
Board felt that this change was necessary because of historically low
"voter-turnout." Of the 117 ballots received, 109 favored the amendment
while 8 opposed. Since the 109 "yes" votes represent a majority of our
current membership, the amendment has been passed.


SCHOLARSHIP FUND
--by Mike Vose

The SRSNH Board of Directors proudly announces the creation of the SRSNH
Scholarship Fund. Awards from this fund will defray SRSNH members' and
their families' cost of attending schools, camps, and workshops that
teach Scottish music.

A three-person Scholarship Committee, chaired by Sylvia Miskoe, will
administer the Fund. They will accept applications and award grants twice
each year. For the first year, the application deadlines will be January
31, and July 31, 2000. The Committee may alter these dates in subsequent
years.

The Committee will review applications, determine grant size, and award
grants. Grantees must submit a written account of their activity within
30 days of its completion. To obtain an application for an SRSNH
scholarship, contact Sylvia Miskoe.


GALA GOOD TIME
--by Susan Woodward

Well, we did it again! We all had a great time and the audience had a
really spectacular afternoon. I appreciate most of all how everyone
pulled together both on stage AND off. When we asked for volunteers,
many people stepped up and took things on. Thanks to Steve Avery's
publicity work, to all of you who put those flyers up around your
communities and into people's hands, and to Sylvia Miskoe's marathon
management of tickets, we almost filled the house again this year. Bill
Fitzpatrick, Judith (Noska) Ackerson, and all their helpers made
everything off stage run smoothly. Barbara's and Marrianne's patience
and good humor motivated us to SMILE, play, shake and knock so enjoyably
through a month of rehearsals. All too soon the perfomance ended, but as
Sylvia reminds us, now we have material for presentations throughout the
year. So let's keep playing 'em and polishing them even further!

We all enjoyed hearing Norman Kennedy regale the audience with his songs
and stories. Having the pipers and dancers from the New Hampshire School
of Scottish Arts in our program was a treat, too. Lee Lajoie's lighting
expertise and Clint Klose's sound handling added a professional touch.

Everything else came from the membership of the SRSNH! From fantastic
young soloists (Myles Matteson, Emerald Forman, Brendan Carey Block,
Sarah Breslin and Taurean Chasse) to wonderful veterans like Barbara and
Gordon, to our whole ensemble, I felt like we were all in tune with one
another.


LOST and FOUND at the Gala

A medium sized cooler (outer covering made of nylon) was left at the
Auditorium following the Gala. Judith tossed the leftover sandwiches but
left crackers and  drinks inside. Please let her know if it belongs to
you and she'll be sure it is at the next SRS session.
(jnoska@cyberportal.net or tel. 934-2543)

A blue notebook of concert music was left at the audi. A black
polarfleece vest with M&M's and $3 was left at Sylvia's house. Please
let Sylvia know where to return them.


IMPORTANT PARKING WARNING
--from Sylvia Miskoe

 If ANYONE parks in the resident parking lot, our group will be banned
from using the theater. This is a serious offense, so please take note
and DO NOT PARK IN THE LOT NEXT TO THE THEATER! We may park in the
staff lot across from the theater door or on the street.


PEOPLE NEWS

Donald Young was elected to the Board of Coveners of the Saint Andrews
Society of New Hampshire. Congratulations, Don!

Correction of last month's report of the Loon competitions: Alanna Tryder
and Brendan Carey Block tied for first place in the regional junior
competition; Tyler Matteson took second place, Emerald Forman third, and
fourth went to Shelby John Trevor. Alanna also had the best selection and
best slow tune, while Brendan had the best strathspey and reel.

John McCusker has just won the prestigious Scotland on Sunday/
Glenfiddich "Spirit of Scotland Award" for 1999. Every year Glenfiddich,
in association with Scotland on Sunday, presents awards to those
individuals who are leading the way in contemporary Scottish culture,
from art and music, to food and film. A panel of judges and Scotland on
Sunday correspondents, all highly successful and respected figures in
their own fields, proposed the nominees. Sunday on Scotland readers
selected John as the winner. John, as well as the rest of his band, was
thrilled he was chosen, especially given the quality of his fellow
nominees. McCusker joined the Battlefield Band in 1990, straight from
school at the age of 17. McCusker is featured on the groups' last two
albums, "Rain Hail or Shine," and "Leaving Friday Harbor."


TIDBITS


A NOTE ON SHIRA
--from Don Young

Don has been reading some Sir Walter Scott, notably A Legend of Montrose.
There is a passage in it which mentions a river, and it's possible that
Ian Powrie named his beloved dog Shira (of "Catchin' Rabbits" fame) after
this river. "Embarked on the bosom of Loch Fine, Captain Dalgetty might
have admired one of the grandest scenes which nature affords. He might
have noticed the rival rivers Aray and Shira, which pay tribute to the
lake, each issuing from its own dark and wooded retreat."

THIS BIT from Jeff Baker: I highly recommend checking out FOLK TALES, a
super folk/acoustic/Celtic world music e-zine. The web address for Folk
Tales is: http://Folk-Tales.com/index.html.


MORE ON ADAM RENNIE
--by Barbara McOwen


We've had a note from John Drewry, the famous Scottish country dance
devisor, who was one of our hosts when members of the Strathspey & Reel
Society visited Scotland in June 1996. He gave us a wonderful tour of
Aberdeen, the "Granite City."

"Your Granite Skyes newsletter has just arrived. I always enjoy looking
through it. I was interested to read the section on Adam Rennie. I had
not heard of the court case about the composition of 'Caddam Woods.' I
am glad that it is not played simultaneously in A and G. It seems to be
one of the tunes, like 'Donald Iain Rankine,' which elicits a very positive
response from dancers.

"You may be amused to hear that this tune was one of Miss Milligan's pet
hates. She was reported to have stopped the dancing on several occasions
when bands played it. I heard her say that she thought it was a
Central-European tune. I spoke on the phone to Jennifer Wilson, the
pianist from Elgin, about this tune and she said that she remembered one
occasion in St. Andrews at a dance in the Younger Hall. Miss Milligan, as
usual, attended the first part of the dance and then, once the
demonstrations were over, she left. The Olympians, thinking the coast was
clear, played 'Caddam Woods' as an alternative for the next reel. Miss
Milligan was still in another part of the building and she came storming
back into the hall to give the band a good telling off!"


SRSNH EVENTS

Gatherings on Sunday afternoons, 1-5 pm, Annichiarico Music Theater,
Thompson & S. Main Sts, Concord, N.H. All ages, all instruments, all
levels welcome; free, with potluck refreshments. December 26, January 30,
February 27, March 26.

Note: We will NOT be performing this year for First Night, Portsmouth
N.H.,on December 31, 1999.

Saturday April 8, 2000, 7:30 pm: SRSNH Tartan Day Concert, Bristol,
N.H.,sponsors Ernestine & Oley Firth.

April 30: Original Tunes Session. Deadline for submitting tunes to Sylvia
is February 1. See November article.

Sunday May 28, all day: Fremont Meeting House Celebration, Fremont,
N.H.(near Exeter). SRSNH to perform 12:30 - 3; watch for more details.


CALENDAR

Mon Dec 27, 8 pm, Holiday Party hosted by the Cambridge Class RSCDS,
Cambridge, Mass. MC is Lance Ramshaw, music by Highland Whisky. Info:
781-245-7639

Sun Jan 1, 2:30, New Year's Day Dance & Potluck Dinner, hosted by the
Boston Branch and the Nashua Class. Music by Sprig of Ivy. Info:
603-891-2331, lorenw@rwp.mv.com

January 1, 2000, 1pm to ?? Scottish Hogmanay Celebration at Hidden Hills
Banquet Hall in Rindge, NH (near WalMart on Rt. 202) near the Mass.
Border. Scottish (and some Irish) entertainment, complete with  the
piping in of the haggis, highland dancing, Cape Breton dancing, Irish
dancing, and .a full Scottish sit-down meal. The cost will be approx.
$30. For information and reservations (mandatory), call Connie at Piping
Hot,  603-924-4444

Sun Jan 9, 6pm: Twelfth Night Party, hosted by the Brookline Scottish
Country Dance Class. Music by The White Cockade. Info: 617-661-5899

Fri-Mon Jan 14-17: Mt Cardigan, NH, Ski and Dance Weekend. Info:
978-371-8030.

January 16th, Palace Theatre, Manchester 3pm: Burns Concert, featuring
Taurean Chasse, Sarah Denning, Sarah Bauhan, Ken Butler, Anthony Moretti
Tufts, Gordon Webster and dancers from the NHSSA.

Saturday Jan 22, 8-11 pm: Celtic Night with Susan Christie Woodward; Special
guest: Ryan Thomson at Temple Mountain Ski Area Lodge  Rte. 101 Temple,
New  Hampshire. Info: 603-924-6949

Sat Feb 19: Winter Party, hosted by the Merrimack Valley Scottish Country
Dancers. Music by The White Cockade. Info: 603-226-2739

Sun Apr 2, 2:30 pm, Medford, Mass: Boston Branch Celebration and CD
Release Party. Info: 617-864-3410.


QUESTION AND ANSWER

Q. What sound do you get when an accordion lands on the leader of a pipe
band?
A. A flat major.


EDITOR'S WORD
--by Gail Birch

After the last two issues and their problems, I have a few suggestions
for our contributors and readers. Firstly, you have no idea what
confusion is generated when the editor is included in a loop of
e-correspondence, which all reply to each other by including the previous
text. When an item is finally ready for the newsletter, then send it to
me. Otherwise, I have to wade through three or more versions and try to
decide which one the author wants in print.

Secondly, if you don't see your favorite event or session listed, it's
probably because a) nobody submitted it, b) it was submitted too late for
the current issue, or c) there was not enough information included in the
announcement. So, to avoid being left out, please be sure your
announcement is submitted at least six (6) weeks before the event, by the
first Friday of the month in which it will be published. Include who,
what, where, when, what time, and cost, along with a name and address or
number of a contact. If you want the event to be published in a
subsequent issue, please resubmit it. Readers, please keep the calendar
page from month to month - there is no guarantee that an event, other
than ongoing sessions, will be listed more than once.

Finally, remember KISS - Keep It Short and Simple! People don't have time
to read, and the newsletter does not have space to print, a lot of hype.
As has been said before, "just the facts," please. Even when sharing
experiences and descriptions, a well written piece will make every word
count by focusing on the topic without rambling. Make your verbs active,
rather than passive,and avoid the static verb to be for maximum clarity
and interest. So keep sending all your wonderful news and notes for all
to enjoy, and Ye Ol' Editor will do her best to publish them.


SESSIONS, JAMS, DANCES

Weekends (Sat and Sun): 6:00 on: Session hosted by Bucky Bohrmann and
assorted guests. All traditional musicians welcome. Empty Pockets Live
Irish Music Pub, 27 Forest Ave., Portland, ME 04101. WWW.emptypocketspub.com
or emptypocketspub@aol.com (207)774-

2nd Sundays: English dancing at the Old Concord Hospital, Pleaseant
Street, Concord, NH; 6:30-9:30pm. $6, or $5 for ECDSNH members. Call
Judith Ackerson (603)934-2543 jnoska@cyberportal.net.

3rd Sundays: English dancing, 7-9:30 pm. at the Portsmouth Ballroom.
Portsmouth, NH $6 or $5 for ECDSNH members. Call Dave Bateman
(603)886-5071

3rd Sundays, 3-7 pm: Gaelic Club, at the Canadian American
Club, Watertown, Mass. Info: Peggy Morrison, 978-858-3792

Tuesdays: Scottish country Dance, 6-8pm at the Fitchburg Library, Main
St., Fitchburg, MA. Call Gail Birch (978)597-8016.

Wednesday 7:30 pm, Concord, NH: SCD class at the Odd Fellows Home,
Pleasant St  Phone 225-6546.

1st Wednesdays, 7 pm: jam session at Mile Away Inn, Milford N.H. This will
change, but is still on for January. Info Sandy Lafleur (603)673-8497.

2nd Wednesdays, 7 pm: Swedish fiddle night at the home of Nancy
Kalinski. Call or e-m for directions. swedishfiddler@hotmail.com

Wednesday 7:30 pm: Scottish Country Dance class at the Odd Fellows Home,
Pleasant St., Concord, NH. Phone (603)225-6546.

Wed or Thurs: Scottish Country Dance, 7-9pm, in the Chandler Library,
Nashua, NH. Call Loren Wright (603)891-2331.

3rd Fridays: Square and Contra Dances presented by Roaring Jelly,
Lexington, Mass. Susan Elberger, Caller, and Debby Knight, Music
Director. To dance or join band, call (781)-944-3544,
www.toc.lcs.mit.edu/~slonim/rjelly.html

4th Fridays, 8pm: Milford Contra Dance with open band. Contact Sylvia
Miskoe.

Saturday afternoons: play fiddle with John Campbell at his home in
Watertown Mass. Call John for specific dates and times (617)924-1837.

Saturday afternoon Celtic Music Sessions at the Fox Library, Arlington,
Mass; Laura at 781-646-7522.

Fourth Saturday, 8-11pm: Celtic Night with Susan Christie Woodward and
Friends. The Lounge area at Temple Mountain, Rte 101, Temple, NH;
(603)891-2331


PUBLISHERS MESSAGE

Granite Skyes is the newsletter of the Strathspey & Reel Society of New
Hampshire. It is published approximately 10 times a year, once a month
between September and June. Subscription is $6/yr ($10 overseas). Membership
is $14/yr for an individual domestic membership; please inquire about other
rates. The newsletter Editor is Gail Birch, and the Publisher is Jim Birch.
All items welcome, inclusion is dependent on space available; send in by
the 1st of the month for inclusion in the mid-month mailing. Email
subscription (free) to the newsletter is now available. The SRSNH Web
Page is maintained by Terry Traub, http://world.std.com/~ttraub/srsnh.


SRSNH BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President -- Michael Vose
Vice-President -- Margaret Lepley
Secretary -- Sandy Lafleur
Treasurer -- Ann Hueglin
Members-at-Large -- Jeff Baker & Bob Reed
Music Director -- Barbara McOwen


SRSNH GATHERINGS
* Sunday December 26
* Sunday January 30
* Sunday February 27
* Sunday March 26

Sundays, 1-5 pm
Free admission. All welcome.
Annichiarico Music Theater
1 Thompson St, at S. Main St.

Driving Directions: Rte 93 to Exit 13. Follow signs to downtown Concord.
Turn left onto Thompson, park on the right or on State St or Main St.


STRATHSPEY & REEL SOCIETY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
102 Little Pond Rd.
Concord, N.H. 03301
603-225-6546
smiskoe@aol.com