GRANITE SKYES
Newsletter of the Strathspey & Reel Society of New Hampshire
Volume 12, Number 5 -- January 2000


JANUARY 30 GATHERING
Sunday Afternoon, 1-5 pm
Barbara McOwen, Music Director
Annichiaricho Theatre, S. Main St & Thompson Sts, Concord, N.H.

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


NOTES FROM THE MUSIC DIRECTOR
-- by Barbara McOwen

When we think of January we think of Robert Burns. For members, we have
enclosed two "Burns tunes," perhaps playable as an instrumental medley.
Remember that Robert Burns did not write tunes (except possibly one) but
collected already-existing tunes. "Wantonness" begins with a heavenly slow
melody in D, which leads dramatically, inexorably and intractably into an E
minor cadence, perhaps reflecting the fate of the singer. "Willie Whastle,"
a strong march-like tune, is lots of fun to play and to play around with.
J.C. Dick writes about the poetry: "The verses are unrivalled as a
vernacular pen and ink portrait of one who had not a single point of
physical beauty to recommend her."

It's time for some more A-minor reels, so here are two. The first, "Miss
Lyall," bears the same title and much of the same contour as the strathspey
of the same name (see SRSNH p. 9.5). I wouldn't call it the same tune, but
the same influential woman could well have inspired it! It is not strictly
in the "Scottish minor" (raised 6th & lowered 7th -- see the January 1999
newsletter) but varies the scale in interesting ways as it winds back into
itself. The second reel gets my prize for Best Title! It's "Mutt's
Favourite," by Jerry Holland. Several of you have been wanting this tune in
the regular repertoire, so here it is! It plays very hauntingly around the
minor 3rd and raised 6th tones of the scale, but don't forget to work even
harder on those seemingly "tuneless" notes which lead you from one part to
the other. They are brilliant and challenging passages.


CONCERT SETS
-- by Barbara McOwen

Enclosed to members is a listing of our current concert sets. Some sets
have been dropped and some have been added. If you think you will be
participating in any SRSNH Events this Spring and Fall (such as the N.H.
Games), please check to make sure you have all these sets. Helen Carlson
has moved; please contact me if you have questions or want to purchase a
fresh new set of music for concerts.


BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETS
-- by Sandy Lafleur, Secretary

The Board of Directors did not meet in December. The January meeting (Jan.
11th) will occur after the deadline for this month's newsletter. The next
meetings are scheduled for Wednesday, February 9th, and Wednesday, March
22nd. All meetings begin at 7:30 pm at the N.H. School of Scottish Arts in
Manchester. Please contact the secretary if you need directions. These
meetings are open to all members.


SUMMER TIME IN STIRLING
-- by Susan Christie Woodward

Over its 22 years, the University of Stirling's Summer School programme has
drawn thousands of students of all ages and backgrounds to the University's
beautiful campus to take courses in Scottish arts, music, dance, history,
culture, and therapy. This past summer, supported by a St. Andrews Society
of New Hampshire scholarship, I had the privilege and absolute delight to
be a part of it by participating in a week-long workshop led by Jean
Redpath.

Off I went in July, not sure what to expect but full of anticipation and
hoping to learn lots of songs and lore about Scottish singing. Of course a
wee voice inside me nagged, "Now don't be disappointed if the experience
isn't all you hope for." But I know that wee voices are only excess
baggage! Participating in the Stirling Summer Program not only gave me a
great opportunity to learn new material and ways of performing but also was
full of the pleasure of immersion in Scottish life: from traditional music
to traditional edibles, from warm friendships to contemplation of swans and
bunnies, from wonderful walks in the countryside to nights of concerts and
jamming. If you are thinking about spending a week in Stirling, I'll need
little invitation to pour out my enthusiasm and to share information with
you.

Here is an example of a Redpathism: "Forty-nine out of 50 love songs in the
Scottish tradition are unrequited. I suppose if love is requited, there's a
lot you can do with your time and energy that doesn't involve singing."


IMPORTANT PARKING WARNING

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

Murray and Pat MacLeod have settled in sunny Florida. Murray was to have
sung in our Gala concert, but a job opporturnity for Pat sent them
southward before our date. We wish them the best of life there. Murray and
Pat McLeod's address in Florida: 14601 SW 264 St., Miami, FL 33031.
Telephone: 305 257 3635. e-mail addresses remain the same.

Jay Bonner died suddenly on Sunday, January 2. Jay had been active in the
Brookline Scottish dance goup and had managed the Wayside Inn Scottish
/English pary for several years. He was diagnosed with a rapidly advancing
form of leukemia last December, and went into a coma for several days
before his death. We extend our sympathies to Gioia Browne, his surviving
wife. Cards may be sent to her at 345 Baker St., W.Roxbury, MA 02132.


TIDBITS

MORE COMMENTS ABOUT SHIRA
-- by Muff Worden

On the coast of Argyll in the Scottish highlands, near the head of Loch
Fyne, lies the town of Inveraray, which contains Inverary Castle, the home
and seat of the Duke of Argyll, a member of Clan Campbell. If you follow
the road out of Inveraray toward Loch Tay, going by way of Glen Aray (the
valley of the River Aray) and the towns of Dalmally and Tyndrum, you will
see that the river is joined almost at its mouth by another that comes out
of Dubh Loch (Black loch), which is the Shira. Glen Aray runs almost due
north-south, and Glen Shira leaves this junction in a northeasterly
direction following its river upstream to its source in Lochan Shira, below
3112-foot Beinn Buidhe, south of Dalmally.

Just north of Dalmally is Glen Strae. The chief of the Glen Strae
MacGregors was also the chief of the whole clan until 1746. Some MacGregors
(and others, doubtless) did live in Glen Shira. More direct travel from
Dalmally to the coast went through that glen in the days of Rob Roy, et al,
and earlier.

So you can see in what close proximity MacGregors and Campbells were at
this end of Argyll, while not far away, heading through eastern Argyll and
through Perthshire, other heads of Clan Campbell lived in the midst of
members of the other three main branches of Clan Gregor. There is a long
history of enmity between particular branches or particular members of
these two clans, and an equally long history of friendship and
intermarriage - and also of music. And it just happens that Malcolm
MacGregor, who will one day inherit the chiefship of Clan Gregor from his
father, is married to Cecelia Campbell of Inveraray Castle.

I don't have my good Gaelic dictionary here with me, but it's possible that
Shira may derive from the Gaelic word "siar" for "west" or "western," which
would fit the direction of the river's flow. It could also derive from
"siorrachd," meaning county or shire, which could fit the old division
between Argyll and Breadalbane. And there could be other derivations. So it
may well be that the dog Shira was named for the river or the glen, and as
Sir Walter Scott notes, the landscape is indeed beautiful and spectactular
- even more so if you can hike into Glen Shira. This is beautiful territory
and full of history, and is well worth a diversion from the main road (that
goes from Loch Lomond over Rest and Be Thankful to Inveraray and on up to
Fort William by way of the Pass of Brander) to look around, next time you
can drive in Scotland.

Muff also writes, "When I was in Scotland in '96 for a Clan gathering,
Gregor Hutcheson, a retired geographer.., took groups of us out on tours of
MacGregor territory,.. I do remember how beautiful the confluence of the
two rivers was, and how wonderful Glen Shira looked... "

Muff's address now is: Muff Worden, R·nargata 3, 710 Sey•isfj–r•ur,
Iceland. Phone/sĖmi: 472-1775  FAX: 472-1776
e-mail: muff@eldhorn.is
Car phone/FarsĖmi: 854-4078
Her web page is http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/Opera/1517


EMPTY POCKETS PUB CLOSES
-- from Jeff Feingold

I am sorry to report that Empty Pockets is permanently closed, effective
January 3. Thanks to many of you for expressions of support for the pub and
the concept. The support has been helpful. In answer to some questions: If
you are holding Black 47 tickets, please e-mail me [at emptypocket@aol.com]
with your name, address, and # of tickets held, and I will refund your
money. Please include the ticket numbers for each ticket you purchased.


SIGN UP FOR TARTAN DAY
-- from Susan Woodard

SRSNH will present a Tartan Day Concert on Saturday, April 8 in Bristol NH,
where we had a wonderful time and a wonderful concert in 1998. We'll
rehearse in the afternoon, share a pizza supper, and then perform in the
evening. Sign up at the regular SRS session or by contacting Frank Woodward
at 603-487-2480 or yankee@grolen.com.


SRSNH EVENTS

Gatherings on Sunday afternoons, 1-5 pm, Annichiarico Music Theater,
Thompson & S. Main Sts, Concord, N.H., January 30, February 27, March 26,
April 30

The February mailing will be the weekend of February 11-13, so get your
articles to Gail in nice and early!

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

SRSNH Tartan Day Concert, Saturday April 8, 7:30 pm, Bristol, N.H.,
sponsored by Ernestine & Oley Firth. Contact Frank Woodward for signups and
more info.

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


CALENDAR

Saturday Jan 22: 8-11 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 26: 8-11pm Celtic Night at Temple Mountain

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

Sat Mar 11, Weston, Mass.: Ed Rawson Dance. Music by Sprig of Ivy. Info:
781-259-9566

Sat March 26, 8-11pm: Celtic Night at Temple Mountain

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

Sat Apr 8, Salem, Mass: Monthly Scottish Country Dance Party, hosted by the
Wee Bluets. Info: 978-745-2229

Fri-Sun Apr 14-17, Natick, Mass.: NEFFA Festival. It's earlier than usual
(and on the same weekend as the Boston Marathon) so book your rooms early.


OTHER EVENTS OF INTEREST

Celtic Nights, by Frank Woodward. On the fourth Saturday every month now,
you can hear Celtic music bouncing around the slopes of Temple Mountain.
Each month features a special guest performer, along with songs from the
evening's host, Susan Christie Woodward, and favorites of the many
musicians who come to take part. We return on January 22 with Ryan
Thompson, whose love for Irish music will have to share equal time with
Susan's penchant for Robert Burns whose birthday is January 25. Celtic
Night with Susan Christie Woodward and Friends represents a new kind of
format - call it a concert/ceilidh/open mike. Whatever you call it, it is a
lot of fun. AND it is luring new faces to Celtic music and into the fun of
both listening and joining in.

Jean Redpath will sing at the Unitarian Universalist Meetinghouse, Central
Street, Franklin, on Saturday, April 1 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets will be $18 in
advance and $20 at the door. Please send checks and inquiries to U.U.
Redpath Concert, PO Box 562, Franklin, NH 03235. The building is wheelchair
accessible. Refreshments and CDs/tapes will be available. For information,
call 286-4596.

To celebrate the birthday of Robert Burns, the Worcester Kiltie Band will
present A Night of Scottish Music on Saturday, January 22, 2000 at
Mechanics Hall, 321 Main St., Worcester, MA. with James Nicol,
international recording star and resident vocalist of the Scottish Fiddle
Orchestra. Scottish Highland dance performances, small pipes, other folk
music, and a raffle will also entertain guests. The "Address to the Haggis"
will preceed a family style dinner. Doors open for cocktails at 4:30,
dinner at 5:30, concert 7:30. Dinner and concert tickets, $40.00; concert
only, $25.00. For reservations (must have) and info call (508)752-0888.
Send checks to Diane MacKinnon, 21 Duval Rd., Sutton, MA, payable to the
Worcester Kiltie Band.


EDITOR'S WORD
-- by Gail Birch

I am discovering that editing is not as straightforward as correcting
English papers. It has been an ongoing classroom for me. Sandy Lafleur sent
this gem to me, which captures the essence of my editing dilemma. I share
it with you, and hope you will forgive my often bumbling efforts to produce
copy that is interesting and correct as well as accurate.

When you write copy, you have the right to copyright the copy you write, if
the copy is right. If however, your copy falls over, you must right your
copy. If you write religious services you write rite, and have the right to
copyright the rite you write.

Very conservative people write right copy, and have the right to copyright
the right copy they write. A right wing cleric would write right rite, and
has the right to copyright the right rite he has the right to write. His
editor has the job of making the right rite copy right before the copyright
can be right.

Should Thom Wright decide to write right rite, then Wright would write
right rite, which Wright has the right to copyright. Duplicating that rite
would copy Wright's right rite, and violate copyright, which Wright would
have the right to right.

Right? ?


SESSIONS, JAMS, DANCES

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. Contact 603-225-6546

1st Wednesdays, 7 pm, jam session at Mile Away Inn, Milford N.H This will
change, but is still on for February. 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 

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

2nd Fridays Contra dance, Milford. Various bands. Contact Dave Bateman,
603-886-5071; David.B.Bateman@lmco.com

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 afternoon: 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

2nd Saturdays, Contra dance at Francestown Town Hall 8-11. Call or e-m for
info Frank Woodward, 603-487-2480 or yankee@grolen.com

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


A REMINDER: Deadline for February articles is Friday, February 4. Original
tunes must be submitted by February 1.


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://www.srsnh.org.


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 January 30
* Sunday February 27
* Sunday March 26
* Sunday April30
* Sunday May 21

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