GRANITE SKYES
Volume 14, No. 4, December 2001


DECEMBER GATHERING
December 30,  Sunday Afternoon, 1-5 pm.
Sylvia Miskoe,  Leader
Annichiarico Theatre, S. Main St & Thompson St, Concord, N.H.

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

NOTES FROM THE MUSIC DIRECTOR
-- by Sylvia Miskoe

Two tunes this month are composed by Joseph Hornsby, a fiddler from 
Northumberland. I met him at the Stirling Summer School in 1998. I 
gave him some Quebecois reels and in return he sent me a page of 
hornpipes. He wrote, "There is a long tradition of hornpipe playing 
in this part of the world. The playing style is somewhat different 
from that of the Irish hornpipes. Listen to Jimmy Shand playing 
hornpipes,that is the closest you get to it. A strong dotted rhythm 
is essential." Joseph played with Jimmy Shand's Band. Beverley's 
Return is one of his hornpipes. The second tune is a reel, On the 
Fiddle. It appears in the RSCDS Book 40 as the name tune for the 
dance Royal Deeside Railway.

The waltz, Lovely Ben Mor, was part of the music I acquired at 
Stirling. It is by Callum McLean and has a harmony part. The notes 
suggest it would be nice for flutes and guitars. I will also suggest 
harps. Adam Rennie was a fiddler and band leader in the 1920s. Innes 
Russel of Perth is the only strathspey I have found with his name on 
it. We already have two of his reels in our collection, Caddam Wood 
and Miss Campbell.

Miss Grace Hayes Delight is just that, a delightful jig. It has an 
18th century feel to it. I am still searching for a composer and 
suspect it might be Robert MacKintosh for he has a reel titled Miss 
Grace Hays Reel. If anyone knows, please tell me.


BOARD OF DIRECTORS UPDATE

Highlights from the November meeting:

Several performances for next spring and summer are under 
negotiation; no dates firm yet.

Brian Mokler reported on the Gala, and will be submitting a written 
report after he settles himself in the balmy Southwest for the winter 
(lucky!). The winner of the 2 tickets to next year's Gala is David 
Durnam, of Mirror Lake, NH. There were several people who asked to be 
notified of upcoming events, and several potential new members 
identified by the questionnaire.

The Gala turned a modest profit, as did SRSNH performances at NHHG. 
Ellen Bassett joined Bob Reed on the Music Director Search Committee. 
Three members for the 2002 Nominating Committee must be named at the 
next meeting. Also on the agenda for the next meeting is a discussion 
about the post-Gala party. What is the intent of the party, and what 
should SRSNH pay for at the party. Members with opinions about the 
party, or who are interested in serving on the Nominating Committee, 
should contact any Board member.

Next Meeting: Tuesday, January 8. All meetings begin at 7:30 pm at 
the N.H. School of Scottish Arts in Manchester, and are open to all 
members. Please contact the Secretary if you need directions. Members 
wishing a complete copy of the Minutes should contact the Secretary 
at whimsyhill@aol.com.


GALA 2001
-- by Brian Mokler, Gala producer and Sylvia Miskoe, Music Director

This year's Gala was a great success! We received several favorable 
comments ("enjoyed it immensely!") Sunday afternoon and in the few 
days since. There are also many requests to be sent announcements of 
future SRSNH concerts. Those of us who played certainly had fun with 
the music! All who participated -- musicians, ushers, and all the 
other volunteers -- did a fine job that brightened a somewhat gray 
day. We want to thank everyone who participated in making this 
concert such a success.

And -- the music at Sylvia's afterwards was fantastic. Lots of Cape 
Breton style of course, with Jerry Holland and his great last-minute 
pianist recruit Melissa Emmons, and Harvey Tolman, Lloyd Carr, and 
Marianne Taylor. Melissa is a fine fiddler herself, and despite his 
protestations to the contrary, Jerry does a fine job on the piano 
too. An evening to remember!


WANT TO BE A CALENDAR GIRL (OR GUY)?

The Calendar is an important and useful section of our newsletter -- 
a place to find out about events you'd like to attend, and to 
publicize events you're involved in or support. BUT -- it takes more 
time and energy to maintain a complete and up-to-date calendar than 
your humble editor can manage. Anyone who's interested in taking over 
the calendar section -- or, for that matter, in taking over 
completely as newsletter editor and doing the whole thing, please 
contact me: Ellen Bassett, ebassett@ttlc.net, 603-783-4261. Thanks!


MUSIC DIRECTOR SEARCH COMMITTEE

Two more members are still needed for the Music Director Search 
Committee, and time is growing short to attend to this very important 
issue. What are the essential skills and characteristics of the SRSNH 
music director? What does the music director need from us? How can we 
attract and keep the right person? And, of course, who is that 
person? We have been extremely fortunate to have Barbara McOwen and 
Sylvia Miskoe leading the SRSNH thus far. Sylvia's second year as 
interim Music Director will end in June, and we must have a plan in 
place before then! Contact Bob Reed (skprbob@worldpath.net or 
603-569-9424) with your questions, ideas, opinions, or, best of all, 
to join the committee.


FEBRUARY SESSION LEADER FOUND!

Susan Christie Woodward has volunteered to lead the February session 
in Sylvia's absence. We expect we'll be adding some new songs to the 
SRSNH repertoire. Thank you, Susan!


NEW DATES FOR MARCH AND MAY SESSIONS

To avoid Palm Sunday and Memorial Day weekend, the March and May 
gatherings have been rescheduled. The new dates are Sunday, March 24, 
and Sunday, May 19. Mark your calendars!


SRSNH OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, & COMMITTEES
Music Director:  Sylvia Miskoe
Board of Directors:
    Sandy Lafleur, President
    Bob Reed, Vice President
    Ed Los, Treasurer
    Carolynn Marsh, Secretary
    Ellen Bassett & Bruce Cobb, Members at large
    Sylvia Miskoe, Music Director
Scholarship Committee:  Marjory Swope & Lynn McElroy


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 30, January 
27, February 24.


CALENDAR

Benefit contra dance for Mary Desrosiers, March 2, Peterborough, N.H. 
7-12 pm. More information next month


WEB SITES OF CELTIC INTEREST

This month's list of web sites was submitted, with its commentary, by 
Kevin Meyers. Thanks, Kevin!

www.contemplator.com
Lyrics, Midi Files, Links, A GREAT SITE

www.Mudcat.Org
Lyrics, Midi Files

www.shamrockandthistle.com/midis.html
Midi Files, A GREAT SITE

www.chivalry.com/cantaria
Lyrics, Midi Files, A GREAT SITE

www.musicaviva.com/
Free Sheet Music Downloads

www.acronet.net/~robokopp/scotsa.html
Lyrics

www.midipiper.com/
Bagpipe Midi Files

www.geocities.com/Eureka/Park/7478/tunes.htm
Tunes for the Highland bagpipes

www.mytunebook.de/gaughan/dg_index.html
Dick Gaughan's Musical Notation

www.themistsofavalon.com/archives.html
Mists of Avalon Audio Archives

www.verinet.com/~ktcrumb/tunes/index.php3
Whistle audio files, sheet music

www.trillian.mit.edu/~jc/music/abc/findtune.html
www.celtic.stanford.edu/ceolas.html
Two Five Star Sites!

www.cs.uleth.ca/~kaminski/midi
Highland Bagpipe Midi Files

www.capercaillie.co.uk/lyrics/sidewaulk.htm
Capercaillie Lyrics

www.celticmusic.com/cgi-bin/~celticmusic/tunes.pl
Virtual Tune Book


SESSIONS, JAMS, DANCES

2nd Sundays - English dancing, 6:30-9:30 pm., Old Concord Hospital, 
Pleasant Street, Concord, N.H. $6, or $5 for ECDSNH members. Judith 
Ackerson 603-934-2543, or jnoska@cyberportal.net.

3rd Sundays - English dancing, 7-9:30 pm., Portsmouth Ballroom. 
Portsmouth, N.H., $6 or $5 for ECDSNH members. Call Dave Bateman 
603-886-5071 or dbateman@net1plus.com.

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

Mondays - Slow jam, 7-9 pm+, Fiddler's Loft, 19 Marshall Rd., 
Kingston, N.H. $5/night, Albert Brien 603-642-5434, 
Fidlerloft@aol.com.

Tuesdays - Irish/Celtic Sessions at The Barley House Restaurant and 
Tavern, 132 North Main Street, Concord, N.H. 7:00 to 10:00 pm. 
603-29-0083.

3rd Tuesdays - sessions with hired teachers, variety of traditions, 
6:30-8 pm, First Cambridge Baptist Church, Cambridge, Mass., 
donation, 617-522-5887.

1st Wednesdays - Jam session, 7 pm, Foodee's, in the Milford Oval, 
Milford, N.H. Sandy Lafleur 603-673-8497.

Wed or Thurs - Scottish Country Dance, 7-9 pm., Chandler Library, 
Nashua, N.H. Loren Wright 603-891-2331.

1st Thursdays - Contra dance, Dover City Hall, 8:00. Lamprey River 
Band, guest callers and musicians invited. $5; Peter Yarensky 
603-664-2513.

2nd and 4th Thursdays - Beginner jam, 7-9 pm, Fiddler's Loft (see 
Monday's info), free.

Fridays - Seacoast Scottish Country Dance class, Greenland Parish 
Hall on Rte 151, Greenland, N.H., 7:30-9:30 pm, through end of June, 
Laurie Stevens 603-773-9795.

1st Fridays - Contra dance, Windham, N.H. Town Hall, ½ mi. W of exit 
3, I-93; Neil Harvey 603-890-8907.

2nd Fridays- Contra dance, Kittery, Maine Grange Hall (now called the 
Left Banke), 8 pm, various bands, $6.

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

4th Fridays - Contra dance, 8-11 pm, Town Hall, Milford, N.H. Open 
band. Sylvia Miskoe, 603-225-6546.

Saturday afternoon - play fiddle with John Campbell at his home in 
Maynard, Mass. For specifics, John 978-897-7031.

Saturday Afternoons, Arlington Comm. Traditional Music Sessions, Fox 
Library, Mass Ave & Cleveland St., 3-7 pm, $1 per person, 
781-646-7522 or 781-643-3603. Call for future dates.

2nd Saturdays - Contra dance, 8-11, Francestown, N.H., Town Hall. 
Frank Woodward, 603-487-2480, yankee@grolen.com.

4th Saturdays - Contra dance, Dover City Hall, 8:30. Various bands, 
$7, 603-659-7038.


A REMINDER: Deadline for January articles is January 4. No calendar 
dates before January 14 will be included.


GRANITE SKYES is published monthly (10 issues) between September and 
June by the Strathspey & Reel Society of New Hampshire. Subscription 
for mailed issues is $6/yr ($10 overseas). Individual domestic 
memberships cost $14/yr; please inquire about other rates. Edited by 
Ellen Bassett. All items welcome, depending on space available; 
e-mail by the 1st of the month for inclusion in the mid-month mailing 
to ebassett@cheerful.com in text only format. Email subscription is 
free; send request to bmcowen@world.std.com . The SRSNH Web Page is 
maintained by Terry Traub, http://www.srsnh.org.