GRANITE SKYES
Volume 14 No. 8, April 2002

APRIL GATHERING
April 28, Sunday Afternoon, 1-5 pm.
Sylvia Miskoe, Leader
Annicchiarico Theatre, S. Main St & Thompson Sts.
Concord, N.H.

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

NOTES FROM THE MUSIC DIRECTOR
-- by Sylvia Miskoe

This month we are back to traditional, instrumental tunes. I have 
selected three strathspeys. The Braes of Breadalbane is also an 18th 
century country dance, the dance and tune come from the Skillern 
manuscript of 1795 and published in the RSCDS Dance Book 21. Kinloss, 
by J.S. Brown, Dundee, is an alternative tune for the dance Cauld 
Kail published in RSCDS Dance Book 9. The Red Haired Girl of Tulloch 
is from The Skye Collection with the notation that it is a pipe tune, 
but with no composer. These little short tunes have many repeated 
notes and phrases, which allows ample opportunity to practice the 
long-short and short-long combinations. Willie Davy is a pipe tune. I 
learned it from Etienne Ozorak, who referenced it to the David Glen 
Collection of Pipe Music, c.1878. Etienne is a wonderful accordionist 
and bandleader from Guys Mills, Pa. It's a great tune for dancing 
with the high A's accenting the downbeats. Maggie and Jock is a 
traditional Barn Dance tune. I first heard Bert Murray play it on one 
of his tapes. He introduced it by suggesting everyone roll up the 
rugs so they could dance. Bert published it in his BonAccord 
Collection.


BOARD OF DIRECTORS UPDATE

Highlights from the March 20 meeting: The Scholarship Committee 
reported that there were no applications from members for 
scholarships, so none were granted. The April newsletter will serve 
as the mailed notice to members of the annual business meeting on May 
19, and ballots will be mailed to all members with the April 
newsletter. Next Meeting: April 24. All meetings begin at 7:30 p.m. 
at the N.H. School of Scottish Arts in Manchester, N.H., 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.


ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING ON MAY 19

Article 3, Section 6 of the Bylaws of the Strathspey & Reel Society 
of New Hampshire states: "An Annual Business Meeting open to all 
members in good standing will be held in May on a date and location 
to be specified by the Board of Directors. Members will be notified 
by mail at least ten days prior to the meeting." This year's annual 
business meeting will be held during the May gathering, May 19, 2002, 
at the Annicchiarico Theater, 1 Thompson St., Concord, N.H. The 
gathering begins at 1 pm, and the annual meeting will begin at 2:30 
pm. All members are encouraged to attend and participate. Non-members 
are welcome to attend.


NEFFA

The New England Folk Festival (NEFFA) will be held at Natick High 
School in Natick, Mass., April 19, 20 and 21. For folks who have not 
attended this wonderful festival it provides non-stop music, dancing, 
and eating. For general information, contact 781-662-6710, or 
www.neffa.org. Here is a partial listing of activities that SRSNH 
members will be participating in:

-- Members of the SRSNH, led by Sylvia Miskoe, playing for the Boston 
Branch Demonstration Team, Sunday 3 pm.
-- Wilson Langlois and Roberta Sutter, Friday 8 pm, Quebecois concert
-- Marianne Taylor will teach Russian vintage dances Saturday, 3:30 pm
-- Sylvia Miskoe playing with The White Cockade for Scottish Country 
Dancing with Sally Dee, Saturday at 5 pm
-- Barbara McOwen will lead a Scottish jam session Saturday, 3 pm in 
the Small Hall; all are welcome to play and listen
-- Alice Backer and Terry Traub, concert of Scottish tunes and songs, 
Saturday, 7:45 pm
-- Robert McOwen is leading his highland dancers in two performances, 
one on Saturday night, 10 pm, with music by Barbara McOwen and 
Marianne Taylor, and the other on Sunday afternoon, with a piper.
-- Alice Backer and Phyllis Eklund, Crossstitch Duets and Tunes, 
Saturday 8:30 pm
-- Ryan Thomson will host a workshop Fiddle for Beginners, Saturday 2:15 pm
-- Boston Scottish Fiddle Club Sunday 2:30 pm
-- Bob Malenky, Blues Styles, Sunday 10:45 am


WESTON SCD BALL

We have been invited to play for the Weston Ball on June 1st at the 
Unitarian Universalist Church in Weston, Mass. We will rehearse at 4 
pm, pot luck supper at 6, and the dance begins at 8. Sign up with 
Sylvia Miskoe, 603-225-6546, smiskoe@aol.com.


BANCHORY SRS VISITS CAPE COD

Banchory Strathspey and Reel Society will be on Cape Cod this summer, 
guests of the Highland Light Society. They will be giving a concert 
on the Cape, and the Highland Light Society is looking for 
performance opportunities for them to help offset the cost of their 
trip. They are arriving on July 1 and leaving on July 13. SRSNH is 
working to arrange a visit to New Hampshire for them, and to help 
with concert arrangements if we can. If you have ideas and/or would 
like to help, please contact Ellen Bassett at 603-783-4261 or 
ebassett@ttlc.net.


SUMMER IS A'COMIN IN

There are no newsletters in July or August, so if you would like to 
have your summer camp, workshop, concert, dance, or other notable 
summer event publicized in the newsletter, NOW is a good time to send 
it in. Send your information to the Editor at ebassett@ttlc.net 
before May 1, and it will appear in the May and June newsletters. 
Items received by June 1 will appear in the June newsletter. Don't 
forget to include date, time, location, price, and contact 
information. Wait until June 2, and you'll miss the boat!


NEW CONTACT FOR THE EDITOR

To email the editor, please use ebassett@ttlc.net, and remove 
ebassett@cheerful.com from your address books. The promised "free 
email for life" from the provider of the cheerful domain name is now 
expensive, and although your Editor is still cheerful, she is too 
cheap to pay for email forwarding.


NOTES FROM ANOTHER MUSICAL TRADITION
--author unknown

1) Do you have the right to sing the Blues? Yes, if you are older 
than dirt, or blind, or you shot a man in Memphis, or you can't be 
satisfied. No, if you have all your teeth, if you were once blind but 
now can see, if the man in Memphis lived, or if you have a 401K or 
trust fund. 2) Acceptable Blues cars are Chevys, Fords, Cadillacs and 
broken-down trucks. Blues don't travel in Volvos, BMWs, or Sport 
Utility Vehicles. Most Blues transportation is a Greyhound bus or a 
southbound train. Jet aircraft and state-sponsored motor pools ain't 
even in the running. Walkin' plays a major part in the blues 
lifestyle. So does fixin' to die. 3) Acceptable Blues beverages are 
cheap wine, whiskey with an e, muddy water, and nasty black coffee. 
The following are NOT Blues beverages: Perrier, Chardonnay, Snapple, 
Slim Fast. 4) Blues can take place in New York City but not in Hawaii 
or any place in Canada. Chicago, St. Louis, and Kansas City are still 
the best places to have the Blues. You cannot have the blues in any 
place that don't get rain. 5) Blues is not a matter of color. It's a 
matter of bad luck. Tiger Woods cannot sing the blues. Sonny Liston 
could. 6) Make your own Blues name Starter Kit: Pick one from each 
category: a) Name of physical infirmity (Blind, Cripple, Lame, etc.); 
b) Select acceptable Blues first name (Joe, Willie, Daddy, Sadie, 
Mamie, or Mama - those are the only choices) or use name of fruit 
(Lemon, Lime, Kiwi, etc.); c) Last name of a President. For example, 
Blind Lime Jefferson, Jakeleg Lemon Johnson or Cripple Kiwi Fillmore. 
(Well, maybe not "Kiwi.") 7) No matter how tragic your life, if you 
own a computer, you cannot sing the blues. Fortunately for you, you 
can still sing, play, and dance to Scottish music all you like.


SRSNH OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, COMMITTEES & VOLUNTEERS

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
Nominating Committee:
      Elly Abelson
      Marlene Friedrich
      Kathy Thompson
Scholarship Committee:
      Marjory Swope, Chair
      Lynn McElroy,
      Gary Hume
Newsletter Editor: Ellen Bassett
Memberships, Email Newsletters: Barbara McOwen
Webmaster: Terry Traub
Monthly Mailings: Sabrina Matteson
Makeup Mailings: Allen Brown
T-shirts: Terry Hickman
Refreshments: Calvin Gardner


SRSNH EVENTS

Gatherings on Sunday afternoons, 1-5 pm, Annicchiarico Music Theater, 
Thompson & S. Main Sts, Concord, N.H. All ages, all instruments, all 
levels welcome; free, with potluck refreshments. April 28, May 19, 
June 30.

Scottish Country Dance Demonstration at NEFFA, we provide the music; 
April 21, Natick, Mass.

Scottish Country Dance, June 1, Weston Mass, rehearse at 4, potluck 
supper at 6, then we play for the dance at 8. Details in newsletter. 
Sign up with Sylvia Miskoe.


CALENDAR

Living Tradition Concert with Joe Derrane, master Irish accordionist 
and John McGann on mandolin and guitar at Ossian's Loft, Saturday May 
11th, 2002, 8 pm. $15/all seats, Pre-paid reservations only. Limited 
seating. Doors open 7:15 pm.  House reception/session to follow 
concert. Parking off-street in field. Phone 603-783-4383. 
Visa/MasterCard or mail check made out to: Ossian USA 118 Beck Road, 
Loudon, N.H. 03307. Info: www.ossianusa.com info@ossianusa.com. All 
profit benefits Concern Worldwide.

Féis Shiàtail Slighe nan Gaidheal's biennial celebration of Scottish 
Gaelic language and culture, May 28 through June 2 , Ft. Worden State 
Park Conference Center, Port Townsend, on Washington's Olympic 
Peninsula. Gaelic song, language, piping, poetry, dance, stories and 
more! www.slighe.com

Old Songs Festival of Traditional Music & Dance, June 28, 29, 30, 
Altamont Fairgrounds, Altamont, N.Y., with music, dancing, singing, 
crafts, food, & camping; including Scottish singer Norman Kennedy, 
New England's own "red-hot contra dance band" Swallowtail," Tom 
Paxton, Margaret MacArthur, and many other musical wonders from 
across the globe. 518-765-2815, www.oldsongs.org.

"Folk and Contra Dance Cruise" on the Mount Washington, Monday, July 
8 from Weirs Beach, N.H. Boarding and buffet dinner begins at 6:15 
pm, ship departs to cruise Lake Winnepesaukee at 7 pm and returns at 
10 pm. Main deck contra band is Musical Chairs, with callers Peter 
Yarensky and Sue Hunt. Tickets $34, include everything except bar 
service. For information or reservations call 603-366-BOAT or 
www.cruisenh.com

Pinewoods (Mass.) Scottish Sessions, July 12-15 and July 15-20. 
Teachers are Jessie Stuart, Terry Harvey, Norah Link and Robert 
McOwen. Music directed by Liz Donaldson, with Hanneke Cassel, Earl 
Gaddis, Anne Hooper, Mara Beamish, David Knight, Chuck Corman, Terry 
Traub, Dan Emery, Laird Brown, Rob Wolanski. Contact Valerie Wade 
781-933-5634 wadepossi@mediaone.net  or Gretchen Gates 781-245-7639. 
Web site: www.rscdsboston.org


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 - Contra dance, 8 - 10:30, callers & musicians welcome to 
take a turn. Nelson, N.H. Town Hall, $3. 603-827-3732.

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. 7-10 pm. 603-229-0083.

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, Me. Grange Hall (now called the 
Left Banke), 8 pm - various bands. $6.

3rd Fridays - Square and Contra Dances. 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 - 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 at 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, March 30, April 6 &13, May 4 & 18, June 
1&15.

2nd Saturdays, Contra dance, 8-11 pm, Town Hall, Gilmanton, N.H., $5 
per person, $10 family, through April or May.

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

3rd Saturdays - Contra dance, 8 pm, East Concord Community Center, $5

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


A REMINDER

Deadline for May articles is May 1. No calendar dates before May 13 
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 edition) $6/yr ($10 overseas); included with membership. 
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@ttlc.net 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.