SRSNH Granite Skyes 
Vol 15, No 9. May 2006 

SRSNH 2006 Gatherings: 
May 28 & Jun 25

1-5pm.  Free admission!  All ages, all instruments, all levels welcome; with
potluck refreshments.

Notes from the Musical Director

Jerry Holland was a special guest at our April session.  What a treat!  He
played a few tunes and then asked what we would like to learn.  He gave us a
choice of tunes and we selected a march - Old Faithful. Here it is in
print. The tune is very pretty and does not contain any tricky parts.  However,
learning it was difficult in that there is very little repetition in the
phrasing.  We learned the first 4 bars.  Fine.  The 5th bar was just like the
1st bar.  But, 6, 7, 8 were all different.  Now on to the next phrase.  The 1st
and 2nd bars of this phrase were like the original 1st and 2nd bars.  ok so
far.  Oh oh, 3 through 8 were different.  Now onto the B part of the tune.
Bars 5 and 9 were just like Bar 1, but all the other 12 were unique.  I am
dissecting this tune as I read the notes to see why it was so hard to learn.
The differences were subtle - 2 notes move up and the next time they move down,
then they move up and down.

After we had more or less learned the tune, Jerry sat and played a few more
tunes for everyone's enjoyment.

Barbara McOwen will be leading the session in May.  While most of our
membership knows Barbara, there may be some newer folks who do not.  She was
one of the founding members of SRS, and was the music director for 12 years.
She's a wonderful fiddler and teacher.  Several years ago she realized that
there was no summer fiddle school in the Northeast.  People had to travel to
California, the South, Nova Scotia, or Scotland.  So she founded the Boston
Harbor Fiddle School.  See a related article further down.  For several years
Barbara has been collaborating with Angus Grant, a Scottish fiddler, to collect
his tunes and others, for a book.  - Sylvia

A Tune for May - Barbara McOwen

I thought I'd add another 4-part 2/4 pipe march to the repertoire. We have
several, most recently would be The 25th King's Own Scottish Borderers'
Farewell to Meerut, on page 13.14. By the time you've learned the name you're
halfway through the tune! Similar ones can be found on pages 8.13 and
3.23. Great tunes, all! When fiddlers or pipers want to put together a
march-strathspey-reel set, these are 

the kind of tunes which is most commonly used.  The Braes of Castle Grant is a
pretty well-known tune among pipers and fiddlers. These marches look just a tad
forbidding, but they're usually pretty easy to play once you get going. The
tempo is moderate, the notes fall within an octave range (on the A and E
strings on the fiddle), and the dotted rhythm gives it a nice swing. This tune
has an attractive shape and development over the four parts. For example, I've
always liked the triad building up to the high A in the 2nd bar, echoed by the
octave figure in the 3rd bar of the 2nd part.

This particular arrangement of the tune is from our forthcoming book, "The
Glengarry Collection - The Highland Fiddle Music of Angus Grant". Peggy
Duesenberry, Laura Risk, David Arnold and myself have been working with Angus
for several years now, and every- thing is proceeding very well! We have
transcribed the notes, rhythms, grace notes and bowings to reflect Angus's
playing style, and this is close to how this tune will appear in the book. Note
that though it is a pipe tune, that Angus plays the high G sharp. This gives it
a sweeter sound, yet doesn't interfere with the basic scale of the tune.
Playing the high G sharp is a valid choice for fiddlers and other instruments,
and might vary from tune to tune. Also note the F#-A turn on many of the high
F#s. This is a very convenient ornament on the fiddle, and the open grace notes
(as opposed to adjacent notes) give it a "pipey" sound.  Also note the up-bow
beginning. Many fiddlers might play the two pickup notes with a down-up bow, or
two on the up-bow, but Angus gets a real snap on the beginnings of phrases with
the up-bow along with some wrist action.

"Braes" is a Scots word for hills or the banks of a river. Castle Grant is the
seat of Clan Grant, and is on the River Spey near Craigel-lachie, below
Inverness. Angus's family is quite a different branch of the Grants, and Angus
plays the tune because he enjoys it and it's just a good tune to know.

You can find out more about Angus at http://www.scottishfiddle.org/angusgrant 

Boston Harbor Scottish Fiddle School 

This year we have Douglas Lawrence, Kimberley Fraser, Anne Hooper, Hanneke
Cassel, Ariel Friedman, and Troy MacGillivray.  Just a quick note to say that
there are still spaces left on the Island! Some of the classes are very close
to full, so get in touch with the Folk Arts Center as soon as possible. Call
781-662-7475, or email fac at facone.org. We have great teachers set with super
tunes, and a wonderful camaraderie. This is the "cello" year; future years
might feature another instrument.  The website is http://www.scottishfiddle.org/bh 
Hope to see you there! (Barbara McOwen)

SRS at NEFFA
  
Nineteen SRS members played a small concert at New England Folk Festival,
affectionately called Neffa, on Sunday afternoon April 23.  There were more in
the audience than there were players and almost every one stayed for the whole
concert.  Neffa is a large festival of music, dance, performances and food in
Natick, Mass.  We played excerpts from our Gala 2005 concert and with careful
timing, finished with only a few minutes to spare.  It was fun to re-visit our
Gala music.

Games at Loon Mountain

The games at Loon Mountain and will be held Sept 22, 23, 24. The SRS is again
invited to play at the NH Games.  This year the games will be moving back to
Loon Mountain in Lincoln, NH.  I have negotiated with the Games administration
and SRS will receive tickets as needed and 2 condos.  The SRS asks that anyone
wanting to stay at the condo be a member and be willing to play one session for
each night's lodging.  In addition, the cutoff date for getting housing and
tickets will be September 1.  We will be playing twice; the first time will be
on the large stage at 10 AM Saturday.  The second slot is yet to be determined.
Anyone who wants to sigh up can either phone me 603-225-6546 or email me
smiskoe at aol.com.  Further details about the games can be found at
www.nhscot.org

Gala CD on Track
Our Gala CD is now in production and will be ready by the June meeting.
Hopefully it will be ready before then.  The Board has yet to decide on the
price of each CD to members but we will let you know as soon as that is
decided.  Rich Block has done an outstanding job of creating a cover, using the
NH tartan and Evelyn Roberts' photos, and doing all the layouts.

Modernize your Granite Skyes!
 
Are you interested in receiving your Granite Skyes newsletter and the music by
email?  We can save a lot of money each month for the Society by doing this!
If you have already let Denise Robinson (our mailing maven) know that you'd
like this method, that's fine.  If not, please do contact her at
fiddledee at comcast.net  and make sure she has your email address. 

July 4th Fiddle Contest!

New Boston's Fiddler Contest is back again this year at the (6th) annual 4th of
July celebration at the Hillsboro 4H Fairgrounds in New Boston, NH.  A total of
$650 in prizes will go to winners in three categories: under 12, under 18, and
open. The contest begins at 2:00 pm on Tuesday, July 4th. Contestants are
encouraged to register in advance, but registration will remain open until 1:40
before the contest begins. Come enjoy all the events of this historic annual
small town celebration from the 10:00 AM parade to the evening fireworks.

To register, arrange back-up, and volunteer to help, or for more information,
contact Frank Woodward (603) 487-2480; email: nhdancecaller at aol.com , Subj:
Fiddle Contest

World Fellowship Early Music Week 2006

From Sunday evening, June 25th to Sunday morning, July 2nd, 2006, the World
Fellowship in Conway NH offers musical instruction at a relatively low
cost($120 with there are various lodging options from) The week-long
"exploration" centers on the Elizabethan/ Jacobean period. There are
various tracks during the day for voice, instrument and dancing and dancing
every evening led by Leslie Lassetter, well-loved, especially among less
experienced country dancers.   There are also hiking and swimming activities
for adults and children as well.  You can stay in the Lloyd Lodge, or near by
cottages and farmhouses, or camping adjacent to the Lodge.

From their web site: "Our week-long exploration centers on the Elizabethan/
Jacobean period, England's Golden Age, but places it in a wider historical and
geographical context.  Through playing, singing and dancing to this music, we
will sample its unique flavors and experience it in fresh and exciting
ways. Please join us!", and "In addition to our special children's class, we
welcome older children with appropriate musical experience into our regular
classes.  Our faculty works hard to create stimulating and well-matched classes
for the week, so participants are encouraged to apply to the week early..."

For more information and there is plenty of info at:  http://tinyurl.com/ga2q8
and for all other World Fellowship events: www.worldfellowship.org , or contact
Andy Davis or Andrea Walsh, Co-directors, for questions and reservations
(email): reservations at worldfellowship.org World Fellowship Center, PO Box 2280,
Conway, NH 03818-2280 tel: 603/447-2280, Looks like a fun week of fellowship in
a beautiful location!

Editors' notes

You can also go to the Gaelic College in Burlington VT from August 14-18.
Their site: http://www.gaeliccollege.edu/vermont.html

To help build that excitement for the Scotland trip, Betsy Woodman recommends
44 Scotland Street, by Alexander McCall Smith. Written as a series of daily
installments for Edinburgh's newspaper, The Scotsman.  The main characters
inhabit an Edinburgh apartment building, plus there's commentary on current
fashions and tongue-in-cheek personalities.

Had the pleasure of taking a guitar lesson from Jerry Holland last Sunday.  We
discussed how to accent those bass runs and options on transitioning from one
cord to the next. Jerry told me he was never much of a "corder", and that he
usually played the lead! Still it was fun to see him play the guitar, and, it
was just fun to play with him for a while!
 
SRSNH EVENTS CALENDAR

Music for Music Concert Series
Concerts at St. Mary's High School, 27 Bartlett St, Westfield MA  Shows start
at 7:30PM doors opening at 7:00 Call 413-562-6569 to reserve or for
info. Advanced Tickets $14, $18 at the door Kids (6-12) $6 and $9 under 6 free.

- May 20, 2006: A Cape Breton Ceilidh with Derrick and Melody Cameron.

Concord House Concert and Workshop
On May 20th Lissa Schneckenburger, Scottish /Irish fiddler will be performing
somewhere in Concord at a House Concert. This concert is open to the interested
public. There will also be 2 workshops offered one for fiddlers and one for
guitarists. This workshop will be broken into 2 groups so this will be an
excellent opportunity for mandolin, bass, or bouzouki players too! The
Workshops will be held May 20th, 3-5 PM fee 15$. The House Concert is at 8PM
entrance 10$ For details and locations please call ANA at 228-5535 or e-mail:
aphauser at excite.com Reservations needed for both events.

Reoccurring Events

1st Wednesdays - Jam session, 7 pm, Foodee's, in the Milford Oval, Milford,
N.H. Sandy Lafleur 603-673-8497 or strumma at aol.com.  Come early and enjoy the
great food!

2nd Sundays - English dancing, 5:30-7:45pm, Presidential Oaks, Pleasant St,
Concord NH $6, or $5 for ECDSNH members.  Judith Ackerson 603.934.2543 or
jnoska at cyberportal.net.

1st, 2nd & 3rd Wednesdays-Scottish Country dance, 7-9 pm, Church of the Good
Shepherd, 214 Main St, Nashua NH.  $3.  Also, 4th and 5th Wednesdays-Scottish
Country dance, 7-9 pm, Chandler Library, 257 Main St., Nashua, NH. Free. More
info: Loren Wright 603-891-2331, NashuaSCD at comcast.net, or
www.homepage.mac.com/lonwright/NashuaSCD

3rd Sundays- Gaelic Club, 3-7pm, Canadian American Club, Watertown MA FROM
Cassie Hansel, Peggy Morrison, 978-858-3792.

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

Tuesdays - Irish/Celtic Sessions at The Barley House Restaurant and Tavern, 132
North Main St Concord NH 7-10:00 pm.  603-229-0083.

Wednesdays (2nd) - Canadian Jam Session: mixture of French, English Canadian
and New England fiddle. $2; 7:30-10:30; at the Durham NH Unitarian Universalist
Fellowship (corner of Madbury Rd & Woodman Ave) Info: 664-2513 or
peter.yarensky at unh.edu

Wednesdays - Fiddle on Wednesday - open jams - alternate between Ashland, NH
(Booster's Club) and the Gordon-Nash Library, New Hampton (7PM)

Wednesday "Slow Jam"- Concord Community Music School; 7:30-9PM voluntary
donation; info: 226.1966 or cordway at cmusicschool.org.

Thursdays: Acoustic Open Mic 7:30PM - Green Martini - 8 Pleasant Street
Extension, Concord NH host: Duane D'Agnese

1st Thursday every month: Dover, NH City Hall - Contra/square Dance with the
Peter Yarensky & Sarah Mason calling and teaching, music by the Lamprey River
Band. Beginners welcome; all dances taught. Guest musicians and callers
welcome. 8:00-10:40, $7, students $5. Info/directions: Peter Yarensky,
603-664-2513 or peter.yarensky at unh.edu.

Fridays - Press Room, Portsmouth, NH - Irish Music sessions (open) - 4:30-9:00
PM

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

1st Fridays: Contra dance, Windham, N.H. Town Hall, 1/2 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), 8pm- 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 NH Open band. Frank
Woodward 603-487-2480

1st Saturdays - Contra dance 8-11pm, Town Hall Peterborough, N.H. (phone):
(603) 525-3883, (603) 525-4432; Email: fiddleheads at adelphia.net.

Play fiddle Saturday afternoon with John Campbell at his Maynard MA home. For
specifics,  John 978-897-7031.

Saturday Afternoons, Arlington MA (781-643-3603 for info and dates) Trad Music
Sessions, from 3:00 to 6:30 pm at the Fox Library, corner of Mass Ave &
Cleveland St.  $1 

Second Saturdays Dance - Gilmanton, NH Town Hall (Academy Building)
(intersection Rtes 107 & 14) 8-11pm.  info: (603) 267-7227; Dec 11 - Two
Fiddles, Caller: Dudley Laufman

2nd Saturdays - Contra dance, 8-11pm, Francestown, NH Town Hall.  Frank
Woodward.  For info: 603-487-2480 or NHdancecaller at aol.com.

Third Saturdays - Dance - East Concord, NH Community Center 8PM   info:
dwh at nhvt.net

4th Saturdays - Contra dance, Kingston, NH, 8:30 pm - various bands. $7,
603-750-7506.

Saturday Jam Session-Acoustic Outfitters-Stratham 778-9711 www.aomusicshop.com
October through May on the first and third Saturdays of the month, 2-5 pm. 

Granite Skyes is published monthly (10 issues) between September and June by
the Strathspey & Reel Society of New Hampshire. Subscription $8/yr ($18
overseas). Individual domestic memberships cost $20/yr; please inquire about
other rates. 

Edited by Jack Langley. 
All items welcome, depending on space available; If you have something to
include in this news letter, you can email or phone.  Deadline for submissions
is the 1st of the month.  Afterwards, if the submission is still relevant it
will be considered for the next issue.

Strathspey and Reel Society of New Hampshire
Newsletter Editor
Jack Langley
26 Buttonwood Drive
Hollis NH 03049
603.465.4022
jackieaxe at charter.net

SRSNH  Next Gathering: 
Sunday May 28, 2006          
1-5pm.  Free admission.  All ages, all instruments, all levels welcome; with
potluck refreshments.  At the Annicchiaricco Music Theater: 1 Thompson St. at
South Main St.  Take I-93 to Exit 13 or 14.  Take South Main St to Thompson, 2
blocks south of Pleasant St (Rts 202/9), 1 Block north of the Capital Center
for the Arts.  Free parking on the street. PLEASE DO NOT PARK IN THE RESIDENT'S
LOT.