Srathspey and Reel Society of NH
Granite Skyes
Volume 18, Number 5
January, 2007



     NEXT GATHERING				Approximate Schedule:			
     Next Rehearsal: January 28, 2007           1:00-3:00  Current Tunes
	1-5 pm, Annicchiaricco Theater		3:00-3:30  Refreshments			
        1 Thompson Street                       3:30-5:00  Requests and Solos
        Concord, New Hampshire

Free Admission! All ages, all instruments, all levels welcome!



 
NOTES FROM THE MUSIC DIRECTOR

It took me several weeks to float down from the high of the Gala and all its preparation. 
How about you, all?  I received many good comments about the concert and its content.

There were three tunes played in the Gala that are not part of our repertoire: Da Hame 
Farers, the Wildcat, and Dumbarton's Drums.  Here they are for everyone, with some 
background information. Da Hame Farers is a Shetland tune by Tom Anderson. He composed 
if for the 1960 Hamefarin, 'home coming'. A hame farer is a Shetlander who has come 
back to the Isles for family reunion. Subsequently, a dance was composed to accompany 
the tune. I heard the tune on a CD by the Ayrshire Fiddle Orchestra and immediately 
wanted to learn it. Fortunately, I found it in Da Mirrie Dancers tune book of 
Shetland tunes.

David Arnold sent me "Wildcat", a Cape Breton hornpipe, as played by Natalie 
McMasters. David says he learned this tune in '99 or 2000 from Natalie MacMaster's 
album entitled, My Roots are Showing not long after it was released. It is the 
first in a medley of two hornpipes, the second one being Little Nipper's. Here's 
what Natalie writes in her liner notes about the pair of tunes: "This is a 
medley which was learned from a home recording of Winston Fitzgerald." She plays 
the B part an octave higher than I've notated it. She nails it perfectly, but 
too few others of us can do so consistently. Also, I've taken the liberty to 
smooth things out in one or two nasty spots for the wind players. (Funny how 
sympathetic to their concerns I've become, now that I'm struggling to learn to 
play a wind instrument myself.) Copies of the wind arrangement will be available 
at the next session.

I picked two more Shetland reels, Da Ferry Reel and Blind Maunsie.  Da Ferry 
Reel comes from Yell. Supposedly, a fiddler was coming home from a wedding, 
sat down to rest and heard music coming from a hole in the ground. The trows 
(fairies) were having a dance and the fiddler listened until he had learned 
the tune. When he got home he stayed up until he could play it. Blind Maunsie 
was a famous fiddler from the Deltie area. The tune may have been composed in 
his honor by James Goudie. Dumbarton's Drums is a lovely ballad, from 1797, 
that I first heard sung by Evelyn Beers in the mid-60's. I enjoyed it, 
forgot about it, until I recently heard it on a CD of country dance music. 
No words, just the tune. While it is sung by a young woman about her Johnny, 
the name can be changed to Jeannie, so the singer can be a young man.

I have been learning how to format the month's music, convert it to a pdf 
file and email it to Denise.  I don't have all the bugs worked out, such 
as getting the footer centered, but it has decreased my trips to Staples 
and gets the music to Denise a lot faster. Hopefully, in another couple 
of months everything can be standardized. Next month, Betsy Woodman will 
lead the session. And in April I will be away. Is there anyone who would 
like a try at picking the music and leading the session? Or just leading 
it? I can help with all the computer stuff.

		              		             -.Sylvia Miskoe

Session Leader Needed for April 29

I am going to be away at the time of our Aril session. Is anyone interested 
in leading the session? You get to pick out the tunes of the month, too.

Please let me know, either 603-225-6546 or smiskoe@aol.com
                  -..Sylvia

WINTER!! (and **&@#@%%*#)    

Got snow?

We do!!! Lots of it. In fact, we would be willing to share if others 
could just find a way to come take it away. The attached file has a 
few snapshots of our house to give you some idea of Albuquerque's temporary 
(we hope) winter wonderland. (Editor's note: I did try to paste the pictures. 
It didn't work. Too bad! They were great pictures.) Wonder when the snow 
will melt? Wonder if the roof is going to leak? Wonder if we can get to 
the grocery store and back? Wonder if the mail will come today? Wonder .....


We 'experienced' the storm twice. First, on 12/26 driving from Arcata, 
CA down to the Oakland airport after spending Christmas with son Gibson. 
Driving for 6 hours in the rain was not fun. Nor was the delay in our 
flight back to ABQ - we didn't get home until midnight. The second 
'experience' began Friday (12/29) morning with a light dusting over 
the pre-Christmas snow residue. It continued to snow until late 
Saturday afternoon. We "only" got about 15 to 18 inches here. Parts 
of town in the eastern foothills had more like 2 feet. The northeast 
corner of the state was hit with 3 feet and winds that piled up 10 to 
15 foot drifts. ABQ and New Mexico are not prepared for this much snow! 
Our major snow removal method is solar. However, that does take a while 
on undisturbed snow. 

Then there's the problem of flat roofs. Major problem! There are three 
drains (canales) for our roof, one with a downspout that was frozen 
solid in addition to being partially clogged with leaves. So in addition 
to the driveway (fortunately the trailer doesn't need to go anywhere for 
a few months) and walks, there was fun on the roof with shovel, ice pick, 
hammer, hair dryer, and bare hands. All the drains have been cleared and 
will run as long as the sun shines. So far no backups leaking down the 
interior walls.

Happy New Year!
Brian & Mary Mokler

First Night Concert

The SRS travelled north this past New Year's Eve for our fifth performance 
at First Night Wolfeboro. This year, 24 musicians made the trip, the 
largest group to date. Many arrived early, stayed late, and took advantage 
of the other activities and performances around town. 
Good weather brought out the crowds and the management of First Night sold 
all 3000 admission buttons!

We held our performance in the All Saints Episcopal Church at 9:00 PM with 
music from the 2006 Gala. According to the First Night staff, the SRS has 
become one of the best-attended indoor performances on the program. The 
Church was full once again, and our small group put on a very well 
received set. Highlights included a song from Kip Ferguson, fiddle solos 
and a duet from Tim and Kylee Drugan-Eppich, and Ellen Bassett's pipe march 
drumming. One of the most popular parts of the program has always been 
Johnny Bassett's pipe solo. We knew he was into his tunes when he knocked 
his own hat off with a drone.

The program closed with a dedication to Cpl. Matt Stanley, a Wolfeboro 
resident recently killed in Iraq. Johnny Bassett stood in the choir loft 
and piped "Amazing Grace". The audience rose, turned toward the pipes, 
and sang along in a very moving tribute.

The SRS has received a number of written and verbal "thank-yous" and 
appreciations for our performance generally and the Stanley tribute 
in particular. I would like to add my personal thanks to everyone for making 
this year's visit to Wolfeboro the best one yet.

			                             -..Bob Reed


>From the Editor:

Thanks to Evelyn Roberts, our official SRS Photographer, for the 
excellent photographs of First Night Wolfeboro and the great 
presentation on line. Evelyn's photographs make our gatherings 
and performances come alive. Even if you were not there, once 
you view Evelyn's work, you feel as if you participated.
				   -..Audrey Danielson

	
MUSICAL TIDBITS

The early Scottish and Irish immigrants who filtered into southern 
Appalachia brought with them their culture, their stories and their 
music. Their ballads, jigs, reels and rowdy tunes served as a foundation 
of what we know as the unique musical heritage of the region.

>From Alasdair Fraser's new collaboration Highland, Heath and Holler 
"Celtic Music's Voyage to Appalachia"
				

SCOTTISH JOKES
Proving that we Scots do have a sense of humor

A minister, visiting a town he did not know, stopped a boy on 
the street to inquire the way to the church. 
Instead of giving the lad a tip, he said, "Remember to say your 
prayers, my boy, and you'll find the way to heaven."

The boy replied, "What do you know about the way to heaven if you 
don't even know the way to the church?!"                                                       
       -.submitted by Mike Vose




SRSNH EVENTS CALENDAR

Recurring Events


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

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

The 2nd Saturday contra dance in, Francestown, 
is cancelled until further notice. Frank Woodward. 
For info: 603-487-2480 or NHdancecaller@aol.com.

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

NOTE: Please check these listings and advise me of 
any additions, deletions or changes. 
GraniteSkyes@aol.com

''''

All items welcome, depending on space available. 
If you have something to include in this newsletter, 
you can email me at GraniteSkyes@aol.com or phone at 
603-344-9575. Deadline for submissions is the 25th of 
the month. Afterwards, if the submission is still 
relevant it will be considered for the next issue.

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. The newsletter and music is 
available by email. Contact Denise Robinson at 
fiddledee@comcast.net

Strathspey and Reel Society of New Hampshire
Newsletter Editor
Audrey Marie Danielson
513 Alton Woods Drive
Concord NH 03301
603-344-9575
GraniteSkyes@aol.com

SRSNH Next Gathering 
Sunday January 28, 2007. The Sunday Rehearsals will be at 
the Annicchiaricco Music Theater from 1-5pm. Free admission. 
All ages, all instruments, all levels welcome; with potluck 
refreshments. The address for 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.