New Music on Blog

Hey all! I have added a couple of new songs if anyone is interested in learning them.

Believe Me if All Those Endearing Young Charms
Jump at the Sun
Out on the Ocean (Janis suggests that we put this with Road instead of the dreaded Kesh)

Not trying to overwhelm you, Joe...

Believe me...

Is anyone having any luck finding music to Believe Me.. or shall I start digging. My fiddle teacher, Michelle Feldman, suggested Out on the Ocean to go with Road, instead of Kesh. What do you think? Not an overused tune.

Janis

This and that - upcoming gigs and the like

Hi All!

The gig on Sunday went well, although the turnout for dancers was light. I'm guessing many people didn't realize that the dance had been moved one day. Perhaps July will be better...but it is the 4th of July weekend, sort of. Which brings me to my next subject: upcoming gigs.

We are on the calendar for July 7th and August 4th, so mark yours, and practice, practice, practice! I know I will. Okay, I know I need it more than anyone else, but please don't throw me out of the band just yet! Gabrielle is working with me on learning harmonies, so I will finally be an asset to the band instead of that 'slow-fingered penny whistler (but we have to keep her because she belongs to Neil).'

New pieces: Joe wants us to be ready to play "The Moon and Seven Stars," and "Ten-Penny Bit," so be sure to focus on those. Any chance we can get "Water Mouse" going, Jane? Also, please take a look at "Believe Me If All Those Endearing Young Charms." Janis, Neil, Gabrielle and I can already play it. If we can add Joe, Ray, Shelley, Bob, and Jane that ought to be enough, doncha think? We have a very large band, don't we? Some of you may already know it. It is in the nature of a chestnut, IMHO. Bob, you might want to try the Autoharp on this one as it is a very sweet waltz.

Let's all hope that Clarence gets the ac fixed soon!!!

June 3rd Gig

Hey All! As discussed at the St. Sava gig, we will be meeting at Plaza Arts in Carrollton for our June 3rd gig, at 5:30 p.m. The dance begins at 7:00 and we want some time to warm up and set up so pack your bags, don't forget the new stuff we've been working on and we will all see each other this weekend! Whoo Hoo!

Oklahoma City 2007 Gig

As Janis said, we did indeed have fun! I think we sounded pretty darned good and the venue is always a treat. Neil got to see some of the movie and thinks he may have found where you can buy a copy of it on-line. He thought it was quite good from what he saw of it. Gary did manage to make it up, despite some family complications and we also had Neil (obviously), Janis, Shelley, Jane, Gabrielle, me and at one point, Bill of OKC, who joined us with his bohdran. Here are a few of the pictures I took....

Joe in full swing!













Fiddler #1 - Jane - she do look happy!


















Neil ~ wailing away on his sax




Gary with Mike ~ one of our two groupies!








I'll send y'all a link to the rest.

Road Trip

Didn't we have fun? It was GREAT. Today I revisited all the music on the blog & printed the ones that were different from my music so I'll be a bit more in sync. I've also been trying alternative tuning for my fiddle on "Old Joe Clark". THAT is a trip. The fiddle takes on a new life, soundwise.
The dance wasn't quite as exhausting as I thought. Adrenalin helps. Thanks for including me.

Janis

The Final Set List for OKC

Bambi Set List for 5/12/07 Oklahoma City 5/10/07 draft

1. Old Joe Clark (A) Julianne Johnson( D) Old Joe Clark (D) Old Joe Clark (A)
2. Angeline the Baker( D) St Anne's Reel (D)
3. Jamie Allen(G) Golden Slippers( D)
4. Road to Lisdoonvarna (D) Kesh (G) (jigs)
5. Campbell's Farewell to Redcastle (D) Whiskey Before Breakfast( D)
omit the C part
6. Waterbound (D) Redwing (G)
7. Seneca Square Dance (G) Spotted Pony (D)
8. Over the Waterfall (D) Maury's Wedding (G)
9. The Moon and Seven Stars (D) Tenpenny Bit (Am) (jigs)
10. Oh Susanna (D) Scotland the Brave (G) Oh Susanna (G)
11. Star of the County Down (G) Cold Frosty Morn (G)
12. Bonaparte Crossing the Rhine (D) The Girl I Left Behind Me (G)
Gary starts with four guitar strokes, pick up notes begin on third (?) stroke

Waltzes, Polka:

The Ashgrove.................at first break Sean Ryan's Polka..........at first break
Bonnie at Morn..............at end of dance
Schottische:
Schottis Fran Idre............at end of dance

For The Ashgrove, we have decided to start out in the key of G with Joe beginning and guitar coming in on the second repitition of the A part. The fiddles will come in on the B part, and on the second time through the singers will begin and sing two verses. As soon as that is done we will switch to the key of D. So it looks like this:

Key of G (twice through)
A1 - Joe
A2 - Joe & guitar
B1 - Joe, guitar, fiddles
B2 - Joe, guitar, fiddles

A1, A2, B1, B2 instruments continue, singers begin on this A1

Key of D ( to end)
A1 - B2 - all instruments, no singing

for Bonnie at Morn
A1 - Joe only
A2 - fiddles, guitar join
B1 - whistles join

Gary calls “last time” on an A1 so that all but Joe and fiddles drop out after A2 and Joe and fiddles finish B1, B2 by themselves.

Notes for 5/12/07

If we drop a set as the evening ends, my vote would be The Moon and Seven Stars / Tenpenny Bit. We should discuss others’ ideas about this Saturday night.

Joe and I discussed moving Star / Cold Frosty up in the set, but we liked how it sounded so much on Thursday night, maybe we should consider it being our last contra set.

Other tunes:
Arkansas Traveler
Soldier's Joy
John Stenson's # 2
Nail that Catfish to the Tree
Staten Island
Farewell to Whiskey
Flowers of Edinburgh
Cori Mclenon Ashoken Farewell

NOTES FOR LATER

try Sean Ryan’s slow first?
learn Dennis Murphy’s to play after Sean Ryan either as a polka or maybe as a contra set?
On one of our sets that has a strong second tune melody, try having the guitars, bass, dulcimer, and percussion drop out for the last B1 and B2 before a change to the new tune; they rejoin with vigor at the first A1 of the second tune.

Campbell's Farewell to Redcastle (D) Whiskey Before Breakfast( D)
A B C C, then regular two A’s/two B’s throughout