Post by MaxQuad on Feb 11, 2007 13:39:29 GMT -5
An active and interesting music-filled weekend. Friday evening, Chris Thile and How to Grow a Band at UBCFA, followed last night by Altan at Rockwell Hall. Bluegrass on Friday, traditional Irish/Celtic music the next. Such a pairing invites comparisons of contrasts and similarities of musical genres that have rich heritage and common ground.
Altan played to a relatively full house, a surprisingly older and sedate crowd than I would have anticipated. Perhaps it was the nature of the crowd rather than the stage presence of Altan, but the crowd was almost overly respectful and subdued, which detracted in some ways from the incredible energy of the jigs and reels performed by these talented musicians.
Two fiddles (Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh and Ciaran Tourish), a bouzouki (Ciaran Curran), an acoustic guitar (Daithi Sproule) and accordion (Dermot Byrne) combine to provide respectful renditions of the music of the Emerald Isle. (Of course, the vocals of Mairead are also a part of the mix on a few songs, plus one song and one song only with tin whistle accompaniment by Ciaran Tourish.)
Along the way, we learned a bit about which county claims this tune or that song. We learned about which member of the previous musical generations passed along these tunes to the performers on stage. Though a few of the vocals were sung in Gaelic, the insight provided before it was sung helped the audience capture the mood, the context, the story being told.
My deceased mother's County Antrim roots were evident in full force, as this music stirred thoughts of family and heritage. Though far from having much in the way of Hibernian knowledge and experience, I felt an innate and intimate bond with what was being played - with the music and legacy it represents.
Given the idea of comparison, contrast and similarities, I was struck by Mairead's introduction of one song as "it's the same as another we've recorded (Blackwaterside), except that the melody is quite different and most of the words have been changed." That prompted Ciaran Tourish to comment that, by definition then, all songs are the same - thus, they may as well only play one more and depart. With those words of wisdom in mind - the inherent energy, the "common man" roots, the connected lineage and influences of the music - though similar in many ways, made me quite happy to have Chris Thile and Altan each play many songs so that the differences, nuances and unique interpretations were able to fully illuminate how the commonality and universality of music ignites idiosyncratic personal reactions to what is heard.
It will likely be a long while before I once again experience a musical weekend of this caliber. Sometimes life is very good, very good indeed.
MQ
Altan played to a relatively full house, a surprisingly older and sedate crowd than I would have anticipated. Perhaps it was the nature of the crowd rather than the stage presence of Altan, but the crowd was almost overly respectful and subdued, which detracted in some ways from the incredible energy of the jigs and reels performed by these talented musicians.
Two fiddles (Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh and Ciaran Tourish), a bouzouki (Ciaran Curran), an acoustic guitar (Daithi Sproule) and accordion (Dermot Byrne) combine to provide respectful renditions of the music of the Emerald Isle. (Of course, the vocals of Mairead are also a part of the mix on a few songs, plus one song and one song only with tin whistle accompaniment by Ciaran Tourish.)
Along the way, we learned a bit about which county claims this tune or that song. We learned about which member of the previous musical generations passed along these tunes to the performers on stage. Though a few of the vocals were sung in Gaelic, the insight provided before it was sung helped the audience capture the mood, the context, the story being told.
My deceased mother's County Antrim roots were evident in full force, as this music stirred thoughts of family and heritage. Though far from having much in the way of Hibernian knowledge and experience, I felt an innate and intimate bond with what was being played - with the music and legacy it represents.
Given the idea of comparison, contrast and similarities, I was struck by Mairead's introduction of one song as "it's the same as another we've recorded (Blackwaterside), except that the melody is quite different and most of the words have been changed." That prompted Ciaran Tourish to comment that, by definition then, all songs are the same - thus, they may as well only play one more and depart. With those words of wisdom in mind - the inherent energy, the "common man" roots, the connected lineage and influences of the music - though similar in many ways, made me quite happy to have Chris Thile and Altan each play many songs so that the differences, nuances and unique interpretations were able to fully illuminate how the commonality and universality of music ignites idiosyncratic personal reactions to what is heard.
It will likely be a long while before I once again experience a musical weekend of this caliber. Sometimes life is very good, very good indeed.
MQ