some irish things on a friday

I am having a truly Irish morning. I've just finished making the most amazing smelling soda bread from this recipe. The recipe called for some kneading, and let me tell you, kneading bread is a wonderful, stress-relieving exercise. I recommend it to all.

While in the mood of all things Irish, I've been listening to Luke Kelly. His voice will reduce you to wobbly child tears if you're not very careful.

Did you know, you cut open the top of the bread before baking so the fairies (that help the bread to rise, naturally) can escape and go help someone else? The more you know!

And finally, without getting too political, this beautiful Yeats poem.

Yeats is one of my favourite poets, as I'm sure is true of many. Just a few lines:

Too long a sacrifice
Can make a stone of the heart.
O when may it suffice?
That is Heaven's part, our part
To murmur name upon name,
As a mother names her child
When sleep at last has come
On limbs that had run wild.

Are changed, changed utterly:
A terrible beauty is born. 

And just to lighten the tone, 12 buns a cooling, ready to be iced later (with tea as dye for the raspberry flavoured ones!).

a long break

I haven't written anything substantial in a long time, this is true. However, I have a legitimate reason! The sunshine, Easter holidays, a trip to an organic pig farm and a whole lot of flute playing. All this stuff kind of got in the way.

I've been getting back into trad music, so for the first time in a  long time (really, about a decade) I'm playing at sessions and practicing a lot in my free time, trying to expand my repertoire. A trad musician is only as good as his repertoire, and, while my technical skills are pretty good (an outstanding teacher in the form of a neighbour who happens to be an internationally renowned Irish musician), boy have I missed out on ten years of tune accumulation. And it shows. I'm there rocking all the tunes of days gone by, many of which were not even popular in Ireland, let alone Denmark, and folk music does in fact evolve, however slightly.

But I'm trying my best, stealthily recording as many tunes as I can to greedily devour later. My trust flute, absolutely rudimentary in design, sounds as beautiful and reliable as it did when it was purchased for me age 12/13. It's still as sleek and black, the tone still as consistent, and I'm still unable to deviate from G and D Major without some serious finger bending.

Music is a fantastic thing. And playing the music yourself really heightens already thriving emotions. I've been so happy since I started going to a pub on a Friday evening, to have endless bottles of Coke poured into me and play the tunes of my youth.

 

I don't actually own this photo, it belongs to Martin, a wonderful man from Northern Ireland that places an impressive range of percussive instruments. Needless to say I'm the only female in the shot, with flute in hand.

I'll write a bit more on the last couple of weeks shortly, but for now it's off to the local Kommune to register to vote in May (grumble grumble Representative Democracy is inadequate grumble), and then it's back to Danish class. I think I have forgotten all my Danish words.

Have a great day, internet!

Falling Back in Love

I just wanted to share how chuffed I am to be back playing music with other human beings again. I grew up going to a Comhltas session every Friday night. As I became a teenager, when my friends started going 'out' on Friday nights, I instead kept going to the gaescoil (Irish school) where the nearest session was on. I would compete, with groups and solo, did some concerts, and of course got roped into an infiinte number of church and school related events.

Over the 4 years I was studying in Dublin I lost the time to play that much. I went to a few trad society meetings, but didn't really click with the group that frequented. There was never enough time to enjoy myself, going to a session might mean missing out on an evening's work, or staying out late might mean missing an early morning lecture. It was hard to fit playing with other people into the equation.

Over the last year I've been playing more than ever on my own. I've found my passion re-ignited, but I've also been sad that I've lost a lot of my repertoire. I can play the tunes off paper, but they're barely in my head anymore. Irish music is made to be played socially. It's essentially dance music, to my mind, and reels and slip jigs are your best bet to get the serotonin racing around. Save the airs and hornpipes for your sitting room.

I'm looking forward to the Friday night, and Sunday afternoon sessions if I can fit them in. I'm determined to enhance my repertoire, hone my technique, and get used to playing in groups again. I'm so happy to be playing music again.

I

Image from the http://comhaltas.ie/ website.
I don't play a keyed flute, I prefer the simpler version, for personal reasons.

Monday Monday Monday

Today has been absolutely wonderful. I've been sitting in Christmas pajamas since I got up at 12pm, been doing general life admin stuff like selling my old phones that don't work anymore, emailing people that I've been putting off for ages, and playing my flute. I have to go to work at 6pm, but we can't have everything in life, can we.

In fact, here's a little sample of my favourite tune of last year, an O'Carolan piece called Carolan's Draught. Hope you enjoy.

https://soundcloud.com/myfavouritechords/ocarolans-draught


Amy