Wasps' Nest found in Guitar

In the last blog I spoke about collecting a guitar I'd bought on Australian ebay. We had a four hour trip inland from the Sunshine Coast through the Bunya Mountains and beyond to the tiny town of Bell. Pictured below is me collecting the guitar from the Bell Art Gallery which the seller was running on this Sunday afternoon.

The new strings that were on it were too light for me so I decided to change them. When I started the first string I noticed something strange in the top corner by the neck inside the guitar. It was a wasps' nest! With the help of a screw driver, I managed to prize it out whole. Here it is pictured below.

Luckily there were no signs of life. I wondered if I was the first person ever to discover a wasps' nest inside a guitar! I suppose it could only happen in Australia - or perhaps you know different!!

Irish Session in Australia

I'm in Australia visiting my daughter and family on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. Yesterday we drove up into the Blackall Mountains (The Hinterland as it's known) to Maleny - about a 35 minute drive. There I took part in an Irish Session at Finbar's - a bar run by an Irish man. There were eight of us playing fiddles, mandolin, guitar, whistle, keyboard and bodhran.

It was a most enjoyable evening spent playing familiar and not so familiar Irish tunes in a really friendly atmosphere. It's amazing that you can travel halfway round the world and feel so at home - almost like being with The Haddenham Shamrocks!

I even ended up doing a couple of songs on the guitar I bought on Australian ebay!

Details of sessions in Brisbane and surrounding areas can be found at http://users.tpg.com.au/folkrag

Towersey Morris tribute to Denis and Sheila Manners

Last weekend in the scorching sunshine, local Morris Sides met at the Three Horseshoes to pay tribute to Denis and Sheila Manners, founders of the Towersey Festival, Towersey Morris and Towersey Folk Dance Group.

Towersey Morris outside the Three Horseshoes

Various Morris Musicians joining together

Oxford City Morris

Barefoot Belly Dancers joined in the dancing

Other Morris Dance Sides taking part were Long Crendon, Owlswick and Cry Havoc, Oxford.

The May Day Weekend

The May Day weekend was very busy for me this year. In addition to the normal May Day activities, The De Kegelaar Folk Dance Group from Antwerp were guests of the Haddenham Hoofers and two were staying with me for the weekend.

The May Day weekend started for me at 5.30am on Friday 1st playing for the Towersey Morris Men at the Towersey Crossroads as day broke. I then played for them at Thame Town Hall at 8am and three schools and a Day Centre in High Wycombe at 10am, 11am, midday and 2pm.

After a short break, I met De Kegelaar with the other Hoofers at The Rose and Thistle, Haddenham at 5.30pm. An enjoyable meal and conversation was followed by a music session with the Hoofers and De Kegelaar musicians.

On Saturday morning, De Kegelaar and Haddenham Hoofers took part in the Haddenham May Day procession and danced on the Green.

Haddenham Hoofers dancing at Haddenham May Day celebrations

Hoofers musicians

After lunch, Hoofers and De Kegelaar performed outside Thame Town Hall. In the evening, De Kegelaar performed at the Haddenham Ceilidh.

On Sunday morning I played for the Towersey Village May Pole Dancing and then for the Towersey Morris Men.

Towersey Morris men at The Towersey May Day celebrations

I then rushed to Cuddington where De Kegelaar and Haddenham Hoofers were dancing outside the Bernard Hall.

De Kegelaar outside the Bernard Hall

Hoofers out side the Bernard Hall, Cuddington

The weather for Friday, Saturday and Sunday was glorious but as usual, it changed for Bank Holiday Monday, where its was rather cool for the Wheatley May Day celebrations.
I played in the procession, May Pole dancing and the barn dancing which followed. The musicians then retired to the Cricketers Arms, Littleworth for a music session.

Wheatley May Pole dancing

Musicians at the Wheatley May Pole

St George's Day at the Rose and Thistle

St George's Day was celebrated at the Rose and Thistle, Haddenham, Bucks with Traditional English food and music.
13 Folk Musicians who normally meet at the 'RAT' for a traditional Irish session became the Haddenham RATS performing traditional English tunes and songs . One of the highlights was Land of Hope and Glory when St George's flags were waved by the audience as they sang along.

Fiddle Group tour of West Cork - Easter 09

Eight of the Oxford Fiddle Group travelled to West Cork Ireland over Easter for a 5 date tour which started on the Thursday before Good Friday at the Fastnet Bar, Goleen.

The Fastnet Bar, Goleen

The following morning found the Fiddle Group busking at Bantry Market. This was unfortunately cut short by a shower so we all retired to the excellent Organico Vegetarian Cafe for lunch.

Bantry market

All the bars and restaurants are closed on Good Friday so the Fiddle Group had a rather unusual evening booking. Luke Brosen, a fisherman and boat builder at Ahakista has converted part of his boathouse to an area where locals socialise on a Friday evening. The Oxford Fiddle Group turned up to a big party at the Boathouse with food, drink and spectacular back drops, both inside and outside the Boathouse.

The view outside the boathouse on our arrival

The entrance to the Boathouse, full of people waiting to hear the Oxford Fiddle Group

Performing in the Boathouse, Ahakista with a mast and mainsail behind us

Tom revealed a secret - his 1959 D/D# melodeon (called an accordion in Ireland) which he'd rebuilt and worked out how to play. This was his debut performance!

An appreciative audience at the Boatyard

More at the Boatyard

On Easter Saturday we played at Casey's Hotel, Baltimore.

We were joined by local musician Michael Collins on his accordion who seemed to know nearly all our repertoire! He plays a D/D# and told Tom he's the only one Michael had met who also plays a D/D# accordion. Perhaps there's someone else out there who does ??

The days were spent making music in the house, going for walks by the sea and in the hills, and wonderful banquets in the house provided by Lynn.

Returning to the house after a brisk walk to the Lobster Pot Bar in Goleen

On Easter Sunday and Monday, The Oxford Fiddle Group played at Fitzpatrick's, Kilcrohane as part of the 'Ceoil on the Coast' Music Festival.

Fitzpatrick's Bar during the Music Festival



Easter Sunday at Fitzpatrick's

Fiddle Group at The 2009 Oxford Folk Festival

Last weekend, The Oxford Fiddle Group performed at their local Folk Festival, The Oxford Folk Festival. A Number of venues are used in the centre of Oxford for the festival. The Fiddle group performed at the Holywell Music Room on Friday evening, St Michael's Church in Cornmarket on Saturday lunchtime and The Newman Rooms, St Aldates on Sunday evening.

St Michael's Church performance

The Saturday lunchtime concert was to launch the Fiddle Group's second CD - beyond the Spires. Further details can be found at http://www.oxfordfiddle.co.uk/

After this concert the Oxford Fiddle Group led a session in the 'Far From the Madding Crowd.' They were joined by the Bonn Group 'Reel Bach Consort' who also joined them on Sunday evening for the farewell Ceilidh.

http://www.reel-bach-consort.de/

The weather was gorgeous throughout the weekend so the parades and dances through the city centre went particularly well.

St Patrick's Night at The Rose and Thistle, Haddenham

The Haddenham Shamrocks performed Irish tunes and songs at The Rose and Thistle's St Patrick's Night in Haddenham, Buckinghamshire. This was the first performance for the session group that meets twice a month in The Rose and Thistle.

There was a packed crowd and tremendous atmosphere in the bar as people ate, drank and sang along to the Irish music.

Eleven musicians turned up to play the Irish tunes on fiddle, concertina, accordion, melodion, whistle, banjo, mandolin, guitar and bodhran that had been played in the sessions over the last year.

The Oxford Fiddle Group Tour of the Algarve

I've just returned from a tour of the Algarve, Portugal with the Oxford Fiddle Group. A really wonderful five days of music, eating, drinking and good weather. We left the snow of the UK for the non stop sunshine of the Algarve. We had a busy programme of performing Saturday to Tuesday but there was plenty of time to enjoy the Algarve.

The tour was well advertised and every venue was sold out. Below is an advert in Portugal's English newspaper.

The text of this advert reads:

THE OXFORD FIDDLE GROUP ON THE ROAD AGAIN

Following a highly successful tour of the Algarve two years ago, The Oxford Fiddle Group will be in the Algarve again playing four concerts from 14th to 17th February. They will be playing music from their varied repertoire of English, Irish, Scottish and American music whose origins range from folk, country and classical genres. The group plays a range of tunes and songs from foot tapping jigs and reels to catchy hornpipes and beautiful airs and laments. They never fail to engage audiences with their muisc, their witty ad libs and their obvious enjoyment and since their last Algarve tour, The Oxford Fiddle Group have performed in West Cork, Bonn and Grenoble. Their first CD 'Bonny Kate' sold out within 10 months (luckily for those who haven't already bought it - it has been re-released) and they have just finished recording their second CD 'Beyond the Spires'. "The full band consists of about twenty fiddle players," said group leader Jed Mugford, " and we have nine players travelling out to the Algarve in February. We had such a great time last time we were in Portugal that we are all looking forward to this trip." The players on the this tour are pictured left to right: Adrian Broadway (bass, mandolin), Marilyn Mills (concertina), Chris Mills (guitar, banjo), Jed Mugford (fiddle), Christine Ellis (fiddle), Tom Bell-Richards (lead fiddle), Wendy Creber (fiddle), Peter Day (fiddle) and not in the picture Rita Blewitt (fiddle, concertina).

The four venues on this tour are: 14 February - Phoenix Nights Restaurant and Bar, Monte Carvoeiro; 15 February - Beira Rio Restaurant and Bar, Tavira; 16 February - Faja Lobi Restaurant, Alvar; 17 February - Silves Cine Theatre Club, Silves

Early booking is recommended - their concerts two years ago all sold out!

More information on the Oxford Fiddle Group can be found at www.oxfordfiddle.co.uk

We were even interviewed on the local Kiss FM station and two tracks from our latest CD 'Beyond the Spires' were played.

The Performance at the Silves Cine Theatre Club

We hired a minibus to transport us around and the PA equipment. We brought our instruments on the plane. Obviously I had to bring a bass guitar rather than the double bass!

Time to relax in Silves

A paddle in the sea at Lagos

The English celebrate Burns' Night

On the weekend when Australians have an extra day holiday to celebrate Australia Day, many English celebrate the birth of the Scottish poet, Robert Burns, who was born on 25 January 1759. The increasing popularity of celebrating this Scottish tradition in England is matched by the St Patrick's day celebrations in England. Against this, it seems a shame that many traditional English celebrations have all but died out and we don't seem to do much for St George's day or Shakespeare's birthday either.
However, The Mizen Ramblers, never slow to see an opportunity, dusted of their Scottish repertoire and played at two Burns' Nights events. One was for a village association and one for a school Parents Association.
Both events were very well organised and well attended with all really entering into everything, including some lively dancing to the Mizen Ramblers. We started off the evenings with Scottish music as the guests arrived. The band was then well fed while the traditional Burns' Night ceremonies took place. This was followed by dancing to The Mizen Ramblers and the evening was finished off with the singing of Rabbie Burns' Auld Lang Syne.

Piping in the haggis.

'Address to a haggis'

The Mizen Ramblers in action

Dancing to the Mizen Ramblers