| RBBM Posts: 12 |
Posted: 14-Feb-2012 12:31 Hi there, I'm organising a traditional music weekend at the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum. Its a first for the museum and would be great to see some of you there. All the best, Learning Officer Intern 24th & 25th March Special Discount - £60 for talk & workshop/ £65 for talk, workshop & concert (must book before 9th March) For bookings: 0844 493 2601 Robert Burns Birthplace Museum Murdochs Lone, Alloway, Ayr, KA7 4PQ TALK & TOUR: 1pm, Robertson Room, £8/£6.50 Free tour of RBBM included when booked in advance (Tour: 10am-12pm) “The Dance Music of Luke Donnellan”; The subject of Gerry’s research MA, this early 20th Century collection of Ulster music can be traced back to the great Scottish fiddle music collections of the 18th Century. “In conversation with Cathal McConnell”; The redoubtable Cathal who is known worldwide for his musical charm and wit is a founder member of “The Boys of the Lough”. This is a rare opportunity to hear of Cathal’s song collecting days in the 1960’s with singer Len Graham. During which time he met and collected from the likes of Seamus Ennis, Mickey and Johnny Docherty, the Keane sisters and many more. Workshops: 10am - 3pm, Education Pavilion, Burns Cottage, £60 (recording devices essential) “Music of the Oriel” (Fiddle; lower intermediate - advanced): A chance to learn from one of Irelands great fiddle players. This workshop will focus on music from Gerry’s home region of Oriel; an area steeped in mythology much of its music has roots in Scottish traditions. “I Have Travelled This Country” (Song): An incredible source for many musicians and singers, including members of Altan, Cathal has been described as a “walking archive” of traditional music and song. This workshop will delve into the Ulster song traditions. Evening Concert: 7pm (doors open), RBBM main building, £10/£8 Gerry O’Connor (Skylark & Lá Lugh) & Cathal McConnell (Boys of the Lough) supported by talented young musicians from around Scotland. A concert not to be missed! |
| EKanne Posts: 304 |
Posted: 14-Feb-2012 17:53 Mharhi, this looks like a very attractive event and I'm hoping to get down for some of it -- been far too long since I've heard Cathal! Am I right in thinking that Cathal has a book out, and -if so - might he have copies with him for sale? |
| RBBM Posts: 12 |
Posted: 16-Feb-2012 13:59 Thats great! He does indeed have a book out called "I Have Travelled This Country". He'll most certainly have copies with him for sale (I'll make sure). You might also be interested in this... http://www.dublinsessions.ie/cathalmcconnell.html All the best, |
| RBBM Posts: 12 |
Posted: 17-Feb-2012 14:56 Our posters & leaflets have arrived!! If anyone would like a few to spread around, please drop me an email: Mharhi Baird Learning Officer Intern |
| fishman Posts: 279 |
Posted: 24-Feb-2012 14:26 I love the music of Cathal McConell and Gerry O Connor and would be interested in the talks. It strikes me as strange though that RBBM would be promoting Ulster Musicians in a weekend of traditional music. Pehaps its the title "Traditions Tide"? When I saw that I naturally thought that RBBM would be promoting Scots Musicians associated with Burns rather than in a supporting role to Irish musicians. I have Ulster ancestors and appreciate the culture, but I feel this event again confuses Scots and Irish traditions. In my experiance this kind of confusion doesn't arise in Ireland. Imagine "Traditions Tide" at the W.B.Yeats centre Sligo with Alan Mc Donald(pipes) and Bruce MacGregor( Fiddle). There would need to be a reason! I am sure it will be a brilliant event so well done, but perhaps for a first trad music at the Burns Museum you could have chosen some scottish musicians with connections to Burns. |
| RBBM Posts: 12 |
Posted: 27-Feb-2012 00:44 Confuses Scots and Irish traditions?? Fishman, How much do you really know about traditional music? If you knew half as much as you claim to you would realise that Scotland and Ireland are closely tied musically, linguistically (Ulster-Scots & Gaelic) and historically. Particularly regarding the music of Ulster. We play the same tunes just in different ways. This is something to be celebrated!! Come to the talk and you will learn more about this. As a traditional musician myself I see just how much potential the museum has as a platform for traditional music and to be so narrow minded as to ONLY focus on singers and bands who have profited from his work is utterly ridiculous. What was it the Bard wrote? "A mans a man for aa that".... why should music be treated any different. Further more, Agnes Burns (Robert's sister) married a landscape gardener who was hired by the Stephensontown estate (just outside Dundalk) to design a pond. He was offered a permanent position and the couple lived out their days in a small cottage on the estate, which still stands. Agnes is burried in Dundalk where stands the ONLY statue dedicated to Burns in Ireland. Dundalk, if you didnt already know, is Gerry's home town. I lived in Ireland for a year and it was there that I discovered just how much Scotland and Ireland really have in common. |
| Jack Campin Posts: 1712 |
Posted: 27-Feb-2012 14:24 How much do you really know about traditional music? A lot more than you've demonstrated in that post. He's got a good point. The Irish material featured in this event is fine in its own right, but it's VERY peripheral to Burns, and a lot of other acts and presentations had a better claim to the spotlight, particularly for the first event of this kind. |
| RBBM Posts: 12 |
Posted: 27-Feb-2012 15:48 Look, Why should I be shot down for doing something different? I'm sick and tired of hearing the same names crop up time and time again when Burns is mentioned (as are many others)... Certain singers who wail into a microphone with a strange mid-atlantic twang, for example. The event is happening fairly close to St Patrick's Day... hence the reason for doing an Irish connection event. The only reason for not holding it on the day itself is because of all the other events that will be happeing around the country at that time. We'd struggle to get numbers through the door. I am only an intern and only have this job till October. I'm doing my best to show the range of possibilities for the place. I've other projects in the pipline that might be more to your taste (just waiting to hear back about funding). There is no funding behind this event. The National Trust for Scotland is a registered charity and cannot afford to fork out £2500 per gig for singers you'd prefer to hear. However, we've recently been in touch with singer Jim Malcolm who will hopefully be coming to perform at the museum in the summer. Maybe you would like to attend this instead. I'm not getting drawn into any more arguments. If you dont like what I'm trying to do then dont come down. |
| Alistair C Posts: 1094 |
Posted: 27-Feb-2012 16:19 For what it is worth Allan MacDonald (note the spelling!) is often in Ireland giving talks and lectures and playing music from the Scottish and Irish traditions and is held in high regard there. It looks like it will be a great event. Sorry that I can't make it. |
| kt fiddle Posts: 6 |
Posted: 27-Feb-2012 17:09 Well done Mhairi on putting together what looks like a great weekend of music, songs and stories (I hear Cathal likes to tell a story or two!). It is absolutely fantastic to see young people such as yourself dedicating your time and effort into organising events such as these in order that tradition and culture is passed on to future generations. Great also to see a celebration of Scotland's links with Ireland, I think you have captured the spirit of Burns, its wonderful to celebrate what we have in common as well as our differences which make us so unique. Ulster music has its roots in Scottish music (way more so than any connection with the rest of Ireland) and musicians from Scotland have been celebrated there for centuries - and still are to this day. Reciprocity is great to see and I'm sure there will be plenty of occasions to celebrate local talent as well - as you say the final concert will include talented young musicians from Scotland. Fantastic stuff - well done!!!!! And please, please, please keep up the good work. |
| RBBM Posts: 12 |
Posted: 27-Feb-2012 18:37 Thankyou so much Katie and Alistair. Really means a lot to hear you say that... I wish I could have earlier! :D |
| patriot1314 Posts: 14 |
Posted: 27-Feb-2012 19:01 Mharhi, for what it's worth, the South West of Scotland has no shortage of exponents of the work of Burns both in spoken word and song. What I see here is someone thinking outside the box and providing something different whilst still having the "Burns Connection" For a first time, I think you have put together an awesome line up, more power to your elbow and keep up the good work! |
| RBBM Posts: 12 |
Posted: 27-Feb-2012 20:12 Cheers Patriot, I really appreciate your comments. All the best, |
| Auldtimer Posts: 3394 |
Posted: 28-Feb-2012 18:45 This looks like a great weekend and well put together, Mharhi, only sorry I can't make it down for it. Hearing excellent reports of your work with the bairns as well, btw. And may I just point out that there since its official opening there has actually been no shortage of Burns singers of one stamp or another appearing at the Museum for various occasions.Considering that one of Burns major gifts to the world was the songs and ballads he collected and reworked, it's entirely appropriate to have a collector of Cathal's calibre talking aboiut the process. |
| EKanne Posts: 304 |
Posted: 28-Feb-2012 21:45 IMHO Burns was a musical omnivore -- he heard, he absorbed and he adopted/adapted tunes from other cultures (think of the research on his use of Gaelic melodies). So it would be no surprise to me that he was also exposed to traditional music from N. Ireland, given the regular traffic/transfer between the two areas. So, well done, RBBM, for organising an event to challenge any and all preconceptions! (And accept my apologies in advance for not being able to attend anything other than the final concert, because of previous commitments.) |
| fishman Posts: 279 |
Posted: 28-Feb-2012 22:58 RBBM I am sorry you have been pit oot by my observation. If you read my post again you will see that I was being positive about the event, the great Ulster musicians, who i love, and congratulated you on organising it. I think the problem of confusion is the lack of clarity in the title Traditional Tide. Perhaps something that makes it clear that this weekend focuses on Ulster Music would have been more transparent. I also thought that the first ever trad music event in a museum dedicated to Burns would be more closely related to his own experiance of traditional music, and then subsequent weekends expand out from a focused centre. The presentation of Scottish music by institutions and in the media has often been confused. For example the use of Irish pipes in many films and documentaries about Scotland, which feels lazy and disrespectful to me I first travelled in Ireland in 1971 and have returned almost every year since and have colaborated with Irish musicians. The first traditional music project I worked on in the early nineties was designed in colaboration with C.C.E. through a young Irish singer who worked with me. The thing that always strikes me about Irish music organisations are their focus and clarity. Any RTE producer who used Scottish bagpipes to illustrate the life of one of the nations iconic heroes would soon have his error pointed out. I am very sorry if you feel I was having a go at you. I just think that Scottish institutons , and arts organisations should promote our own traditions first, as well as our conectedness with other traditions. This does not imply any disrespect. Self respect is the first step to tolerance I wish you well with what will undoubtedly be a great weekend. |
| Alistair C Posts: 1094 |
Posted: 29-Feb-2012 01:23 Now I really am being nit-picky here but the event is called "Traditions Tide" rather than "Traditional Tide" and I think that maybe makes a difference to your interpretation of the event. Either way it is quite clear from the blurb what the event is. It is hardly as if there will have been a lack of Burns in the Centre up until now. Knowing Cathal he will probably reference Burns anyway. |
| Auldtimer Posts: 3394 |
Posted: 29-Feb-2012 19:09 Well quite, Alastair, and Cathal is one of the most sensitive Burns interpreters i know! |
| RBBM Posts: 12 |
Posted: 29-Feb-2012 21:57 Thanks all for your posts. Fishman, I apologise for losing the rag (was the end of a long and stressfull day). I do see your point. However, regarding the event tittle, please not the sub-heading (which is present in all our leaflets and posters) "A Celebration of the Rich Musical Heritage of Scotland and Ulster". Is that not fairly self-explanitory? Traditions - refers to the traditions of Scotland and Ulster which connect and distinguish us. Tide - refers to the expanse of water between us (the Irish Sea) RBBM is not just a museum dedicated to Burns. It is a cultural centre for the National Trust of Scotland. We hold talks, art exhibitions, school workshops and a variety of events throughout the year. We want to showcase and represent culture in all its forms. As a flagship museum for the South West, if there is an opportunity to link with different cultures/traditions we should take it. As I stated previously I am in intern at the museum till October. That limits what I am able to do, particularly without funding, and especially due to the fast filling events calendar. There is only so much I can do in such a short space of time with no guarantees of a permanent position. I am trying to show a variety of things that I can do in hopes of being offered something more permanent which would allow me to expand and develop my ideas further. Re. The Talk. Much of the music of South East Ulster has its origins in Scotland. Gerry O'Connor will be discussing his Research MA topic, The Donnellan Collection. The music in this can be traced directly back to the great 18th Century (the time of Burns) fiddle collections of Scotland. It also contains Burns song melodies which shows his work was popular in this area. Why talk about this? Its to show how Scottish music has travelled and been adopted into a new tradition. As someone kindly pointed out, Burns practiced this himself... travelling through the highlands, collecting from the Gaelic traditions, setting new words to their melodies and encorporating them into the Scots tradition. In Gerry's fiddle workshop students will have the opportunity to learn tunes which have travelled from Scotland to Ulster. Highlands for example are an Irish form the Scottish strathspey and popular in Ulster and Donegal. He is essentially bringing the music back... and for the record, Burns also played fiddle! Cathal McConnell will be talking about his experience collecting songs from source musicians and singers. Burns himself was fanatical about collecting. He collected hundereds of songs for publication and (like Cathal has done) for little financial gain. They both did this for the love and respect of the music. Thanks Aultimer for mentioning this. If you listen to English language songs sung by Northern Irish singers (Cathal, Eddie Butcher, Kevin Mitchell or the Tunney's for example) you will hear many Scots dialect words. This is Ulster-Scots. Many Scots songs were brought to Ireland by a variety of people including the Travellers and other itinerant workers as well as Scots sent out by the crown during the Ulster Plantations. There is a gorgeous version of The Parting of Burns and Highland Mary sung in Ireland to a different tune (Brigid Tunney recorded it for Folktrax in the 1950's). I also recently heard Kevin Mitchell sing Irish versions of Scots song The Auld Roguey and several bothy ballads including the Falkirk Fair.... and I havent even started on the muckle sangs! Cathal's repertoire of both Scots and Irish songs is vast (his book only shows a small portion) and his generosity in sharing his knowledge knows no bounds. Sadly Cathal gets little credit for this. I cant think of anyone more fitting to have at this event than him. Folk like Cathal come around all too rarely. No this event is not about Burns. Its about more than that. I want folk to see the bigger picture and have the opportunity to view (and hear) Scottish music from a different |
| RBBM Posts: 12 |
Posted: 29-Feb-2012 21:59 ... perspective. (sorry dont know what happened there) |
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