childrens session book

8/13/2019 Childrens Session Book

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The Sligo Creek

Hedge Schools

Childrens

Irish Session

Booklet

compiled by Karen Ashbrook


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Irish Tune Types

Reels - fast 4/4, can be accented on beats 1 & 3 or 2 & 4. Ornamentation- grace notes,triplets, rolls. The majority of tunes played in sessions are reels. A single reel is a reel

that is only 16 measures once through (as opposed to the standard 32 measures.)

Jigs - 6/8 (double jigs) are the most common and should be played at a moderatetempo.9/8 jigs, also called "slip" or "hop" jigs, are rarer. Occasionally you will find 6/8 or 9/8marches (more common in Scottish music). 12/8 (single) jigs are also called "slides" andare played for the Kerry Set (dance). Basic slide rhythm is quarter eighth. They can beornamented the same as reels.

Hornpipes -are a moderatetempo 4/4 with a bouncy beat. Although generally writtenout in straight eighth notes, they are played rhythmically with a slightly dotted beat.Hornpipes favor lots of triplets!

Slow Airs -are played primarily as solos or with a single accompanest, allowing flexibilityof interpretation and a loose meter. The best way to learn a slow air is from a sean nossinger. Also listen to harp arrangements.

Polkas -are popular in Kerry and are used for set dancing. Sixteenth notes are often usedto spice up polkas.

Set Dances -are tunes in 6/8 or 4/4, often with an unusual number of measures. Thereare specific tunes for specific dances.

Marches, Waltzes, Mazurkas, Flings, Highlands, Barndances - the latter three arefound mostly in Northern Ireland and are from Scottish and Scandinavian derivations.Irish waltzes are played on the fast side and are often songs.

Planxty - is nota tune type. It is a tune that has been composed in someone's honor,thus they can be fast or slow, in any meter. Since the blind harper Turlough O'Carolanmade his living playing and composing music for patrons, many of his tunes are titled"Planxty (your name here)."

"Songs" have words. "Tunes" are instrumental melodies without words.A "session" is an informal gathering of musicians to play tunes together.

Please note in an Irish session if someone starts to sing or recite a poem, it is properetiquette for everyone to be quiet until it is through.

1998 Karen Ashbrook


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The2005 Sligo Creek Hedge SchoolsChildrens Irish Session Booklet


Table of Contents

POLKAS & MARCHESPeg Ryans (Kerry Polka) ................. P-1Mickey Chewing Bubblegum ........... P-1Rattlin Bog .......................................... P-2John Ryans (DUM DUM) ................. P-269th Street (Galway Rogues) ........... P-3O, the Britches Full of Stitches .......... P-4The Murroe ......................................... P-4Rakes of Mallo (march/polka) ......... P-5ODonnell Aboo (march) .................. P-5The Rosetree (march) ........................ P-6Dawning of the Day (march) ........... P-6

Toomore #1 & 2 P-7Jer the Rigger . P-7

HORNPIPESThe Rights of Man ............................ H-1The Boys of Bluehill .......................... H-1Belfast Hornpipe - simple ................ H-2Belfast Hornpipe (Sweeps) .............. H-3Harvest Home Hornpipe ................ H-4The Stack of Barley . H-5Home Ruler .. H-5

JIGSMorrisons .......................................... J-1Lark in the Morning ......................... J-2The Road to Lisdoonvarna .............. J-3My Darling Asleep ............................ J-3Charlie Mulvihills ............................. J-4The Butterfly (slip jig) ....................... J-4Fig For a Kiss (slip jig) ...................... J-5Another Jig Will Do (slip jig) ........... J-5The Weavers (slide) ......................... J-5The Scattery Island Slide .................. J-6

Cliffs of Moher .................................. J-6The Lilting Banshee .......................... J-7Swallowtail Jig ................................... J-7Connaughtmans Rambles .............. J-8Foxhunters (slip jig) J-9Barney Brallaghan (slip jig) ... J-9Rambling Pitchfork . J-10Kesh Jig ... J-10

REELSRed Haired Boy (Little Beggerman) ... R-Mountain Road ...................................... R-Stensons #2 ............................................ R-Glass of Beer ........................................... R-Silver Spear ............................................. R-Bag of Potatoes ...................................... R-Humours of Tulla .................................. R-Woman of the House ............................ R-St. Annes Reel ........................................ R-Man of the House .................................. R-Concertina Reel ...................................... R-

MISCELLANYSouth Wind (waltz) ............................... M-Innishere (slow air) ............................... M-Primrose Lasses (fling) ......................... M-The New Harp -Y Delyn NewyddPINK BUNNIES (Welsh reel) .......... M-Lucy Farrs (barndance) ....................... M-Shoe the Donkey (mazurka) ............... M-

POETRY INDEXSleep Waltz - Terence Winch................. J-8The Potato -Mary Fell........................... R-The Fiddler of Dooney - W. B. Yeats........

final pag

ODE

We are the music-makersand we are the dreamers of dreams,Wandering by lone sea breakers,And sitting in desolate streams; - Wor

losers and world-forsakers,On whom the pale moon gleams:

Yet we are the movers and shakersOf the world for ever, it seems.

Arthur OShaughnessy (1844-81)

Updated March 12, 2006www.karenashbrook.com


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About the 2005 Sligo Creek Hedge SchoolsChildrens Irish Session & this Booklet

The childrens Irish music session at Nanny OBriens in Washington, D.C. started in

January of 1998. Inspired by a house session with Jim Coogan, an Irish accordionplayer visiting from New York, I realized that a regular session was the only way tohelp my students (and my son) build and retain repertoire while having fun. Littledid I suspect how successful it would be. Every month we see new faces. Many ofthe tunes in this booklet were brought to the session by the children. The sessionhas also led to the start of the Sligo Creek Hedge School - a childrens Irish musicand arts camp.

Aside from the fact the session is fun, I do this because I love seeing the childrenplay and I finally feel like I am giving back to the tradition. Thanks to the manymusicians who have helped me learn over the years - Danny Lennihan fromCounty Limerick; Roger Sherlock in London; Philippe Varlet, Brendan Mulvihill and

Billy McComiskey are but a few that shared their time and tunes with me.

Thanks to the ONeill Malcom Branch of Comhaltas Celtoiri Eireann for financialsupport for these booklets. CCE was formed in Dublin in 1950 to promote Irishculture, dance, music, language and literature. It now has 460 branches around theworld including Moscow, Tokyo and Anchorage. Our local branch runs ceilis, musicclasses, a feis (dance competition) and a festival. The CCE homepage iswww.comhaltas.com.

Thanks for chordal help from Paul Oorts. The chords are only a suggestion andshould be treated as such.

Our session has met for 6 years in the backroom of Nanny OBriens Pub. Nannyswas wonderful host for many years. In January 2005 we moved the session up toMrs. OLearys Pub, at 555 Quince Orchard Dr in Gaithersburg, MD (corner ofClopper Rd and Quince Orchard). Come join us on the second Monday night ofeach month, 7:00-8:30 p.m. Musicians (under 18) get free drinks !

Karen Ashbrook301/592-0101

[email protected] http://karenashbrook.com


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POLKAS


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Rakes of MalloPolka/ March

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O'Donnell AbooMarch


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The RosetreeMarch

The Dawning of the DayMarch

P-6


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HORNPIPES


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The Belfast Hornpipe (simple version)

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The Stack of BarleyHornpip

Home Ruler HornpipFrank McCallu

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JIGS


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MorrisonsJig

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My Darling Asleep

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Charlie Mulvihills Jigcomposed by Charlie Mulvihill

The Butterfly

Slip Jig

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The Weaver'sSl

Another Jig Will DoSlip


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Swallowtail Jig


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Connaughtman's RamblesJig

Sleep Waltzfor mew

Get old enough so you wont have much to fear.By then, the music plays inside your headand everything beautiful must be learned by ear.

In the bathroom mirror I behold my wear and tear.In our bedroom I try to levitate in bed.Get old enough so you wont have much to fear.

Meanwhile, my son at six wants to keep me nearand we sing together every night head to head.So everything beautiful must be learned by ear.

His fathers tunes, though, will one day disappearbeyond todays routines and daily bread.But get old enough so you wont have much to fear.

Remembering my mother was my first career

and the songs surrounding her on which I fed,knowing everything beautiful must be learned by ear.

We may waltz in the kitchen now, my dear,or dance out of time in our sleep instead.Get old enough so you have nothing left to fear.Everything beautiful must be learned by ear.

Terence Winch 2000 used with permission.This poem was first published in the Paris Reviewand later in the collection The Drift of Things.

J-8


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Foxhunter'sSlip Jig

Barney Brallaghan Slip Jigfrom Steve Hickman

J-9


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Rambling PitchforkJig

Kesh Jig

Jig

J-10


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REELS


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Irish & American Ree

Little Beggerman (Red Haired Boy)

R-1


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The Silver Spear

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The Glass of Beer

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Bag of PotatoesSingle Reel

The Potato

From among blind stonesthey dug out this

many-eyed beauty,jewel of the island.

Thick-skinned, like them,with a soft white center,

its value more than gems:bread and meat it was,

a heartshaped like their own,

that kept beatinguntil it blackened

and returned to the ground. -Mary Fell

What I say is that, if a fellow really likes potatoes, he must be a pretty decent sort of fellow.A.A. Milne

R-4

Humours of Tulla Single Reel


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Man of the HouseSingle Reel

Concertina ReelReel

R-6


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MISCELLANEOUS


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South Wind

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Innishere Thomas Walshused with permissiSlow Air

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Lucy Farr'sBarndancePlay with a bouncy beat

couple dances in mirror images -start on outside footHop step step, Hop step step, Hop step step & TURNREPEATHop step step & turn (4X)REPEAT M-4

MazurkaShoe the Donkey


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The Fiddler of DooneyWilliam Butler Yeats (1865-1939)

When I play on my fiddle at Dooney,Folk dance like a wave of the sea.

My cousin is priest in Kilvarnet,my brother in Mocharabui.

I passed my brother & cousinThey read in their book of prayers.

I read in my book of songsI bought at the Sligo Fair.

When we come to the end of timeTo Peter sitting in state,

He will smile on the three old spirits,

But call me first through the gate.

For the good are always merrySave by an evil chance

And the merry love the fiddleAnd the merry love to dance.

And when the folk there spy meThey will all come up to me

With Here is the Fiddler of Dooney!And dance like a wave of the sea.

***Three accomplishments well regarded in Ireland:

A clever verse, music on the harp, the art of shaving faces.

***

Uaisle a isteas le helaon

It is a sign of nobility to patronise art.


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Slaint

Three cheers for Karen Ashbrook. Let us all stand.Now three cheers for Paul Oorts, Karens right hand,And the Kids Music, Chowder and Ginger Ale BandAnd an honorable mention to the parents caravaned,And to Nanny OBriens and to Gaffney and friends,To the cooks, servers, bartenders, sessioneers, kin,And the crowd who are smoking and making a din,

(Now youll have to excuse us; this is where we came in.)

Steve Outterbridge, 2001

The sweet harmony of music not only affords us pleasures, butrenders us important services. It greatly cheers the drooping spirit,

clears the face from clouds, smoothes the wrinkled brow, checksmoroseness, promotes hilarity; of all the most pleasant things in theworld, nothing more delights and enlivens the human heart.

Giraldus Cambrensis, 12th centurytranslation T. Wright


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The Sligo Creek

Hedge Schools

Childrens

Irish Session

Booklet


childrens session book

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