|
|
Contents
8/21 - Kane Sisters
8/26 - John Doyle
10/8 - Lissa Schneckenburger
Help Promote Sunspot's Concerts
|
Summer Festivals!
Philadelphia Folk Festival
Arlo, Emmylou, Dave Grisman, Darol Anger, Crooked Still, Mammals, Footworks
Aug. 26 - 28, Schwenksville, PA
Watermelon Park Fest
Tim O'Brien, plus Kristin Andreassen and Megan Downes
Sept. 23-24, Berryville, VA.
The National Folk Festival
Oct. 7 - 9, Richmond, VA.
Steam Powered Preservation Society
Check out SPPS's music preservation work, download a few tunes and consider a donation to help keep their work going.
SPPS
|
|
|
|
What Is 'Sligo Style' Fiddling?
Yvonne and Liz Kane consider their style to be heavily influenced by South Sligo style fiddling. I know this because their web site says so, and I've been telling people that since we booked them for a Sunspot concert.
I don't know much about Irish fiddle styles, so I thought I should try to learn what Sligo style fiddling is. Liz and Yvonne's agent, Dana Henry, directed me to The Irish Fiddle, an excellent site all about Irish fiddling that includes articles on fiddle styles (one is by Martin Hayes) and an audio clip from an interview with Kevin Burke. I also looked in "The Companion to Irish Traditional Music," edited by Fintan Vallely.
Here are some very broad generalizations, drawn mostly from Eithne Vallely's article on fiddle styles in "The Companion" book.
Vallely describes four regional fiddle styles--Donegal, Sligo, Clare and Sliabh Luachra--with the regions running north to south on the western side of Ireland. Others identify more regional styles, there are individuals who have developed their own personal styles and, of course, musicians from any region may include elements from any style of fiddling in their playing.
Donegal playing features short bowing strokes, with one stroke per note, is very aggressive (Kevin Burke describes it as "brisk") and does not include as much ornamentation with the left hand. The repertoire includes tune types from Scotland. John Doherty was a renowned Donegal player from the mid-twentieth century, while Altan's Mairead Ni Mhaohaigh and Ciaran Tourish currently take Donegal fiddle playing around the world.
Sligo style is also fast and features ornamentation with both the left and right hands. The bowing is smoother, but still rhythmic. Michael Coleman, from south Sligo, was recorded in New York from 1921 through 1945. His recordings influenced many fiddle players at home in Ireland and in the U.S, so Sligo style is what many people think of when they think of Irish fiddle playing.
Clare style is slower, with fluid bowing and much ornamentation by the left hand. Kevin Burke describes it as melodic. Martin Hayes' personal style shows draws on Clare's melodic focus.
Music from the Sliabh Luachra region, on the border between Cork and Kerry, is often associated with dance tunes, and is rhythmic with ornamentation primarily from the left hand. The repertoire includes slides and polkas, but also slow airs.
The Kanes also cite East Galway style as influential on their playing. An artilce by Caoimhin Mac Aoidh on the Irish Fiddle web site describes East Galway style as slower that Sligo style, highly ornate and wistfull, and cites Paddy Fahey as an excellent exponent of the style.
Tickets for The Kanes and for John Doyle are on sale at the Sunspot web site.
The Kane Sisters
The Lyceum, Alexandria, VA
Sunday, August 21, 8 pm
 Liz and Yvonne began learning music from both their grandfather Jimmy Mullen and South Sligo musician and teacher, Mary Finn McCrudden. Along with the recordings of the Rainey brothers, their grandfather and Mary were an early influence on their music. The Raineys were travelling fiddle players in the 1950s who visited the sisters' hometown and surrounding areas.
Yvonne and Liz consider their style to be heavily influenced by South Sligo fiddle playing, the music of East Galway and in particular the fiddle playing and compositions of Paddy Fahey. In recent years, the sisters have been privileged to meet and play with Paddy, whose music plays a central role in their repertoire. The recordings of Michael Coleman, Hughie Gillespie, Andy McGann and Kathleen Collins have also made an impact on their music.
In addition to their Sunspot show on Friday, Liz and Yvonne will also be doing a fiddle workshop the next evening at the House of Musical Traditions in Tacoma Park.
Visit Liz and Yvonne's web site
John Doyle
The Lyceum, Alexandria, VA
Friday, August 26, 8 pm
 John Doyle was a founding member of the renowned Irish band Solas, which premiered at Georgetown University and was a favorite at the old Washington Irish Festival. John's unique guitar style was the base for Solas' driving traditional reels and jigs and for Karan Casey's powerfully evocative singing, while his exceptional finger-style playing complemented Karan's beautiful ballads and laments and floated beneath the band's light airs.
John released 3 CDs with Solas. After leaving Solas, John played in the Eileen Ivers band for several years. Recently, John has appeared in the DC area with Liz Carroll, Allison Brown, Tim O'Brien and Linda Thompson. He has recorded with Kate Rusby, John Williams and Cathie Ryan, among others, is in demand as an accompanist, record producer and songwriter, and has released two solo CDs and a recording of his father, Sean Doyle.
John's latest CD, Wayward Son, was released in June by Compass Records. Guest musicians on Wayward Son include Seamus Egan, Liz Carroll, Kate Rusby, John McCusker, John Williams, Tim O'Brien, Casey Driessen, Stuart Duncan, Alison Brown, Mike McGoldrick and Linda Thompson.
Read a Celtic Cafe interview with John from the release of his first CD.
Visit John's web site
Lissa Schneckenburger
The Lyceum, Alexandria, VA
Saturday, October 8, 8 pm
 Lissa Schneckenburger, a fantastic young fiddler and singer from New England, now residing in New York, will be performing at the Lyceum with her trio (double bass and guitar). Lissa also plays with Hanneke Cassel and Laura Cortese in the three-fiddle band Halali. A favorite at contra dances in the DC area and all along the east and west coasts, Lissa's virtuoso fiddling is truly able to take flight in a concert setting.
Lissa describes herself as a New England fiddler and singer, and her playing is certainly rooted in the music of her home state of Maine, but she's equally at home in the Irish and Scottish traditions, and can compose new tunes and songs that sound like they have been in the songbooks for years. People familiar with her playing who haven't heard her sing will discover that she's as talented and inventive as a vocalist as she is with her fiddle.
"The Irish Girl," a song from Lissa's newest CD, was chosen for inclusion in the Summer 2005 edition of Sing Out! magazine. Dirty Linen's Tom Nelligan says the the CD is her best work ever, combining "her always exhilarating, chord-rich fiddling with a sweet vocal style."
Tickets on sale August 26.
Visit Lissa's web site
Help Promote Sunspot's Concerts
We critically need to enlarge our audience to keep the concert series going. If the shows do not at least break even (and they have not come close yet), then at the very least we will not be able to bring in the same level of national and international performers, and might have to stop the shows altogether.
You can help us promote Sunspot concerts. Print out and post the Sunspot flyer on the bulletin board at your office, school, apartment building or church, or give it to your friends. Leave a few copies at your local book or record store or post it with their other concert or community announcements (please ask permission first). You could even put up a copy on the bulletin board at your neighborhood grocery store, or anywhere else that you see public notices posted.
Click the link below to open the flyer in Adobe Reader, then save it to your PC's hard drive. You can also right click on the link and then click on the "Save Target As" choice in the pop-up menu.
The flyer is 8 1/2 by 11 inches (letter size) and prints equally well in color or black & white. To open and print the flyer, you'll need a copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader
If you distribute the flyer, leave a comment on our website or send an email to let us know you have joined our street team, and be sure to say hello at the next show.
Thanks for you help!
Download Sunspot's August Flyer
|
|
