31st October 2008

What a night. Old Hallow's Eve. I've just looked out the window and seen three witches and a warlock getting into a 4x4 carrying a huge amount of alcohol and a large broom. I wonder where they are going? To sit on some hilltop somewhere and sing ghoulish songs to each other and cook up pots of broth? I doubt it. The weather isn't conducive to outdoor pursuits such as this.

I've recovered from the Festival Club Flu. It took a while. Celtic Colours in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia is a festival and a half – but the flu which gets passed around is a scunner. At least it's on its way out now. I had a great time with the concerts – Carlos Nunez' and his band, with the addition of the Cuban pipers and the Blue Engine String Quartet in a huge hall/ice rink in Port Hawkesbury. What an opening night though! He is such a showman – it's hard not to be caught up in his majestic flamboyance. With the girly trio (Karine Polwart and Annie Grace) we played in Sydney's Big Fiddle, Membertou (Celtic Comedy with Bette MacDonald and Maynard Morrison – whose acts were exceptional, especially her Mary Morrison!), and Cheticamp (the windiest place on Cape Breton I am sure). All fine concerts, run in close-knit communities with their attention to detail and their desire to make sure all the visitors have as good a time as possible. You just can't fault it – it's a dream to meet everyone, and get to know even just a little about the place and the people. I would recommend this festival to everyone. And the colours on the trees, just turning as we were there. Joella and Max, the Festival Directors, have such great vision, and that's what powers the vibrancy of the festival. I love it.
And that's just a small part of the festival. There is also the drivers and their humour, energy, constant smiles, attention to detail, tablet in the office, and their stamina! I love them all too. Hmmm, this blog is becoming sycophantic and I don't mean it to be. It's a bloody good time, that's it.
I had a lovely Sunday. It started with me going to see a gig! You can read all about it in Karine's blog. The Coming Home show with a host of singer-songwriters, having been living together for a week, creating a beautiful selection of new songs, all deeply moving in their own way, all sung with heart (and probably some fear due to them being so new) and an incredibly moving experience to behold. I then went on to Louisbourg Fortress on the East of the island, to help create a show with the Quebecois band Genticorum (ah what a superb band!), and Cape Breton's own Mary-Jane Lamond, Wendy MacIsaac and Patrick Gilles. I don't know – maybe it was where I had just been that put me in such a good place, but I had a lovely, lovely time here. Okay it was cold (mittens on in between numbers…) and there is no electricity (it having been built in the 1600's), so no light, but the candles and the atmosphere in the chapel made for a magical event. I have done this a few times in past visits to the festival, my first being where I met the inimitable Laoise Kelly, (which I'll never forget), and one where Maggie McInnes broke her arm through not seeing too well in the darkness (again, I'll never forget – mainly because I fretted about her all night and had to go to bed through worrying, and when I woke the next day it turned out she had been dosing up on whisky, and had conga-ed her way through the club all night…). Ha! Good times.

I spent a lot of time with Annie Grace – we had French Onion soup in Baddeck which surprisingly had half a pound of cheese in the bottom of it, which proved a tad difficult to eat! But they did a perfect soya latte which I adore (having only found out recently I am allergic to dairy I'm still finding out what and how to manage to eat when on tour). And we bought shoes in the Outdoor Shop, which proved easy, with a couple of visits! And we spent time at the Festival Club, which again proved easy with a bit of energy (helped by breakfasts at 4am with Cuban pipers playing in the pancakes…) And had a tune with Liam O Maonlai one night, but was so spaced out with the flu by then, I can hardly remember what went on. Good craic though. And on the last Sunday, I was driving precious cargo consisting of Lori and Innes Watson, John Somerville and Annie to a Thanksgiving Dinner and nearly running out of petrol while getting lost driving around Bouladerie, but being saved by Jim's lawnmower. Man, that was a tad worrying. But no need. The dinner was superb, the pumpkin pie was magical, and the company too. We had to go then, to head for the airport. Ach, none of us wanted to leave.

Oh yeah, and the trio did some recording at Sound Park Studios – with Jamie Foulds engineering. And it will be hard to go anywhere else again after that. He is magic, doing edits which are done while you are still breathing in to tell him about. So we may have something for you in the future. It was a learning experience as all recording is. I enjoyed it – we created some beautiful music. And I think we will do more. But no promises as to when it is out. It'll take a bit more time. But worth the wait I think.

Hope your Halloween is a good one. Have fun. I'm off to watch a scary film now.

Travels in America

June and July 2008

Travelled to Ohio this year to teach at the Ohio Scottish Arts School, which is held in Oberlin every year. Fiddle from Mike Vass and Ed Pearlman, Highland Dancing from a troop of amazing women, all of whom I met slightly but not really, Pipe Band Drumming and Highland Pipes, and Harp led by Sue Richards. We had Ann Heymann doing the wire harp, Sharon Knowles, Sue R, Kelly Stewart, and myself teaching harp, all kinds of technical levels and all kinds of approaches to playing, learning, creating, and general harptastic stuff. The sessions are always the oddest things about the course, as there is no 'one place' to meet. And the courses are split into different halls, so you have to go and wander to find other instrument players. I have never been a full on session player, preferring to join with whoever is there, rather than desperately needing to get one started. But I know it was an amazing thing to be involved in when I was growing up, and I relished every second of playing with other people, so I try to make sure everyone gets a chance to feel that and participate.

And the whole thing is a total hoot, with good times from beginning to end, and support from good friends. I recommend this course highly to anyone in USA! It's a wonderful experience.

I then went on to stay in Gettysburg with the most splendid of hosts Sharon and John Knowles. And their amazing cat Felix. He, in comparison to Hobbes, is a HUGE cat and is happy enough when the house is full of people and he is able to pick a lap to crash out on. Sharon is Scottish, so I immediately could understand her (not that I couldn't understand anyone else, but her tone was a Scottish tone compared to an American tone, which is entirely different. She has a soft lilting voice, and her husband John has also, which I adored.) I did a house concert at Stone Jug, and loved every minute of my time there. The audience were really receptive, and I was surprised to have sold out the place, considering having never been there before. I think the Scottish temperament and craic is much loved, and I was proud to be playing and singing from my tradition – it felt really good. I also got to sit out on the porch swinging on a beautiful old wooden bench. I got to sit drinking beer on a beautiful wooden rocking chair and watch the lightning bugs doing their thing across the field in front of the house. And got to meet some lovely players who came for lessons, in singing and harp. I was taken to Dan's house for the 4th July celebrations, sitting outside in front of the pool, watching the neighbours (and family) fireworks. It rained the whole time, and was incredibly misty. I felt very at home. And I was taken to West Virginia to a pipers session, which was full of old Highland tunes I hadn't played since the sessions in Balnain House all those years ago. It was also a retirement do, which was very memorable. Came away with lots of tunes, hats, homemade creams and potions and lots of new pals). And met a hammer dulcimer player or two (totally new to me in a a session!), and generally had a lovely time. And a rest. And a visit round the Gettysburg battle fields with John, who was a great guide and friend. It all started to make sense. Although war never makes sense. But when you are standing on the battlefield and can see the size of the terrain, like standing on Culloden fields, it makes it a bit more real, and takes it out of the text books simplicity. And I didn't want to leave. I really didn't want to go. I have never felt that "pleeeease …. Let me staaaaaaay here …." feeling before when travelling. Usually I'm happy to move on, always wanting to experience something new. But not this time. I would have moved in….

So onwards, via a few days in Rockville to sample homemade soups and catch up on some Swedish tunes with Sue Richards, to Washington DC and the Somerset Folk Harp Festival, organised by Gerry Serviente. This was her last year as producer, handing over to Kathy DeAngelo for the forthcoming years. Kathy has a beautiful old Camac Aziliz harp (with very old strings which I hear she has changed since I made such a fuss about!) which she lent me for workshops and performances. Although I also borrowed a lovely Larry Fisher harp for the craic – its such a bright wee thing. Anyway, it's an extravaganza of harpers from all over America, showing off their harps, their music, their love of the instrument. I was blown away by the intensity of it all, and felt a little out of my depth – I mean, it's just a harp. But wow. The amercians do conferences best. There was constant music, classes, workshops, sessions, vendors selling everything harp related, and general good times. I met a zillion lovely people. I went to a party on the 25th floor with homemade beer. I had my aura read. I met a few people who I'd met when I was at the Lyon and Healy Pop and Jazz Harpfest all those years ago. I had a massage. I met a huge hair colouring conference which was going on next door (haha I have pink hair just now, so they all keep steering me into their room for discussions, when I was heading for the harpers rooms!)

And all was a good time. The hospitality was overwhelming, the chat and friendship was immense, and I have fond, fond memories of my time there. I recommend all harpers to go and get involved in these things. Sharing your passion, however early you are into it, is worth its weight in gold. Playing with others can open your mind to new things, new sounds, and will forever make you a better player. One who can listen, as well as play. One who can share their music, not keep it to themselves. That's what it's all about.

And I haven't mentioned the Millenium Pond, or the baby ducks that decided they weren't going to learn to swim. Or the cats (apart from Felix) who I met on the way. Or the spongy toilet seat… Or the 9 hour drive through the Appalachian mountains (and then back again…) with Jen the wonderwoman. Or the time all the students dyed their hair pink, and tied pink ribbons through it, for the big sing under the giant Weeping Birch tree. (which I will never forget – that was a moving experience forever in my heart). Or the million dollar note which freaked me out, as it turns out I am going to hell, not heaven! …well if I believed in that… it was wasted on me I'm sorry to say. And…and ..it's too much.

Well I'm still sitting in my jammies. I need to get dressed. But I had promised this blog so many months ago, I had to do it when the energy hit me!

It took me a fair while to get over it I must say. And that is a whole different story. Which I will tell you about at some point soon.

Corrina

heading to Canada

Heading off to the Celtic Colours Festival in Cape Breton in a few days with a variety of gigs with the girly trio. Also doing an extravaganza of a gig with CARLOS NUNEZ!!! Which means a hell of a lot of learning music for me - jee wiz the small harp and the pedal harp are quite different beasts. So I am adapting some of the padal harp music for Scottish harp. And enjoying the challenge. And cursing him at the same time... looking forward to some studio time with Karine and Annie - we are going into Jamie Foulds studio in Cape Breton to put down the tracks we've been working on over the past year. I'll keep you posted as to how we get on. 

And I never told you about the March incidents where my mum and David's mum and aunt both had big accidents and have been suffering ever since. As it wasn't something I could talk about then. And don't really want to talk about now. I should have gotten myself to the World Harp Congress which was at the end of July this year, but my mum in law went back into hospital for a serious operation to fix what was happening inside her, so I didn't go. there was just too much going on here to take off to Amsterdam. I wish I had gone... but I was glad to be here and glad she was okay in the end. Wow life is so precious. What a year it has been in that respect.

But good news ahead...

All the best, I doubt I'll be in touch til I get back from Cape Breton, so that'll be the end of October. May your leaves hang on til the last minute, and the sun shine on you every day.

corrina X