Wednesday, January 2, 2008

...



I had the usual startlingly life affirming folksy time in the Southern Uplands for New year. I feel like most of what I thought and learned was about dancing, even though I didn't do much but play for others. I don't need to explain about that here do I?

Here I am practicing in a cold room with Leo, Pete and Laura:



Here on New Year's Eve, playing saw for Rick Booth and Dolly May Ryall (which I will likely be doing again somewhere in London later this month):



Again, joined by Fred Ryall:



Me and Pete and Leo and Laura (and in the first song; me singing in public for the first time ever):



This is Si and Rachel (who live in an incredible place at the foot of Tinto Hill incidentally) playing old French dance tunes for people who dance whether you tell them to or not:



Dolly May and Rick alone:



And just to cement your Wicker Man suspicions:



5 comments:

Anonymous said...

so glad you were there; so glad Leo and Laura were there; so glad I was there ...

and a happy new year to you

p

hornbycait said...

So sorry we weren't there... Thanks for sharing these here though and giving us a little of the vicarious pleasure you alluded to! Splendid performances all (I would expect no less.

Here's to next year...?

Paula Bowles said...

It amazes me how people make music together, it must be a really nice feeling! Me and my 2 housemates are imagining making a band together this year - they have a blue trumpet, a mandolin and I will soon have a drum kit... we just need to learn to play now!

Happy new year :o)

produção said...

Hello joel! I hope you're having a peacefull beggining of year. Tell me, do you know the name of the tune played in the video by Si and Rachel? I decided to learn it, its a great scottish!
Thank you, best wishes

Joel Stewart said...

Hi Celina,
Happy New Year!
Yes, mine is peaceful so far, if a little solitary. There are three tunes there. I don't know the names. I can see if my dad does, because I recognise the first one and the last from dancing. The last one might be called Evelyn maybe? After the person that wrote it, but perhaps my memory is playing tricks. I'd ask Si and Rachel but I don't think that they have e-mail in the Yurt...