Dr Banjo on learning to hear chord changes

The Deering Banjo Company announces the second episode of their new 'Pete's Place' feature, in which Pete 'Dr Banjo' Wernick shows "how to hear the chords to a new tune when you are at a jam. This is an essential skill to learn so you can enter any jam and play along whether you know the tunes or not." This substantial body of advice, like last week's, originally appeared in Banjo News Letter.

Deering also include a link to the BandCamp page for Michael J. Miles's new album American Bach revisited, and another for buying copies of Pete Wernick's classis Bluegrass songbook, with words and melody lines for over 130 songs, together with much good advice from many of the creators of bluegrass singing.

© Richard Hawkins

Omagh 2023: a personal note

The BIB editor writes:

The BIB published last week (7 June) a comprehensive report on Bluegrass Omagh 2023 by Declan Fox, and a link to Eilis Boland's equally solid report on the Festival on Lonesome Highway. Both reports came from responsible journalists who took care to see all the acts on the bill. The following, in contrast, is a jumble of personal impressions; and if it mentions only a few of the acts, this should not be taken as any derogation of the others.

My general impression of the Festival was overwhelmingly positive; the only serious criticism I heard from others was how long the queues were for food and drink. Over the decades Omagh has built a reputation for presenting A-listers of the bluegrass world. Budget constraints prevented this in 2023, and some fans may have been disappointed; but not me. The PA systems made everyone sound good: understandably, I specially enjoyed the tone of the banjos of Michael Ashe (Broken Strings) and Ben Krakauer (Zoe & Cloyd) - the latter's style was a remarkable combination of a left hand that matched the melodic complexity of klezmer music, and a right hand that brought out the banjo's essential percussiveness.

Any mention of instrument tone at Omagh has to include the powerful mandolin sound of Matteo Ringressi (Truffle Valley Boys) - Buzz Busby might have envied it - and the banjo of Germano Ciavone. There was a sound in the audience's response to the Truffle Valley Boys that suggested that a fair number of people welcomed their music and their stage presence at least as much as I did.

The peak musical experience for me, however, came from hearing Janet Henry sing 'Sunny side of the mountain' - the words exactly the same as Jimmy Martin's, but at a tempo and with feeling that revealed that this can be a heartbreaking song. I gather that this treatment was inspired by the singing of Wil Maring (USA) - whose version, accompanied by the fiddle of Robert Bowlin, can be heard on YouTube. Good though they are, I would back Janet Henry's voice when it comes to music that can break hearts.

The photo above of Colin and Janet Henry, from the Ulster American Folk Park website, dates from before the Festival. They were supported there by Ivan Muirhead on lead guitar.

All possible thanks are due to Richard Hurst and his team, who have deserved them annually since 1992.

© Richard Hawkins

The latest BU and BBN

The Sept. 2022 issue of Bluegrass Unlimited magazine includes a five-page feature on Tom Mindte, leader of the Patuxent Partners (last here in 2015) and owner of Patuxent Records; and three pages on Canadian mandolinist Andrew Collins, who toured here with the Foggy Hogtown Boys in 2009. The rest of the issue is full of equally good stuff, including an inspiring story by Chuck Dunlop (with cartoon strips by Jim Scancarelli) of how his 1947 Martin D-18 was stolen in 1972, was recovered forty-nine years later in 2021, and (after restoration) continues to delight its owner.

*

The cover story of the summer 2022 issue of British Bluegrass News (magazine of the British Bluegrass Music Association (BBMA)) is Matt Hutchinson's interview with London's The Vanguards (above), who were headliners at the 2017 Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival, provided the music for the festival's launch party in 2019, and followed that with five other shows in Ireland. Their first studio album, South of the river, is reviewed in this issue by Hilary Gowen. Among other features are an interview with luthier Phil Davidson, a report on the Battlefield Bluegrass Festival (July), another on a band's trip to this year's EWOB Festival in the Netherlands, and an introduction to sources on old-time music.

The BIB, however, specially recommends 'The joy of singing - at last!', a brief article by Eris Kwiatkowski, who had written himself off as 'unable to sing' until a qualified singing teacher showed him correct breathing and voice production. Eric writes: 'Don't assume you can't sing, and don't listen to anyone who says you can't.' This advice is genuinely capable of changing one's life.

© Richard Hawkins

Singer/ songwriter Zoom concert from Arklow Roots Music, 23 Oct. 2021

Thanks to Brendan O'Regan of Arklow Roots Music in Co. Wicklow, for the news that he will present an online concert on Zoom on Saturday 23 October, with US singer/ songwriter Jesse Terry, supported by Gillian Tuite from Co. Meath and Lynda Cullen from Co. Wexford - three singer/ songwriters in the round. Brendan adds: 'Those interested need to e-mail to book.' The image above is from the Facebook Event Page.

© Richard Hawkins

Songs with clawhammer banjo, from Pat Kelleher

Thanks to Pat Kelleher of Dripsey, Co. Cork, for letting the BIB use these videos of his clawhammer-banjo arrangements for two songs: 'Wayfaring stranger' (above) and Elizabeth 'Libba' Cotten's 'Freight train' (below). The banjo shown here has the normal length of neck; Pat is highly regarded for his long-neck-banjo playing.



© Richard Hawkins

César Benzoni - how to sing harmony in bluegrass and country music (update)

Thanks to César Benzoni (left; see the BIB for 6 Apr. and 21 Apr.), who sends this news from Galway:

I'm putting a series of videos on my YouTube channel on how to sing harmonies, and I'm trying to find a sweet spot in being bluegrass but also country music, to get a wider range of people.

This is number one, and this is the full performance of the song mentioned in the lesson ['I don't believe you've met my baby', as sung by the Louvin Brothers].

BIB editor's note: César's first video, twelve minutes long, deals with the fundamentals of harmony, and demonstrates duet singing with 'I don't believe you've met my baby' and 'When I stop dreaming', ending with an opportunity for the viewer to sing both parts of the first of these.

His skill as a video editor makes it possible to show him accompanying himself, and this is taken a stage further in the shorter second video, where two Césars perform the duet with guitar and mandolin. The following videos on trio and quartet harmony should be equally well worth watching.

Update 8 June: César has now added the third video in the series, on three-part harmony, to his YouTube channel. Eight minutes long, it can be seen here. The song 'Cool water' is used for examples.

© Richard Hawkins

Sacred Harp Singers of Dublin: forward with safety

Following on from their announcement a week ago, Sacred Harp Singers of Dublin (SHSoD) met on 9 Oct. to discuss how to organise continuing singings, in accordance with the government's 'Resilience and recovery 2020-2021: Plan for living with COVID-19'. (A recording of the meeting is available from SHSoD.)

In addition to the COVID-19 attendance form, which should be downloaded and completed by anyone intending to attend a singing session, SHSoD have added a 'Singing safely checklist' to their website, listing procedures that will be carried out before, during, and after singings. They announce:

Our future singings will be run in line with these documents. The health and safety of our singers is extremely important to us, and we thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

Sacred Harp Singers of Dublin: COVID precautions

Sacred Harp Singers of Dublin have issued a COVID-19 attendance form which can be downloaded and should be completed by anyone intending to attend a singing session. The Dublin group add this warning:

If you answer Yes to any of the questions below, please do not attend. We strongly recommend you self-isolate at home and contact your GP promptly for further advice.

There may be a problem with the link for opening this form if you have received the news in an e-mail from Sacred Harp Singers of Dublin; however, the link shown above seems OK. This news follows upon the group's report in June:

During Phase 2, some of our regular members have been trialing outdoor gatherings of fewer than 15 people, maintaining distance and wearing face masks. Our experience with this is that we can sing successfully and safely but due to weather and other people in the area we are not able to guarantee that singings will go ahead. For that reason, we will not publish times and dates of planned singings. If you are interested in attending, please get in touch with me or one of the other singers and we can discuss when and how we can sing together. As always, we are delighted to welcome beginners and newcomers (and old friends!).

A treat (update)

The Wilson Pickins agency (USA) announce in their latest press release that Ronnie Reno's TV show 'Reno's Old Time Music' recently featured an interview with the legendary Bobby Osborne and master fiddler Glen Duncan, leading up to a video - recorded under lockdown conditions - of the Don Gibson song 'I can't stop loving you', with Bobby (of course) singing lead.

Watch the video here. It's a remarkable demonstration of the voice of a supreme bluegrass singer: one notices first the power, precision, and clarity, then the astonishing range and the subtlety of phrasing and timing. Bobby Osborne will be 89 in December. However much you watch, don't miss the last seconds.

Update 4 Sept.: More information is in John Lawless's post on Bluegrass Today.

Sacred Harp in No Depression - and from Cork, too

In its '50 States of Folk' series, No Depression magazine posted on 21 Aug. an article by Kara Kundert entitled 'The Sacred Harp of Henagar, Alabama'. Though Kundert singles out Liberty Baptist Church in Henagar, Alabama, as an important centre, the article is a much more wide-ranging survey of Sacred Harp singing and serves well as a general introduction to this powerful genre.

Moreover, one of the videos embedded in the text shows 146 'Hallelujah' being sung at the second Ireland Sacred Harp Convention (3-4 March 2012). This can also be seen on YouTube, where it is one of the many videos on the Cork Sacred Harp YouTube channel. (The Cork Sacred Harp logo is shown above because it's neat; with no disrespect to the Sacred Harp communities in Belfast, Dublin, and Galway.)

A playlist of thirty-second samples of shape-note singing is appended to the article.

Sacred Harp Singers of Dublin and new pandemic guidance

Sacred Harp Singers of Dublin have just added the following announcement to their website:

From 29 July Ireland will enter Phase 3 of easing COVID-19 restrictions. Singing is permitted subject to specific guidance published by the government. We are keen to ensure the health and safety of our members and the general public and will follow these guidelines.

We will not be resuming our regular Friday night singings during Phase 3 as our venue has been used for other, very worthy, causes and it is not currently available to us. During Phase 2, some of our regular members have been trialing outdoor gatherings of fewer than 15 people, maintaining distance and wearing face masks. Our experience with this is that we can sing successfully and safely but due to weather and other people in the area we are not able to guarantee that singings will go ahead. For that reason, we will not publish times and dates of planned singings. If you are interested in attending, please get in touch with me or one of the other singers and we can discuss when and how we can sing together. As always, we are delighted to welcome beginners and newcomers (and old friends!).

Bluegrass Omagh 2020: the last act

THE programme of Virtual Bluegrass Omagh 2020 ended on Sunday night with a concise equivalent of the 'Spirit of bluegrass' gospel concerts that have ended Omagh festivals over past years - just three-and-a-half minutes of the Appalachian Roadshow (USA) delivering 'I am just a pilgrim' as a vocal quartet backed by a single guitar. As with their full band number on Friday night's show, this is a model of how it should be done. See it here.

Sacred Harp singings suspended in Dublin till further notice

Following the suspension of their March singing session, Sacred Harp Singers of Dublin have just added the following new post, 'Suspended singing', to their website and Facebook. Links have been added by the BIB.

Our regular Friday singings will also be suspended during April, and until further notice. Please keep an eye on the Facebook, Meetup, or WordPress sites for when we will resume. Keep well, and thanks.

Old Time Gathering workshop and dance schedule announced

Thanks to Andrew Lambert for a copy of the schedule that has been sent to all persons who are already registered for this coming weekend's 3rd Annual Irish Old Time Appalachian Music Gathering in Lisdoonvarna, Co. Clare. The workshop schedule will be flexed where possible to fit participants’ needs.

On Saturday morning Clay Buckner will be tutoring in fiddle technique at all levels, and in the afternoon mandolin accompaniment and tunes, all in the upper room of the Roadside Tavern. He will be available to teach old-time fiddle style there on Sunday morning if there is a demand.

Bob Denton will be tutoring technique on 5-string banjo at all levels on Saturday morning, and in the afternoon guitar accompaniment - all in the Burren Smokehouse.

Jeremy Child will give two introductory workshops in contra dance on Saturday afternoon in the Burren Storehouse.

The shape-note singing workshop, to be given by Ross Harbison on Saturday afternoon in the Burren Smokehouse) is free. Admission to each of the other workshops is €10 per person. Admission to the concert and barn-dance on Saturday night in the Storehouse is free to all those who have registered and paid to attend the Gathering, and is €10 for anyone else.

Cork Sacred Harp celebrates a decade with 10th Annual Convention, 29 Feb.-1 Mar. 2020

Thanks to Laurie Skelton of Cork Sacred Harp for this logo and press release (a fine introduction to Sacred Harp singing for those who are new to it):

Cork Sacred Harp will host the tenth annual Ireland Sacred Harp Singing Convention on 29 February through 1 March 2020 at St Maries of the Isle on Bishop St. in Cork city.

The Sacred Harp Singers of Cork have been meeting every week to sing melodies from the Sacred Harp for over a decade. Drop by the Unitarian Church on Princes Street any Thursday at 7.00 p.m. and, as you walk through the front door, you’ll be met with a booming chorus of voices singing a cappella 'shape-note' harmonies. Once inside, however, you may be surprised to find the number of people singing rarely matches the impressive sound heard from the street. In the centre of the room, somewhere between seven and fifteen people are seated in a small cluster of chairs arranged in a square formation. Here, the community is small and the voices are big.

Sacred Harp music isn’t your typical choral music and Sacred Harp singers aren’t your typical choral singers. The music itself uses a system of 'shape notes' — comprised of squares, triangles, circles, and diamonds—as an extra visual aid for reading music. When singing a song from the book, singers first 'sing the shapes' on the page as syllables before singing the song with the words. Singers are typically — though not required to be —untrained, and sing in their full voice. Some come to singing through generations of family tradition, while others simply fall into it.

Over the past ten years, the group gathering to sing every week in Cork has fluctuated, occasionally growing and occasionally shrinking. Sometimes twenty people show up. Sometimes four. But the spirit has never wavered and the singing has never stopped. And, no matter how small the group becomes, their numbers swell exponentially each year in March as hundreds of singers from all over the world show up to Cork for the annual Ireland Sacred Harp Convention — come rain or sleet or snow.

The Ireland Sacred Harp Convention is one of the largest in Europe and draws quite the crowd of shape-note singers from all across Europe and North America. The sound is impressive and the atmosphere is both warm and welcoming. Singing along is highly encouraged. To get a sense of what the music sounds like, you can find recordings from Cork Sacred Harp on YouTube and Bandcamp. For those interested in participating, all voices are welcome and no experience is necessary. More details are available on Facebook, on Meetup, and at corksacredharp.com.

Thurs. 27 Feb. 2020: 19.00–21.00, weekly singing in the Unitarian, Princes St., Cork
Fri. 28 Feb. 2020: 19.00–21.00, Singing School with Sadhbh O'Flynn in St Maries of the Isle, Bishop St., Cork
Sat. 29 Feb.-Sun. 1 Mar. 2020: 10.30–16.00, Tenth Ireland Convention in St Maries of the Isle, Bishop St., Cork (09.30-10.00; registration on both days)

Background to a new release

The BIB editor writes:

The Bonfire Music Group announce the release of the new five-track EP Rise and fly by The Barefoot Movement (also on Facebook). The Nashville-based Americana band, made up of Noah Wall (vocals, fiddle), Tommy Norris (mandolin), Alex Conerly (guitar, vocals), and Katie Blomarz (bass, vocals), were 'Band of the Year' in the IBMA Momentum awards of 2014.

'Early in the morning', the lead single of the EP, was released on 22 November, and the EP title Rise and fly comes from words in that song. You can see and hear the Barefoot Movement's video of the single on YouTube.

Announced as 'a remake of a traditional recording', it adapts a work song sung in 1947 at the Mississippi State Penitentiary by four inmates - '22', Little Red, Tangle Eye, and Hard Hair - and recorded by Alan Lomax. In work songs the rhythm, the drive, the energy, and the length of the song arise directly from the work being done, and on top of this '22' and his fellows delivered 'Early in the morning' in an intense, complex polyphonic style.

The Barefoot Movement adopt a similar complex vocal arrangement, but add instruments and drop three of the five original verses. If you hear their version, I suggest you listen to the Lomax recording as well. I first heard it on the Pye-Nixa album Murderers' home (cover image above right), all the tracks of which can be heard here. The members of Prison Love will know what I'm talking about.

Sacred Harp Singers of Dublin news

Sacred Harp Singers of Dublin have just added the following new post, '2020 Vision', to their website. Links have been added by the BIB. For further details, see the Dublin Sacred Harp Facebook.

Hello singing friends!

We have some exciting plans for this year, beginning with an adventure singing trip to Florence on 15 February.

We have just updated our All-Day tab to include information for our full day singing event on Saturday 4 July 2020. We are fortunate to be singing in the National Museum of Ireland at Collins Barracks this year and we’re really looking forward to it.

Many of us will be making singing trips to other singing locations throughout the year – some of these include the Ireland Convention in Cork [27 Feb.-2 Mar.] and the Paris All-Day.

We will also be participating in Culture Night in September.

We sing every Friday, 19.00–21.00. All voices welcome, especially newcomers and beginners.

Hope to sing with you soon!

Lisdoonvarna 2020 - THE hub for old-time music!

From Andrew Lambert and Bob Denton, organisers of the Annual Irish Old-Time Appalachian Music Gathering, to all lovers of old-time music:

Greetings, and Happy New Year,

We hope you’ll be coming to the 3rd (and only) All-Ireland Old Time Appalachian Music Gathering. It should be a cracker!

We are continuing with our quest to get the old-time music enthusiasts of Ireland to meet once a year, and thus emulate in a small way what the Trad Irish music community has been doing for decades at the Fleadh and the Willie Clancy week.

We meet on 21-23 February in Lisdoonvarna. This year we are sticking our neck out and paying air fares, etc., for both a top musician to lead our sessions – Clay Buckner, fiddler with the mighty Red Clay Ramblers – and for a caller to lead the barndance on Saturday night (Jeremy Child).

Responding to demand, we have also included an added dimension of Appalachian musical culture, by inviting Shape-Note singers to join the weekend. Some of them have already attended as musicians.

As in year 1, we will offer some instrumental and dance workshops, plus a Shape-Note singing workshop for those who are interested. We will post an outline programme on the website shortly, including listing of workshops.

As you know, we only ask that attendees put €10 a head into the pot (€15 if registering after 31 Jan.) so that we can hopefully cover at least some of our costs. A good turnout of locals on Saturday night (concert/ barndance) will help.

PLEASE REGISTER YOUR ATTENDANCE ON THE WEBSITE – otherwise we can’t plan. Do so before 31 Jan. and it’s only €10.

While this year the Sleepzone Hostel will not be open*, the Ritz and Ravine are offering B&B at only €35 per head; and the Boghill Centre just outside Lisdoonvarna offers hostel-style accommodation for those who want it. Also check local Air BNBs and see our accommodation page on the website for a few more tips.

So we are really looking forward to re-creating the great buzz of the last two years, and having a great weekend of music and more.

See you in Lisdoonvarna!

Andy & Bob
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*A few folks felt that the Sleepzone Hostel was a bit damp last year. Sleepzone have decided it is just not economic to prepare properly just for one weekend (out-of-season) and then close down again.

Web links and bold type above have been added by the BIB.

Cork Sacred Harp hosts ninth All-Day Singing, 24 Aug. 2019

Thanks to Laurie Skelton of Cork Sacred Harp for this press release:

Cork Sacred Harp will host its ninth annual Sacred Harp All-Day Singing on 24 August 2019 at St Finbarre's Hall on Dean St. in Cork city. 



Sacred Harp singing, a folk tradition with strong ties to the southern United States, has been thriving in Cork for over a decade. There are a lot of peculiarities about the musical style, but the first thing most people notice is that it's loud. Very loud. Unlike conventional choirs, Sacred Harp singers sing in their full natural voices, which produces a powerful sound capable of booming down corridors and rattling windowpanes.

The second thing people tend to notice is the unfamiliar musical notation. Sacred Harp music uses a system of shaped notes — composed of squares, triangles, circles, and diamonds — to represent the solfège syllables (e.g. fa, so, la, and mi) of the scale. This system, dating from at least the late eighteenth century, was developed as a teaching aid to make reading music easier for beginners. To learn a new tune, participants first sing the notes on the page as syllables before singing the song with the words.



The Cork Sacred Harp All-Day Singing consistently draws seasoned shape-note singers from all across Europe. Spectators are welcome, but singing along is highly encouraged! To get a sense of what the music sounds like, you can find recordings from Cork Sacred Harp on YouTube and Bandcamp. For those interested in participating, all voices are welcome and no experience is necessary! More details are available on Facebook, on Meetup, and at corksacredharp.com.

Thurs. 22nd: 19.00–21.00, weekly singing in the Unitarian, Princes St., Cork
Fri. 23rd: 19.00–21.00, singing school with Matthew Parkinson of Bristol in the Unitarian, Princes St., Cork
Sat. 24th: 10.30–16.00, All-Day Singing in St Finbarre's Hall, Dean St., Cork

The Tenth Ireland Sacred Harp Convention will be held on the last weekend in February 2020 (details TBA). The Sacred Harp Singers of Cork can be contacted by corksacredharp@gmail.com, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Appalachian singing workshop in Dublin, 12 June 2019

Thanks to Derek Copley of the Dublin old-time-music community for the news that Elizabeth LaPrelle and her mother Sandy (above) will be giving a singing workshop in the Cobblestone, 77 King St. North, Dublin D07 TP22, a week from now (Wednesday 12 June) from 6.00 to 7.00 p.m. The event Facebook page says:

For all singing enthusiasts, an opportunity to learn from two experts in the Old Time and Appalachian singing traditions, mother and daughter Elizabeth LaPrelle and Sandy Newlin LaPrelle from Rural Retreat, Virginia. Entry is €10. ***No reservation necessary - payment will be taken on arrival.***

The workshop will be followed by a special off-schedule session with The Night Before Larry Got Stretched, featuring Elizabeth and Sandy as guests (free admission).