Re: Sit-Ins (sessions)/MORE

[G.Jackson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Hi again,

	APOLOGY COMING UP FIRST:

I have just reviwed what I have written below (a rare thing for me :-) )
I realise now that I strayed away from the general spirit of the harp
related topic.

I hope I have not upset anyone by this, but it still seems worth posting
as culture/politics have a great deal to do with music anyway.
Look at the origin of the blues for proof!

Sorry, I hope you bear with it/me.
Gordon

Now, on with the show......
	
	 I have read with interest (and a kind of stunned awe) the replies
to my session query.

I would like to make a few more points about it.

First, Mr. Smoot:
		I know (Barry?) mentioned that you missed something in
my post, but while I'm here.....

The point is our sessions here are *ONLY* informal, and as such are a
free-for-all fun thing, just for the joy of playing.

For many musicians, it is the only time they get to play with other
musicians at all.
I for one am a solo performer, so the above applies to me as well.

The sessions are *folk music* ones only, and away of learning new tunes,
and swaping ideas and styles around.
 
It's the old oral tradtion thing at work here.

Also, although one or two harp listers mentioned informal sit-in's,
they seemd to be in private property, (patios, cellars etc.)

Here in the Brittish Isles they happen almost exclusively in pubs.
The point here being that the music is a part of the local communities
life and experience. A living tradition if you like.

I should qualify that by stating that this is true in England only for
instrumental music sessions (in the main).

The folk singing side is still very much an upstairs/ back room in a
pub. Quite a clandestine afair. The English are not very proud of their
tradional music.

Most of the populace are in ignorance of it's existance in fact.
It is just about impossible for *anything* related to folk music to get
financial support from the Arts Council of Great Brittan.

Opera, theater, even rock/pop music get it though, but not us. <SIGH>

Tune a radio to a local Scotish or Irish station and you will hear
trad. music being played *at peak listening times*.

Better still, go to Southern Ireland and walk into just about any pub.
The singing and playing is there for all to enjoy.

Why England is so backwards about its folk music is mainly (it would
seem) because of the classwar/snob thing. The T.V. and radio are for 
the most part firmly in the hands of the state. 

"Auntie BBC" as our T.V./radio used to be called. It's still the 
organ/voice of the "machine" I'm sorry to say.

However, in spite of that, I am left with the feeling that the USA could
well do with a few of our pub sessions over there.

Any takers out there? 
Come on do it,start a new trend.