National Folk Festival

National Folk Festival - 24-28 March

Leaving before dawn on Good Friday to drive to Canberra
arriving, with harp for a 10am rehearsal.
the bells of Morris Dancers heard downstairs.
Booking my harp into instrument storage
setting up my tent, a baby tent in a row of grownup tents
heading off on foot to explore the festival -
so many excellent artists playing, Irish, Cajun, vocal, bluegrass, Canadian ...
Dancers from all ethnic groups, in their costumes
playing in fiddle workshops,
some clothes shopping,
some coconut-drinking and eating.

Figuring out how to get my harp to the Spiegelzelt
setting up our 10-piece orchestra on the stage, with mirrors and leadlight and a red and gold fabric roof.
alternately sweltering, panicking and enjoying throughout our one hour performance
Watching the dancers waltz as I played my solo,
surely what the spiegelzelt was built for, 97 years ago.
Enjoying a drink after all that.

Finding a delicious paleo-style dinner
seeing too many amazing artists to list, playing in so many different styles.
heading to the Session Bar late at night and joining in with whoever is playing there, till after midnight, surrounded by hundreds of other musicians and onlookers, all having a great night.

Walking alone through the empty festival and back to the campground.
Cosy in my tent, listening to folk rock boom-booming in the distance until 1.30am
then up to fry eggs on the campstove
before doing it all again for two more days,
loving every minute.

       *    *    *
Some of the artists I loved:

Andy Salvanos
Co-cheol
Matthew Dames
Colum Sands
Black Market Tune
The Young'uns
All our Exes Live in Texas

The sea, a hang glider, and a bucket

We've been going to Mona Vale every week for the last few months,

to visit the chiropractor. The ocean is just a few blocks away, but we've always been rushing

there and back and hadn't even driven by the beach until a few weeks ago.

Which is a shame, because we don't get to be by water that often.

So on Tuesday after our appointment we girls took a drive, and found a spot on a headland

where we could be blown away by the view; and could watch dogs running; and wave to a hang glider flying right over us; and practice iceskating moves on a convenient balance beam.

And then we drove some more until we found a shady spot by the lake, 

and had a picnic with some very large ducks.

That should have been enough for one day, but then we went shopping at the mall,

and on the way home had major dramas when a big painter's bucket rolled under our car on a 3-lane main road - eek! But after half an hour of fears, tears and some VERY noisy driving to get onto a side street, we managed eventually to get it out by me driving half onto the kerb and Laura pushing and pulling with an umbrella. Phew. Lying with my head on a 6 lane road at peak hour is not one of my favorite things to do. Another half an hour later and we were very glad to be home safely.

After a quick dinner we all headed out to an Irish session, where many of our Yass friends

were gathered, and 9 fiddlers, a banjo player and an accordion player played jigs and reels, while Laura knitted and Emily did a good job of pretending to look interested.

A Weekend in Yass

On Thursday afternoon Steve and I headed south for the town of Yass, to be part of the Turning Wave Festival, a festival of Irish music, dance and poetry. (You can read about the other time we attended this festival here, back in 2008 when it was held in Gundagai).

After the rush of getting ready to leave, it was wonderful to be driving in the open countryside, looking forward to a great weekend. Just seeing so much sky is enough reason for me to enjoy being out of Sydney.

We stopped briefly at Goulburn then hurried on, hoping to reach Yass before dark.

As it turned out, it was perfect timing - we were treated to the most amazing sunset.

I might have gotten a bit carried away taking photos of it every moment or two as it changed ...

We drove into Yass (pop. 5591) at twilight. 

We had dinner at the club, followed by a good session with a good group of 

people who had arrived early, like us.

The next morning we woke up in our cute little 1960s motel 

and headed down the main street to do a little shopping 

(someone forgot her toothbrush) and go to our fiddle class.

The fiddle classes were held outside on a big old verandah. The building is currently being used as an art gallery. It was a cold morning and pretty chilly up there in the shade when the wind blew. It might have been 10degC by then, it had been only 2degC when we woke up.

Our class was taught by the lovely Tricia Hastings from County Clare.

She taught us a few jigs and reels over the weekend, and a barndance, and we also learnt ways to ornament the tunes. At the end of the weekend we gave a little recital of what we had learnt in the Liberty Theatre.  On Friday we also did a little looking at antiques. We loved this shop and I bought a few things here.

'

Everything was arranged so tastefully, I wanted it all.

But across the road we learnt that less really is more.

After 15 minutes trawling through rooms full of old stuff at this shop, I was exhausted and quite happy not to see anything vintage for another year or so. (And it's never a good look to leave cleaning things and used paper towel on display, I don't think!). These photos were of the more organised sections of this huge collection.

After a good lunch in a cafe, we spent the afternoon exploring more of Yass on foot, admiring some old homes and gardens, and meeting the friendly neighbour next to the motel.

On Friday evening the festival began.

First stop for us was a recital in the beautiful old St Augustine's Chapel.

We arrived early and a lone Uilleann piper was tuning up.

The sunshine was streaming in the western window as we heard beautiful 

pipes, fiddle and concertina solos.

After the recital and a yummy Vietnamese dinner making new friends, we stayed out till midnight hearing some great bands in the old Liberty Theatre, everything from traditional to Celtic rock, including Cliodhna Ni Ruairc, Sunas, Saoirse and Night Potion.  Unfortunately I didn't take any photos of those groups.

Next morning, another fiddle class, 

(my fiddle on the left, Steve's on the right)

a visit to the Celtic markets, and an afternoon and night jam-packed full of bands.

Ballyhooley, Cady & Redford, Tricia Hastings, Kent Daniel and Bill Wiseman, Corinn Strating Band, Lime and Steel, Jason & Chloe Roweth, Senor Cabrales, Gallie, and Grimick. A bit of everything that could be labeled folk or acoustic. We loved almost every one of these gigs, and the ones we didn't love were still entertaining. Some of the highlights were Grimick, Senor Calabres, and Kent Daniels & Bill Wiseman.

By Saturday night the atmosphere in the town was just about 100% Irish.  In every pub people were playing in sessions. People were dancing and sharing poetry at other venues, and we came 

across these guys playing outside a pub, in the cold.

On Sunday morning we had our final fiddle class, followed by our class recital on the stage

where we had watched so many wonderful performers.  We got through a barndance and a reel

without any dramas, and listened to what the concertina class had learned, and some more tunes by piper Pat Lyons. After a quick lunch in the park it was time for us to head home and collect our girls. We hadn't seen all the bands, but most of them. So much music, so little time.

It was a fantastic weekend, full of good times being together, getting to know like-minded people, all willing to share their music, good food (that I could eat!),enjoying being in a country town, and hearing some truly great music.  A perfect break.

The girls stayed with my parents and (as well as finishing off the school term) went to a local Medieval Faire, Mum emailed this photo of them all dressed up ready to go. (Emily's outfit was one of her school textiles projects last year, and Laura's dress is the one I wore to my Jane Austen birthday party.)

The Pre-Spring Rush

In August, I find myself busy again.

It's a shock after the quietness of a few months ago.

Life is full.

I've had a few days of casual teaching,

and a few days definitely booked in coming weeks.

While I really enjoy the teaching, it always means

a day lost at home, and the rest of the week becomes a bit more rushed.

Laura and I continue to see our chiropractor and nutritionist,

so there are appointments to attend and new lessons to learn

with food.  Coconut has proved to be a problem for me,

so now my diet consists of just meat, vegetables (not all)

fruit (limited) and nuts.  

However, I think I see improvements in my health,

so it's worth continuing on this path.

Laura is still missing a lot of school, there are no

overnight successes to report for her, but perhaps in time

there will be some positive change.

August means music exam preparation.

I have two students doing 8th Grade Piano,

and Laura doing 3rd Grade Piano in about 10 days, 

and I'm accompanying Emily's 7th Grade Saxophone 

exam in mid-September.

The piano parts for her pieces are ridiculously difficult, 

and I'm trying to fit in a decent practice most days.

So stress levels are high, and I can't wait until the exams are over.

Emily has school exams coming up, also, and is working on some

full-sized butterfly wings made of chiffon, for an art project.

Steve practises violin at nights for various chamber groups he's involved with.

There's always something going on with a deadline around here.

I've also been trying to declutter and tidy our study, the busiest room of the house,

where I teach, we practice, compute and Steve watches movies.

A more pleasant rush has been filling parts the garden with new plants.

After our big planting a few weeks ago I've picked up more plants

from the markets, and am loving the spots of colour in the front garden.

In the back garden I'm building up a herb garden and planting some lavender soon.

Steve dug out metres of fish-bone fern on the weekend so soon we will have a 

big corner of the front garden to fill with something more attractive.

It's lovely to escape outside for a few minutes here and there to check on the progress of each plant,

and water them, and dream up plantings for other parts of the garden. Each day there's something a little different to see, each plant a little bigger, flowers blooming.

Spring is on its way.