West Cornwall 1997-98
I've just uploaded some more Dongas archive material to the IAA - sounds I recorded on various lo-fi analog cassette recorders at a number of locations in West Cornwall during the autumn of '97 and spring of '98: Boscawen-Ûn stone circle, Truro Cathedral, The Jacob's Ladder (a pub in Falmouth), Maverick's Cafe (Falmouth), Constantine Village Hall, and the One Big Family Festival held in St. Piran's Round, near Perranporth.
Boscawen-Un stone circle - image from http://www.megalithia.com/ sites/sw412274.html
They're all Breton or French tunes, sometimes fairly brief excerpts. Unfortunately all the original tapes have long since disappeared, so these recordings are second generation or worse. I've done my best to improve them using various noise removal software, EQ and dynamic processing. Some sound better than others, but ideally the vibe comes through. It should be pointed out that we weren't really a band, as there was no clearly fixed line-up, and we never rehearsed. We just lived and travelled together, and played music together a lot. So a repertoire sort of emerged organically. These should therefore be taken more in the spirit of "ethno-musicological field recordings" from a curious late 90's UK micro-subculture than live recordings of a "folk band".
Joel, Jo and Lisa playing at The Jacob's Ladder
It was often a bit of a challenge trying to be heard with my saz amidst the sound of bagpipes, noisily enthusiastic dancers, etc., but I can just about be heard bashing out the chords on most of these tunes. In some cases, I was simply guarding the microphone amidst the chaos and not playing at all.
Lisa - bombarde, bagpipes, recorder, wooden flute, voice
Jo - bombarde, melodeon, wooden flute, voice
Stef - mandolin, biniou, concertina
Sarah - recorder, voice
Joel - hurdy-gurdy (+ possibly bombarde, biniou)
Josh - percussion
Colin - percussion
Selena - mandola, percussion, voice
Kel - recorder, voice
Heather - recorder, voice (+ possibly concertina)
Inge - mandolin, percussion
me - saz, percussion
[and possibly others]
Listen Here
Stef, Jo and Lisa playing biniou and bombarde, One Big Family festival, 1998
Boscawen-Un stone circle - image from http://www.megalithia.com/ sites/sw412274.html
They're all Breton or French tunes, sometimes fairly brief excerpts. Unfortunately all the original tapes have long since disappeared, so these recordings are second generation or worse. I've done my best to improve them using various noise removal software, EQ and dynamic processing. Some sound better than others, but ideally the vibe comes through. It should be pointed out that we weren't really a band, as there was no clearly fixed line-up, and we never rehearsed. We just lived and travelled together, and played music together a lot. So a repertoire sort of emerged organically. These should therefore be taken more in the spirit of "ethno-musicological field recordings" from a curious late 90's UK micro-subculture than live recordings of a "folk band".
Joel, Jo and Lisa playing at The Jacob's Ladder
It was often a bit of a challenge trying to be heard with my saz amidst the sound of bagpipes, noisily enthusiastic dancers, etc., but I can just about be heard bashing out the chords on most of these tunes. In some cases, I was simply guarding the microphone amidst the chaos and not playing at all.
Lisa - bombarde, bagpipes, recorder, wooden flute, voice
Jo - bombarde, melodeon, wooden flute, voice
Stef - mandolin, biniou, concertina
Sarah - recorder, voice
Joel - hurdy-gurdy (+ possibly bombarde, biniou)
Josh - percussion
Colin - percussion
Selena - mandola, percussion, voice
Kel - recorder, voice
Heather - recorder, voice (+ possibly concertina)
Inge - mandolin, percussion
me - saz, percussion
[and possibly others]
Stef, Jo and Lisa playing biniou and bombarde, One Big Family festival, 1998
posted by Matthew Watkins at 4:06 PM
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