My first participation in a session. Very relaxed and enjoyable, wasn’t particularly keyed up over it actually, as I might have expected to be. And here of all places the pressure isn’t particularly on–they frown on no one. 3 fiddles, 1 mandolin/bouzouki?, 3 bodhrans (one also played bones–I think Ginny Brooks’ husband), 1 guitar, a banjo, a very good whistler, an excellent concertina player came late, and an old welcoming accordian player and his wife. I played my turn in several rounds.
1) Killavil Jig – most knew it and joined in.
2) Banish Misfortune – ditto
3) The Joy of My Life – played on flute (my new Dave Copley!) – the good fiddler knew it
4) Paddy Carty’s Favourite/O’Sullivan’s March – from John Creavan’s “The Story So Far” – most didn’t know the first, several joined in on the second.
Of the tunes played by others I knew maybe 10%. I grabbed a napkin and wrote down some of the names:
Father Kelly’s
Golden Keyboard
Jerry’s Beaver Hat
Mountain Road
The Banshee
Apples in Winter
Barrel Burn Reel
Staten Island
Stopped by Swift’s on 4th Street off the Bowery on the way home. A tight clutch of mainly guitar players, one singer, and a fine flute player (looked like a keyed boxwood)–beautiful playing. Stayed for 5 minutes.