Let’s get this year over with
I’m feeling a wee bit indigenous today. A wee bitty Scottish through and through. A wee bit like Chris Guthrie from Sunset Song: in harmony with the land: San Caledonia.
Tonight we’re having a ceilidh. The band have the tricky task of following me as I play hard, fast and randomly – skipping repeats, forgetting to count and stuffing up introductions. But never mind. As long as the drummer drums and the dancers can count to eight – we should be fine.
It was way back in the early 80s that my violin teacher thought it would be good for us to learn some Scottish tunes. We used to get trussed up in kilts and sent off to scrape away in various shopping malls and town halls. Then at some point in the late 90s, I dusted off “kerr’s merrie melodies for the violin” and away I went: with a band rather than other fiddles – four times the speed, but just the same ability level.
To our faithful following, the repertoire seems to never have changed. Indeed, it has never changed since 2006. But, since the first ceilidh we have added a good few and ditched any that were too tricky or required me to play in 3rd position.
Tonight we have the additional challenge of my louping staved hand. Which is a purely Scottish injury. If you fall on your backside in any other country, it is impossible to end up with a louping staved hand – so… just as well I did it here – otherwise I might have sprained or broken it!
I’m sure it’ll be fine. If need be I’ll make an extra resolution to have regular physio in the new year.
Who can say how tonight will turn out. What I like about it is that it is a real ceilidh in the spirit of real ceilidhs. It isn’t a tourist gimmick. It will hopefully be an informal riot of mediocre music and dance for all ages – with snacks at half time.
AND, importantly, there will be Auld Lang Syne at the end. What’s with the 21st c mistake of replacing Auld Lang Syne with yon bonny banks by Runrig? Eh? It’s TOO LONG for the end of a ceilidh, the words are depressing and everyone over the age of 60 gets confused. And I get confused. I mean, I get confused enough with Auld Lang Syne, my dear. As long as the drummer goes doof doof at the right point, we’ll be fine.
Auld Lang Syne (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
And I really hope we get Gangnam Style on at the break.
I think it your duty to stick Gangnam style, Glesga style into one of the dances and see if anyone notices. Go on, you know you want to!
Whoop whoop
It will be just braw, as it always is, and even if others don’t like it we will have a blast as we always do! See you at 5.30pm. By the way are we having fish suppers or just your leftover brie between the rehearsal and the kick off?
We’ll see how we feel. Either chips or cheese. Whatever we think.
Do either of the terms, “louping” or “staved” indicated which hand is affected? I’m imagining an ace bandage on either hand while playing violin, and wondering if it would matter, given the workout you plan. Really glad you did not sprain or break it.
Love Scottish stuff, though there’s not a drop of Auld blood in me, and would love to attend your event, which I think we pronounce: kjhelii. Or something. Thanks for the link to wikipedia, by the way.
A riot set to music just sounds like fun. Go have fun. And Happy New Year.
It’s pronounced kaylee. Rhyming with daily.
It sounds like you and everyone in attendance will have a grand old time. I hope that your hand doesn’t bother you too much and the strings to your violin hold up during your fiery playing
Happy New year’s Eve!
You too
So…no pressure on the drummer then!
And you have to go boom Ching boom Ching also
I’ll try to get out of “pianist” mode
It’s so good to see ‘louping’ being used!
I don’t get much chance to use it here in the south of England – folks would just look at me strangely…
Louping isn’t even listed as having this meaning in online dictionaries.
It’s still louping though.
Really? We need to start a campaign! It’s such a perfectly descriptive word.