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Hi folks,
Welcome to our new subscribers! Thanks to an article this past week in the Oban Times, we have a few new faces. More on that below...
Firstly though, thanks to everyone who came to the Auld Lang Syne shows last month. I loved playing it again and meeting new friends and fans and the feedback was terrific. I hope to be on the road again next January '24!
But for now I'm now back to the quiet of Lismore. Well, not exactly quiet - it's busy in its own way. We've been having dance band dances and rehearsals. Our next dance is this coming Saturday 4th March in the hall. Do come if you are in the area. You can stay in the Bunkhouse – to book a bed call Clare on 07720 975433.
Plus there are a few spaces left on my upcoming 3-day music breaks for fiddlers and violinists, on Lismore in Spring. Read on to find out more...
Mairi x
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Lismore Spring fiddle retreats
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There are still a few places left on the upcoming 3-day music breaks for fiddlers and violinists with me. These bijou music breaks bring you back to yourself. The retreats are on the island of Lismore, Scotland and I facilitate seven participants per retreat.
Some spaces still available for: 27-30 April, 11-14 May 2023
Are you struggling with playing fast enough? Frustrated with your tone? Wanting to play the tunes you know better? Dreamt of playing fiddle while wasting your time in orchestras?! Are you keen to sing and know more about your voice? Learn some new songs and sing in harmony with others? Do you play and sing? Learn some basic steps to complement your fiddling or singing.
At a Lismore retreat, voices and fiddles mingle, feet tap, fiddles flow, and stories, songs and tunes sit side by side. This is where your music weaves into the music of the group. Where we witness differences and delight in similarities.
You may be a beginner fiddler attending a weekly class; a more experienced player wanting to hone your skills; a classical player keen to learn more about traditional fiddle or wanting to extend your repertoire and learn a tune or two.
This course will support your playing wherever it is. Technique, repertoire, friendship and fun!
Here are a few words from previous participants:
"I'd certainly been expecting something different and innovative from you anyway - but the whole experience totally exceeded anything I could have imagined! I came away feeling like I'd become part of a community for a while, made new friends, I learned to be more playful, more open, and did things I've never been confident about doing before such as singing and reading poetry. All this on what I'd been expecting was going to be an extended fiddle workshop - and that's by no means a complaint by the way - far from it! I feel like something has been 'unlocked'. It's the kind of therapy I thought you could only get with a very expensive course of psychotherapy, but you do it in a group and we all end up being friends and comrades and having a laugh. It's remarkable!"
"One of the most precious and fabulous learning experiences I’ve ever had."
"I came away from the weekend feeling inspired to follow my own creative path."
"I've often felt that when I first had violin lessons in my teens, the teacher raced me through stuff that I never really consolidated, and I'd missed out on learning about some basic stuff. I've picked up a lot of tips on teaching and group work."
Who for: mixed ability. Minimum ability: You must have a repertoire of at least three tunes that you can play by ear or written music.
Musical requirements: bring one tune to share
Practical requirements: Bring your own bed linen and towel (duvets and pillows provided)
Food requirements: please let me know any dietry requirements and BRING A SNACK to share in breaks.
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Lismore dance band - an experiment that's working!
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Photography: Julia Fayngruen at www.juliafayngruen.com
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The Lismore dance band was formed in 2022. Our aim is to become a great dance band and revive the dancing on Lismore. It’s such a great way to bring folk together.
We had a great night last Saturday - a good crowd came out and supported the dance and the feedback was terrific. Our next dance is on March 4th. Why not take a wee spring break, stay at the Bunk House (to book a bed call Clare on 07720 975433) and come to our dance on 4th March and then my concert on 5th.
I think dances have fallen away for two reasons: bands cost more money than many small communities can cover with the number of people attending. You’d pay 500 to 800 quid for a band for the night (with travel, accommodation and fees) depending on the number of players. That requires 50 to 80 people minimum to attend, which is a lot in a community of 160.
The other factor has been covid and lockdown and we’ve never got back to the same numbers of folk going out. The average drop in live event attendances has been around 30 percent.
I thought, "Let's see if we can create a Scottish dance band with local islanders". We have a good number of musicians here, mostly amateur but if could get some sets of tunes that were not too fast or too many notes, which most good dance tunes are, then we could put together enough sets for a full night. So that’s what I’ve done. We rehearse weekly and we’ve got all the sets pretty much ready.
There are currently nine in the band: Katy Crossan on piano, Shona Wright on guitar, Davy Maddock on bass, Yorick Paine on drums, Noelle Odling on fiddle, Lorne McDougall on Fiddle, Arthur Cross on whistle, Anne Barr on accordion and myself on the fiddle.
A helpful factor has been that everyone can learn the tunes in their own time - by ear or music. I have a platform on my website for learning and listening to all the sets and tunes. All the music is there, available for anyone to learn. It’s a game changer. If you sign up to my mailing list, you’ll get the password for the 'Tunes to Learn' and there you’ll find over 200 tunes plus 24 sets for dancing.
I’d love to see local dance bands springing up all over the country. It's possible. There are many players in communities and playing for dancing gives the band a great focus and the community a chance to come together.
Our sets are available to download and use - they’re great tunes, very West coast on the whole. The kind of tunes I remember listening to when I was growing up on Lismore. Bill Black was a regular here and we’re inspired by the great Scottish dance band players, like Bobby Macleod, John Carmichael and Jimmy Shand.
Our band was also recently featured in the Oban Times.
Fiddle classes for 2023 and Lismore fiddle retreats...
I also use the Tunes resource for my weekly online fiddle class which happens every Monday evening until March 20th. So, if anyone wants to jump into playing again, they can attend my class which is for mixed ability £12.50 per class or £50 for the remaining 4. To book, email mairi@mairicampbell.scot
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Congratulations to Finn Anderson, the composer of 'A Mothers' Song', a new work of Folk Musical Theatre. I went to see it at the MacRobert Centre and was well impressed. Not an easy subject to put on stage, but done very well. Handing down songs from mothers to daughters and what that stirs up...
And to the Lismore Primary School kids who are showing great willingness in learning the fiddle, and a huge thanks to everyone who offered a fiddle to the school. In 48 hours we have a full compliment of instruments. Thank you very much.
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Upcoming concerts, retreats and classes
Mon, FEB 27 – Online fiddle class
Live Stream@7:00 PM GMT
Sat, MAR 4 – Mairi Campbell's Lismore Dance Band
Isle of Lismore, United Kingdom
Sun, MAR 5 – Mairi Campbell in concert, Heritage Centre, 5pm (cafe open from 4pm and afterwards)
Isle of Lismore, United Kingdom
Mon, MAR 6 – Online fiddle class
Live Stream@7:00 PM GMT
Mon, MAR 13 – Online fiddle class
Live Stream@7:00 PM GMT
Mon, MAR 20 – Online fiddle class
Live Stream@7:00 PM GMT
Apr. 27 - 30, 2023 – Fiddle retreat | Isle of Lismore | 2023
May. 11 - 14, 2023 – Fiddle retreat | Isle of Lismore | 2023
Sat, MAY 20 – Mairi Campbell's Lismore Dance Band
Isle of Lismore, United Kingdom
May. 25 - 28, 2023 – Fiddle retreat | Isle of Lismore | 2023
Keep an eye on the 'What's on' page for the latest ticket links etc.
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As always, all the best till we meet again.
Mairi and the team x
PS Please take a minute to update your mailing preferences.
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