A letter
Dear redwing,
What a time we had yesterday! I met with Kyle, Lisa, and the harper Carolyn at the Alexander Mansion (which is fantastic, by the bye - if I'd known about this place ten years ago when I was planning my wedding, I'd have wanted to have it there) for a preliminary rehearsal. Kyle has put together some really fantastic material. It'll be grand to see how it all comes out. We spoke of you often and fondly (we even pretended to be you when we ran through 'Carrickfergus' - so if you felt suddenly that you were somewhere else in spirit, it was likely in the mansion's library).
We had a blast going through everything - the poetry readings went well, the songs were fantastic, and I left with the sense that I truly did have something meaningful to bring to the endeavour. As you know, I was concerned that my sean-nos style and the classical styles mightn't like each other well, but I was clearly mistaken. Oh! And Kyle has been 'experimenting' a bit with sean-nos. He offered up 'She Moved Thro' the Fair' in a fluid, sean-nos style, and it was amazing. He then said to the harper that the two of them could work out an arrangement for accompaniment, and Lisa and I said 'No, no! Leave it just as it is, it's perfect'. No offence to the harper, of course, and she never took it that way.
In short, we got an amazing amount done, and I'm really looking forward to when you can be here to rehearse with us - it's going to be astounding, I know it.
I'm sure there will be more updates as I remember things and as we all meet again, but I thought you'd like to hear what's gone on thus far.
Cheers,
G.
What a time we had yesterday! I met with Kyle, Lisa, and the harper Carolyn at the Alexander Mansion (which is fantastic, by the bye - if I'd known about this place ten years ago when I was planning my wedding, I'd have wanted to have it there) for a preliminary rehearsal. Kyle has put together some really fantastic material. It'll be grand to see how it all comes out. We spoke of you often and fondly (we even pretended to be you when we ran through 'Carrickfergus' - so if you felt suddenly that you were somewhere else in spirit, it was likely in the mansion's library).
We had a blast going through everything - the poetry readings went well, the songs were fantastic, and I left with the sense that I truly did have something meaningful to bring to the endeavour. As you know, I was concerned that my sean-nos style and the classical styles mightn't like each other well, but I was clearly mistaken. Oh! And Kyle has been 'experimenting' a bit with sean-nos. He offered up 'She Moved Thro' the Fair' in a fluid, sean-nos style, and it was amazing. He then said to the harper that the two of them could work out an arrangement for accompaniment, and Lisa and I said 'No, no! Leave it just as it is, it's perfect'. No offence to the harper, of course, and she never took it that way.
In short, we got an amazing amount done, and I'm really looking forward to when you can be here to rehearse with us - it's going to be astounding, I know it.
I'm sure there will be more updates as I remember things and as we all meet again, but I thought you'd like to hear what's gone on thus far.
Cheers,
G.