Post by dulcimike on Jul 21, 2007 19:59:24 GMT 1
Well, in going through some old copies of Irish Music Magazine to decide whether I really needed to keep them or not, I found a couple of interesting session reviews by macspy. One was of the Thursday session at Springhill Bar in Portrush, and the other about a session at the House of McDonnell in Ballycastle on Friday night. I found from reading these that I needed indeed to keep these issues, or at least the one page macspy column from them - both these session reviews were about our illustrious forum moderator's sessions in Co. Antrim.
Macspy had quite good things to say about these sessions, and though written before I knew Ptarm, when I read macspy's description of Tom's in Ballycastle, I could picture exactly what he was describing - the bell on the door with no inside knob; the small cozy, dark pub; the table reserved for the musicians (as there should be at every pub with a session!); the trickle of musicians coming in one-by-one or two-by-two, first a guitar and bodhran, then two fiddles (I could even venture a fairly likely guess at the names of these musicians now), etc. And, of course, macspy's description of how warmly he was welcomed by not only Tom and his wife (including the flow of porter), but by the musicians themselves, was familiar to me now, having been there several times over the last few years - and with a hamered dulcimer, even!
I want to thank Ptarmigan publicly for these fine, welcoming session he "runs" on the north Antrim Coast that have been, with very few exceptions not Ptarm's fault, a most pleasant experience for me when I'm over. I'm glad I saved these IMMs through our move because they have reminded me of one of the really good things in my life. And I will save them still because it's always good to be reminded of the great people and things in our lives, lest we forget.
Thanks, Ptarm.
(No, he didn't pay me to say this. He's a Scot, after all!
)
Macspy had quite good things to say about these sessions, and though written before I knew Ptarm, when I read macspy's description of Tom's in Ballycastle, I could picture exactly what he was describing - the bell on the door with no inside knob; the small cozy, dark pub; the table reserved for the musicians (as there should be at every pub with a session!); the trickle of musicians coming in one-by-one or two-by-two, first a guitar and bodhran, then two fiddles (I could even venture a fairly likely guess at the names of these musicians now), etc. And, of course, macspy's description of how warmly he was welcomed by not only Tom and his wife (including the flow of porter), but by the musicians themselves, was familiar to me now, having been there several times over the last few years - and with a hamered dulcimer, even!
I want to thank Ptarmigan publicly for these fine, welcoming session he "runs" on the north Antrim Coast that have been, with very few exceptions not Ptarm's fault, a most pleasant experience for me when I'm over. I'm glad I saved these IMMs through our move because they have reminded me of one of the really good things in my life. And I will save them still because it's always good to be reminded of the great people and things in our lives, lest we forget.
Thanks, Ptarm.
(No, he didn't pay me to say this. He's a Scot, after all!
)