Played my Dulcimer on Radio Ulster this morning!

[Dick Glasgow]

Yes, I was lucky enough to get an opportunity to play a couple of tunes on my Hammered Dulcimer this morning on Radio Ulster.

If interested, you can listen to my humble efforts, on the BBC iPlayer.

Radio Ulster: Good Morning Ulster

My bit starts at 2.10. & I also play a little at the very end around 2:28.

It's always worth doing these wee promos, because you just never know who will hear you & what you may learn from them.
e.g. Within a few minutes of the programme ending, someone phoned in, asking me to contact them, regarding the Dulcimer.
In fact, I actually met a neighbour of John Rea's while in the waiting area. John used to visit his home, with his Dulcimer under his arm & play tunes, so I've sent him off to see if anyone in the family has any photos of John, so watch this space!

Cheers
Dick

[jack]

Just had a listen, very nice playing Dick. The dulcimer came across really well, which one was that?

Jack

[Dick Glasgow]

Hi Jack, aye that was the Rick Thum.

I had a wee chat with the sound guy beforehand, just warning him about the massive sound he could expect from it & how the last time it had been recorded for radio, EVERY note sounded out of tune because they'd cranked up the reverb!

Unfortunately, the lady who phoned in had no stories about Dulcimers, or an old one in her loft she wanted a home for! No, she was just looking for someone else to play at a Charity Concert!

How are you getting on with your Session Friendly sized Dulcimer?

I must get over & check it out. As you can see, there's no room for a normal sized instrument at our session table!



Cheers
Dick

[jack]

Hi Dick, I found the small Oakwood dulcimer I had made a few years ago was just too restricted, Mike Smith does well on his but that's what he is used to. The Rick Thum "Wren" has worked out well for sessions. It's really light and quite small but being a 13/12 it gives me a full three octaves in D ( I use octave tuning on the bass bridge so it goes down to D below the usual G). Due to the shorter string length and lower tension, the sound is not nearly as nice as my old Oakwood but, let's face it, in a noisy session most of the sound quality is lost anyway.

Incidently, I just found out that Nan Kirkpatrick (second from the right in the group photo at the top of the page) has started playing in the People's Palace on the first Sunday each month
with another player, Margaret Thompson.