Cadamstown_1997Cadamstown 1997Ail Fionnaudioopensource_audioA collection of semi-improvised <a target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saz">saz</a> and mandolin pieces recorded in a barn in Cadamstown, <a target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_Offaly">Co. Offaly</a>, Ireland in May 1997, immediately after the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.fourmilab.ch/treewalk/walk97.htm">1997 Treewalk</a>.2005-05-20 19:00:002005mandolin;saz;baglama;drone;droning;acoustic;atmospheric;folk;free psych-folk;free psychfolk;free psych folk;freeform;improv;improvisation;improvisational;improvisatory;improvised;improvising;jam;jamming;lofi;lo-fi;organic;other;psychedelia;psychedelic;psychfolk;psych-folk;space;spacey;spontaneous;modal;elf;elven;fairy;faery;pixie;Celtic;Ireland;Offaly;Irish trad;Irish traditional;traditional Irish;Irish folk;traditional;Rainbow gathering;Rainbow gatheringshttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/12005-05-22 00:48:422005-05-20 10:49:06Matthew Watkinsmwatkins@maths.ex.ac.ukMatthew WatkinsMatthew WatkinsMatthew WatkinsMatthew WatkinsMatthew WatkinsMatthew WatkinsMatthew WatkinsMatthew Watkins2005-08-17 08:28:352006-04-22 05:06:022006-04-22 05:14:562006-04-22 05:16:332006-04-22 06:18:272006-12-01 08:50:362006-12-16 01:03:012006-12-18 21:42:33Dingeranalog cassette (Tascam 4-track)33:19<center><table width="550" border="0"><tr><td>
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.childrenofthedrone.net/network/ailfionn/inge.htm">Inge</a> - mandolin
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.childrenofthedrone.net/network/ailfionn/matthew.htm">Matthew</a> - <a target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saz">saz</a>
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.maths.ex.ac.uk/~mwatkins/imagery/andyman.jpg">Andy</a> - <a target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Djembe">djembe</a> (and some vocal sounds)
These were all recorded in a barn at the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.maths.ex.ac.uk/~mwatkins/imagery/rigneyfam.jpg">Rigney family</a> farm in Cadamstown, Co. <a target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_Offaly">Offaly</a> at the <a target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_Gathering">Rainbow Gathering</a> which sort of happened in conjunction with the end of the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.fourmilab.ch/treewalk/walk97.htm">Treewalk</a>. We'd arrived there at <a target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beltaine">Beltaine</a>, miserable weather, and <a target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_blair">Blair</a>'s <a target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Labour">New Labour</a><sup>TM</sup> government had just come to power in the U.K. The Tascam 4-track tape machine we'd abandoned in <a target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ennis">Ennis</a> during the early part of the Walk was heroically retrieved by <a target="_blank" href="http://www.maths.ex.ac.uk/~mwatkins/imagery/kris-angelsey.jpg">Kris</a>, and Dinger from <a target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naas">Naas</a> (who Andy had worked with in the woods down at <a target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Innishannon">Innishannon</a> while training up <a target="_blank" href="http://www.maths.ex.ac.uk/~mwatkins/imagery/zymbii.jpg">Zymbii</a> the mule) offered to work the controls. I'm not sure if the super-electric trebly saz sound was what he intended, but Inge's mandolin sounds undeniably gorgeous. Andy's djembe is unfortunately low in the mix, but he can be heard offering 'round his <a target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chai">chai</a> at the end of track 2. These are some slightly sloppy but spirited renditions of tunes (traditional and our own) which we had been playing a lot during the Walk.
"Caravette and Chanavesse" was a tune Inge had learned off some sheet music (from where?) that winter. I'm not entirely convinced that's the real title - no one else seems to have heard of it. This tune will always bring to mind the image of Louise (from <a target="_blank" href="http://www.futureforests.net">Future Forests</a>) dancing a hornpipe with the Collards' friend Noel in the front room of Maugha as Inge and I sat playing it by the fireside.
<a target="_blank" href="http://mysongbook.de/msb/songs/b/twalasse.html">"Betsy Bell and Mary Gray"</a> we learned off a lovely Scottish minstrel called Jamie who was the first person we met when we first arrived at Future Forests in 1995 - we've not seen him since. It's a dirge about two women who live together in a bender by the river, much to the displeasure of the local men (who come and burn it down). He learned it off "a feminist" in Scotland and we re-invented it as a sprightly Celtic tune.
Inge learned <a target="_blank" href="http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display.php/556">"Buttermilk Mary"</a> from a tune book <a target="_blank" href="http://www.maths.ex.ac.uk/~mwatkins/imagery/treewalk_brian.jpg">Brian</a> brought on the walk - that was probably our favourite traditional tune of that time, along with <a target="_blank" href="http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display.php/410">"The Old Copperplate"</a> and <a target="_blank" href="http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display.php/756">"Jenny's Chickens"</a> (as played by <a target="_blank" href="http://www.maths.ex.ac.uk/~mwatkins/imagery/janie.jpg">Janie</a> on her <a target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennywhistle">pennywhistle</a>).
The "unidentified Irish tune" was taught to us by Kris, in the sincere belief that it was <a target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brittany">Breton</a>. I've since heard a recording of an Irish ensemble playing this 'properly' with a couple of additional parts, but we usually managed to get a bit of a vibe going with our stripped-down version.
<center><img src="http://www.maths.ex.ac.uk/~mwatkins/imagery/northwales.jpg">
<span style="font-size:78%;">Matthew, Peter, Inge, Andy - somewhere in North Wales a few weeks later</span></center>
<center><b><a target="_blank" href="http://www.childrenofthedrone.net/network/ailfionn/ailfionn.htm">Ail Fionn</a> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=creator%3A%22A%20Tiny%20Window%22">A Tiny Window</a></b></center>
<center><a target="_blank" href="http://soundsfromthespring.blogspot.com"><i>The Spring</i></a> - Matthew's 'audio blog' contact: <a href="mailto:mwatkins@maths.ex.ac.uk">mwatkins@maths.ex.ac.uk</a></center>
</td></tr></table></center>soundMRW/Dinger2006-12-18 22:04:23Matthew Watkins