Constrained again by circumstances, we still can tune in to Eurosession to lift our spirits
On Friday 15 January, we offer the excitement of a music workshop with Naragonia. Read down for details about the workshop. After the workshop we’ll continue on with our Eurosession to play tunes, enjoy dancing and see some friendly faces.
Please note the unusual day and start time for the workshop:
7:45pm – 8:45 pm GMT – Music workshop
9:00 – 11:00 pm GMT – Eurosession
Session Access and Donations:
To keep our Zoom sessions secure and friendly, we ask participants to provide contact details, and make a small payment. The minimum payment is £2 but if you enjoy our sessions could you donate £5 or £10 so we can offer musicians and dance teachers fair payment? You can pay/donate via our donations page at https://eurosession.org.uk/?p=3233 to obtain the Zoom details.
If you plan to share a tune:
It may sound better if you turn on the Original Sound feature in your Zoom settings before the session.
About the Workshop: ‘accompaniments, harmonies and variations’
In January we are lucky to welcome Toon Van Mierlo and Pascale Rubens from Naragonia.
In the workshop the duo will address accompaniments, harmonies and variations, with Pascale leading on how to provide a strong and steady accompaniment, and how to add harmonies through this role, and Toon focusing on ways to provide variations to the tune. Participants will therefore experience the unfolding deconstruction and playful reconstruction of a musical tune; will have the opportunity to practice the tune from both perspectives, and can gain inspiration for developing a tune to provide a full and rich experience for dancers and/or a listening audience. All musicians who wish to develop their playing of melody, harmony or accompaniment for balfolk music are welcome.
Toon Van Mierlo and Pascale Rubens formed the duo Naragonia in 2003, and play original, beautiful folk-inspired dance music featuring both an intimate delicacy and sustaining energy. 8 CDs and 2 tune books are testament to the pleasure and creativity of their music. Together and individually, and also in collaboration with many other bands and artists, including the Naragonia Quartet, they are much in demand for concerts and bals. They are also sought after as music teachers, explaining technique for specific instruments, and also the playful joys of composition and ensemble playing. Pascale focuses on diatonic accordion, whilst Toon began with the uilleann pipes, but also displays talent with a range of instruments. For more details see http://naragonia.com/bio/.
Please join promptly by 7:45pm GMT to participate in the workshop.
Tips for enjoying the evening
The rest of the evening should provide the same experience as the our previous virtual sessions – marvellous musicians, delicious dancing, and a bit of chatting. Here are some tips for maximum enjoyment:
Everyone:
You can switch views in Zoom between one musician and all participants using the option at top right (for help see How-Do-I-Change-The-Video-Layout. Please mute your audio when you are not speaking / leading the music, and use the Chat feature for background communication. There may also be moments for general chat and catching up.
Musicians:
In our sessions we play tunes for dancing, prioritising dances from the balfolk scene and other traditional genres from across Europe (preferably not English and Irish, because we have plenty of those in other local sessions!).
In the Zoom sessions, only one person (or device) can broadcast at any one time; if you want to play a tune then put a note in the chat about the genre of dance you’ll be playing for – this will help the session organisers to figure out a running order. A few of our session regulars will be on hand to get the music going.
When you’ve been chosen to lead, it’s helpful to let the dancers know about the dance type you’ll be playing, then select Original Sound when you want to play, and turn it off again for normal voice transmission.
Dancers:
Get your dance shoes on; if you have a danceable space, book it for the evening, You can attempt to dance the right genre of dance at the right time (albeit half a beat behind!). More important is to dance as though no-one is watching, or as though you can cheer up everyone else who is watching! Or turn your video off if you feel freer dancing in private.
Eurosession is an inclusive and caring space for all.
Invite your co-space-sharing mates / family / teddy-bear along if appropriate 😉
See you soon,
xx Eurosesh