For our September Eurosession, join us for a live session in Shakespeares’ covered courtyard space.
Musicians at Shakeys’
We can enjoy re-visiting familiar faces and tantalising tunes, and contribute some drinks funds to the pub, our wonderfully resilient and supportive venue.
Venue information The large covered area in the courtyard will be reserved for us, so we’ll go ahead even if it rains. People can also sit at tables nearby.
Shakespeare’s courtyard with session space just visible on the left.
Musicians: We prioritise tunes for dances from the balfolk scene and other traditional genres from across Europe. [avoiding English and Irish, because those are well represented in other sessions!]
Dancers: Shakespeares has requested that we don’t dance outside on the cobbles, as the likelihood of trips and falls is just too high.
Eurosession is an inclusive and caring space for all. Friends and teddy-bears welcome. However please stay home if you feel unwell or have been in recent contact others who were ill.
Courtesy Masks are helpful for use inside the pub. Please also respect other people’s personal space as we all have different ongoing risks and concerns.
Looking to the future If guidance permits we plan to return to Shakespeares more fully in the autumn, although we’ll also continue to host online sessions and workshops for those in our community who can’t join us in the pub.
To kick off our August Eurosession, come and sing danceable songs from Scandinavia!
We are delighted to welcome Louise Wanselius, a wonderful singer and song teacher from Sweden on Thursday July 12 (see below). After the workshop we’ll continue on with our Eurosession to play tunes, enjoy dancing and see some friendly faces, or breakout for a chat.
Session access and donations: To obtain the Zoom details, please pay/donate via our donations page. We ask for a £2 minimum payment, but if you enjoy our sessions and can donate £5 or £10, that helps us to give fair payment to our musicians and dance teachers.
More tips: You’ll have the option to join and leave Zoom breakout rooms to move between the session, workshop, and the bar. See our quick guide if you get stuck.
If you plan to share a tune: It may sound better if you turn on the Original Sound feature when playing – please check out the Zoom Help about how to enable this this in your Zoom settings.
About the workshop:
Singing for dancing workshop with Louise Wanselius
Louise is a wonderful singer, songwriter and fiddler with more than 20 years of experience from concerts, workshops and music projects in Sweden and Europe. She plays traditional music and also loves to compose new melodies.
In this workshop Louise will share danceable songs from Dalarna and Västergötland where her folk music roots originate. From past experience we expect Louise will bring her joyful energy to the workshop, inspiring us to feel good about ourselves, whilst learning how to bring a lilting energy to the dancers.
The song texts will be available on-screen and available after the workshop, and recordings are also sent out afterwards. For some of the songs, notation will also be available after the workshop.
Tips for enjoying the evening
The rest of the evening should provide similar experiences as previous sessions – marvellous musicians, delicious dancing, and a bit of chatting. Here are tips for maximum enjoyment:
Zoom tips for Everyone: Please mute your audio when you are not speaking / leading the music, and use the Chat feature for background communication. To switch views between seeing one individual (Speaker View) and all participants (Gallery View), consult How-Do-I-Change-The-Video-Layout. Head to the bar for a longer chat alongside the workshop or session; for help see our quick guide, or Zoom’s longer guide to Self-selecting a Breakout Room
Musicians: Please play tunes for dancing, prioritising dances from the balfolk scene and other traditional genres from across Europe. [Preferably avoid 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; use the chat to help create a a rolling running order of dance tune offers. It generally sounds better if you turn on the Original Sound feature when playing – please check out the Zoom Help about how to enable this in your settings. When you’ve been chosen to lead, let the dancers know what dance type you’ll be playing if you can. Then select Original Soundwhen you’re ready 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!), or dance whatever takes your fancy. More important is to dance as though no-one is watching, or as though you can cheer up everyone else who is watching! It’s also fine to 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 😉
For our July workshop we celebrate summer warmth with a trip to Britany
We are delighted to welcome Brigitte and Katell Kloareg, marvellous singers and teachers of song on Thursday July 8 (see below). After the workshop we’ll continue on with our Eurosession to play tunes, enjoy dancing and see some friendly faces, or breakout for a chat.
Session access and donations: To to obtain the Zoom details, please pay/donate via our donations page. We ask for a £2 minimum payment, but if you enjoy our sessions and can donate £5 or £10, that helps us to give fair payment to our musicians and dance teachers.
More tips: You’ll have the option to join and leave Zoom breakout rooms to move between the session, workshop, and the bar. See our quick guide if you get stuck.
If you plan to share a tune: It may sound better if you turn on the Original Sound feature when playing – please check out the Zoom Help about how to enable this this in your Zoom settings.
About the workshop:
Singing for dancing with Brigitte and Katell Kloareg
About the workshop: Singing for dancing with Brigitte and Katell Kloareg
In the workshop Brigitte and Katell will pass on the secrets of some vibrant singing traditions that magically bring together a crowd of exhilarated dancers, and powers them through the night on waves of rhythmic story-singing. Although we can’t come together to dance right now, we offer this workshop so we can prepare whilst we wait.
Brigitte and Katell will teach a mix of dance songs in Breton and French. In the west of Brittany where Breton is spoken, the singing for dancing tradition is called kan-ha diskan and is particular in that the two (or more) singers overlap their sung phrases. The songs usually tell stories, even if the Breton langage is sometimes mistaken for mouth music ! There is also some mouth music – usually in small amounts. French is also part of the western singing tradition. The east of Brittany has a dancing tradition in French (also in Gallo – another minority language). It is called chant à répondre and traditionally, there is no overlapping. The singers just follow one another : the lead singer sings, then the other repeats the phrase.
Brigitte and Katell will teach the kan-ha-diskan ‘call and response’ technique which is a central feature in singing for dancing in the Breton language. They will teach a couple of simple kan-ha-diskan song (an an dro/kas a-barzh & a tamm-kreiz – which is used for a rest dance in the gavotte suite. ) Participants will have the opportunity to shadow the lead singer and ‘catch’ the singing baton without dropping a beat. Brigitte and Katell will demonstrate some gavottes. Gavottes come in simple tunes (ton simpl), double tunes (ton doubl) and treble tunes (ton tripl)… more on that in the workshop…
Join us for a chance to bring your attention to the present micro-moment, and channel the impetus of the chant to power a chain of [imaginary] energised dancers.
Other songs for the workshop include rondes à trois pas, a maritime circle dance, also found in Normandy and in Vendée and on the western islands. These can be in Breton or in French or in both languages (macaronic) as well as an hanter dro and a pachpi which can be sung for dancers just on its own or can be tagged on at the end of the gavotte suite. Quite challenging but can be sung at various levels, easy, hard and harder (in Breton with overlapping voices)
No previous experience is required. No denying that some French will help – as will some Breton !
If you can identify a local real-life song-partner with whom you can practice the call and response without internet delays that could be helpful, but it’s not essential for enjoying the workshop.
Katell Kloareg and her mother Brigitte have sung together for 25 years around the Celtic countries. They share a large repertoire of Breton, French, English, Welsh, and Irish music… Their combined performances and CDs present a wide range of heartful and powerful vocal techniques.
Tips for enjoying the evening
The rest of the evening should provide similar experiences as previous sessions – marvellous musicians, delicious dancing, and a bit of chatting. Here are tips for maximum enjoyment:
Zoom tips for Everyone: Please mute your audio when you are not speaking / leading the music, and use the Chat feature for background communication. To switch views between seeing one individual (Speaker View) and all participants (Gallery View), consult How-Do-I-Change-The-Video-Layout. Head to the bar for a longer chat alongside the workshop or session; for help see our quick guide, or Zoom’s longer guide to Self-selecting a Breakout Room
Musicians: Please play tunes for dancing, prioritising dances from the balfolk scene and other traditional genres from across Europe. [Preferably avoid 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; use the chat to help create a a rolling running order of dance tune offers. It generally sounds better if you turn on the Original Sound feature when playing – please check out the Zoom Help about how to enable this in your settings. When you’ve been chosen to lead, let the dancers know what dance type you’ll be playing if you can. Then select Original Soundwhen you’re ready 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!), or dance whatever takes your fancy. More important is to dance as though no-one is watching, or as though you can cheer up everyone else who is watching! It’s also fine to 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 😉
We’re planning a small but lovely outdoor get together for Eurosession folk!
Let’s take advantage of current clement conditions to enjoy some magical music and familiar faces in the park.
Time: 7:30pm on Friday 25 June Location: Sheffield’s Cholera Monument
Instruments welcome. Any dancing will be solo and distanced or in existing bubbles. We’ll take a minute’s silence to think of all lives impacted by Coronavirus.
We expect to be less than 30 people and will split the group if more arrive. Hope the weather holds steady! Keep an eye on the Facebook event in case we make updates on the day.
Join us in June for a celebration of digital connections and the return of the sun!
cc0 by https://pixnio.com/author/novosadjanka021
On Thursday 13 June, we are abandoning the workshop, and plunging recklessly into a straight-up summer celebration. Whether or not the pandemic is over, sunshine has returned to the UK, and as we draw close to midsummer’s eve, let’s celebrate the amazing community of online musicians and dancers that have helped to keep us going over the many long past months.
Session access and donations: To to obtain the Zoom details, please pay/donate via our donations page. We ask for a £2 minimum payment, but if you enjoy our sessions and can donate £5 or £10, that helps us to give fair payment to our musicians and dance teachers.
More tips: You’ll have the option to join and leave Zoom breakout rooms to move between the session, workshop, and the bar. See our quick guide if you get stuck.
If you plan to share a tune: It may sound better if you turn on the Original Sound feature when playing – please check out the Zoom Help about how to enable this this in your Zoom settings.
Tips for enjoying the evening
The rest of the evening should provide similar experiences as previous sessions – marvellous musicians, delicious dancing, and a bit of chatting. Here are tips for maximum enjoyment:
Zoom tips for Everyone: Please mute your audio when you are not speaking / leading the music, and use the Chat feature for background communication. To switch views between seeing one individual (Speaker View) and all participants (Gallery View), consult How-Do-I-Change-The-Video-Layout. Head to the bar for a longer chatalongside the workshop or session; for help see our quick guide, or Zoom’s longer guide to Self-selecting a Breakout Room
Musicians: Please play tunes for dancing, prioritising dances from the balfolk scene and other traditional genres from across Europe. [Preferably avoid 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; use the chat to help create a a rolling running order of dance tune offers. It generally sounds better if you turn on the Original Sound feature when playing – please check out the Zoom Help about how to enable this in your settings. When you’ve been chosen to lead, let the dancers know what dance type you’ll be playing if you can. Then select Original Soundwhen you’re ready 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!), or dance whatever takes your fancy. More important is to dance as though no-one is watching, or as though you can cheer up everyone else who is watching! It’s also fine to 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 😉
Get energised with an unusual Nordic groove in our next workshop.
On Thursday 13 May, we offer an energising Finnskogspols music workshop with the talented Martin Coudroy (see below). After the workshop we’ll continue on with our Eurosession to play tunes, enjoy dancing and see some friendly faces, or breakout for a chat.
Session access and donations: To to obtain the Zoom details, please pay/donate via our donations page. We ask for a £2 minimum payment, but if you enjoy our sessions and can donate £5 or £10, that helps us to give fair payment to our musicians and dance teachers.
More tips: You’ll have the option to join and leave Zoom breakout rooms to move between the session, workshop, and the bar. See our quick guide if you get stuck.
If you plan to share a tune: It may sound better if you turn on the Original Sound feature when playing – please check out the Zoom Help about how to enable this this in your Zoom settings.
About the workshop:
Finnskogspols Music Workshop with Martin Coudroy
Finnskogspols is a type of polska from the border region between Sweden and Norway, with a driving, unusual rhythmic emphasis which is very distinctive and fun to play. Martin lived very close to this area when studying folk music in Sweden. He enjoyed immersing himself in these rhythms and this style, and is looking forward to sharing this pleasure with us.
In this music workshop, participants will have an opportunity to feel the very special groove of this music and to see the relationship between the rhythm and the dance. Martin will also share insights about playing for dancing across all types of repertoire. All instruments welcome. Dancers may also find some interest in it too.
Martin is a brilliant accordionist and plays for concerts and balfolk with Duo Tanghe Coudroy and Dup Jonnson Coudroy. www.martincoudroy.com
Tips for enjoying the evening
The rest of the evening should provide similar experiences as previous sessions – marvellous musicians, delicious dancing, and a bit of chatting. Here are tips for maximum enjoyment:
Zoom tips for Everyone: Please mute your audio when you are not speaking / leading the music, and use the Chat feature for background communication. To switch views between seeing one individual (Speaker View) and all participants (Gallery View), consult How-Do-I-Change-The-Video-Layout. Head to the bar for a longer chatalongside the workshop or session; for help see our quick guide, or Zoom’s longer guide to Self-selecting a Breakout Room
Musicians: Please play tunes for dancing, prioritising dances from the balfolk scene and other traditional genres from across Europe. [Preferably avoid 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; use the chat to help create a a rolling running order of dance tune offers. It generally sounds better if you turn on the Original Sound feature when playing – please check out the Zoom Help about how to enable this in your settings. When you’ve been chosen to lead, let the dancers know what dance type you’ll be playing if you can. Then select Original Soundwhen you’re ready 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!), or dance whatever takes your fancy. More important is to dance as though no-one is watching, or as though you can cheer up everyone else who is watching! It’s also fine to 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 😉
Join us to sample several flavours of Breton dance across regions and eclectic musical genres.
On Thursday 8 April, we have an intriguing Breton dance workshop with Jean-Cristophe Denis (see below). After the workshop we’ll continue on with our Eurosession to play tunes, enjoy dancing and see some friendly faces, or breakout for a chat.
Session access and donations: To to obtain the Zoom details, please pay/donate via our dedicated donations page at https://eurosession.org.uk/?p=3233. We ask for a minimum payment of £2, but if you enjoy our sessions, we suggest you donate £5 or £10 so we can offer musicians and dance teachers fair payment.
Finding your way around: You’ll have the option to join and leave Zoom breakout rooms to move between the session, workshop, and the bar. See our quick guide if you get stuck.
If you plan to share a tune: It may sound better if you turn on the Original Sound feature when playing – please check out the Zoom Help about how to enable this this in your Zoom settings.
About the workshop:
Breton Dance Workshop with Jean Cristophe Denis: exploring areas and cultures
We will remotely travel around Brittany: from joyful dances from the coast to energetic chain dances from the “mountains”. We will move from the French-speaking areas to discover the Breton and Gallo speaking counties. You will dance on traditional “kan ha diskan” singing, but also “contemporary traditional” music, strongly influenced by metal, hip-hop or techno music. This is why Fest-Noz (the Breton equivalent to a ceilidh) is on the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage. Come and experience the very unique Breton culture!
While we will be dancing from the comfort of our homes, we will try and recreate the feeling of togetherness of these dances. Everybody is welcome, no experience needed, and you can join on your own or with more people.
Jean Christophe (often known as JC) has been dancing Breton dances for over 20 years, including in a Breton dance group (cercle celtique) in France, and has been running dance workshops in Edinburgh and beyond for about 7 years.
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 individual and all participants using the Speaker view / Gallery view buttons (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. Try out the breakout room for a chat alongside the workshop and session. See Self-selecting a Breakout Room
Musicians: Please play tunes for dancing, prioritising dances from the balfolk scene and other traditional genres from across Europe (preferably avoid 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; please use the chat for making dance tune offers to help to create a rolling running order of dances from the offers. When you’ve been chosen to lead, let the dancers know what dance type you’ll be playing if you can. Then select Original Soundwhen you’re ready 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!), or dance whatever takes your fancy. More important is to dance as though no-one is watching, or as though you can cheer up everyone else who is watching! It’s also fine to 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 😉
We’ll be raising voices as well as spirits in March, making ‘mouth music’ for dancing.
On Thursday 4 March, we have a singing for dancing workshop with the wonderful Rowan Rheingans – see below. After the workshop we’ll continue on with our Eurosession to play tunes, enjoy dancing and see some friendly faces – and this month we’ll have a breakout room for chatting too. NB, We’ll be a week earlier than usual – the first Thursday rather than the second Thursday of the month.
Session access and donations: To to obtain the Zoom details, please pay/donate via our dedicated donations page at https://eurosession.org.uk/?p=3233. We ask for a minimum payment of £2, but if you enjoy our sessions, we suggest you donate £5 or £10 so we can offer musicians and dance teachers fair payment.
Finding your way around: You’ll have the option to join and leave Zoom breakout rooms to move between the session, workshop, and the bar. See our quick guide if you get stuck.
If you plan to share a tune: It may sound better if you turn on the Original Sound feature when playing – please check out the Zoom Help about how to enable this this in your Zoom settings.
About the workshop:
‘Diddling’ Workshop with Rowan Rheingans: an introduction to singing dance tunes
Across Europe and elsewhere in the world, mouth music (singing wordless tunes) is a common part of folk traditions. The tradition of mouth music isn’t so well documented in England, but in Ireland and Scotland it is still very much alive. And down south in France or up north in Sweden, folk dances are still sometimes danced to a solo singer or a group of singers. It’s a great way to keep a dance moving if instruments aren’t available or to be able to join in with tunes if you don’t play an instrument!
In this workshop, Rowan will introduce you to using your voice as an instrument for dance tunes. There are vast possibilities beyond just humming a tune! After a vocal warm up, we’ll learn a dance tune by ear and explore how we might approach singing it in our own way. In the workshop, we’ll also listen to some examples of mouth music from different places and we’ll look at a few tools and techniques for singing in a way that is just as exciting as playing a tune on an instrument.
You don’t need any experience at all for this workshop – just an open mind. Everything will be taught by ear and you’ll be able to make recordings of anything we learn too.
Rowan Rheingans is an award-winning singer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and theatre-maker. Best known for her work with acclaimed bands Lady Maisery, The Rheingans Sisters and Songs of Separation, Rowan has won two BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards (‘Best Original Track’ in 2016 & ‘Best Album’ in 2017) and is a six-times nominee. Her duo The Rheingans Sisters were recent nominees for the prestigious ‘Best Duo/Band’ award at the 2019 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.
Rowan’s interest in mouth music, or ‘diddling’ as it’s sometimes called in England, began when she was studying the fiddle in Sweden and for the first time came across solo singers holding captivated a whole floor of dancers or audience with tunes rather than songs. She is an experienced folk music educator, running popular singing courses and workshops as part of her trio Lady Maisery.
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 individual and all participants using the Speaker view / Gallery view buttons (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. This month, for the first time, we’re planning to offer a breakout room for chatting alongside the workshop and session. You can choose when to come and go between rooms, but please try to minimise disruption e.g. to a workshop, tune, or conversation in progress as you shift between rooms. See help about Self-selecting a Breakout Room
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 Soundwhen 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!), or dance whatever takes your fancy. More important is to dance as though no-one is watching, or as though you can cheer up everyone else who is watching! It’s also fine to 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 😉
In February, we’ll be raising spirits with a vibrant music workshop from Denmark
On Thursday 11 February, we continue our lockdown music workshops with Mads Kjøller-Henningsen from Denmark – see below. After the workshop we’ll continue on with our Eurosession to play tunes, enjoy dancing and see some friendly faces.
Workshop and session times: 7:30pm – 9:00 pm GMT – Music workshop 9:00 – 11:00 pm GMT – Eurosession
Session access and donations: To to obtain the Zoom details, please pay/donate via our dedicated donations page at https://eurosession.org.uk/?p=3233. We ask for a minimum payment of £2, but if you enjoy our sessions, we suggest you donate £5 or £10 so we can offer musicians and dance teachers fair payment.
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:
Tips from Mads for playing for different dances from Denmark...
In this February music workshop, Mads Kjøller-Henningsen will focus on popular types of dance tunes from Denmark, such as polka, waltz and sønderhoning and provide tips for how to get the feeling right for the different dances. [NB. those links demonstrate the dances – take a look!]. The tunes will be simple(ish) to pick up by ear, so as musicians you will be able to translate some of Mads’ danceable rhythm into your own playing (e.g.: Mads in another workshop). Mads can also share some insights and chuckles about the background of Danish folk music.
Mads Kjøller-Henningsen is a professional flautist, multi-instrumentalist, dance instructor, teacher and folk music enthusiast. He studied folk music at the Danish National Academy of Music, and has a fine selection of album releases to browse. Mads has a lot of experience in organising workshops, concerts and conventions, and he is a part of several bands, including the award-winning Floating Sofa Quartet. Essentially, he’s a talented musician and has great personality, and we think you’ll enjoy his workshop. Get in the mood with these polkas played for #thegoodtune.
The workshop will begin at 7:30pm. Please be on time for a prompt start.
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 Soundwhen 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!), or dance whatever takes your fancy. More important is to dance as though no-one is watching, or as though you can cheer up everyone else who is watching! It’s also fine to 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 😉
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 Soundwhen 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 😉
