21/09/2026
Welcome back all! Hope you had a great summer!
We have a busy term ahead working towards our ceilidhs with the Chorley Cakes and Lancashire Youth Folk Ensemble (LYFE), but in the meantime… Afternoon of 14th November in Chorley area and Friday 20th November at More Music.
Here’s a beautiful 5time tune from Germany. Feels like it should have lyrics, but I can’t find any. This is often played relatively fast so you can dance a 5-time waltz, but works beautifully as a slow air too. The video has a fab arrangement of the fast version! If there’s time we might re-visit Charming Phyllis from Term 10
Treble
Guitar
Banjo
Ukulele
Mandolin
Alto Sax
Trumpet
Cello
28/09/2026
This is a really lovely tune from the Native American Tohona O’odham people of South Arizona, with some quite clear influences from Spain/Mexico and other “settlers”.
MIDI FILE: Libby Bird Song MazurkaTreble
Guitar
Banjo
Ukulele
Mandolin
Alto Sax
Trumpet
Cello
We will also make a start working towards the Ceilidhs with this request from the Chorley Cakes, which we last looked at in 2013!:
MIDI FILE: Dashing White SergeantTreble
Guitar
Banjo
Ukulele
Mandolin
Alto Sax
Trumpet
Cello
05/10/22
Following the old mazurka we learned last week, here’s a couple of contemporary European ones. Some challenging rhythms and harmonies, but we’ll be fine 😉
Vappu is the Finnish Mayday celebration and the tune is written by a Belgian.
MIDI FILE: VappuTreble
Guitar
Banjo
Ukulele
Mandolin
Alto Sax
Trumpet
Cello
Treble
Guitar
Banjo
Ukulele
Mandolin
Alto Sax
Trumpet
Cello
Veires de flòc
Rires e jòc
Man dins ta man
Una candèla m’ajuda pas
Per amagar
Te sensualitat
Òm fa coma òm pòt
Per renegar
L’amor al costat
E la candèla me basta pas
Per amagar
Cò que volèm far
La nuèit avanca
E la candèla
Se morís paurèla
Al mens dorit temps
E ton regach dins lo meu
Fa oblidar las oras
E vòstra levres dins la nuèit
Crosan los meus
(Occitan – a language spoken in parts of the South of France, Monaco, Italy and Spain)
Glasses of Floc
Laughter and games
Hand in your hand
A candle does not help me
To hide
Your sensuality
One does what one can
To deny
The growing love
And the candle does not stop me
From hiding
What we want to do
The night draws on
And the candle
Is dying miserably
At the least desired time
And your gaze in mine
Makes us forget the hours
And your lips in the night
Cross mine
12/10/26
This week is a really gorgeous klezmer tune I’ve been playing on and off for quite a long time. “A Night in the Garden of Eden”. We also need to rehearse some music for the ceilidh, so we’ll have a go through the Dashing White Sgt, Mr Lane’s Maggot, Moon & 7 and Rue des Prés/ Sunshine Schottish, as well as possibly choosing a waltz or mazurka in case one of those is requested!
MIDI FILE: Nakht in Gam EdenTreble
Guitar
Banjo
Ukulele
Mandolin
Alto Sax
Trumpet
Cello
I have dances from the other group that we need to provide:
Dashing White Sergeant (tick!)
Cumberland Square Eight (Jig of Slurs – tick!)
Highland Barn Dance (Mr Lane’s Maggot – tick!)
Swedish Masquerade (tick!)
“A nice waltz” (tick!)
Phew! The Chorley Cakes would like to do two ceilidhs on their day – a daytime family ceilidh and an evening one. Let me know any issues (although the Lancashire Youth Folk Ensemble (LYFE), can only make it for the daytime one).
Phew! – looks like it’s going to happen 😉
19/10/2026
Unfortunately the website hosts won’t allow me to upload any pdfs for tonight’s session. I’m working on it with them, but have added them to the whatsapp for now. Grrr
We need to choose a 32 bar waltz/ mazurka for the dancing and I will share further information about the three gigs!
Chorley Gigs: St Mary’s Community Centre, Broadfield Walk, Leyland PR25 1PD (1:30 arrival) 2:30-5pm with the “crumbs”, then the evening ceilidh (back for 6:30?) 7:15-10pm. They are considering a local youth choir to sing during changeovers.
Morecambe: More Music – 8pm start, so arrive 7pm. We will have the Lancaster Uni Morris Side dancing during changeovers.
More info when I have it!
SETLIST:
(Bear Dance in Em perhaps)
Maggie West’s Waltz
Dashing White Sgt
Swedish Masquerade
Mr Lane’s Maggot
Jig of Slurs (should be working now – let me know if not!)
Next week is HALF TERM