An invitation to an evening of music with mutual friends from Mark, a musician friend, had me travelling to Holmes Chapel in Cheshire on Tuesday evening. I don’t get to see Mark too much these days so I was looking forward to getting together for a beer, some music and a chat.
Mark’s an accomplished fiddler with a repertoire of classical, traditional British, and (as I was to discover this evening) Swedish tunes.
A pleasant evening was spent chatting, playing tunes, singing – oh, and enjoying a few beers. In my case it was only one beer – I was driving. We were nine in all, playing music with others is always a pleasure….particularly if everyone remembers how the tunes go. Fortunately all the other did so I was able to 'hide' behind the competent musicians!
Alison is a wonderful fiddler and violinist (there IS a difference) and along with Mark they played some Swedish tunes they had recently performed at a wedding. Traditional Swedish fiddle music is strongly influenced by the music of the surrounding countries, that includes Scotland and the Scottish Isles. It’s exciting and complex music, I’m afraid I just can’t get my fingers round it!
More tunes were played – some of which we’d not played for years, it certainly stretched the grey cells trying to remember how the tunes went.
At around 11pm we were treated to an impressive firework display from over the fields from Mark’s house – probably part of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations. A nice end to the evening. No photographs of the fireworks I’m afraid.
A successful gathering and one to be repeated before too long I hope.
Thanks for the invitation Mark, I enjoyed the evening immensely!
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