Topic: Mairead nesbitt

[costumer]

Yankee:  About a half a screen (or less) down from the top of the page, there are a row of tabs.  Click "profile" to take you to your profile.  Towards the left on that screen, under "Modify profile" click on "Look and layout preferences" and in the resulting screen, tick the box for "leave words uncensored" and you'll see the original words, rather than the down-graded ones.  (If you're not able to do this, then it's a Forum Friends option.)

Blue:  welcome to the forum.  As said by a couple of folks already, don't take personally the strong replies to your posting;  everyone here is entitled to his/her opinion, and we certainly have a lot of them represented here!  I've been reading the forum for almost a year now, and I've learned quite a bit about topics that don't interest me, as well as finding new styles and techniques that I'm enjoying, but never heard of before.  As I've heard said in other circles, "take what you like and leave the rest."

Kathy

[patheslip]

Yankee_Fiddler:
Your clip reminded me of a big navvy from Cork I dug roads with forty years ago.  He could sing 'Rocky Road to Dublin' whilst dancing a slip jig in his boots.  Afterwards he'd light up a woodbine not even out of breath.
Fun dinner breaks of yesteryear.

[bente]

Hello,

Since this is a topic about mairead nesbitt I thought this question might receive some answers: Does any of you know where I can find the score (for 2 violins) of the track "strings of fire", from lord of the dance? I've been looking after it for nearly 2 years, and still i haven't found it ...

[Yankee_Fiddler]

 I guess the dancing around, pretending to play has been going on a lot longer than I realized.  Check out this clip from 1971:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zh-0UYCUDeE&feature=related

[Yankee_Fiddler]

My favorite part is when he hands the guy in the balloon a fiddle, and the violin solo starts before he has time to get his violin back up and start the fake playing.  Cute!!  But he didn't do the toe pointing thing.

Sorry, I just couldn't help sharing this very 60's early 70's extravaganza.  How could those clothes look so cool and now look so ridiculous?  Makes me wonder what I wear now that will be an embarrassment to look at in another 10 or 20 years.

[awildman2384]

I guess the dancing around, pretending to play has been going on a lot longer than I realized.  Check out this clip from 1971:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zh-0UYCUDeE&feature=related

Maired looks a loot different back then.

[Roisinthebow]

Since this is a topic about mairead nesbitt I thought this question might receive some answers: Does any of you know where I can find the score (for 2 violins) of the track "strings of fire", from lord of the dance? I've been looking after it for nearly 2 years, and still i haven't found it ...

It's hard to see the join I know, but Strings of Fire was in Feet of Flames, not LOTD. Máiréad was in both with Cora Smyth.
I'm new here, but it seems some people get their knickers in a knot and get all haughty about what constitutes traditional Irish music. I was raised on it, not a million miles from the Nesbitt Family. I can tell you Máiréad was well taught by her mother and her subsequent tutors more traditional tunes than you can imagine.
There might be a little snobbery or jealousy at work here, when times are hard for musicians as well as everyone else, but you can't blame the lady for making hay while the sun shines. She has just finished a 96-date packed-house Tour of the USA with Celtic Woman, and they will be filming a new DVD at Powerscourt next week. I have seen them several times in the past 4 years, including an open air concert in a park in NC, I was in the front row and can assure you the fiddle and voices on that occasion were entirely live. She has also played traditional music at sessions in Ireland.
She served her apprenticeship with this lady....her mother...who is a leading tutor at Scoil Éigse:
http://comhaltas.ie/music/detail/comhaltaslive_269_4_kathleen_nesbitt_with_martin_power/ 

This is worth a look too:
http://www.celticfiddler.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=TCF&Product_Code=C608&Category_Code=c6 

[awildman2384]

1.  Marketing a book under one's name does not make one a traditional player.

2.  Every single person involved in running such shows as Celtic Women and Riverdance knows they are not traditional, but stage shows.  If anybody is conceited enough to think that such shows and their music are traditional, it's Michael Flatley, and he doesn't.  I've seen his interviews.  Does Maired herself even think that these shows and her playing therein is traditional Irish music?

3.  Let's face it, Irish trad (along with all other types of trad music) is boring to the vast majority of the population.  It's part of the ambience in an Irish pub, nothing more. If shows are selling out, it's pretty much guaranteed to be non-traditional.  The show is smarmy, and the only reason it sells out is because a cute girl in a revealing dress is prancing around.  Take that away and see what happens.

4. Who is begrudging her making money?

[Steve_W]

Comment removed...  sorry!

[Mina the fiddler]

MAiread Nesbitt is a great fiddler and i don't have a general problem with trad gone "celtic" or "pop" or whatever, but all the hair tossing and frozen smile and shiny dresses are just horrible to watch, to me.

[Worldfiddler]

Wow! How come I missed all this fiery stuff before? Well, fiery as in fiery opinions, which is good! A lot of interesting thoughts there. Here are mine, not wishing to repeat the words of others too much.

That clip, titled The Butterfly : I can't stand that tune!!! Played well or otherwise, it's just one that moves me so negatively. She does redeem herself by the rest of the tunes, which I think are played pretty well. Actually, if you strip away the colour, flashing lights, the multiple percussionists, stressed cameramen, the dancing & prancing, and just listen to the fiddle, she's doing a fairly good job in the very wide field of trad Irish fiddle style.

In the grand scheme of Irish trad fiddle playing, covering many years, generations and localities, ranging from the widely accepted scratchy, out-of-tune stuff (but it's traditional!), through the "respected" styles and players, the sub-genres, the sub-sub genres, some of whose players have a very narrowly defined idea of what constitutes Irish trad as a whole - I reckon she is doing pretty well. Hey, she even holds the bow far up the stick ... and does a fair amount of cornering, too, tho that is probably due to all the excess upper body movement.

Yep, a pretty darn good trad player, (and a highly accomplished player in other styles too) who has chosen to make this style of music / presentation her preference - and so be it. Good luck girlie, but I won't be buying a ticket ... sorry

As for enjoyment from watching it  - very little. Way too much garish visual distraction.

Jim

[madmat]

She does redeem herself by the rest of the tunes, which I think are played pretty well. Actually, if you strip away the colour, flashing lights, the multiple percussionists, stressed cameramen, the dancing & prancing, and just listen to the fiddle, she's doing a fairly good job in the very wide field of trad Irish fiddle style.

My question is... is she really playing?

If it's being sold as a *live* show, and she's actually bow-sync'ing, then people can like whatever they want, but she merits no respect from me.

Call me nuts, but I don't think any human being is capable of that kind of physical activity and playing *that* well simultaneously. As many other people have said, they music alone is enough. If other people like it and will pay money for it, that's fine by me.

If I just close my eyes, then everything's grand. Not that I don't like looking at Mairead and pictures of Mairead.

[madmat]

But upon listening to Studio recordings of certain songs...and then listening to her playing the same song live..Its pretty much desernable wether or not she is playing or not...

This should be a clue.

[Worldfiddler]

My question is... is she really playing?

I think she is playing for real. What she is playing is not that demanding, given her technical ability (remember she played lead fiddle in Riverdance's Nova Scotia Set - a truly demanding kettle of fish, for sure!) Natalie McMaster does that sort of stuff all the time, playing and dancing, and it's for real.

Don't forget, I bow-synced a bit of Pag's Moto Perpetuo and posted it here - I told the truth. I know the tune, and I can play it, but I wanted to play it and hear the tone of a £expensive fiddle. And wanted to share it with others. So I did it. I could have lied .. would anyone have been able to spot the difference?

Mr Jim
 

[madmat]

So I did it. I could have lied .. would anyone have been able to spot the difference?

Like Milli Vanilli used to say, "Girl, You Know It's True!"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milli_Vanilli#Media_backlash

[Mina the fiddler]

I've always been wondering how playback shows work with instruments like violin, drums or guitars. I mean all those instruments simply do produce a sound if you hit/bow/strum them.  And I don't really see how you can fake these movements.
Is the playback music just so loud that the small noises of the instrument actually being played are blocked out in a tv studio or big hall? Do they smear oil on their violin bows and stuff the drumkit with cushions so no actual sound comes from them? I'd really like to know how this works.

[simon]

That clip, titled The Butterfly : I can't stand that tune!!! Played well or otherwise, it's just one that moves me so negatively.

Jim, I think the Tommy Potts recording is really lovely, but other than that, the world would be a better place if nobody ever ever played that tune ever again. Ever.

[Vitarman]

Jim, I think the Tommy Potts recording is really lovely, but other than that, the world would be a better place if nobody ever ever played that tune ever again. Ever.

Yes, not too keen on Maireid's version either but the Bothy Band's version from the Live in Paris album is a killer.  I've heard Kevin Burke play it live too and really liked it.  I've been trying to play it for a while but can't seem to get the timing right.

[Tize]

Sorry to break it to you but I know for a fact that most of the shows involve miming... I know plenty of musicians who have been on the road with them and more who have turned down offers when they discovered that they'd have to mime

[Worldfiddler]

Sorry to break it to you but I know for a fact that most of the shows involve miming... I know plenty of musicians who have been on the road with them and more who have turned down offers when they discovered that they'd have to mime

On second thoughts, you're probably right. And you're closer to the live scene than I am

Hey, wouldn't it be funny if the whole of the FF emailed her to ask, and set the record straight? Just out of curiosity, of course! LOL

Jim

[Worldfiddler]

Jim, I think the Tommy Potts recording is really lovely, but other than that, the world would be a better place if nobody ever ever played that tune ever again. Ever.

You're right, but just one last time, just for its intrinsic beauty, melodiousness, elegaic qualities ...

http://www.worldfiddlemusic.com/guest/the-butterfly-v2-file1923.mp3

Jim     

[martyn]

I think your sausages are ready Mr Jim! 

[beeswing]

Never you mind what that saucy Martyn has to say, mister Jim, you just keep on practising and who knows, but the world may throw itself at your feet.

and soon, if you keep after it

[Mina the fiddler]

still nobody has explained how miming an acoustic instrument actually works... :-(

[simon]

You're right, but just one last time, just for its intrinsic beauty, melodiousness, elegaic qualities ...

http://www.worldfiddlemusic.com/guest/the-butterfly-v2-file1923.mp3

Jim     

That brought a tear to the eye alright Jim.