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The 2004 Winter Noel Hill Irish Concertina School in Ireland

As I write this, it is March 9, 2004 and I’ve just returned from spending almost two weeks in Ireland as a part of attending the Winter Noel Hill Irish Concertina School.  The time went quickly and the days were full and rich with both musical and cultural experiences.  I saw many things I’d only read of before, heard a lot of unique and wonderful music, enjoyed several local culinary delights, met countless new people and generally had a very good time.  In the interest of documenting the experience for others that might consider attending a future class there, I’m detailing my experience and perspectives on the trip.

Should this narrative ever become either the subject of or the instrument in any lawsuit, I want to go on record now as saying I fell into playing concertina by accident in spite of my parents best efforts at a good upbringing.  Reluctantly I now admit to compulsion; if I don’t play the thing every several hours I feel a need to pick it up and get a quick fix of grace notes, cuts and triplets.  If no one is looking I may even attempt a cran.  I’m also forced to acknowledge that if I continue this present downhill slide I may finally end up in the gutter of life, possibly even entering into politics.

That said and returning to topic, the first winter session of the Noel Hill Irish Concertina School was scheduled to sandwich between two other musical events in Ireland; The Gathering in Killarney consisting of several days of traditional musical events (click on the icon at right for details) held in the comfortable setting of the spacious Gleneagle Hotel, and the Corofin Traditional Festival.  Including exposure to both musical events allowed us to really get a feel for the music in its 'native' setting.  Questions were answered, arrangements were worked out and eventually 22 students and several spouses committed to the endeavor.

The first thing I knew, I had a ticket to Ireland and needed to get a passport.  A few months later, the day was at hand and I was on my way to Sea-Tac airport in Seattle with two weeks in Ireland immediately ahead of me.  I had a concertina in one hand, a suitcase in the other and a travel guidebook in my coat pocket filled with useful information such as just what black pudding is made from.  In regard to the latter, if you don’t already know, you probably don’t want to know.

My flight out of Seattle was uneventful and because of flight delays on the next leg, I had lots of free time at JFK in New York.  After exhausting the possibilities of the terminal shops and eateries, I went to the nearly empty Aer Lingus boarding gate and got the concertina out.  I had gone all day without playing and it was time for a ‘fix.’  I went on for about 90 minutes; eventually playing everything in the repertoire of about 50 tunes I carry in my head.

Terminal security didn’t show up, no tomatoes were tossed and no complaints were heard, so after a short break, I started in again.  As the flight time drew nearer, people slowly started filtering in and accumulating at the gate and surprisingly, they didn’t make a point to stay clear of my vicinity so I assumed they must be mostly native New Yorkers and therefore used to odd sights and strange sounds.  Courtesy suggested I not take advantage of a forced audience so when the seating area started filling, I retired the instrument and settled for conversation with the new friends I'd made. 

Upon landing in Shannon, I met up with several others from my Noel Hill group and we took a bus to Killarney by way of Limerick.  The roadside sights were entertaining and as we progressed I began to get a feel for Ireland.  This was my first trip and though I’d heard much about Ireland, one can’t really get the feel until they’ve seen it firsthand.

Once in Killarney, I took the shuttle bus to the Gleneagle Hotel, picked up an event schedule, checked into my hotel room and set about getting oriented.  ‘The Gathering’ was just beginning and several more members of the Noel Hill class were in the lobby when we arrived so people immediately started renewing old friendships and making new ones.

The Gleneagle Hotel is a very comfortable setting for a musical event such as this.  The staff is attentive, the rooms are inviting and the size and diversity of the complex is impressive.  One may chose to dine in either a pub-casual or more formal setting, there are multiple pub environments and the complex includes a well stocked tourist oriented convenience store as well as both a large ballroom-performance hall and a separate basketball-sports complex that can be used for other events such as dances.  Even if one is only looking for a quiet place to sip their tea and read, there are suitable rooms off the main lobby just right for this purpose.

The Gathering was better than advertised and the last three days (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) were just as full as one chose to make them.  You could ignore everything, or go almost non-stop musically speaking from mid-morning until far into the night.  Other events aside, spontaneous sessions typically started by mid-day and they continued in various locations throughout the afternoon and evening. Usually one could still find a session as late as 3 AM.  At times in the evenings there would be multiple sessions in progress at various locations within the hotel, with from three to a dozen musicians involved in each session.

Many musical events were scheduled each day, with workshops, dance instruction, vocal groups, and traditional music groups performing at well-suited locations within the hotel.  The evenings always included multiple major entertainment performances in the ballroom-performance hall that accommodated several hundred people and a huge Ceili session was held most nights in the connected sports facility.  Just seeing the latter was almost worth the trip by itself.

Of course, the duet performance of Noel Hill and fiddle player Liam O’Connor was a special favorite of the crowd, but every musician was great and all rendered impressive performances.  In addition to the more traditional music performed, there were fascinating presentations of modern Irish music in various forms by both small and large groups.  Literally there was something for everyone, and the hotel setting was still intimate enough that you had a good chance of meeting the musicians in the pubs after they’d finished.  I had the opportunity to meet Joe Burke and Anne Conroy Burke after they'd finished onstage (they delivered a powerful performance that had the audience enraptured) and I quite enjoyed talking with them.

Back to the topic of the Ceili, imagine the sight of 400 people or more dancing as coordinated elements of several dozen individual groups.  The Ceili sessions were held on a full size basketball court and the floor was typically filled for every dance.  The dances were quite structured and the elements of movement were precisely executed; steps, turns, spins, jumps; there was a lot going on within the groups.  From a second floor viewing position it was a spectacular sight, and at 1 AM people were still going strong.

While a few from our group were sufficiently accomplished to join with other musicians in the fast-flowing late evening sessions, I was not, but I did spend a couple of hours one afternoon playing just off from a major internal hotel thoroughfare to the lobby and found I was comfortable with the setting.  Scores of people passed by, some stopped to listen for a time and a few sat for a time and asked names of some of the tunes I’d played.

One local fellow there with his wife and her sister stopped by and the three of them sat with me for over an hour.  I really enjoyed meeting them, and we had quite an interesting conversation in between tunes.  Several times in the course of the hour he picked up his guitar and played accompaniment to my renditions.  I wouldn’t have played as many tunes for them as I did but they kept soliciting more, right down to “one to carry in their heads on the road.”

The heart of Killarney is not far from the hotel and a shuttle bus was available from the hotel at frequent intervals throughout the day.  If one was inclined to walk instead, it took about 20 minutes on a pleasant stretch of well-surfaced sidewalks in a very comfortable setting.  Once in town, one could choose the convenience of a very nice enclosed shopping mall or opt for the more interesting experience of exploring the many shops that line the city streets.

While you could find numerous opportunities to purchase gifts and souvenirs, many of the shops in Killarney serve the people of the area rather than specializing in tourist trade so one could find groceries and hardware stores as well as jewelry and gift shops.  Of course, there are several pubs, and one could find excellent food and conversation in these settings.  A brief walk with a camera in hand provided many opportunities for good photos and the people were all quite friendly.  Being part of a large group with a common purpose (Noel’s class) was quite nice too because I frequently encountered people I knew, both in the hotel and in town.

If one was inclined to see the sights of the area and didn’t have a rental car, a very nice and inexpensive tour of the Ring of Kerry departed daily from the Gleneagle, and arrangements for other tours could be made either at the hotel or in town.  Horse drawn conveyances called ‘Jaunting Carts’ were available in town and they would gladly take you on tours of the nearby park grounds and other sights of the area.

Between the local music shops and the sales outlets at evening musical performances, I acquired many new CDs of musicians I heard (and in some cases met) at The Gathering.  Of course, I also acquired appropriate souvenirs for family and friends, but the musical nature of this trip seemed to make CDs the perfect choice for myself.  Well, if you press the point, there was a ‘The Gathering’ T-shirt available and yes, I did get one.

When The Gathering finally ended, we boarded a motor coach and traveled to the picturesque village of Ballyvaughan located on the southern shore of Galway Bay and situated at the edge of the starkly beautiful Burren region of County Clare.  Five days of classes were to follow and so the work of the trip was about to begin.  The ride to Ballyvaughan was quite pleasant and the last part though the Burren region was most impressive.  Much has been written about this area and one only needed a moments glance to understand why.  Miles of raw rock draw one’s attention first, but then on closer examination you begin to notice the abundant small bits of greenery.  Flowers spring out of the many cracks in the rocks and there is plant life in pockets everywhere.

In Ballyvaughan, the group was dispersed across several rental cottages with a commanding view of the marina and bay.  Dining was available at multiple locations around town, including Monks by the marina, the Hyland Burren Hotel and a very pleasant small shop called ‘The Tea Junction” where a traditional breakfast could be enjoyed quite inexpensively.  For those with cars, an Italian restaurant a short distance from town was reported to be quite good too.

Several pubs were open in town and on some nights, a few members of our group played together or joined with local musicians.  Although I heard traditional Irish music for the most part, one night I encountered a conventional guitar and drum instrumented rock and roll band entertaining a large under-25 crowd at O’Brien’s pub.  Although it was American music, it was done in Irish session style, that is, the band rolled from one tune to the next with no breaks and kept at it for about 20 minutes, then took a few minutes off and started in again.

While some pubs were quite small and personal, the Hyland Burren was sizeable and in one part of the multi-room bar provided sports TV in a modern setting.  I didn’t have a chance to explore it fully, but between the bar, restaurant and hotel, it looked to be quite a large structure and likely the biggest facility of it’s kind in the area.  I tried the food in the bar one evening and was not displeased.

For those that weren’t interested in dining out, the Spar grocery store was only a five minute walk from the cottages.  While only slightly larger than a typical 7-11 in the states, it was well stocked and included a meat counter and bakery too.  Within its walls one could find all the resources needed to dine well in the comfort of their cottage, assuming of course that their cooking skills were up to the task.  While taking nothing away from the local establishments, perhaps the best meal I had in Ballyvaughan was in a cottage setting, hosted by two classmates that were quite talented in the kitchen in addition to their considerable musical skills.

That was perhaps one of the best parts of the cottage environment, people were able to settle in and then get together in small groups with other class members for meals, conversation or private musical sessions and comparisons of renditions and techniques.  Between classes one had time to go for walks to view local birds, gaze at the bay and landscape or into the center of town to pick up any needed supplies.

The cottages afforded many of us some unique experiences with respect to heating, laundry and hot water.  Although all had electric heat available, many of the group chose to burn the traditional peat turf in the main hearth.  A blazing turf fire is a very pleasant sight.  The cottages came equipped with laundry facilities, typically in the form of a combination washer/dryer.  One loaded in clothes, added soap, selected the desired washing and drying options and then started the unit.  When the washing was done, the clothes remained in the unit and it started a drying cycle.

While some cottages had instant water heaters, others were equipped with more traditional immersion heaters that only operated at night when (I assume) the electric rates were lower.  In such cases, hot water was available for morning showers but was in limited supply by the end of the day.  Those in cottages with such facilities were well advised to shower in the morning and not the evening.

Classes with Noel were quite relaxed and informative as always, though paced for rapid advancement.  Noel encouraged us to go explore the area and soak up the roots of the music.  At one point he told us the music was in the ground itself so I was tempted to fill my pockets with stones before I left.  Jokes aside though, it’s true.  As you look about and listen to the details of the area’s history, you gain a better understanding of the foundations of the music and where it came from.

Back to classes, Noel’s methods are well considered and when one finishes a class series with him they have a working familiarity of several new pieces and appropriately annotated sheet music with self-recorded examples of Noel demonstrating how the pieces should be played, from the bare bones basic tunes to variations on highly ornamented and chorded versions.  While one only needs to pick up the simple basics of the tunes during class, they leave with the insights and examples to guide continued development of their renditions to a high polish.

Noel is an absolute magician with the concertina and draws such a complex flow of notes, chords and closely woven patterns from the instrument that one could easily imagine two others were playing beside him.  If you have no interest in playing a concertina, he’s quite amazing as a performer, but if you are learning the instrument, seeing him perform and attending his classes is inspiring because you see what can be done, and he provides a path for you to follow if you want to develop your skills along similar lines.

During the time in Ballyvaughan, the group was afforded two opportunities to travel to Corofin and listen to Noel perform in a local venue as a part of the festival being held there and we experienced firsthand both the culture and people on very personal level.  The first night we had the chance to hear four generations of concertina players, from near age 80 to age 9.  And to be clear, the performers at both ends of the age spectrum did just as well as the ones in the middle.

Kitty Hayes started the evening off.  Her lively and energetic delivery of tunes immediately connected with the audience and she had us all sharing in their pulse and flow.  I had the opportunity to talk with her at the end of the evening and quite enjoyed it.  I'd previously heard her style described as simple and direct and I have to admit that description didn't peak my interest, but after hearing her in Corofin I purchased a CD she’d recently recorded and it’s been one of my favorites since.  I find her style to be driving and engrossing, and her music has a delightful 'at home' flavor to it.

Hugh and Colm Healy performed several tunes in grand style, and displayed considerable range, not to mention enthusiasm.  I'd not heard of them before that evening, but will look to acquire their CD now after hearing them perform.  It was evident that they were quite comfortable with the venue and they had an easy relaxed approach to playing that seemed perfectly suited to the music.

The youngest performer was Tara Howley from nearby Kilfenora.  Although only nine years old she delivered an impressive series of complex but well played renditions that left no doubt that she was a master of the instrument.  Noel commented that he'd been giving her instruction and she was able to play the hardest things he'd come up with while still reading the paper over his shoulder.  That's high praise and I expect to hear much more of this one in the years to come.

Noel Hill and Liam O'Connor were of course a favorite of the crowd again and they offered up several high-energy and heartfelt tunes to the great pleasure of all present.  Although Liam only played the fiddle for their duet performances, I understand from Noel that he plays concertina as well.  Their selections seemed spontaneous rather than pre-planned, but in all cases they performed with precise authority and the crowd clearly loved them.

The venue was a community building large enough to hold perhaps 150 people with a substantial and cheery fireplace to the right of the stage.  Prior to entering the building Noel offered sage advice on the seating arrangements, suggesting that while the fireplace might be inviting when first entering the building, by the end of the evening it'd be unwelcome company if one sat too close.  I noted that as the evening went on,  people nearest the fire took on the appearance of folks in the balmy tropics.

Sitting mixed in with the local folks attending the concert afforded a real sense of how the music was perceived and accepted.  While a few had clearly traveled some distance to attend, it was obvious that many of the people present knew each other well and that this was very much a local community event.  Comments and conversation between performances made it clear that the music was at home here and that people regarded it with a sense of lifelong familiarity and prideful ownership.

When the series of concertina classes were at an end, a couple of additional days were allocated to permit local touring on a comfortable private motor coach as well as guided Burren hikes to take in the beauty and history of this unique region.  Events were planned in accordance with group interests so a great flexibility was available in this regard.

The final morning I traveled out of the Burren and back to Shannon, and then enjoyed a ‘Full Irish Breakfast’ at the airport while waiting for my flight.  Once the meal was done I went to the gate, and since I still had a couple of hours, I figured it was time to get the concertina out again.  After all, it was my last chance to play in Ireland.  Several people came over, asked questions about the tunes and all made quite nice comments.

A few even called home to the US on nearby pay phones and when I paused to allow them to talk without the concertina overshadowing their conversation, they immediately asked me to continue so that the folks at home could hear.  This didn't seem like the right time to mention that I wasn't from Ireland myself, so instead I just played and everyone was happy.  Maybe I could make this a new career?  Pay phone background concertina music on demand could have a future, couldn’t it?  Watch for ads at a booth near you soon.

Back at JFK once more, the flight to Seattle was overbooked, and the ill-mannered group at the gate appeared stressed, tired and looking for an excuse to start trouble, and that was just the aircrew.  The passengers waiting to board didn’t look happy either, they were facing a six-plus hour flight on a tightly packed plane that didn’t offer free food.  Looking at their tense faces I wasn’t sure that my personal liability insurance would cover the riot damages that might result should they react unpleasantly to the sudden appearance of a concertina in their midst, so I kept it hidden.

Further, just to be on the safe side, I kept my eyes averted down and hoped that should the crowd feel the need for an emotional release, they’d at least have the decency and high standards to go in search of a mime to beat up and not settle for the cheap thrill of working over a lowly concertina player.  Fortunately the flight was uneventful except for the shock I received when I saw the prices for food service onboard.

After a good night’s rest at home, I entertained friends and family with musical samples from the class and passed out souvenirs from my journey.  The new tunes were well complimented, the souvenirs happily received and this closed out a great trip.  I really enjoyed the sights and sounds of Ireland, the class was both beneficial and great fun, and this trip was a real bright spot in the middle of an otherwise long and uneventful winter.

If you're considering attending this class in the future, here's some Trip Planning Advice.

Please note that the selection and inclusion of web links in this text has been done solely to provide further information on topics.  In many cases link selections were essentially arbitrary and my links are not intended to suggest any endorsement of specific site operators, services or products advertised.

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