Pub session
Encyclopedia
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
, in which the music-making is intermingled with the consumption of ale, stout, and beer and conversation. Performers sing and play traditional songs and tunes from the Irish, English and Scottish traditions, using instruments such as the fiddle
Fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
, accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
, concertina
Concertina
A concertina is a free-reed musical instrument, like the various accordions and the harmonica. It has a bellows and buttons typically on both ends of it. When pressed, the buttons travel in the same direction as the bellows, unlike accordion buttons which travel perpendicularly to it...
, flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
, tin whistle
Tin whistle
The tin whistle, also called the penny whistle, English Flageolet, Scottish penny whistle, Tin Flageolet, Irish whistle and Clarke London Flageolet is a simple six-holed woodwind instrument. It is an end blown fipple flute, putting it in the same category as the recorder, American Indian flute, and...
, uilleann pipes
Uilleann pipes
The uilleann pipes or //; ) are the characteristic national bagpipe of Ireland, their current name, earlier known in English as "union pipes", is a part translation of the Irish-language term píobaí uilleann , from their method of inflation.The bag of the uilleann pipes is inflated by means of a...
, tenor banjo, guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, and bodhrán
Bodhrán
The bodhrán is an Irish frame drum ranging from 25 to 65 cm in diameter, with most drums measuring 35 to 45 cm . The sides of the drum are 9 to 20 cm deep. A goatskin head is tacked to one side...
.
History
Singing and drinking have happened together from ancient times, but written evidence is fragmentary until the 16th century. In ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's Henry IV
Henry IV, Part 1
Henry IV, Part 1 is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written no later than 1597. It is the second play in Shakespeare's tetralogy dealing with the successive reigns of Richard II, Henry IV , and Henry V...
, Hal and Falstaff
Falstaff
Sir John Falstaff is a fictional character who appears in three plays by William Shakespeare. In the two Henry IV plays, he is a companion to Prince Hal, the future King Henry V. A fat, vain, boastful, and cowardly knight, Falstaff leads the apparently wayward Prince Hal into trouble, and is...
discuss drinking and playing the "tongs and the bones". There are good depictions of pub singing in paintings by Teniers (1610–1690) and Brouwer (1605/6-1638) but the best ones are by Jan Steen
Jan Steen
Jan Havickszoon Steen was a Dutch genre painter of the 17th century . Psychological insight, sense of humour and abundance of colour are marks of his trade.-Life:...
(1625/5-1656).
1800 to 1950
The 1830 Beer Act abolished the levy on beer and quickly doubled the number of pubs in England. The number peaked in the 1870s and declined after 1900. By the 1850s, an increasing number of student songs and commercial song-books were published across Europe. The most famous was the "Scottish Students' Song Book" by John Stuart BlackieJohn Stuart Blackie
John Stuart Blackie was a Scottish scholar and man of letters. He was born in Glasgow, and educated at the New Academy and afterwards at the Marischal College, in Aberdeen, where his father was manager of the Commercial Bank.After attending classes at Edinburgh University , Blackie spent three...
(1809–1895). The mixture of traditional songs with hints of erotic humour continues to this day. The Irish tradition also benefited from the compilation of O'Neill's Music of Ireland, a compilation of 1,850 pieces of Irish session and dance music, published initially by Francis O'Neill
Francis O'Neill
Francis O'Neill was an Irish-born American police officer and collector of Irish traditional music.O'Neill was born in Tralibane, near Bantry, County Cork. At an early age he heard the music of local musicians, among them Peter Hagarty, Cormac Murphy and Timothy Dowling. At the age of 16, he...
(1848–1936) in 1903.
One of the most popular drinking songs, "Little Brown Jug," dates from the 1860s. By 1908 Percy Grainger
Percy Grainger
George Percy Aldridge Grainger , known as Percy Grainger, was an Australian-born composer, arranger and pianist. In the course of a long and innovative career he played a prominent role in the revival of interest in British folk music in the early years of the 20th century. He also made many...
had begun to record folk singers, but not in their natural habitat—the pub. In 1938 A.L. Lloyd persuaded his employers at the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
to record the singers in the Eel's Foot pub in Eastbridge, Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
.
At The Eel's Foot, 1939–47, the songs performed included: "False Hearted Knight", "The Dark-Eyed Sailor", "The Princess Royal", "The Foggy Dew", "Underneath Her Apron", "Pleasant and Delightful", "The Blackbird." Surprisingly, one of the songs was "Poor Man's Heaven" an American IWW song (Industrial Workers of the World
Industrial Workers of the World
The Industrial Workers of the World is an international union. At its peak in 1923, the organization claimed some 100,000 members in good standing, and could marshal the support of perhaps 300,000 workers. Its membership declined dramatically after a 1924 split brought on by internal conflict...
), dating from about 1920. The oldest singer there was William "Velvet" Brightwell (1865–1960). In 1947 the BBC made more recordings there and broadcast them as "Anglia Sings" on 19 November 1947. Almost all of the participants were in their 50s and 60s. Six years later the first folk club opened in Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
, and the average age was in the 20s.
Instruments
The fiddleFiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
has predominated since the 17th century. The melodeon became popular in the 1890s. By the 1950s the accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
took over, particularly in Scotland. By the 1960s the guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
was the instrument most frequently heard in a pub. Nowadays so many people can afford instruments that ensemble playing is the norm. Celtic
Celtic music
Celtic music is a term utilised by artists, record companies, music stores and music magazines to describe a broad grouping of musical genres that evolved out of the folk musical traditions of the Celtic people of Western Europe...
tunes are popular, even in England, however English music is enjoying a large revival currently, due in part to 'new-folk' artists playing traditional English music, such as Bellowhead and Eliza Carthy. Some people go to folk festivals simply in order to play along with others in the beer tent.
Choosing an instrument
Each session has its own informal rules as to which instruments are acceptable and in what number. Some sessions may have a strict "'traditional' instruments only" rule whereas others will accept anyone who shows up to play with any instrument. The word traditional is used loosely as sessions themselves are a relatively recently-revived phenomenon and some instruments considered 'traditional,' such as the bouzoukiBouzouki
The bouzouki , is a musical instrument with Greek origin in the lute family. A mainstay of modern Greek music, the front of the body is flat and is usually heavily inlaid with mother-of-pearl. The instrument is played with a plectrum and has a sharp metallic sound, reminiscent of a mandolin but...
are in fact relatively new to the genres played at a session. It is wise to ask about what is expected at a particular session before bringing a non-'traditional' instrument.
Generally there can be an unlimited number of fiddle
Fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
s, flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
s, and tin whistle
Tin whistle
The tin whistle, also called the penny whistle, English Flageolet, Scottish penny whistle, Tin Flageolet, Irish whistle and Clarke London Flageolet is a simple six-holed woodwind instrument. It is an end blown fipple flute, putting it in the same category as the recorder, American Indian flute, and...
s. The bodhrán
Bodhrán
The bodhrán is an Irish frame drum ranging from 25 to 65 cm in diameter, with most drums measuring 35 to 45 cm . The sides of the drum are 9 to 20 cm deep. A goatskin head is tacked to one side...
is common in Irish sessions, but many sessions prefer that only one person play the bodhrán at a time. Uilleann Pipes are common in Irish sessions, but the more commonly known Great Highland Bagpipe
Great Highland Bagpipe
The Great Highland Bagpipe is a type of bagpipe native to Scotland. It has achieved widespread recognition through its usage in the British military and in pipe bands throughout the world. It is closely related to the Great Irish Warpipes....
s are never used in a session, because they drown out other instruments. Mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
s, cittern
Cittern
The cittern or cither is a stringed instrument dating from the Renaissance. Modern scholars debate its exact history, but it is generally accepted that it is descended from the Medieval Citole, or Cytole. It looks much like the modern-day flat-back mandolin and the modern Irish bouzouki and cittern...
s and bouzouki
Bouzouki
The bouzouki , is a musical instrument with Greek origin in the lute family. A mainstay of modern Greek music, the front of the body is flat and is usually heavily inlaid with mother-of-pearl. The instrument is played with a plectrum and has a sharp metallic sound, reminiscent of a mandolin but...
s are welcome in moderation. Guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s and dulcimer
Appalachian dulcimer
The Appalachian dulcimer is a fretted string instrument of the zither family, typically with three or four strings. It is native to the Appalachian region of the United States...
s are frequently allowed in sessions without strict "'traditional' instruments only" rules.
Etiquette
There are "open sessions", when anyone who wishes can play, and "closed sessions", where the playing is restricted to a group. The general rules are fairly simple, but depend on the kind of session. In general, pub sessions are not places for learning an instrument. It is expected that those taking part have attained competence in playing their instrument. Some sessions are wholly instrumental while others will engage the crowd with singing. It is customary to introduce oneself to the other participants before joining in. There will usually be a leader or oldest member who sets the tone and keeps the session running smoothly; often leader(s) do not appear to be leaders at all. Occasionally, even the leaders of a session may not realize that they lead.Practically, however, there are always leaders at a session, by the nature of human dynamics. Some sessions follow a round-robin structure, others have a more free-for-all approach, and the leader(s) of a session should be observed to see how this particular session is run. A session is as much about the crowd as it is about the performers. It is not unusual for a neophyte singer to get the greatest crowd response due to the passion and courage they have brought to the session. Due to freeform nature of the session, there is always an element of serendipity and there is an atmosphere of anticipation and an expectation of tolerance from all present.
Listen to how the event is developing and in general keep to the sort of repertoire being played or sung. Adopting a fake accent (American, Irish, Scottish, English, etc.) for the duration of a song is probably the most embarrassing possible mistake for a singer; it is generally felt that this shows a lack of taste, discernment, and a distressing pretention, marking the singer out as a poseur (a person whou does not truly understand the style). For the instrumentalist there is no such restriction. You should not sing over the top of a singer who is leading a song but you may join in and add to the 'air' of the song.
It is frowned upon when one openly criticises people who know only one song or only a few tunes. Sessions are occasions to be enjoyed by all participants and if others are accepted members of the group, it's not up to one person (other than the leaders of the session) to decide that they are not welcome.
Legal considerations
In England & Wales the Licensing Act 2003Licensing Act 2003
The Licensing Act of 2003 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that applies only to England and Wales. The Act establishes a single integrated scheme for licensing premises which are used for the sale or supply of alcohol, to provide regulated entertainment, or to provide late night...
came into force in 2005. It could be interpreted as meaning that any performer would be obliged to give prior notification to police, fire brigade and environmental health. Following much lobbying by various groups, the law finally settled down to allow "spontaneous" events and religious events.
See also
- List of English session venues
- Folk clubsFolk clubsA folk club is a regular event, permanent venue, or section of a venue devoted to folk music and traditional music. Folk clubs were primarily an urban phenomenon of 1960s and 1970s Great Britain and Ireland, and vital to the second British folk revival, but continue today there and elsewhere...
- Irish traditional music sessionIrish traditional music sessionIrish traditional music sessions are mostly informal gatherings at which people play Irish traditional music. The Irish language word for "session" is seisiún...
External links
- Sligo Live Festival Artists: Many hours of free pub sessions during the Sligo Live Festival (annual Irish music event in Sligo, Ireland).
- UKSessions.net: Search for a music session in the UK.