Issue 2 12/97

FolkWorld Scene from Inside
A Live Review of a Swedish piper's view

Here we are introducing a new section to FolkWorld: The FolkWorld Scene from Inside. This section is thought for well-known or quite unknown folk musicians, label bosses, folk organisers - any active person in the folk scene -; here they can write from their very own perspective, about anything they like to say.
We think that this section might become one of the most exciting, as you have there people writing who normally do not have the possibility to publish their thoughts in a magazine.
Starting this section, Thomas Johnson, piper from Sweden, remembers his trip to Tønder Festival, writing from a musician's perspective.
If you are intersted in contributing yourself an article for our FolkWorld Scene from Inside, please contact us! We know that there are quite a lot of you musicians, label bosses and organisers!


Tonder Logo

Tønder folk festival '97

A piper's perspective

By Thomas Johnson

I travelled down from Lund, Sweden to the Tønder Folk Festival in Denmark, with two friends. I had no advance tickets, but there was no problem buying tickets at the site. I think Tønder is one of the absolute best folk festivals going. Such a great atmosphere and nice people everywhere. I met a lovely German girl, Meike, who played the timber flute and didgeridoo.

Myself I play the uilleann pipes. And in spite of having a mad chanter reed the pipes behaved themselves for a nice session in the Instrument makers tent. There I met pipemaker Marc van Daal, Holland, showing his instruments together with Brendan White of Cork-Belgium with his bodhrans on display. These two great musicians had the company of the lovely singer and bodhranist Helen Flaherty, member of the Belgium band Shantalla.

Tonder Finale mit Allan Taylor, Danny Kyle, Sharon Shannon, Joannie Madden; photo by The Mollis Well a spontaneous session started with two sets of pipes, two bodhrans and Helen Flaherty singing. Marc van Daal is a fine piper as well as pipemaker. Accompanied by Brendan and Helen's bodhrans, some fine piping tunes were played, Choice wife, Gold ring, Curragh races, Virginia, Bucks of Oranmore, Rakish Paddy, Larks march, Blackbird etc. the tunes were complemented by the fine voice of Helen singing Scotish and Irish songs. Brendan White's a ferocious man on the bodhran, likewise Helen knows how to follow and give the tune a lift. Not meeting other pipers for months on end it was inspiring to hear, and play with Marc Helen and Brendan.

Liam O'Flynn's Given Note band played well. Liam O'Flynn played with a lot of heart and soul. Playing his concert pitch Rowsome set, complete with fan blowing away, prehaps to keep the drones steady?, Liam and the band made some fine music. Some nice gaita tunes from northern Spain were played together with some spirited reels and jigs. Learn the jig, Kitty got a klinking coming from the fair if you don't know it already. It's a wonderful tune.

Thomas Johnson, Lund, Sweden.

Photo credit and comments:
Tonder Finale with Allan Taylor, Danny Kyle, Sharon Shannon, Joannie Madden; photo by The Mollis

There is another live review of Tønder Festival, that one from a FolkWorld editor's perspective...

Infos for future festivals available at: Tønder Festival Homepage


To the content of FolkWorld Live Reviews
To the content of the FolkWorld online music magazine Nr. 2

© The Mollis - Editors of FolkWorld; Published 12/97

All material published in FolkWorld is © The Author via FolkWorld. Storage for private use is allowed and welcome. Reviews and extracts of up to 200 words may be freely quoted and reproduced, if source and author are acknowledged. For any other reproduction please ask the Editors for permission.


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