Hurdy-gurdy Mailing List - November 2000
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Our deepest thanks to Maxou Heintzen for this fabulous photograph, taken at Saint-Cloud near Paris in 1957 by an unknown photographer.
The following are the archives of the Hurdy-gurdy Mailing List, sponsored by Alden and Cali Hackmann of Olympic Musical Instruments.
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Date: Fri, 03 Nov 2000 23:43:03 -0500
From: kidz _at_ prexar.com
Subject: [HG] Re: ? & ?
1) who Is the women who's head is on hurdy gurdys? and...why?
is there just one answer to this?
is there a real story to it?
2) was that a sailor's head on the gurdy that was in Captians Couragous, or
do I need better glasses?
I have the movie and it looks like a sailor with a rain hat.
That movie was 1938; are there any fun stories about that hurdy gurdy, or
knowledge of who made that or even better, where that instrument located
today?
.......
jim
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Date: Sat, 4 Nov 2000 18:00:00 +0100
From: Ulrich Joosten <Ulrich.Joosten _at_ t-online.de>
Subject: AW: [HG] Re: ? & ?
Hi,
my name is Ulrich Joosten and I am new on the list. I play a lute backed
hurdy-gurdy by Jean-Noel Grandchamp built in 1986. I also have a woman�s
head on my instrument. Normally if a woman is sculptured on a hurdy-gurdy
this should be a portrait of George Sand (she was a famous french
writer/feminist) who had a relationship to Chopin. She lived in Central
France near St-Chartier where the annual festival of Maitres-Sonneurs is
celebrated to memorize her.
She wrote a novel with title "Les Maitres-Sonneurs" about the bagpipe and
hurdy-gurdy players of her region. It is known that she loved the music and
did a lot for the people who played these instruments. To her honour many
hurdy-gurdies have her portrait.
Best wishes
Ulrich Joosten
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Date: Sat, 04 Nov 2000 18:16:21 -0500
From: Henry Boucher <boite _at_ sympatico.ca>
Subject: [HG] George Sand ,
Good deduction my dear Joosten <g>,
The french HG generally show a women with black hair , is it a fact
or legend it is generally agreed that it is Aurore Dupin , better known as
George Sand. "Les Maitres Sonneurs " were published around 1850 , before that ,HG
were sometime decorated with a man's head , some of them wearing turban..
I think this tradition started in the early 1600 's .
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Date: Sat, 04 Nov 2000 18:34:28 -0500
From: Henry Boucher <boite _at_ sympatico.ca>
Subject: [HG] George Sand
Here are a few pictures
http://www.multimania.com/cecilepichot/Sand1.html
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Date: Sat, 4 Nov 2000 22:23:45 -0800 (PST)
From: Alden Hackmann <darkstar _at_ u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: [HG] George Sand ,
>
> Good deduction my dear Joosten <g> ,
>
> The french HG generally show a women with black hair , is it a fact
> or legend?
> it is generally agreed that it is Aurore Dupin , better known as
> George Sand .
> "Les Maitres Sonneurs " were published around 1850 , before that ,HG
> were sometime decorated with a man's head , some of them wearing a
> turban..
> I think this tradition started in the early 1600 's .
My understanding was that the head carved on the peghead was unknown prior
to Henri B�ton building the guitar-shaped and lute-backed instruments in
(reputedly) 1716 and 1720. Before that the peghead was round or oval or
whatever. B�ton followed the style of the day by putting a human head on
the peghead like the ones in vogue on the bowed string family, a fashion
which has regrettably fallen from fashion in favor of the scroll.
Alden
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Date: Sun, 5 Nov 2000 06:53:01 -0500
From: Judith Lindenau <judith _at_ taar.com>
Subjecira, although it is not heavy or big,
and I don't do the buzzing so extensively as in hungarian music. Reason? I
don't want to be the only seated player in our band. Some players (in
Garmarna and Hedningarna) play Groddalira just letting it hang quite low,
but I don't like it that way, I want to stand straight up and see the
keys.
Mr. Esa M�kinen
Finland
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Date: Fri, 24 Nov 2000 10:30:33 -0800
From: R. T. Taylor <rtaylor _at_ amp.csulb.edu>
Subject: [HG] Re: [HG] Vs: [HG] Teker� playing position
Thanks for the reminder about raising one foot. I forgot to mention that.
You mentioned "Swedish groddalira". I assume that it is the name for a Hurdy
Gurdy in Swedish.Is it designed differently than the other French
instruments?
Do you have some pictures to share with us?
Is there a tradition of playing Hurdy Gurdy music in Sweden?
And lastly, you mentioned Nagy Balasz. Do you have a Hungarian Tekero or do
you play any Hungarian music?
r.t.
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Date: Fri, 24 Nov 2000 12:02:26 -0800 (PST)
From: Alden Hackmann <darkstar _at_ u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: [HG] Re: [HG] Vs: [HG] Teker� playing position
On Fri, 24 Nov 2000, R. T. Taylor wrote:
> You mentioned "Swedish groddalira". I assume that it is the name for a Hurdy
> Gurdy in Swedish.Is it designed differently than the other French
> instruments?
The Swedish name for hurdy-gurdy is "vevlira", often just shortened to
"lira". The original "Grodda lira" is a diatonic 3-stringed instrument
from the village of Grodda, built sometime in the 1700's. It's in a
museum in Visby.
Leif Ericson (the luthier) builds reproductions. The HG players in
Garmarna and Hedningarna both have them. A unique feature of these two
instruments is that they've been modified to be chromatic, but the
accidentals are BELOW the diatonic keys.
> Do you have some pictures to share with us?
I have some photos of Stefan's instrument, which I've been meaning to scan
and post.
Pictures of the original Grodda Lira can be found in "Lirans
Hemligheter" by Allmo and Winter - see the HG bibliography for
details. I'll ask Allmo if I can scan the pictures.
> Is there a tradition of playing Hurdy Gurdy music in Sweden?
A big one, big enough to write a book about ;-).
What's also fascinating is how many French instruments are in Swedish
collections. There's an illustrated section showing all the HG's
in museums in Sweden, and while there are a lot of Swedish instruments, it
also reads like a who's-who of French 18th and 19th century builders.
Alden
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Date: Fri, 24 Nov 2000 12:11:32 -0800
From: "graham" <graham _at_ altongate.co.uk>
Subject: [HG] Playing position
I play HG almost always standing up and often while walking and leading
processions.
I have a second, longer, thinner neck strap which goes as follows:
>From the same fixing as the waist strap at the keyboard end
Under the left arm and up the back
Over the right shoulder
Down to a fixing on the upper end of the HG body on the crank end
You can use the waist strap fixing but it's not so stable
This gives an absolutely solid HG, is very comfortable and can be used for
many hours on end.
Graham Whyte
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Date: Fri, 24 Nov 2000 23:49:51 -0800
From: Alden & Cali Hackmann <hurdy _at_ silverlink.net>
Subject: [HG] Administrivia: misdirected posts
Dear HG list,
Occasionally (and recently more than occasionally) some posts have ended up
not going to the list, but to me, the administrator. This could be for one
of two reasons.
It could be that you are posting to the list from a different address than
the one that you're signed up with. If you do this, Majordomo forwards the
mail to me, because it doesn't recognize you. (Incidentally, I also get
all the spam that gets sent to the hg list address by people who aren't
signed up.)
It could also be that you used a certain word in your email. Majordomo has
a filter which automatically shunts all "Administrative" email to me rather
than to the list. If Majordomo sees certain words, like "sub_scribe" or
"un_sub_scribe" or "he_lp", it sends the message to me. As far as I know,
these three words are the only triggers. (I put the underscores in so that
it would let them through.)
I'll forward your mail to the list, but it's a bit of a bother - it's
harder to tell who said what, and it has to wait for me to do it. So
please be careful of two things: send the mail from the correct address,
and don't use those certain words.
Thank you,
Alden the Listadmin
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Date: Sun, 26 Nov 2000 10:45:01 +0200
From: Juulia Salonen <ottilia _at_ saunalahti.fi>
Subject: [HG] about groddalira
> You mentioned "Swedish groddalira". I assume that it is the name for a Hurdy
>Gurdy in Swedish.
Yes, it is a name of a certain instrument, named after a village in
Gotland, where it was found. It is probably made in Poland or Germany in
18th century, not in Sweden.
>Is it designed differently than the other French
>instruments?
It is East European in style. Trompette is like in Hungarian instruments,
but there is a tuning peg that holds the tirant, not a stick for
adjusting. The whole system of trompette string + dog is close to the
soundboard, and part of it is thus "sinked" below it. Tirant is pulling
the string downwards, there is a hole in the soundboard and the tirant is
inside the instrument. I have not yet seen this setting in any other hg.
Do you have some pictures to share with us?
There is picture of our band "Ihtiriekko in
http://www.nettilinja.fi/~pniikko/ihtiriek.htm Sroll down the page, it is
probably 4th picture. The other instrument is a moraharpa, 16th century
keyed fiddle. Better players and better pictures you can view at
http://www.algonet.se/~jwinter/jweng/emusikramar.html and
http://www.mcs.com/~mskirvin/heathens/1999/index.html, this page has 2
good pictures of Hedningarna's Totte Mattsson playing his groddalira.
>Is there a tradition of playing Hurdy Gurdy music in Sweden?
Alden already answered, but I would like to add something about today's
situation: There is a handful of good players, but only few who play it as
a main instrument, Harald Pettersson is the best of them, check his duo-cd
Skikt with Johan Hedin on nyckelharpa.
>And lastly, you mentioned Nagy Balasz. Do you have a Hungarian Tekero or do
>you play any Hungarian music?
I have met NB and I do not have a tekero yet, he will make one for me. I
have this Swedish groddalira and chromatic 17-c. style flatback by Billy
Horne, who lives and makes hgs in Turku, Finland. (www.billyhorne.com)
Yes, I play some hungarian music with my band. My own music is also pretty
eastern, I think.
Esa M�kinen, Finland
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Date: Sat, 25 Nov 2000 20:53:22 -0800
From: Cynthia A. Wright <cwright _at_ smartt.com>
Subject: Re: [HG] notation software
Hi Catherine,
I just downloaded Finale Notepad and remembered your email (below) from the
HG list...
It would be great to get the HG instrument file you have...
Hope all's well in the East...
Missed you at the HG festival this year...the playing and hot tub were FINE!
Cheers,
Cynthia Wright
Vancouver
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Date: Sun, 26 Nov 2000 01:55:10 -0500
From: Catherine Keenan <cath _at_ pathcom.com>
Subject: Re: [HG] notation software
Hi there Cynthia,
I've owed you a reply for about a year, haven't I? sorry about that.
glad to hear you're playing now. how is it going? i'm glad you had fun at
the festival -- hard not to with cliff, what a wacky guy. was sorry to
miss hearing/seeing sharon and juan, he knows a ton of great tunes. I knew
sharon in montreal when she lived there years ago.
and hope you're having fun with finale. seemed like a good idea to me --
i'm using it a lot, but it was sort of off the thread of the abc
conversation. have you ever tried abc? it seems like a ton of work to do
if you want or have already written standard notation in a program, but
people do seem to love it on the list.
the attached file is just a simple text file. you should replace your file
instrument.txt in your finale folder with this file. All I did was put the
hurdy gurdy into the strings section, so when you create a new file and
select instruments, look under strings and it will be there. It seems to
work fine; the midi sound is like other string instruments. there's
really nothing special here, except that you can choose to have a treble
clef line named hurdy gurdy (abbreviated HG on subsequent pages) in your
score.
do let me know what you're playing these days -- but please don't give up
on me if I don't reply right away! I'll try to do better this time
cath
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Date: Sun, 26 Nov 2000 11:54:46 -0500
From: Bruce Nally <bln _at_ idirect.com>
Subject: [HG] Introduction
Hello everyone:
I am a new subscriber to the Hurdy Gurdy email list.
My profession is a Computer Technician and LAN administrator. I became
interested (HOOKED) with the Hurdy Gurdy over five years ago after
hearing and enjoying several Hurdy Gurdies play at a folk concert in
Montreal. I was a builder and seller of hammer dulcimers at that time,
because I was a scratch builder at heart, I started looking for plans.
The first set was from MusicMakers. It was a very nice instrument, easy
to set up and configure but it was limited. It is at this time I would
like to thank Matthew Szostak, as he was the first person to give me the
help I needed, a very knowledgeable person, he gave me the idea on how to
increase the range from purely diatonic to add chromatics, how I should
shorten the string working length to achieve a more traditional Hurdy
Gurdy sound, how to make a trumpet bridge and even how to find gut
strings. I constructed 3 more instruments using these changes, testing
and achieved my own design that was a flatback teardrop shape that had a
traditional sound. This design is very popular with my clients.
Like this letter I could not stop. Using my computer CAD skills and
having a connection with a local University Sound Engineering Department
and their research departments. I Developed a Computer Designed and Sound
Engineered lute backed Hurdy Gurdy I call the Millennium Hurdy Gurdy
(constructed in 2000 and to be played publicly on new years eve 2001).
But to leave things to talk about on the list. I will leave it to that.
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Date: Sun, 26 Nov 2000 16:13:00 -0500
From: Catherine Keenan <cath _at_ pathcom.com>
Subject: [HG] oops
sorry to have sent a personal note (with an attachment no less) to the list
-- cath
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Date: Mon, 27 Nov 2000 18:09:57 +0100
From: marc reymen <reymen _at_ pandora.be>
Subject: Re: [HG] Introduction
dear Bruce Nally
I'm really interested in your "M"HG.
Is it possible to contact me?
Reymen _at_ pandora.be
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Date: Mon, 27 Nov 2000 13:07:29 -0800
From: Alden & Cali Hackmann <hurdy _at_ silverlink.net>
Subject: [HG] Post from Helen
Helen said:
Thanks Alden, for the advice on fingering - I'm trying to see if this is the
correct way to post - believe I've been posting to the wrong email address
and that's why the returned mail.
I have one of my tangents that when tuning it to a # goes all the way .
Joanne told me it was probably loose and to use different methods, such as
string or hair to wrap around it, or a drop of glue in the hole. I'm going
to try this, and thought I'd pass it along.
BTW, thanks Joanne, for playing "Douce Dame" by Machaut while you were
here, it gave me a wonderful idea for orchestrating that song for a program
Helen
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Date: Mon, 27 Nov 2000 19:22:39 -0500
From: Matthew Szostak <gurdy _at_ midcoast.com>
Subject: Re: [HG] Bruce Nally's Introduction
Hi Bruce, and welcome!
I should think that there are many of us here who are interested in your
V2K as well - would you mind telling more?
Nice to hear from you after so long, and to hear that you're thoroughly
hooked like the rest of us!
Does my memory serve me - were you the one making the animated hurdy-gurdy
playing skeleton?
~ Matt
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Date: Mon, 27 Nov 2000 21:01:14 -0500
From: Bruce Nally <bln _at_ idirect.com>
Subject: [HG] reply to matt
Hi Matt
Yes it has been quite some time since last I wrote you, hope everything is
going well with you. and thankyou for the welcome
I seem to have received NOTICE from the Hurdy Gurdy world regarding the M
H_G. with my introduction email to the list. just a quick breakdown on
this I had an opportunity to work at the university for a two month
period to complete a course in Computer science when the professor resigned
at the last moment. I am not a teacher as a profession and this was a bit of
a challange, but I got to know the staff and some of the faculty and
students. They got to know of my passion for the HG and several students
wanting a project, requested that I assist them with the analysis of the HG
as a project similar to what would be accomplished with a strad violin,
but not having a suitable historical HG we decided to also study the design
of HG'S in general, observe the inharent similarities and differences from
the organistrum the symphony, the 16th to 18th centuries and the french
lute-shaped and guitar back varieties. it was broken down to body shape
support brace design soundboard size shape thickness design and material
etc etc . this could be a book and I hope it will be . not to go on to
long here, I requested that the M H_G be constructed of wood no composites
and look exactely like a French lute-shaped HG, but there are 14 changes
that effect the design in a variety of ways to much to discuss here. some
of the changes involve the cranky instrument less cranky. it took 4
prototypes as test models for sound engineering alone. but this is getting
long I will be posting pics in about a week and more details
Bruce
From hurdy.gurdy _at_ virgin.net Wed Dec 13 20:34:11 2000
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Date: Tue, 28 Nov 2000 19:20:45 -0000
From: Neil Brook <hurdy.gurdy _at_ virgin.net>
Subject: Re: [HG] Post from Helen
The best way I've found to overcome slack tangent pins is to smear a bit of
Superglue on them ( Leave to dry completely ! )- the result will be a tiny
increase in pin diameter and the fit should be fine.
Neil
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Date: Tue, 28 Nov 2000 22:38:32 -0000
From: Neil Brook <hurdy.gurdy _at_ virgin.net>
Subject: Re: [HG] Bruce Nally's Introduction
On the subject of Millennium Hurdy-Gurdies, I have just uploaded some photos
of my special Y2K instrument.
They can be found from the Lute back page on the site.
Neil
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Date: Tue, 28 Nov 2000 16:09:43 -0800 (PST)
From: Helen Smith <heleninoregon _at_ yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [HG] Post from Helen
WHAT A GREAT IDEA !! Thanks Neil...Helen
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Date: Wed, 29 Nov 2000 00:35:38 -0800
From: Alden & Cali Hackmann <hurdy _at_ silverlink.net>
Subject: [HG] upcoming concert with HG in Seattle
Dear List -
I got this information from Jacob Priestly, whom some of you will remember
from the Ft. Flagler festival. Jacob says:
========================================================
Saturday Dec. 2 at 8 pm and
Sunday Dec. 3 at 3 pm
I will play the hurdy gurdy with Kim Pineda's band B.O.M.B. (Benevolent
Order of Music of the Baroque)
The program is 15th c. English, 16th c. German and 17th c. French musics.
Also in the band are great musicians playing flute, recorders, violin, viola
da gamba and lirone, vielle, and lutes. I believe guitars, too.
Both concerts will be at the Bethany LUTHERAN Church in Greenlake (7400
Woodlawn Ave. NE., Seattle) Tickets will be available at the door.
===============================================================
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Date: Wed, 29 Nov 2000 09:31:28 -0800 (PST)
From: Alden Hackmann <darkstar _at_ u.washington.edu>
Subject: [HG] Men of OTW Festival Calendars are available!
Dear HG list -
Something sure to pique your interest:
===============================================================
The Men of the Over the Water Hurdy-Gurdy Festival Calender
===============================================================
Buy your collector's copy now!! Give a unique gift to your friends!!
Black-and-white photographs of twelve dedicated instructors and participants
are featured in the just released Men of the Over the Water Hurdy-Gurdy
Festival 2001 Calendar.
To avoid unnecessary distractions, each man is pictured wearing only his
hurdy-gurdy.
Instruments made by Jean-Luc Bleton, Chris Eaton, Olympic Musical
Instruments (Alden and Cali Hackmann), Bernard Kerboeuf, Denis Siorat, Bernd
Maier, Michael Hubbard and Jean-Claude Boudet are modelled by Pierre Imbert,
Cliff Stapleton, Marcello Bono, and nine others. Most of these "G"-rated
photos were taken in natural settings at Fort Flagler State Park during the
2000 festival, and many highlight the extraordinary natural scenery of the
Puget Sound coast.
To order the 2001 Calendar ($15 plus shipping), please use the order form on
the website http://www.overthewater.org/. If you have difficulty accessing
the website, send an e-mail to mdfiddler _at_ home.com for ordering information.
The Over the Water Hurdy-Gurdy Association is a nonprofit organization
formed to promote the use and enjoyment of the hurdy-gurdy and to
disseminate information to players and to the general public on all aspects
of the instrument, including history, repertoire, and playing techniques.
The Association hosts an annual hurdy-gurdy festival each September at Fort
Flagler State Park in Washington (USA), featuring intensive playing
instruction, concerts by instructors and participants, and dance
instruction. All proceeds from the sale of this calendar will be used to
support future festivals and the goals of the Association.
Alden F.M. Hackmann darkstar _at_ u.washington.edu
Web: http://www.hurdygurdy.com/hg/hghome.html
"Beati illi qui in circulum circumeunt, fient enim magnae rotae."
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Date: Tue, 28 Nov 2000 19:45:08 -0500
From: kidz _at_ prexar.com
Subject: [HG] Re: Jules Devaux
Question: has anyone ever met Jules Devaux?
His life was 1913-1989. I have his CD. It is very nice.
My last e mail question awaits more if you wanted to. On
about Nov 23, subject title:
to alden, cali or anyone.
It asked how & when this instrument first became very
personal to you, to anyone...
Idem 3: I have a newletter from the Viellistic Orchestra
that I could scan if someone wishes;
write me off list if you wish for that as an attachment.
It's in French and about two concerts next year (in France.)
That's all:
I am:
Jim Winters
177 Stillwater Ave. dome
ORONO, ME 04473
USA
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Date: Wed, 29 Nov 2000 22:02:56 -0500
From: Allan Janus <ajanus _at_ yahoo.com>
Subject: [HG] Introduction and a Tune
I've been derelict in my duty of introducing myself to the
list, having been in lurk mode for a bit. I'm not a player,
being very unmusical; it's all I can do to play a CD - but I
am fond of the hurdy-gurdy and have accumulated a pretty
fair number of albums. I think I first heard the hurdy on a
Musica Reservata album long ago - would have been a
symphony, I guess. I ran across Alden on the Early Music
list some years back and contributed a couple of entries to
his valuable discography. I just found a new album a couple
of weeks ago - didn't see it on the list, so I'll mention it
here - it's "Boismortier: Ballets de Village" (Naxos
8.554295), performed by Concert Spirituel, Herv� Niquet
conducting. It features hurdy-gurdies played by Riccardo
Delfino and Matthias Loibner, though they don't appear on
one longish piece, a serenade, and are somewhat buried by
the rest of the band, including two musettes, on the rest of
the CD. Still, it's a nice album, and being Naxos, it's
bargain priced.
I've uploaded one of the pieces, the 3rd Ballet, in
Realaudio format for your listening pleasure:
http://janusmuseum.org/audio/boismortier.ram
Sorry for the low fidelity. I'll leave it up for a couple of
days.
Allan Janus
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Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2000 01:00:19 -0500
From: Catherine Keenan <cath _at_ pathcom.com>
Subject: [HG] concert spirituel
I can highly recommend this cd as well. Daniel Thonon and I played the
same pieces with Niquet conducting here in toronto last february and he's
one cool guy (you should hear him play michel legrand on the harpsichord!)
The (also superlative) musette playing is featured more prominently than
the vielles, but the playing is really wonderful, a good example of what to
do with a vielle in a baroque band, as are his arrangements of these fun
pieces
cath
(there is also a great cd of Lully motets, which were also on our program,
but this is the hg list so I won't talk about it any more.)
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Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2000 07:23:49 -0000
From: Marcello Bono <ghironda _at_ hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: [HG] Introduction and a Tune
>From: Allan Janus <ajanus _at_ yahoo.com>
>Subject: [HG] Introduction and a Tune
>Date: Wed, 29 Nov 2000 22:02:56 -0500
>I just found a new album a couple
>of weeks ago - didn't see it on the list, so I'll mention it
>here - it's "Boismortier: Ballets de Village" (Naxos
>8.554295), performed by Concert Spirituel, Herv� Niquet
>conducting. It features hurdy-gurdies played by Riccardo
>Delfino and Matthias Loibner, though they don't appear on
>one longish piece, a serenade, and are somewhat buried by
>the rest of the band, including two musettes, on the rest of
>the CD.
Boismortier's "ballets de village" are trio sonatas for
2 musettes or vielles, or violins, or flutes, or recorders etc etc (as usual
in that kind of music) and basso continuo (cello or gamba or bassoon and
harpsichord or chamber organ or harp or etc etc etc)
You'll be able to listen to hurdy-gurdy sound when those ballets are
performed by 4 people (2 gurdies, 1 bass instrument and 1 keyboard) instead
of a "peloton" of musicians.
Lot of baroque large ensembles are scared by the idea of playing "for"
hurdy-gurdies, even when the HG players are excellent (Nigel Eaton, Michel
Fromenteau and Riccardo Delfino, amongst other) so they prefer to play
"with" them....that is not the same! :o)
I performed Boismortier's ballets several year ago at Urbino Ancient Music
Festival, together with traversiere flute, cello and harpsichord and I must
confess that I like musette or HG music performed by drone instrument
players.
Anyway I got that CD and I know Riccardo, and they both are extremely good
(expecially Riccardo, that is a very nice person too).
ciao
Marcello
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Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2000 12:35:25 EST
From: Maxoubbn _at_ aol.com
Subject: Re: [HG] Re: Jules Devaux
About Jules Devaux :
I met him a lot of times at the end of his life. I worked on the CD, made by
AMTA. He was a good friend, and a funny man. It's impossible to write his
life in few words !
He went to play in Canada, in Montreal, during the unviversal (?) exhibition,
in the 70's.
After that, he took some holydays through USA and Mexico, he went to
Acapulco...
If someone find something about this venue in Montreal in old newspapers, I
would be happy !
Maxou
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Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2000 16:36:25 -0500
From: Henry Boucher <boite _at_ sympatico.ca>
Subject: Re: [HG] Re: Jules Devaux
Maxoubbn _at_ aol.com a �crit :
> About Jules Devaux :
>
> I met him a lot of times at the end of his life. I worked on the CD, made by
> AMTA. He was a good friend, and a funny man. It's impossible to write his
> life in few words !
>
> He went to play in Canada, in Montreal, during the unviversal (?) exhibition,
> in the 70's.
> After that, he took some holydays through USA and Mexico, he went to
> Acapulco...
>
> If someone find something about this venue in Montreal in old newspapers, I
> would be happy !
>
> Maxou
Bonjour tout le monde ,
To be precise it was in 1967 in Montr�al , my older sisters met him as he was
playing
in a Breton restaurant , he was surprised that my sisters and their friends knew
the
words many of the tunes he was playing , he took pleasure in teasing them with
dance tunes that did not have song about them.
In more recent years he was living near ski resort ( Chamonix ? Courchevel ?)
and was playing in hotels . He invited a few Qu�becois to his house and showed
them
his workshop ( It seems that he was making his own HG ) .
To bad I never met him in person , but I remember the description that my
sisters
made of him and his instrument , before that event the only hurdy gurdy ever seen
and
heard in Montr�al ( to my knowledge ) was Jacques Douai .
If I get a chance I will look in the archives of local newspaper : 1967 from june
to
october , but If I remember well it would be by the end of summer.
Henry
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Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2000 23:08:26 -0000
From: Dave Praties <dave _at_ dpraties.freeserve.co.uk>
Subject: [HG] Warning to air travellers
Hello all,
My message is simple, when airlines assure you that they will look
after your instruments - DON'T believe them.
In my role as musical director of a small contemporary dance
company, I have just returned from a month long tour of India. I use
my hurdy-gurdy a lot, and naturally took it with me. The airline (
Kuwaiti ) was contacted in advance, and special arrangements
made for the transport of a number of our instruments. They were
to travel in a heated hold, be handled with great care, and not
mixed with general luggage. All assurances given. As an ex-
commercial pilot, I spent most of the journey on the flight deck,
where the crew further assured me that they were known for their
good treatment of fragile goods. Picture then my horror on waiting
by the luggage carousell in Bombay to see first one of our classical
guitars, and then my HG come tumbling down the chute. It had
been very roughly handled, the strong padded wooden case broken
apart in two places, the peg box broken clean across, and the
upper side string hitch driven into the body of the instrument,
guillotining the strings, and lifting the soundboard from the body.
Was I just really stupid to trust them? has any body else had a
similar experience? How the hell do you carry a HG safely by air?
Best wishes,
Dave Praties.
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Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2000 16:20:35 -0800
From: gf cloud <gfcloud _at_ innercite.com>
Subject: [HG] Traveling with HG's
I can appreciate Daves consternation with airlines. I spent 600 dollars
on a flight case to carry my guitar on an airline, and now the new
weight limits preclude me from using it.
Penny and I carry way too many HG's around on airplanes and the
drill is always the same, and it has worked so far. The instrument will
fit in the overhead if it is out of its case, so we take it in a soft
case that can be wadded up and stowed under the seat. Sometimes it needs
to be taken out of the case to get it through the x-ray.
By the way, there are some mp3 cuts of French Creek ( Dorothy
Hawkinson, Penny and G.F. Cloud) and one of the cuts has Richard Taylor
as well- on either of our websites http://www.cloudsporcelain.com or
http://www.laguiole-us.com.
keep crankin G.F.
Cloud
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Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2000 16:21:58 -0800
From: R. T. Taylor <rtaylor _at_ amp.csulb.edu>
Subject: Re: [HG] Warning to air travellers
Too late now.
But check out this article.
I always carry mine with me onto the plane and never let it out of my sight.
The one exception if when I have to take 2 instruments, in which case I use
an extremely strong and well designed Flight Case.
Christophe has a similar horror story about the destruction of his Nigout.
r.t.
http://www.hurdygurdy.com/otw/flying.html
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Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2000 17:25:23 -0700
From: "Henrie, Marshall (NM75)" <marshall.henrie _at_ somewhere.com>
Subject: RE: [HG] Warning to air travellers
Dave,
I think your experience, sadly enough, reinforces guidance
provided by Alden and Cali in their website titled "Flying
with your Hurdy-Gurdy"
(http://www.hurdygurdy.com/otw/flying.html) where they state:
"Never let the instrument out of your control.
Always carry it onto the aircraft with you."
The point of their article, and your experience, is that you
cannot trust any instrument to be kept safe once it is handed
over to the baggage-handling gorillas.
I have followed their advice and have successfully carried
oversized instruments (such as a hammered dulcimer) onto
transatlantic flights with absolutely no problems. My daughter
recently got her Celtic lap harp onto a flight using these same
techniques.
I would only add a few items of advice to what they already have
given and reiterate a few points. If your instrument has a strap,
sling across your back and you almost will never be detected
until you are on the plane. Also, if it is definitely too large to
fit in the overhead, try to hang it in the coat closet on the plane.
And lastly, store your instrument on the plane as quickly and
as unobtrusively as possible: If you can take care of it quietly
by yourself, without notice, you are most likely to
succeed.
On my last trip to the Netherlands, I slept soundly on the plane,
knowing my oversized instrument was safe and secure in
the coat closet a few rows away, rather that being tortured
in a freezing, smashed baggage hold.
My condolences and better wishes for your next trip.
Marshall Henrie
Albuquerque, New Mexico
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Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2000 19:49:08 -0500
From: kidz _at_ prexar.com
Subject: [HG] Re: Warning to air travellers
yes. I don't have a hurdy gurdy, but in 1979, we flew under
these conditions and saw guitar cases thrown through the air
around as we, the band, sipped coffee and watched out the
big picture windows. After that, there was talk of the very
expensive metal cases that look like silver coffins.
I have traveled with my trombone for twenty years in a
leather bag. I will not board any plan without carrying it
sort of out of view behind my shoulder. I stow it above me
or between my feet. I then trow a coat over it.
If they needed to take it, I'd consider getting off. But
this is of limited help; a trombone is much flatter, though
just as fragile, and is only worth about $1200.
It is indeed sad.
jim
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Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2000 19:52:15 -0500
From: kidz _at_ prexar.com
Subject: [HG] Re: [ Jules Devaux
>Maxou/Henry
Thank you for writing. I really, really, really do love his
CD.
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Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2000 16:13:28 -1000
From: Don V. Lax <donvlax _at_ maui.net>
Subject: Re: [HG] Traveling with HG's
I would NEVER let my violin, hg or any other instrument- OK maybe a log
drum- out of my sight during air travel- after 30 years of experience, this
is the ONLY solution...
Don
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Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2000 22:26:08 -0800
From: Casey Clapp <jenlord _at_ earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: [HG] Warning to air travellers
Actually, I did hand-carry my hg in a cloth wrap and lovingly stow it in an
unused overhead on the flight to the Over The Water festival this year. The
plane all loaded, the crew buckling folks down... I'm thinking I worried for
naught, when this fat little businessman waddled down the aisle to where I
was. His only "baggage"? A little briefcase. Which he swung up into the
overhead and positively jammed in. Meeting resistance (my HG), he hauled it
back and put some english on it. I launched for his throat when I realized
he was swinging it up, not placing it under his seat, but too late. He stove
in the side. maybe next time I'll use a very fragile, thin box, labeled
"cobras".
Casey Clapp
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Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2000 23:30:38 -0800 (PST)
From: Alden Hackmann <darkstar _at_ u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: [HG] Warning to air travellers
Ouch, Dave! Was anything salvagable, or was it a dead loss?
As several people have mentioned, we have some guidelines for flying with
HG's, and I'll update them a bit thanks to this discussion.
I must say that I'm sure that the people who tell you that everything will
be quite safe are quite sincere. However, their job is to convince you to
get on the plane...
Alden F.M. Hackmann darkstar _at_ u.washington.edu
Web: http://www.hurdygurdy.com/hg/hghome.html
"Beati illi qui in circulum circumeunt, fient enim magnae rotae."
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