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2007 Friday Harbor Irish Music Camp

(March 5th - 11th)

Ferry approaching Friday Harbor

The 2007 Friday Harbor Irish Music Camp was a great opportunity to spend a week with 70-plus people all gathered to learn, share and play Irish Music.  Students had an opportunity to attend up to three classes a day presented by an impressive lineup of instructors:

I managed to arrive at the Anacortes ferry terminal about two hours ahead of the mid-afternoon ferry this year, in fact I was the fourth car in line so there was no danger of being on "over-load" status as I was the previous year.  Walking around as I waited for the ferry, I soon encountered Jeff, a button box player I'd seen at last year's camp.  We engaged in conversation and by the time the ferry showed up I'd encountered three other concertina players and many others I knew from previous years.  Once on the ferry, a spontaneous session was in place in just a few minutes time.

The bulk of the passengers on this run were all headed for the Friday Harbor Irish Music Camp and so for the most part it was a familiar group and old friendships were quickly renewed.  The session players continued for the duration of the run (about an hour) and those not playing in the session enjoyed the scenery of Puget Sound as they listened and related details of recent events to the many friends they'd not seen in a year's time.  I made no effort to determine the geographical diversity of the group this year but encountered people from the Midwest, East coast, Texas and various parts of Canada so I'd say the event drew people from all over.  As to the number of people attending this year I'd guess it to be something between 70 to 80 including the staff/instructors.  The photo at right of the music camp site was taken from the ferry as we approached Friday Harbor.

Although I posted photos in my previous report, I'm including a few more here to round out a perspective on the camp facilities and activities.  The camp is situated in the woods at water's edge, so there are lots of tall trees on the perimeter as well as several scattered here and there within the cleared area.  These two photos are essentially reverse views; showing dormitory buildings on the left, and on the right a view of the dining facility and waterfront (through the trees) as seen from the dorms.  As it did last year, the dining facility offered a variety of meals over the course of our time there, and they were always quite filling.

The folks staying in "huts" had their own mini-community going.  Some brought rugs and curtains to interior decorate with, and I even saw one hut adorned with Christmas lights on the front railing.  Clearly that resident had settled in and made the place home for the duration.  If the weather permitted one could sit out on their porch and share music and conversation with their neighbors.  I stayed in a hut my first trip to the Friday Harbor Irish Music Camp and think I may opt to stay in one again next year.

Many sessions occurred on site, and on two nights during the week sessions were held at suitable local establishments in town.  It wasn't uncommon to encounter three or more sessions in various places on the grounds most evenings.  The photos here (left and right) are both of sessions held in the dining hall after dinner.

A ceili was held in town on Friday night, and many folks from the camp turned out for it.  While it was chilly outside, the doors were left wide open because heat generated by the music and dancers made conditions rather balmy inside.  The band was good, but then considering that the band was staffed by camp instructors one would have expected no less.  Borrowing a phrase from one of the instructors, the band would "send you through the rafters."

Deer wandered the grounds most days and they seemed quite used to being around people.  If you look closely at the photo on the left you should be able to spot four of them.  This group wandered around in back of one of the dorms for the better part of 45 minutes and seemed intent on feeding on the new growth of the bushes and wholly disinterested in the people taking photos and talking about them.  This one pictured at right was one of the younger ones and it was a little more cautious (and curious) than the rest.

Gearóid Ó hAllmhuráin taught the concertina classes again this year and offered extensive perspective on the origin and history of the Irish tunes he presented to the class.  At one point a talented dancer was brought in to demonstrate the steps associated with various types of music.  Gearóid held two classes each day and both were well attended.  We even had a few drop-in's, curious about the instrument and wanting to sample a bit of the instruction offered.  A photo of the 2007 concertina class is included on the right.

The last night of camp a formal concert was held in town with all the staff instructors participating.  They played together as in the photo at left, but also played in smaller groups, each participant rendering a brilliant performance.  Maldon Meehan, pictured at right, danced with the group on some tunes and delighted the audience with her efforts, making obviously complex moves look deceptively easy.  The concert was well attended and enjoyed by all; the only disappointment of the evening was that it ended.

The last morning we packed up and gathered at the Friday Harbor ferry landing and so my last photo from the week is of cars loaded on the ferry deck.  Saying last goodbyes on board, we dispersed at the dock in Anacortes and started our journeys home.  It had been a wonderful week, filled with friends, music and fun.  You don't have to go out into the woods to find a place to play Irish music, but I can tell you that the setting we had for the camp was very well suited to the activity.  While it was located on private land in the middle of a forest, it was just a mile from town so I didn't feel isolated, rather just protected.  People attend this event year after year and it's easy to see why.

Postscript

For me, the best of the day was still ahead when I left Anacortes.  By happy coincidence I had an opportunity to join another camp attendee in meeting with Bertram Levy for several hours that afternoon.  He is a wonderfully talented musician and in Anglo concertina circles he's well known as the author of the book "The Anglo Concertina Demystified."  Many players started with that book as their guide, and it remains an excellent resource for those new to the Anglo.

The time passed very quickly.  Bertram is an engaging conversationalist with diverse interests and in addition to being a gracious host, he generously permitted me to play several of his instruments and even took the time to explain his bandoneon and play beautiful tangos on it.  He invited us to sit near the instrument as he played and I had the opportunity to watch his fingering techniques as he wove a complex tapestry of subtle patterns and layers of sound.  I found the experience phenomenal and as I drove home later in the day I wanted to hear more of this music so I will be getting new CDs very soon.  If you have an interest in either the bandoneon or the tango I encourage you to fully explore the website Bertram has been developing for his group Tangoheart.

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