Chalk and cheese

I hoped this evening to play some of Balmacara or Glomach. Because I hear them together and play them together I tend to forget which is which. I think it's primarily Glomach that goes round in my head. I managed a couple of bars, but that was it, annoyingly enough.

One tune I did manage to drag from the archive was Amazing Grace. I've not played this in ages and never seriously worked at it. It seems too lightweight, somehow. The key is control: I held notes well and remembered grace notes, which were cleanly executed, especially the thumb notes, which I feel I'm playing well.

I dug it out because I was talking last week to someone who has recently taken up a musical instrument. I think she's playing in the Irish idiom, but she's looking to me as her inspiration. This has nothing to do with my musical ability and everything to do with my age: we're both *ahem* mature learners.

Anyway, she's been playing a few weeks, feels shy about even playing in front of her husband, would like to play at sessions, would like to play better. So I said, I know what, let's play a tune together sometime; you and me. It'll be great.

Then we had to think of a tune. Amazing Grace won out because it's in a reasonable key, known to both of us, simple enough to play. But I haven't played it for a while, hence dusting it off this evening. It's a lovely tune. It sounds perfect on pipes. It will be nice to play it with someone else.

Oh - and the other instrument? It's a harp. Of course it is.