a folk club duo

[Jan_]

Hi Swarb, I have recently acquired Close to the White Bear and Another Fine Mess – great live performances of you and Simon Nicol from the early eighties.  Please would you answer a few questions for me?

How did the partnership and the tour come about?

Tunes, unlike songs, are often performed in pairs or sets of three.  Do you know why this is?  And how do you decide which tunes to put together?

In the sleevenotes of Another Fine Mess it says that you and Simon were busy rehearsing and planning another tour (2002).  Do you think there is a chance that you might perform as a duo again?

[Swarb]

the parntership came because we both worked in Fairport.the putting together if tunes of differing rhythms to make up a set, comes from, the old dance days when dances would and still do go on for some 20 mins or so.it is necessary, and interesting to shift from a jig to a reel for both variety and for excitement. This practise has remained on the con cert stage purely to give interest to you the audience ,and us the players.sometimes though, it is preferable to just play the one tune. artistic licence etc. Simon and I have no plans to tour together in the immediate future.

[Jan_]

Thank you.  Listening to those two Cd's, it is obvious that you, Simon and the audiences were having a great time.  I'm not certain as to the exact distinction between a jig and a reel and even a hornpipe, but think the grouping of the tunes definitely creates interest and excitement.  I particularly like the Nova Scotia set (Democratic Rage, The Constitution, President Garfield's) alongside the Irish pair (The Young Black Cow and Lord Inchiquin).

[KascadeDan]

Any plans for a different duo in the future? I'd love to see a headliner at Cropredy for the Friday 'Clapton and Swarbrick', playing the songs of Fairport and Cream.

[Swarb]

I would go along with that duo, no plans at the mo, I am enjoying the solo bit for a while. Lazarus are back on the rd soon too. and a carthy tour in the spring, plus some gigs with Gina le feux.   the difference between the various dance times, is the time signature,Think of a waltz which everyone knows, thats 3/4,play it twice as fast and you got what could pass for a jig which is 6/8. a quickstep is the equivelant to a reel 2/4 and a hornpipe to a foxtrot 4/4  hope this helps a little.

[KascadeDan]

I would go along with that duo, no plans at the mo, I am enjoying the solo bit for a while. Lazarus are back on the rd soon too. and a carthy tour in the spring, plus some gigs with Gina le feux.   the difference between the various dance times, is the time signature,Think of a waltz which everyone knows, thats 3/4,play it twice as fast and you got what could pass for a jig which is 6/8. a quickstep is the equivelant to a reel 2/4 and a hornpipe to a foxtrot 4/4  hope this helps a little.

 
Ollie is probably the person to talk to for that, he's a better musician than I am. I think that would be a good way of remembering how to play various instrumentals if you can play them, which I can't really TBH.

[Swarb]

okeydokey

[Jan_]

the difference between the various dance times, is the time signature,Think of a waltz which everyone knows, thats 3/4,play it twice as fast and you got what could pass for a jig which is 6/8. a quickstep is the equivelant to a reel 2/4 and a hornpipe to a foxtrot 4/4  hope this helps a little.

Yes it does, thanks.  And all those little faces with their tongues out look just like me when I'm concentrating on time signatures and time changes!

[Swarb]

me too