Eolas Faoi - About

Maidir leis an suíomh gréasáin seo

Nóta: Dearcadh leathan, a dhéanann cur síos ar ár gcuid aidhmeanna agus a bhaineann leis an suíomh gréasáin seo amháin, atá anseo. Ní foraithne ná leabhar rialacha do cheoltóirí atá i gceist. Níl muid freagrach as dearcadh ná iompar ceoltóirí ná foirne na n-ionad ina mbíonn na seisiúin seo ar bun.

Tá Seisiúin an Spidéil curtha ar bun ag scata ceoltóirí áitiúla mar mhaithe le heolas faoi sheisiúin cheoil a chur chun cinn agus a chraobhscaoileadh i ndúiche a bhfuil clú agus cáil uirthi le fada an lá mar gheall ar scoth an cheoil agus ar chuisle láidir “thraidisiún beo” an cheoil Ghaelaigh.

Is coincheap uathúil é an “seisiún” i gcomhthéacs an chultúir Ghaelaigh agus atá ar an saothar cultúrtha is so-aitheanta agus is fearr dá bhfuil againn. Is minic gur deacair a mhíniú do dhaoine ó chultúir eile nach ceadal ná ceolchoirm a bhíonn i gceist ach ócáid rannpháirte ag óg agus aosta, ceoltóirí agus éisteoirí araon. Is gné d’fhoirmle oscailte an tseisiúin go gcothaíonn sé spreagadh i dtreo barr feabhais i measc lucht a pháirte tráth a mbíonn snáthanna nua á bhfí go leanúnach trí tháipéis ársa an cheoil thraidisiúnta.

Creideann muid go diongbháilte gur sa rannpháirtíocht a airítear fiúntas an traidisiúin agus go bhfuil a pháirt féin le himirt ag chuile dhuine i bpobal an cheoil ón éisteoir go dtí an tosaitheoir is úire chuige, go dtí an máistir mór.

Agus an méid sin i gceist, bunaíodh an suíomh gréasáin seo mar áisíneacht do chuile dhuine ar spéis leo na seisiúin thraidisiúnta i gceantar an Spidéil. Tá rannóg ann d’fhoghlaimeoirí mar aon le beagán eolais dóibh siúd nach bhfuil mórán cur amach acu ar chultúr na seisiún.Tá rannóg d’fhéilire imeachtaí ar nós seisiúin, féilte, ranganna agus ceardlanna mar aon le míniú ar na cineálacha éagsúla seisiún agus imeachtaí. Tá rannóg chartlainne ann freisin agus súil í a bheith lom lán de ghrianghraif agus ábhar eile de réir mar a thiocfaidh fás agus forbairt uirthi. Beidh fáilte freisin roimh naisc chuig suíomhanna eile a mbeidh baint acu le ceol.

Tá súil againn go mbeidh an suíomh seo ina acmhainn a bheas úsáideach do chuile dhuine agus dá réir sin beidh fáilte agus fiche againn roimh mholtaí ná eile a sheoladh chugainn ar ár seoladh rphoist: seisiuinanspideil@gmail.com. Seo cuireadh chugat más duine tú a bhaineann feidhm as an gcóras giolcaireachta, Twitter: @SpiddalSessions; nó ar mheán an Straois Leabhair, Facebook: Spiddal Sessions.

Is mian linn féachaint le cloí leis na prionsabail ghinearálta seo le linn dúinn a bheith ag cur imeachtaí chun cinn:

Go mbeadh ómós do cheoltóirí gairmiúla – Go nglacfaí le dúthracht agus cúram ceoltóirí gairmiúla, ar bocht iad a dtéarmaí fostaíochta go minic. Ní thacóidh muid le himeachtaí ina bhféachtar le teacht i dtír ar cheoltóirí.

Go spreagfar úsáid theanga na Gaeilge – Creideann muid gur cuid dhílis de chultúr an cheoil thraidisiúnta í teanga na Gaeilge agus gur minic traidisiún an-tréan ceoil i gceantair Ghaeltachta. Creideann muid go bhfuil nasc dofhuascailte idir todhchaí an cheoil dhúchais agus todhchaí na Gaeilge. Is mian linn, dá réir sin, úsáid na teanga a spreagadh agus aird ar leith a tharraingt ar imeachtaí a chothaíonn is a chuireann úsáid theanga na Gaeilge chun cinn.

Go spreagfaí foghlaimeoirí – Aithníonn muid gur ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na ceoltóirí agus an ceol, a bhuíochas sin cuid mhaith leis an nósmhaireacht shainiúil atá againn a bheith bailithe i dteannta, suite thart ar bhoird i dtithe ósta agus i dtábhairní, ag malartú agus ag foghlaim poirt, foinn agus eile óna chéile. Ní heol dúinn aon chultúr eile a sholathraíonn deis rannpháirtíochta iltumtha dá chineál, nósmhaireacht a chinnteoidh go mairfidh saibhreas traidisiún an cheoil. Is iomaí bealach ina dtagann daoine chuig an gceol ach is é pobal an tseisiúin a éascaíonn an deis dóibh. Tá súil againn go bhféadfaidh muid cúnamh a thabhairt le foghlaimeoirí a réiteach le páirt a ghlacadh i seisiúin chomh luath agus is féidir trí: a gcuid poirt agus dreasa ceoil a chleachtadh; éisteacht le ceoltóirí a mbíonn seantaithí acu agus dea-bhéas an tseisiúin a fhoghlaim trí aithris a dhéanamh ar cheoltóirí eile. Beidh fáilte againn roimh chomhairle agus mholtaí i leith béasgnaíocht agus acmhainní d’fhoghlaimeoirí.

Nach bac í an bhochtaineacht ná an aois – Déanta na fírinne, tá sé de réir thraidisiúin ag ceoltóirí a bheith bocht. Is nós ag páistí áirithe ceol a fhoghlaim ó bheith i gcomhluadar a ngaolta agus a muintir, a chasann ceol iad féin. Seachas luach na huirlíse ag an tús, níorbh é an t-airgead bun agus barr an scéil riamh fadó agus ba an-luath ina saol a bhíodh a cuid/chuid marcaíl ceoltóra faighte ag an ngasúr óg agus treoir faighte trí chineáltas cheoltóirí ní ba shine.

Ach i sochaí ilchultúrtha an lae inniu, tá go leor daoine nár tógadh leis an traidisiún ag teacht chugainn le teann spéise, Is díol pléisiúir agus dualgais fáilte a chur roimh na cuairteoirí nua agus na sean-fhondúirí seo, ómós a thaispeáint dóibh agus iad a spreagadh chun foghlamtha. Nár laga Dia iad siúd atá ag cur ranganna ar fáil agus mar atá mínithe sna prionsabail tosaigh thuasluaite, beidh muide ag cur chun cinn agus ag spreagadh ranganna agus ceardlanna chomh maith. Mar sin féin, dearbhaíonn muid nach bhfuil sé riachtanach amach is amach freastal ar ranganna le bheith i do cheoltóir paiteanta agus, go deimhin, is iomaí máistircheoltóir nár fhreastail ar aon rang ceoil riamh!

About this website

Note: This is a broad view of the aims of this website and only this website. It is not intended as a manifesto or rule book for musicians. We are not responsible for the attitudes and behaviour of musicians or the staff in the venues they frequent.

Spiddal Sessions has been set up by a group of musicians in the Spiddal area in order to promote and disseminate information concerning sessions in the locality, an area long associated with musical excellence and a strong beating heart of the “living tradition” of Irish music.

The concept of the “session” is unique to Irish culture, and one of our greatest cultural achievements. It is often difficult to explain to those from other cultures a musical event which is neither a concert nor a rehearsal, but a sharing of music between young and old, musicians and listeners alike, which is perfectly designed to thrive and to continually weave new threads into the ancient tapestry of traditional music.

We strongly believe that the great joy of our tradition is in the sharing of it and that everybody with an interest in traditional music, from the listener to the recent beginner to the great master, has a role to play in the musical community.

With this in mind, this website has been set up as a resource for all people with an interest in the traditional sessions of the Spiddal area. There is a section with resources for learners and a little bit of information for those not that familiar with the culture of sessions, a calendar of events, including sessions, festivals, classes and workshops, with explanations of the different types of sessions and events, and an archive section, which we hope to fill with interesting photos and other bits and pieces as we progress. We welcome links to other music-related sites.

We hope this website will be a useful resource for everybody, so we also welcome suggestions and comments, which can be sent to: spiddalsessions@gmail.com. We also invite you to join us on Twitter: @SpiddalSessions; and on Facebook: Spiddal Sessions.

In promoting events we try to adhere to these general principles:

That professional musicians should be respected – That the dedication and committment of professional musicians, who often have poor terms of employment, be acknowledged. We will not support events which seek to exploit musicians.

That the use of the Irish language should be encouraged – We believe that the Irish language is integral to the culture of traditional music and that there is often a particularly vibrant musical tradition in gaeltacht areas. We believe that the future of the music and the future of the language are inextricably linked and we therefore encourage the use of the language and will take particular interest in the promotion of events which foster and promote the use of the Irish language.

That learners should be encouraged – We recognise that the longevity and robust health of Irish traditional music is in large part due to our unique custom of sitting around tables in pubs swapping tunes and learning from each other. No other culture we know of has developed to contain within itself such rich a opportunity for total immersion. People may come to the music through different channels, but its continuation is facilitated by the community of the session. We hope to be helpful in preparing learners to participate in sessions as soon as possible in order to: practice their tunes; listen to more experienced musicians; and learn session ettiquette by taking cues from other musicians. We welcome comments and items for inclusion in the ettiquette section and resources for learners.

That neither poverty nor age need be a barrier – Let's face it, it's traditional for musicians to be poor. It's also traditional for children to learn to play from spending time with relatives and family friends who themselves play. Beyond the one-off expense of purchasing an instrument, money was never an issue in the olden days and the course of musicianship was set early in childhood and guided by the kindness of older musicians.

In our current multicultural society, however, many people who were not brought up with the tradition have come to join us and many are coming to it later in life. It is our pleasure and duty to encourage and respect these newcomers and late starters. We salute the efforts of those providing classes and, in keeping with the first principle above, we will promote and encourage classes and workshops. However, we assert that it is not strictly necessary to attend classes in order to become a proficient musician and, in fact, there are many great masters who have never attended a class!

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