The week just passed has been eventful to say the least. Plenty of whistle lessons along with three rehearsals and a very successful 'open mic' night on Thursday evening.The tin whistle classes have really started to take off, especially at the Balata refugee camp. I had my best lesson there so far with a few of the youngsters finishing there first tune. I have now heard enough renditions of Egan's Polka to last me a life time. I'm happy though, I was quite disheartened last time I went to teach at Balata to find that some of the little buggers had been using the whistles as percussive instruments instead of wind instruments. Three were already badly beaten and broken. These three lads were given a swift bollacking from the director of the centre before being shown the door. It didn't feel good to see them go. Its harsh but I have little time for the disruptive ones as there are so many of them who actually want to learn and sacrifice there time to come and learn.
I also took two other volunteers from Project Hope with me to the camp this week to play some music for the children so they can see what the tunes they are trying to play will sound like. With me I had a guitarist, Dermot, a dry witted Irishman who cheats at 'Shit Head' (a fine card game I have also exported over here) and a flute player, Nick, a softly spoken English gentlemen. I took my mandolin and we played some Irish reels and of course the dreaded Egan's Polka. It went down well and there were no requests for Enrique Englasias or Celine Dion so I was happy.
So yea, there is now the first part of a Ceilidh Band here in Nablus. Nick and Dermot, myself and an extremely sweet paying violin player called Lydia from Holland. We have other Palestinian locals playing with us as well but just guitarists and percussionists at the moment. Little by Little. But there will be more Palestinians to follow I don't doubt.
The open mic on Thursday was good. We had arranged a set of reels, jigs and polkas. We played for the first time in front of people and there was clapping dancing and smiling. Palestinian, English, Scottish and Irish songs were sung, Poems read but with out doubt the highlight of the evening was a group rendition of the 'Waltzing Matilda' lead by the band and Adam, the resident Australian in Project hope. 30 Palestinians and Internationals bellowing out Waltzing Matilida, and I mean bellowing, was probably the funniest but at the same time most surreal thing I've witnessed out here. .
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