Looking Toward Mayfaire

On Sunday, May 2, instrumental students in grades 4 to 8 will perform at Mayfaire.  As I have written before, this will be a required performance and of a much larger scale than in past years (students are playing at times when adults may have performed in the past); this is to replace the annual March WICA concert.  I expect all 4th to 8th graders to be present with their instruments.  If a student has an obligation elsewhere, please let me know; if possible, I will arrange an additional, alternate time for your student to perform.  I find students gain much more from my classes when they are working toward a performance.

We will be working in earnest.  With the April break (and I will be absent the first 3 days after break), Mayfaire will come upon us quickly.

4th grade

Our set list will include Hummingbird (page 13), Diddle Fiddle (14), and Hilltop Stomp (15) from Smart Violin.  We may add more songs (or reprise familiar songs) once we become comfortable with these three.  To aid students, I will produce color-coded copies; we will also work on note reading, and I applaud the private teachers for doing so as well.  Remember, there are CDs of the songs from Smart Violin in the Dolde parent folder that you are welcome to borrow to help your student.

5th & 6th grade

We will reprise Country Gardens from Strings Extraordinaire.  We will work to performing two longer sets of jigs and reels (without stops) from Fiddler's Philharmonic.

Jig set:  "I'se the B'y" (6), Swallowtail Jig (14), Kesh Jig (22)
Reel set:  Cripple Creek (4), Bile 'em Cabbage Down (7), Road to Boston (10), Old Joe Clark (12), St Anne's Reel (30)

If we master these, we will add a waltz or two.  I encourage you to purchase the book for your student.  The sign-up list is still at the base of the tower stairs.  Because so few parents have (which is fine), I am not keeping an extra inventory to avoid burdening the music cost center--this means your student must remember the book (as they should always--it is good to form this habit).

7th & 8th grade

We will perform a number of Celtic and/or British and/or Summery songs for a sing-along (expecting Joe Dunkley to come and help us again).  All songs will come up from Rise Up Singing.  Here is a list of some songs we will be playing; we will add others as we master these.

Star of the County Down (Ballads),  John Riley (Ballads), Scarborough Fair (Dreams), Loch Lomond (Outdoors), Wild Mountain Thyme (Outdoors), Take me Out to the Ballgame (America)