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Evergreen Fiddler – April 2022

Fiddle Camp Registration is Open!

04/01/2022 – Author: Corrine Agnew

To register, visit wotfa.org/fiddle-camp-2022-registration/. If you aren’t logged in with an active membership, you will need to do so before the registration form is visible. There will be links on the registration page to log in or reset your password if you don’t remember it, and to renew or sign up for a membership if you don’t have one.

If you have questions or about camp or registration, please feel free to reach out to us at wotfaworkshop@gmail.com or Corrine at 253-720-7703. If you have trouble logging in or aren’t seeing the registration form after logging in, please contact it@wotfa.org.

T-Shirts are NOT part of registration this year. If you would like a T-Shirt, please visit https://www.bonfire.com/wotfa-fiddle-camp-2022/  Shirts run $16-21 and will be mailed directly to you, so you will have them to wear the first day of camp. There are also mugs and totebags if T-Shirts aren’t really your thing. 

Tune of the Month: Such a Getting Upstairs

03/01/2022 – Author: Josh Larios and Kitty Steetle
Such a Getting Upstairs is believed to have been composed by Joe Blackburn in the early 1830s for blackface performers.[1] The song then traveled to England with the American minstrel shows where it became attached to the English Morris Dance community between 1836 (when it is thought to have been first performed in London) and the early 20th century.[2] Such a Getting Upstairs is thought to refer to sexual activities that occurred on the floor above a tavern and then evolved into meaning `commotion’, `disturbance’, or `ruckus’ that was notable, exciting, and fun.[3]

Another theory for the origin of `Such a Getting Upstairs’ is from a comical flight upstairs caused by a flood in a small British town as reported in the Sherborne Journal (Dorset, England) October 23, 1839 and reprinted in The Times (London) October 26, 1839, p.6.[4] `Sich a Gittin Up Stars’ appears in George P. Knauff’s Virginia Reels, Vol 3 (1844, Baltimore) and `Such a Getting Up Stairs’ appears in Elias Howe’s Various Collections (1840-1861, Boston) firmly placing it in the American fiddling repertoire during the most active time of the Oregon Trail (c. 1846-1869).[5]

The Morris Dance lyrics collected from Headington, Oxfordshire, Cotswolds:

Some likes coffee,
Some likes tea,
Some likes a pretty girl, just like me;
Such a getting upstairs and a playing on the fiddle,
Such a getting upstairs I never did see.

Cecil Sharp included Such a Getting Upstairs in his collection, English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians, as Some Love Coffee, No 274 (sung by Mrs. Laurel Jones, Burnsville, NC, September 17th, 1918):

Some loves coffee, some loves tea,
Some loves money, but they don’t love me.
Singing in the lonesome cowboyee,
Singing in the lonesome sea.

Cecil Sharp’s `Some Love Coffee’ is in the play-party section of his collection. This `I love coffee, I love tea’ play-party song was a playground jump roping rhyme pre 1970s; post 1970s as a playground hand clapping rhyme in the same family as `Shimmy Shimmy Co Co Pa’ and `Down Down Baby’.^[6]

References

¹ https://tunearch.org/wiki/Annotation:Getting_Upstairs_(1)

²               http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/10/such-getting-upstairs-history-of-song.html — comment by Billy Weeks on Mudcat, September 25, 2010, 10:46 am

³               ibid., Mudcat: Getting Upstairs thread general consensus

⁴               Unfortunately, I could not verify this article in the Times or the earlier Sherborne Journal since they are behind a paywall. I believe the flood became attached to the tune because the tune was already popular, rather than the flood inspired the tune’s lyrics, but this may be more because of the personal bias that sexual relations are more worthy of song than floods (or just more fun).

⁵               Goertzen, Chris. Virginia Reels and the History of American Fiddling, p 73.

⁶               pancojams, op. cit. Comment by Azizi Powell, October 29, 2013, 9:11 pm. Yes, I very much remember doing hand clapping rhymes on the school playground with the lyrics `I love coffee, I love tea’, `Shimmy Shimmy Co Co Pa’, and `Down Down Baby’ in Massachusetts in the 1980s.

District 3 Report (Chelan, Douglas & Okanogan Counties)

04/01/2022 – Author: Jose Lopez

District #3 will resume their monthly meeting starting April 15th (3rd Friday) at a new location. (Wenatchee Eagles Lodge #204 ~ 1208 N. Wenatchee Ave. Wenatchee, WA) starting @2PM and Jam to follow. Sorry about no meeting last month but we had personal medical problems we were dealing with. It is my hope we will be able to get back to a “normal schedule”. This will be our first meeting at this location so we are looking for a good turn-out.

District 5 Report (Kitsap, Mason, Grays Harbor & Pacific Counties)

04/01/2022 – Author: Laura Farr

We will meet again on Saturday, April 16th at the Kitsap Square Dance Hall in Gorst.  This month we are featuring a workshop with Roger Ferguson which will run from 12 until 2:30.  Therefore, the business meeting will begin at 11:00 instead of the usual time of noon.  All are welcome to attend.  Roger is an accomplished fiddler and flat-pick guitarist, and we look forward to having him with us again.

The first Thursday jams are scheduled out for the rest of the year at the Salmon Center in Belfair from 6-9 pm.  The address is 600 NE Roessel Road, Belfair.  The 2nd and 3rd Thursday afternoon jams will continue through April at KSDA from 1-4.  The address is 6800 W. Belfair Valley Road, Gorst.  Beginning in May, they will move to the Salmon Center in Belfair.

District 6 Report (King County)

04/01/2022  -  Author: Jenny Swanson

Spring has sprung as you can see by the baby hummingbirds in the picture and regulations are relaxing.  With all of that happening, we are scheduling quite a few playdates!  By the time this newsletter comes out, we will have shared our music with quite a few folks.

We had a great turn out for our meeting/jam on the 2nd Sat. of March.  It was so much fun with so many fiddles and even a banjo joining our regular mandolins, bass and the usual guitar players.  We welcomed newcomers, Judy, Chuck and Jeanne.  Ena joined in the singing and the Smith family came again with 3 generations to join in the fun.

In April, we will have a meeting/jam on Sat. the 9th at the Des Moines Masonic Center.  Doors open at 11am.  We break for a short meeting at 1pm followed by lunch (bring your own).  More jamming afterwards until we get tired or until 4pm, whichever comes first.  What can I say?  We’re either too old with too little energy or too young with too much to make it very long!

This gathering on April 9th is the last one until we resume in September on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays.  We take a break because people seem to be too busy for jams in the spring and summer.  However, we will still be having regular playdates where members perform at senior facilities and other venues during our break.  If you would like to play with us at these, contact me or Bernie Turner at bernus.turner@comcast.net.  We’d love to have you.

Lastly, I have included a couple of recent pictures of Shirley Calvert who passed away on March 2, 2022 after a long battle with cancer.  I think Shirley literally held our district together by all she did!  She kept track of playdates, meetings, attendance, and was the sunshine committee all rolled into one.  I joined the fiddlers about 10 years ago as a beginning guitar player.  She was very instrumental in keeping me coming with her warm welcome and encouragement.  She included me in all playdates and anytime I had questions she helped me.

She loved the music and wanted to share it with folks.  We will miss her and her kind spirit.  Please keep Roy and their family in your thoughts and prayers.

Enjoy the spring and keep practicing!  Any questions, please email me.

Jenny Swanson
timbuktoe@yahoo.com

District 8 Report (Pierce County)

04/01/2022 – Author: Barbara Peterson

Hi everyone, more and more opportunities to play music with us in Pierce County!

Here are some of our ongoing activities:

3rd Sunday 2PM District 8 Meeting. Cancelled in April. We will meet again on May 15 at the Mid County Community Center (MCCC). It’s easy to find, and there’s ample parking. We hope to see you there. 10205 44th Ave E, Tacoma, WA 98446

Mondays 1PM-3PM Circle jam at Puyallup Senior Center – 210 W. Pioneer Ave. Again easy to find, and park.

Wednesdays 5-8PM a slower jam session at the Golden Rose Mobile Park in Puyallup. This will be a good place to start out at an easier pace. BUT please contact me ahead to confirm. Contact: Barbara Peterson bmacLeanp@comcast.net

1st Friday 3:30-7:30PM Circle Jam at Wilco Farm Store in Gig Harbor. 3408 Hunt St NW in the back. Contact Matt 202.631.3417

Fridays 1PM-4PM Golden Rose Mobile Park Community. We will NOT meet on the 1st Friday! This was last summer’s “6ft. Tree Jam” now “The Indoor Tree Jam.”

2nd Thursday 1:30PM in June. We have resumed our quarterly playouts at Franke Toby Jones Retirement Community Center. Contact: Ron Duncan 253-549-2553

Other sites (Bonaventure, Willow Gardens, Wesley Bradley Park, Julian Estates) have indicated interest in our playouts as well. Better’d rosin up those bows!

We would like to see/hear more musicians at our circle jams and meetings. So why not drop in? Bring a friend. If you have questions, give us a call! Barbara (253) 926-8457

District 9 Report (Lewis & Thurston Counties)

04/01/2022 – Author: Christie Easter

Hi Everyone!

Happy Spring at last, and goodbye to winter at long last.

For the month of April we will be having our usual 1st Friday meeting & jam at 10 am at Faith Baptist Church located at 436 Coal Creek Rd in Chehalis. To find the Church take I-5 to exit 79, then head East. Turn LEFT on N. National Ave and go about 1/3 mile, then take a RIGHT onto Coal Creek Rd. Go about 1.1 mile and the Church driveway will be on your right.  We will be in the middle of the three buildings.

There will be coffee, tea & some snacks but it won’t be a potluck.

For a ‘tune-of-the-month’ at the jam, I will have paper copies of the last WOTFA Newsletter tune ‘Chinky Pin’, or as it’s known in Canada ‘Chincque Pin’. It’s a fantastic Celtic style reel that is used extensively for Contra Dances in the Pacific Northwest, and well worth learning. It’s not overly difficult and medleys easily with many other reels, making it an ideal fiddle tune. Music for Chinky Pin and a midi file (sound recording) can be found on the WOTFA main page if you want to learn it before the jam.

Also, don’t forget about FiddleCamp 2022 registration, happening on Monday, April 4th on the WOTFA webpage.

It will be a little different this year, since all classes will be half-day. It will still be at the Moses Lake Christian Academy, and dry camping is available at the school, as well as other places around Moses Lake where there are full hookups and/or hotel rooms. Also this year there will be food available and a coffee stand on the school grounds during FiddleCamp, as well as a fiddle contest and other fun activities.  The mini workshops aren’t posted on the website yet, but they are free and always fun, usually 1 hour long in the evenings. I will be teaching a cello mini workshop this year, and everybody will be welcome to attend, cello or not!

Please let me know if you are under 18 and planning to attend FiddleCamp, as we will have tuition scholarships available for all the youth of D9 who want to go.

That’s it for April. If you have any questions give me a call or text at 360-791-5184.

Thanks, Christie Easter

Chairperson: Christie Easter mrwillys@aol.com. 360-791-5185
Reporter: Same
Meeting & Jam:  1st Friday 10am monthly at Faith Baptist Church, 436 Coal Creek Rd, Chehalis, Wa

District 11 Report (Grant & Adam Counties)

04/01/2022 – Author: Charlie Root

District 11 held their monthly meeting and jam on March 20th, at the Moses Lake Senior Center. It was a good jam, and we had a good turnout. We had nine musicians present and a good size audience. Starting in April we will be adding our third monthly playout and it looks like we will be adding another one in May. More places seem to be opening up to us. We will be playing at Avamere in Moses Lake starting in April and it looks like we will be playing at McKay Healthcare in Soap Lake in May. We are not back to where we were yet, but things are picking up.

Monthly Meeting: 3rd Sunday – 1:30 – Jam: 2:00-4:00
Moses Lake Senior Center, 608 E. 3rd Ave. Moses Lake

Playouts:

2nd Wed. 10:00 AM Pioneer Village, 816 Sharon Ave. Moses Lake
2nd Wed. 1:30 PM Avamere, 8425 Aspi Blvd NE, Moses Lake
3rd Thurs. 10:00 AM Brookdale Hearthstone, 905 S. Pioneer Way, Moses Lake

District 16 Report (Snohomish County)

04/01/2022 – Author: Dianne Gooch

Spring has arrived and the flowers are beautiful. With warmer temperatures and longer daylight hours, we have more musicians coming out to our jam sessions. Our fearless chairman, Noel,  is recovering from knee replacement surgery. We are wishing her a speedy recovery and return to our jams as soon as possible. Thanks to Dave and all those who help with set up and clean up every 2nd and 4th Friday night (masks optional). Jam begins at 5:30 pm and lasts until we tire out.

Great news!…after over 2 years, we will start up our WOTFA MIDWAY JAMS on Sunday,
April 24, 1:30-4:00 pm, at the Lynnwood Library – 19200 44th Ave W, Lynnwood, WA 98036. They offer a great room that will hold lots of musicians. This is an all acoustic jam.

Our goal will be to hold one jam a month and the library staff are very pleased to have us return.

Dianne Gooch – Reporter – DLGooch2305@gmail.com
Noel Lareau-Chair-360-691-5907/e-mail: Noelula@aol.com
Mayves Anderson-Sunshine Chair-e-mail: mande93221@yahoo.com
Gary Nordby-Playout coordinator: E-mail: gtnordby@frontier.com