The Neverending Session: An Origin Tale

This tale was told by Reynard late one night in the Pub. Here’s my recollection of it.

Now it is said that the very first Jack here got lonely for the sound of music being made by other musicians. So he invited in a few fiddlers, a piper, and even a hurdy gurdy player to . . . → Read More: The Neverending Session: An Origin Tale

Nordic Music on A Midwinters Day

Yes, I know that we have done an entire issue on Nordic music which gives you a smorgasbord of listening possibilities, but this is my personal listing of the Nordic music I like to play in the Library while working on a winter’s day when nothing is more pleasant than to be warm and watch . . . → Read More: Nordic Music on A Midwinters Day

Visiting Our Estate

‘Wild nights are my glory,’ Mrs. Whatsit said, ‘I just got caught in a downdraft and blown off course.’

Excerpted from Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle In Time

Caught in a down draft, eh? Well, warm yourself with a pint of cider, dear, and let’s unwind those scarves. It’s just good to see you back, . . . → Read More: Visiting Our Estate

Estate Conservatory

The Conservatory here was added at the height of the Victorians mania for plants from distant parts of their Empire. Some of our more unique plants come from even more distant locales. I still remember the minor Lords and Ladies here for High Tea in that era looking at the odd plants and keeping their . . . → Read More: Estate Conservatory

Billy Pigg: Northumbrian piper

There were two things Janey Little loved best in the world: music and books, and not necessarily in that order. Her favorite musician was the late Billy Pigg, the Northumbrian piper from the northeast of England whose playing had inspired her to take up the small pipes herself as her principal instrument. From the opening . . . → Read More: Billy Pigg: Northumbrian piper

Dance, dance, wherever you may be

The Great Hall here is more than big enough for a lively dance. Here’s one story of a dance here…

Come on in, you’re just in time! We haven’t started yet… don’t just stand there in the doorway, come in, come in! We have a contradance planned for tonight. I’m Kate, one of the assistant . . . → Read More: Dance, dance, wherever you may be

Dancing Goats

Jack loves to tell this tale late at night. I was there as well so I know all told here happened…

Once upon a time, I fiddled away the entire night of a summer solstice under the stars with a QuĂ©bĂ©cois band named Les Chèvres Dansantes. That means in English ‘The Dancing Goats’, the French . . . → Read More: Dancing Goats

For English Music and Dance Fans

If you are interested in English folk music and dance and I assume that many of you stopping by here are, there is the perfect website: Martin Nail’s site which is appropriately named English folk and traditional music on the Internet.

This site aims to provide pointers to the best and most usable Internet resources . . . → Read More: For English Music and Dance Fans

The Green Man

This story coms from a teller of tales, Jack the fiddler, not known for being terribly truthful. Keep that in consideration as you hear it told.

We often get interesting visitors here, and the fellow dressed all in green and calling himself Myrddin who dropped by the Pub a few weeks ago was no exception. . . . → Read More: The Green Man

With a candlestick in the Library

One hears the most interesting tales late at night here in the Pub as the number of folk dwindles to but a few and the Neverending Session is but a trio of fiddlers playing quietly by the fireplace. Here is a tale of possible murder among librarians.

Well, I suppose you could say that she . . . → Read More: With a candlestick in the Library