We usually start the session with some of these fairly easy tunes to warm up… like Bear Dance, Hunt the Squirrel, Kafouzalem, Lucy Farr’s, Rusty Gully, Spirit of the Dance, Salmon Tails and Clare Reel – and indeed we are happy to play whichever tunes on this website that you have been practising. The tune of the month is just a way to have at least one tune that we’ve all been working on. If you’d like to listen to all the tunes, there is now a playlist (click for link) on Youtube!

(normally 3.30pm at The Jericho Tavern  upstairs room, Walton St, Oxford, OX2 6AE)

I’m afraid we are meeting on Zoom at present. This means that you get to play with us four (or if the weather is good, those that can, please join us in Grandpont Park, see update below), but we don’t get to hear everyone else. I think this is very sad, but we do see each other which sort of makes up for it.
If you want to lead a tune, then everyone will hear you and themselves, but no one else. Volunteers are welcome. But you can also request us to lead a tune for you and everyone. Either is fine. Sorry. I hope it is better than nothing.

Please note: On Zoom, make sure you press the Chat button so you can write in tune requests and also if you don’t know what tune we are playing, I write it in every time.

Any problems, email me at oxfordslowsession2014@gmail.com or ring 0770 935 2834
(NB BEFORE 3.30pm Sunday session)

When you are logged in to the virtual session room you’ll need to go to the audio settings (you’ll find these near the mute button of Zoom) and in the “Advanced” section you should check the box to enable original sound, and disable both the options for background noise suppressing. This will give you a better sound when playing over Zoom. You can access the session room in advance of our session to check it all works.

Also, I really recommend using headphones so that you can hear us over your own playing. It is surprisingly difficult to keep in time without being able to hear over your own instrument!

UPDATE: Depending on the weather, we have played outside together… I have found a location (see how to find us page) which is pretty empty on a sunny Sunday afternoon. I will also bring the computer and run the Zoom session as well so that you can join in from home as before although the sound quality is not as good as zooming from home. (Please bring your own refreshments!)

Buy a drink (or food) from the bar and bring it upstairs.

For those who would like to have a list of our tunes by origin, I think they can roughly be grouped like this:
(NB really good tunes travel well and are sometimes naturalised by their new players. But if you feel you need to know which tunes to play in an “irish session” or “scottish session” and so on, perhaps this might be useful.)

Scottish (or mostly so)

Bert Mackenzie’s 70th Birthday Waltz
Brenda Stubbert’s reel (really Nova Scotia but often appropriated by Scotland too)
Calliope House
Calum’s Road
Cavers of Kirkcudbright
Farewell to Nigg
Hut on Staffin Island
Ille Bhig
Jenny Dang the Weaver
Spootiskerry
Tongadale
Trip to Pakistan
Willafjord
250 to Vigo

Irish (or mostly so)

Butterfly
Clare Reel
Do You Love an Apple?
Denis Murphy’s Polka
Drowsy Maggie
The Frost is All Over
Galtee Hunt
Hole in the Hedge
Inisheer
John Ryan’s Polka
Kerfunken
Lucy Farr’s
The Night Poor Larry was Stretched
Paddy Fahy’s reel
Rights of Man
Rose in the Heather
Tell her I am
Tell her I will
Tommy People’s reel