Celtic And Traditional Dance Music At Acoustic Jam

Patricia Cambell and The Reel Thing – with caller Patricia Campbell, Bill Campbell on guitar and bodhran, Fran Hendrickson on keyboard and accordion, and Julie Sorcek on flute and piccolo – hosts monthly events at Newtown Congregational Church called Fairfield County Acoustic Jams. The western Connecticut-based band (the Campbells and Ms Hendrickson live in Newtown; Ms Sorcek lives in Bethel) specializes in live costumed, authentic 18th Century Colonial dances and concerts, children’s contra dances, and dance workshops for children and adults in contra and Colonial dances.

The monthly acoustic jams are held at Newtown Congregational Church House, at 41-A Main Street (behind Newtown General Store and Newtown Savings Bank), on the third Thursday of each month from 7 to 9 pm. The next jam therefore will be on July 17, and the music is primarily Celtic and traditional dance music.

Ms Sorcek leads the jam sessions, and musicians are always welcome to sit in.

For those who would like to prepare some work in advance or even to join the group with similar references, The Reel Thing’s resources include The Fiddler’s Fakebook, The Portland Collection, The New England Fiddlers’ Repertoire and The Waltz Books I, II and III.

Among the pieces from these books that are commonly played are “Reel de Montreal,” “Set de la Baie St Paul,” “Star of the County Down,” “Rakes of Mallow,” “Gaspé Reel,” “All The Way To Galway,” “Rose Tree,” “Planxty Fanny Power,” “Morrison’s Jig,” “Scollay’s Reel,” “Midnight on the Water” and “Amelia’s.”

For more information call 792-7865 or visit www.geocities.com/ReelThingCT/jam.htm