The Trials and Tribulations of an Orthodox Bluegrass Musician

[ClementofRome]

... well, it was bound to happen...

I have played mandolin in a mountain music/bluegrass/gospel trio for a number of years. As a Protestant, this was not a problem at all....in fact, much of this type of music finds it roots in the backwater churches of western NC and VA, and eastern Tenn and Kentucky. It is part and parcel of rural mountain churches.

We used to play during Sunday morning services at the church we attended (in fact, the banjo player is the preacher and the guitar player is the choir director). We played homecoming events around the county. We played fellowship hall fundraisers and pig pickin's. We never played bars or clubs. Had a regular gig at the local shopping mall two years ago.

At any rate, as my journey into EO comtinues, I now struggle. The secular bluegrass and other music is not necessarily a problem (you know the themes: lost love, lost mother, lost dog, etc etc). However, the bluegrass gospel is thoroughly Protestant. And, since our venues are almost all Protestant churches,..... well you can see where this is going.

I know,.....ask your Priest (who happens to be a great guitar player).

I am leaving in 15 mintes for a BBQ fundraiser at a local Methodist church where we will play from 4-8PM.

I am not gut wrenched over this.....but just wonder where it is all headed.

Thoughts?

Thanks,

Uncle Clem

[Matrona]

If you get a rhyming dictionary... maybe you can write some Ortho-friendly songs yourself. ;)

[Philothei]

........ well, where are going with that ??? I do not know.... you like the music ... right?

Why not play the manolin for a Greek Festival sometime;)
You should get hooked up with an Greek folk music band:tutu: :tutu:

I am sure if you were interested you could work something out:scratch:
God bless,
Philothei

[KenBrauckmann]

I noticed a local Methodist church was having their Bazzar today - you weren't playing at Messiah Methodist in Springfield Va by any chance??

(Sorry, I _like_ bluegrass :D )

The Greek Folk Band idea sounds like a good 'out' ! :thumbsup: I second that idea.

(Ok -the P/C inquirer into EO will now return quietly to his cell, er, seat.)

[Jacob4707]

I'll Fly Away
When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder

What's not to like? :)

[KenBrauckmann]

Good thing God made me a tenor - LOVE those high notes! :thumbsup:

I'll Fly Away
When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder

What's not to like? :)

[Philothei]

http://www.helleniccomserve.com/musichistory.html

http://www.helleniccomserve.com/musicabyzantiaflyer.html

Just check this out.... but I do believe in all seriousness that if you like what you play .... maybe you can get some of the Orthodox to join you to play bluegrass.;)

God bless,
Philothei

[Thekla]

wow ! pretty great; bluegrass is pretty wonderful.

just change the lyrics ;) -- thats part of popular musical tradition anyway ...

[Jacob4707]

The dobro player in this band attends our church:

http://www.myspace.com/100damnedguns

Alan Prater, otherwise known as Tikhon.

Fr. Justin told me that Alan came to Orthodoxy from reading Dostoevsky.

[ClementofRome]

Thanks so much friends.

The show went GREAT! We did 3-45 minute sets to a constantly revolving crowd who were coming in to eat BBQ!

Ken, it was not in VA....sorry. It was in western NC!

Actually, I think that I resolved a lot tonight. The gospel songs that we sing certainly come from the Protestant tradition, but the lyrics, in most cases are very good.

I know that I can never play another Sunday morning church service, which is good. Apart from that, it is entertainment.

I heard Bill and Steve from OLIC say recently (with reference to contemporary Christian music), "If it points us to Christ, it is a good thing."

I think that will be my motto with reference to the gospel-grass.

:)

Again, thank you all for your comments.....

(psst....and by the way....I think I would have a VERY difficult time adapting what I do to Greek folk music ;) )

Signed,

Your Dear Uncle Clem

[Orthosdoxa]

I love bluegrass! I don't see a problem.

PS to Ken - you don't have to retire quietly to your cell/seat - fire away and jump right in! :)

[ClementofRome]

I love bluegrass! I don't see a problem.

PS to Ken - you don't have to retire quietly to your cell/seat - fire away and jump right in! :)

I guess that my main problem is that in the past we were asked to play in Protestant worship services. Now that I am not available to play on Sunday mornings, that problem is solved. I suppose that secondarily, we still play mainly Protestant church events.

I too LOVE bluegrass. When I was a very young boy, my Dad used to take me to the Union Grove Bluegrass Festivals in the mid-60's. It stuck! :)

[Orthosdoxa]

So wear a giant Orthodox cross and a T-shirt that says "Death to the World!" Then you can tell people about it when they inevitably ask. :)

[Oblio]

Come, hear, Uncle Clem's band
singing 'by and by ...'

[ClementofRome]

So wear a giant Orthodox cross and a T-shirt that says "Death to the World!" Then you can tell people about it when they inevitably ask. :)


^_^
That is the answer!!!!!!! :doh:

^_^

[RobNJ]

So wear a giant Orthodox cross and a T-shirt that says "Death to the World!" Then you can tell people about it when they inevitably ask. :)

Find them here:

http://www.deathtotheworld.com/store.html

[ClementofRome]

Come, hear, Uncle Clem's band
singing 'by and by ...'



My daughter's teen band plays the Indigo Girls version so as not to take the Lord's name in vain....and since she is a she, she loves the "SISTERS do I declare, have you seen the like?"


:)

Got some things to talk about.....

[ClementofRome]

Find them here:

http://www.deathtotheworld.com/store.html


OH,......so now I MUST!!!!!!! :thumbsup:

[KenBrauckmann]

oh well... would have been nice to hear/see you... !

glad it was a good day for you !!
Ken

[KenBrauckmann]

I love bluegrass! I don't see a problem.

PS to Ken - you don't have to retire quietly to your cell/seat - fire away and jump right in! :)

:D Thanks!

[Monica, child of God]

Other Orthodox cultures have non-liturgical music with sacred themes. I think we need more Orthodox playing bluegrass :)

M.

[Philothei]

do you have a sample of your music at your forum page?
It would be cool to hear it sometime.

Philothei

[buzuxi02]

Not to sound ignorant but what is bluegrass music? Why is it called that?

And what are the blackwater churches? The name of an area the music originated from?

[Monica, child of God]

Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music which has its own roots in Irish, Scottish and English traditional music. Bluegrass was inspired by the music of immigrants from the British Isles (particularly the Scots-Irish immigrants of Appalachian), as well as that of rural African-Americans, jazz, and blues. In bluegrass, as in jazz, each instrument takes a turn playing the melody and improvising around it, while the others revert to backing; this is in contrast to old-time music, in which all instruments play the melody together or one instrument carries the lead throughout while the others provide accompaniment. Bluegrass is distinctively acoustic, rarely using electrical instruments.

The term bluegrass comes from the region of the US were the music originated. Kentucky is known for a species of grass called bluegrass. Bluegrass music is associated with the Appalachian mountain region where many Irish and Scotts-Irish settled. The music of their native lands is heard heavily in American bluegrass music.

I have come to appreciate bluegrass more and more over the years along with blues and other "old time" music :) I'd also like to learn more about line singing

On April 19–20, Yale Professor of Music Willie Ruff will host the second international conference on “line-singing,” a centuries-old a cappella church service still sung by far-flung congregations from the Scottish Hebrides to the Indian Territory of Oklahoma.

Free and open to the public, the conference events will mainly take place in Battell Chapel, corner of Elm and College streets

Several years ago, following up on a claim by his friend Dizzy Gillespe that some remote African American congregations in the Deep South sang hymns in Gaelic, Ruff made the startling discovery that an ancient call-and-response service still intoned in Gaelic in the highlands of Scotland was chanted by descendants of African slaves in the American South and by white congregations in remote churches of Appalachia.

The Massachusetts Bay Colony Psalm Book from 1640, which Ruff found in Yale’s Beinecke Library, indicated that the unusual form, with one church member calling out the first line of a Psalm and the rest of the congregation continuing to chant the text in unison, had been a common worship service in Colonial America. While the advent of hymnals, musical instrumentation and organized choirs in 19th century Protestant churches for the most part superannuated the a cappella service, the dirge-like chanting of Psalms continued to be practiced in some remote churches. These included, among others, congregations of descendants of African slaves whose Scots owners had introduced them to the service, white descendants of Scots settlers in the Kentucky hills and Scottish Highlanders, who continue the tradition original to their forebears.Chanting Psalms. Pretty cool eh :)

M.

PS: I found this awesome sound clip http://www.gaelicpsalmsinging.com/audio/mp3s/Kilmarnock.mp3

[Theophorus]

Other Orthodox cultures have non-liturgical music with sacred themes. I think we need more Orthodox playing bluegrass :)

M.

If it's any consolation. Our church was consecrated recently and the place was crawling with clergy.

After services during the picnic, I spied two OCA priests and a GOA priest playing the fiddle, banjo and guitar together. They were having a great time. And they were good too.

[ClementofRome]

Not to sound ignorant but what is bluegrass music? Why is it called that?

And what are the blackwater churches? The name of an area the music originated from?


Monica has given the wiki on bluegrass, but to address your second question:

I used the phrase "backwater churches".... it is just an expression that means very rural churches. The mountains of Appalachia are literally filled with very small Baptist and Methodist churches (mainly, though today all demons are present). When I used that phrase, I was just point to these very small, out of the way churches.

Sorry if i caused any confusion.

Clement

[ClementofRome]

do you have a sample of your music at your forum page?
It would be cool to hear it sometime.

Philothei

No, but maybe I will do that soon! :thumbsup:

[Matrona]

(mainly, though today all demons are present).

Freudian slip, Uncle Clem?! ;) :D

[Dorothea]

So wear a giant Orthodox cross and a T-shirt that says "Death to the World!" Then you can tell people about it when they inevitably ask. :)
I'm glad you got your musical issue resolved, Clem. :)

Ortho, what exactly does "Death to the World!" mean? lol I've seen it mentioned on this site often, but never really knew exactly what it's meaning was.

[RobNJ]

I'm glad you got your musical issue resolved, Clem. :)

Ortho, what exactly does "Death to the World!" mean? lol I've seen it mentioned on this site often, but never really knew exactly what it's meaning was.


WHAT DO WE MEAN BY “DEATH TO THE WORLD”?

“The world is the general name for all the passions. When we wish to call the passions by a common name, we call them the world. But when we wish to distinguish them by their special names, we call them the passions. The passions are the following: love of riches, desire for possessions, bodily pleasure from which comes sexual passion, love of honour which gives rise to envy, lust for power, arrogance and pride of position, the craving to adorn oneself with luxurious clothes and vain ornaments, the itch for human glory which is a source of rancour and resentment, and physical fear. Where these passions cease to be active, there the world is dead; for though living in the flesh, they did not live for the flesh. See for which of these passions you are alive. Then you will know how far you are alive to the world, and how far you are dead to it”

‑ St. Isaac the Syrian

[ClementofRome]

Freudian slip, Uncle Clem?! ;) :D


THAT WAS INDEED A SLIP!!!!!!!! :doh:

[Dorothea]

WHAT DO WE MEAN BY “DEATH TO THE WORLD”?

“The world is the general name for all the passions. When we wish to call the passions by a common name, we call them the world. But when we wish to distinguish them by their special names, we call them the passions. The passions are the following: love of riches, desire for possessions, bodily pleasure from which comes sexual passion, love of honour which gives rise to envy, lust for power, arrogance and pride of position, the craving to adorn oneself with luxurious clothes and vain ornaments, the itch for human glory which is a source of rancour and resentment, and physical fear. Where these passions cease to be active, there the world is dead; for though living in the flesh, they did not live for the flesh. See for which of these passions you are alive. Then you will know how far you are alive to the world, and how far you are dead to it”

‑ St. Isaac the Syrian

Ah, excellent. Thanks, Rob. :)

[Thekla]

PS: I found this awesome sound clip http://www.gaelicpsalmsinging.com/audio/mp3s/Kilmarnock.mp3

WOW !

thank-you :)