Speaking of Christmas, a while back someone suggested getting a group of us Bay Area Chiffers together to busk in SF sometime around the holidays. Are we still up for doing that? December will be here before we know it!
Redwolf
I think that will probably be discussed at the Bay Area gathering. I think the concensus so far is:
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Busk somewhere in SF with lots of people (BART station? Union Square?)
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Do it on a weekend (so more people can attend)
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Money goes to a non-political charity
Exact date, location, and tune list still to be determined.
Are you going to be coming to the Nov. 6 get-together?
That was my suggestion! I’m glad people are still on board. I know a Bay Area C&F gathering is coming up in Nov; I thought we could set a date and discuss details then.
I am also planning on posting a list of which tunes in which keys and the starting notes so we can all be on the same page; when I will do this, I am not sure.
DCrom has the details right; that’s what we all agreed on. My reasoning was I can sneak in some fiddle-playing (by then it will be, gee, almost nine months for me of fiddling) and, since I’ve been doing whistle Christmas Carol busking for the last two years, it will be much more fun with company! And think how great it would be to be a dreary commuter in the BART station and see a whole crew of carollers!
More details to follow–on this thread, I guess, or PM me with specific questions.
I really, really hope to. Weird things have come up for the last two gatherings, but I’d like to make this one.
Redwolf
I’m still into the idea. Here are some tunes I’ve played (some I’ve noted keys and starting notes):
Angels We Have Heard On High
Deck the Halls (G): dcBA
The First Noel (D): F#ED
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen (G): EEBBAGF#E
Good King Wenceslas (G): GGGAGGD
Silent Night (D): GAGE
We Three Kings
The Wren Song (G)
I’ve been working on an arrangement of the Wren Song on concertina. I’m sure there will be plenty of whistles, so I hope to use the concertina and maybe I’ll work out a few on Appalachian Dulcimer.
Some others I like:
The Holly and the Ivy
Patapan
Here’s an idea for a charity: The Seneca Center in Oakland. From their website:
Seneca Center sustains children and families through the most difficult times of their lives.
In many cases, we are the last hope for young people who have come to see failure and discouragement as a way of life. Here at Seneca, we offer each child a simple but profound promise: You will be supported every step of the way, no matter what challenges you face.
I have a friend who works there, among other things he has music classes for the kids (“at-risk youth” is the phrase I hear them use). It seems like a great place.
That would be VERY cool, to donate the collected money back into a music program. Sounds so appropriate. 
I would like to have a Christmas/Channakah/Kwanzaa card exchange program. Some other online groups I belong to do it. It’s really fun.
Let me see…the ones I know (just off the top of my head):
Silent Night
Joy to the World
Adeste Fidelis
In Dulci Jubilo/Good Christian Men Rejoice
I Saw Three Ships
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
Away in a Manger (all three tunes)
What Child is This/Greensleeves
Patapan
Un Flambeau, Jeannette, Isabelle
Il Est Ne, Le Divin Enfant
Sans Day Carol
The Holly and the Ivy (this one is better sung, though, or arranged for several instruments, as it can get rather boring. It’s the same two phrases played over and over)
The First Noel
Adam Lay y Bounden
The Little Drummer Boy
Do You Hear What I Hear?
Personet Hodie/On This Day Earth Shall Ring
Oh Little Town of Bethlehem (Forest Green)
Of the Father’s Love Begotten
Hark the Herald Angels Sing
It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
Angels From the Realm of Glory/Angels We Have Heard on High
Dost Thou in a Manger Lie?
Once in Royal David’s City
In the Bleak Midwinter
We Three Kings
Ding Dong Merrily on High
Can you tell I love to play Christmas Carols?
If anyone wants to sing, I can bring a hymnal that will have some of these, at least, in it.
I am so totally up for this!
And I agree…there seems something fitting about giving to a charity that provides a music program for kids.
Redwolf
Wow, great list! I am hoping people come and sing and whistle, strum, pluck, bow, blow, beat, shake, strike, hammer, WHATEVER as many instruments as possible!
I would also suggest it might be fun to wear Christmas costumes–Dickens Faire stuff, if you know what I mean, or simply some red & green, maybe a nice top hat with berries–I’m sure we can raise LOTS of money for charity!
Who is going to nail down the location and get the proper permissions/permits to do this thing? I know some places get a little testy when a bunch of strange people start disturbing the locals. :roll:
Since you’re in SF, Kar, can you contact the authorities and find out what we’d need to do to avoid getting carted off in a paddy wagon? I know they’re often pretty lenient if you’re doing it for charity, but we may have to have our charity picked and notified and all that stuff.
Redwolf
LESS OF THE “PADDY”
Slan,
D.
Gabh mo leithsceal…the “official police transport vehicle.” 
Redwolf
For what it’s worth, on the folklore front, one story I’ve heard has “Paddy Wagon” date back to when many police departments were predominently Irish.
So the implication wasn’t so much “Irish are the sort of people hauled to jail” as “the Irish are coming to haul the lowlifes to jail”. Which is at least slightly less insulting, I’d hope.
Don’t know which, if either, implication is more correct. I’ve always wanted stay well clear of jail, despite family tradition. 
(I love to say that - I’ve got more relatives working in law enforcement than I can accurately count. If I ever got convicted of a major crime, they might need to ship me out of state - the odds are better than even that at least one cousin is working as a guard in any prison they’d normally send me to. Talk about an incentive to stay on the right side of the law. 
)
So, what I want to know is what Paddy was the Old Man whackin’ with his Knick Knack?
That would be Paddy the Policeman…!
Slan,
D.
Ooops, I’m going to get back on topic. Yes, I WILL find out what permits are needed, if any. In general, BART performers here are not permitted (I mean, they are ALLOWED, they don’t need permits), but the size of the group may cause an issue.
I guess the next question is, maybe we should start trying to nail down a date (or even two). Maybe the easiest thing is to set up an email list, off the board, to get coordination.
So, how about if you want to be in on the list, PM me with your private email and I’ll get the ball really rolling. Sound good?
I’ll also post info here, once we’ve got solid times & dates and whatnot, so that others can also join in.
How about that?
Sounds good! I just pm’d you.
Redwolf