Irish Accents => Dance Music: The Stride Set

Solas: The Stride Set

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This week on Star Maker, we will be taking a broad view of the term “dance music”. Human beings, in the earliest days of our existence, probably learned first to pound on things, next to sing, and then to dance. Dancing is common to every culture on earth. It can obviously have a social function, but some ritual dances are important parts of religious observances. And there are also dances created as forms of artistic expression, each with their accompanying music. So, there is a rich menu of music for dancing to choose from, and we will sample some of it this week.

Given all of that, I did not think it was time, musically, to leave Ireland quite yet. Hopefully, most of our readers know that there is far more to Irish dancing than just Riverdance. First and foremost, Irish dancing originates not as performance pieces, but as social dances. Jigs and reels are probably the best known forms, but there are also waltzes, polkas, and other more exotic types. The Stride Set is a set of reels. Irish dances are often played in sets. Musically, this serves the same function as dividing a song into a verse, chorus, and bridge. For the dancers, it creates an extra thrill in what is already exciting music. The Stride Set is made up of four reels: The Stride, Tom Doherty’s, The Contradiction, and Viva Galicia. The first and last were written by members of Solas, while the middle two are traditional. Each reel not only has a different melody, but also a different arrangement. The transitions are flawless, even as the band members join in or drop out. The Contradiction even has a conversation between two banjos, played by Seamus Egan and guest musician Bela Fleck. Many other Irish bands don’t perform their dance sets with quite this much abandon, but the excitement is always there. For an extra thrill, check out Bill Laswell’s remix of The Stride Set on his album Emerald Aether. I don’t have that one, or I would be sharing it here is well.

Magic: On A Sea of Fleur De Lis

Richard Shindell: On A Sea of Fleur De Lis

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Richard Shindell: On A Sea of Fleur De Lis [live]

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Solas: On A Sea of Fleur De Lis

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Solas: On A Sea of Fleur De Lis [live]

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One of the best-known songs in ex-pat Fast Folk-era singer-songwriter Richard Shindell's catalog, and one of the most cryptic, this song appears as the centerpiece to his 1992 debut album Sparrows Point, and - in its original form - it features the appalachian dulcimer, on which it was composed.

Like so much of Shindell's songs, On A Sea Of Fleur De Lis tells its tale in first person; as near as I can tell, the narrator is a nun, though it could merely be an autobiographical echo of Shindell's own time in the seminary before he set out to become a songcrafter. But truly, there are layers upon layers here. Perhaps it is enough to say that the narrator, seemingly caught in a web of religious trappings, longs to be a witch again, naked and cradled in the arms of the sacred elm or willow, and the song is her prayer.

But like a spell, an ex-witches prayer can take many forms. The vast difference in tone and mood between the hollow, ringing original and the rich, joyous celtic-tinged cover Solas brings forth in live performance is an exercise in transformation, turning pensiveness into celebration, completing the circle that four versions lay out for us, setting free the trapped soul of the tale.

Autumn and Harvest: Pastures of Plenty

Solas: Pastures of Plenty

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Woody Guthrie wrote several songs which relate to the harvest, in that they tell of the plight of migrant farm workers during the Great Depression. Pastures of Plenty is one of the best. The title is ironic; Guthrie tells of fields in California with bountiful harvests, but the workers partake of only a very small part of them.

It is not surprising that this song would resonate with Irish musicians. Ireland is, after all, a place with its own history of agricultural misfortune. And sure enough, Solas delivers an amazing high energy version of this Woody Guthrie classic. Like many folk groups in the British Isles, Solas features an ever changing lineup. The lead singer here is Karan Casey, who has since moved on to a successful career as a solo artist.