We had dinner tonight at a neighbourhood Thai restaurant called Longrain Pan Asian. It was our first time there. Really good food and attentive service at reasonable prices. What more can you ask for?
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A Portuguese Cheese Tasting
A local Portuguese restaurant called Taste Portuguese Cuisine had a Portuguese cheese tasting event today as part of the Lakeshore area’s Culture Days. We sampled a selection of cheeses and learned a little about them, and enjoyed a glass of wine and some pleasant conversation.
French Polkas
These are a little different than the polka music we mostly hear in North America. This is Clive Williams. You may recall I posted one of his performances the other day.
Now here’s Mike Smith playing a French polka on hurdy gurdy.
Starlight
Today, we were up at G. Ross Lord Park for the 2012 Starlight Walk for Smiles. Tuffy P and our friend Cathy were official walkers. The dogs and I were the support team.
Ellie Mae is ready for action at the Starlight Walk for Smiles – Toronto
Here’s a short video from the beginning of the walk.
Ellie Mae walks with Cathy.
The support team take a swim break
Thirst Quencher
Memphis makes friends
Eleven
It’s our anniversary! Tuffy P (also known in some circles as Sheila) and I have been hitched for eleven years. I’m a very lucky guy!
We’re off to a charity walk this morning for the Starlight Children’s Foundation. Tuffy has walked 4 years in a row – with the dogs, who are always a big hit. Usually I have my button accordion student Saturday mornings, but not today, so I’m tagging along. Later this afternoon, we’re going to a Portuguese cheese tasting at a place in the neighbourhood, and out for dinner.
Bourrées
That was JackDiatonique. The bourrée is a French dance from the 17th century. Parts of the tune in the first video remind me of a Basques tune whose name I just can’t recall.
Here’s Clive Williams…
This next one has pipes and a big piano accordion and cello – Bordunrausch. Fantastic, isn’t it?
Friday
I’ve been under the weather most of the week. I may have been cranky from time to time during this period, and if I’ve been cranky toward you, sorry about that. I’m feeling much better today. I took a vacation day off work today, and I have to say starting the weekend on Friday seems like a civilized thing to do.
French Schottisches
I’ve been thinking about French Schottisches and learning to play a few of them on my button accordion. Here are some lovely examples I found on YouTube.
Here is some very nice playing by a fellow whose YouTube handle is TheUniversalGenius…
Now let’s move from button accordion over to mountain dulcimer. Here’s Mark Gilston…
Finally, here are some examples played on Anglo Concertina by TheEc202020
Autumn Weeds, Long Branch
Not all bagpipes are from Scotland or Ireland
Most of us think of Scottish music and the Great Highland Bagpipes or perhaps Irish music and the Uilleann Pipes when we think about bagpipes, but variations of the instrument have been played for centuries through a lot of Europe, as well as other areas including the Persion Gulf. All capture air in a bag that feeds a set of enclosed reeds. There is a lot of really interesting pipe music out there for the folk music freak, and I know nothing at all about most of it. From time to time, this blog’s Daily Dose feature will offer up some examples of pipe music that may not have so much exposure as the Scottish pipes.
That was Sean Folsom. You may recall a video featuring him playing a very old chromatic button accordion not so long ago.
Here he is again playing an instrument called the Mezoued, or Double Pipe, played in North African countries.
Here’s a Tunisian combo, La Troupe Marhaban, with pipes and a strong emphasis on drumming. I like these guys!
There are even German bagpipes. Who knew?
27th Street 