Dear Reader - I have you sorted for family entertainment this Christmas…read on!
The Big Thing
But first - Sinéad and I (below) played at the Sligo Park Christmas lunch last Thursday and had a great time - the first time you play Christmas songs each year is always extra fun! They are just supremely well-written songs (in general).
Our piano students have been busy learning lots from the genre over the last few weeks too - Deck The Halls, Fairytale of New York, Jingle Bell Rock and We Wish You a Merry Christmas are particular favourites this year.
And this week as we come to the end of this piano tuition term, students are gathering for a series of group workshops where we play games and work on improving their listening skills.
I had a group of adults in yesterday evening and we spoke about ‘the Christmas chord’ - a particular chord that is cleverly employed in White Christmas, The Christmas Song, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas and All I Want for Christmas is You for example.
It’s a 4 minor chord (Fm6 in the key of C for example) which evokes a dreamy, nostalgic feeling - obviously very useful for songwriters trying to evoke similar emotions in their listeners.
If you want to know more here’s a short video of an American pianist explaining it…
Where else but Sligo?
I wrote this in January 2024 after competing in the Coolera Car Treasure Hunt over the Christmas 2023 period. I questioned whether the mind of hunt-setter Jim Doyle was amazing or warped (!) after we and dozens of other cars had driven around the back roads from St. Stephen’s Day on looking for the answers to the clues he had set.
Now 2 years later it’s my turn - and you guys will have the opportunity to question what goes on in my head - as I have been out and about over the last few weeks setting this year’s hunt and trying to figure out ways to puzzle and entertain you all this Christmas.
More details to come, but for now all you need to know is that you can enter and pick up your clues between 12 and 2pm on St Stephen’s Day in the carpark of Coolera House.
Answers won’t be due in until New Years Eve with results given out on the evening of January 1st. All in aid of a local charity to be announced shortly.
What’s New?
A quick update on our upcoming tour.
Firstly - our Drumcliffe and Hawk’s Well Studio shows are sold out - thank you!
And - we’re down to the last few tickets for King House (Boyle) this Saturday 13th and Maitland’s on Dec 23rd.
Don’t miss out - lots of 4 minor chords to be heard! Tickets here.
Finally…
Seamie’s Christmas song from 2021…
Till next time - Kieran.
