Fish & Chips Rehearsed Band
Led by Bob Pasquarello, with Sue Dupre calling

Fish & Chips will give you a chance to work on your ensemble playing, to increase your repertoire (not just of tunes, but of ways to play them), and to practice musicianship skills such as active listening, phrasing, harmony, and mutual support.

Musicians of all skill levels are welcome to participate, and are encouraged to attend the three rehearsals!

Let Bob know if you are interested in playing, even if you are not sure, by filling out this poll.

Dates

Rehearsals will be 2-5pm at Merion Friends Meeting Activities Building:

  • Sunday, March 30
  • Sunday, April 6
  • Sunday, April 13

  • Fish & Chips Tea Dance:
    Sunday, May 4th, 2-5 pm, Summit Church, Mt. Airy.

2025 Fish & Chips Program

Colors = Barnes ECD Tune book I (Blue), Book II (Red), Book III (Green). For ordering information see the Open Band information below.

  1. Corelli's Maggot -- Blue, p 23
  2. Parthenia -- Blue, p 94
  3. Well Hall -- Blue, p 137
  4. Highland Lilt -- Red, p 56
  5. Horseplay -- Red, p 61
  6. The Archer -- Green, p 18
  7. Blythe Company -- Green, p 31

  8. Come With Voices Singing -- Green, p 43
  9. Dance of a Lifetime -- Green, p 46
  10. Hoffedd Miss Hughes -- Green, p 71
  11. Irish Howle -- Green, p 75
  12. Pluck Me A Fig -- Green, p 111
  13. Boldly Go -- Mothers Day Waltz.pdf
  14. The New Long Hall at Scarborough -- New Long Hall at Scarborough.pdf

Woodwind section, Oct 2024. Photo by Pat McGrath.

Next Open Band: TBA

Previous program for Wednesday, February 5th

Open Band tunes are all in the Blue, Red, or Green Barnes books. You can buy the Barnes books either for ipad or in old fashioned spiral bound paper.

  1. Tambourine Dance -- Blue
  2. Kelsterne Gardens -- Blue
  3. News From Tripoli -- Blue
  4. Jacob Hall's Jig (Em) -- Blue
  5. Golden Green -- Green
  6. Potter's Wheel -- Green
  7. Ties of Love -- Green
  8. Wooden Shoes -- Red
  9. Whirligig -- Blue -- Whirligig Expanded PDF (Jan 29)
  10. Alice -- Blue
  11. Tom Jones -- Blue -- Simplified setting PDF
  12. Holborn March -- Blue
  13. After Dinner Maggot -- Green
  14. Closing Waltz: Nan's Waltz – Red

Please also review dances on the GCD Repertoire List which we ask all GCD musicians to learn.

How Open Band works

Practicing

  • Learn the tunes well enough that you can keep one eye on the Open Band leader for cues, and maybe occasionally watch the dancers.
  • GCD often holds jam sessions that will be announced on this page and on the GCD musicians' page. You can host a jam too (or just invite a few friends to play together).
  • You're welcome to dance for tunes that you'd rather not play.

Setting up

  • Bring your music and a music stand. (No mics for the evening, it's all acoustic)
  • 7:30 -- Arrive and set up in sections - strings, winds, squeezeboxes.
  • 7:45 -- Tuning up, band leader instructions
  • 8:00 -- The evening dance starts promptly!
  • 10:15 -- Please help clean up the area after the dance.

During & after the Dance

  • We are there to provide beautiful and dance-able music for the pleasure of the dancers.
  • Listen to each other. Give those taking a solo, duet, or trio round some quiet space so they can be clearly heard.
  • Keep an eye on the leader for guidance regarding: entrances, endings, dynamics, designation of what instruments are playing
  • 10:15 -- the dance ends. Help with putting everything back in place much appreciated. Open Band is a challenging night for our sound and set-up folks!

Questions? Email or the