The Return of the Pling

Pete Minall

The title of this article is a bit Lord of the Rings I know... but seems appropriate somehow!

I have been a member of Nonsuch since the beginning, but rarely get along to club meetings or catch up with people at Festivals etc. because I work in theatre and of course when everyone else is at play, I am at work and vice versa, so this newsletter is an invaluable way for me to keep in touch with what others are up to!  I though you might be interested in this little tale of a dulcimer. 

I own two dulcimers, both a little unusual, as they are not as broad as the usual ones made, this is because my first one is an American Hammered Dulcimer made by a company called HammerDance and was specifically made for musicians in the US who like to take their instruments on board planes and tour busses with them as hand luggage and can pop them into the overhead lockers.  I learned to plink out a few tunes on this one and became comfortable with the reduced size, so when I was rich enough to afford a second one, I asked John Crocker to make me one the same size, John's dulcimer is fabulous and it is a real privilege to own a bespoke instrument made by not only a good friend but an artist and master craftsman,  ~  I think that was what he asked me to write.... anyway I digress.

I first saw John C and a few others at Sidmouth during the later part of the last Century and he persuaded me to have a plink, (I was at Sidmouth to watch a friend of mine called Chris Harris perform in his great one man show called "Kemps Jig")  so plink I did, and nearly fell over when I found I could play "Three Blind Mice" ~ about the only time I have ever picked up an instrument and been able to play something straightaway. A revelation!  If only I could do that with my English Concertina....

I was massively enthused by John and the sound of the Dulcimer and later, when having a post show drink with Chris, he introduced me to an old friend of his called Bob Stewart who was in a 1960's musical combo of some repute in the finger in the ear world, called "The Incredible String Band".  During the course of our imbibing I mentioned the afternoons "J.C. experience" to Bob and out of the blue he told me that he had a Hammered Dulcimer for sale, So on my return to Bath, I made arrangements to visit him, have a peek and a pling and give hem a wad of £10 notes if I liked it, well I went, I saw, I plinked and I bought.  Interestingly, Bob was with Van Morrison at the time and it was a bit embarrassing trying to play "Three Deaf Mice" with all the panache of a cretin amongst such musically gifted people.  You notice the names that are being dropped, sorry, but working in theatre Luvvy.......

The Dulcimer had found it's way to the UK via a US lady who brought it over to show it around to some UK musicians on behalf of HammerDance as a marketing exercise, then she could sell it and pocket the dosh for her troubles, Bob bought it from her, used it on some recording or other of his and then sold it to me!   We then move on a huge number of years and my rendition of "Three Blind Mice" has improved slightly...

I have recently been working on a season of plays by Sir Peter Hall and one of the pieces is a play called "As You Like It" by some old dead Midland dude.  Sir Peter decided that they wanted to introduce music into the production, so after a couple of hours of artistic angst, they decided the type of instruments they wanted to use and how they wanted to use them, the problem was where to get them at such short notice,  I then piped up and said, "Ahem", in my best theatrical aside and we negotiated a deal for the hire of my Hammerdance and Whoosh it was on-stage in rehearsals the next day!   Coincidentally, they also wanted to use a harp, so Jenny Crook, who some of you may know from her association with Maclaine Colston, was approached and provided that instrument, They have been enthralling audiences now for months, the show did it's season in Bath, toured Nationally and is now in Columbus, Ohio after six weeks in Boston, then going to Newhaven etc. in the US, then probably into the West End in the New Year.  The star of the show is Eric Sykes, I know, it seems like strange casting to me as well, but it works, Eric is now a lover of the instrument.  So my poor little HammerDance dulcimer is off with the Thespians for a little holiday back home in the States.

Funny old World isn't it....

Pete Minall
 

Newsletter Article - Last updated 21 November 2003