In this version of Loreena McKennitt’s The Mummer’s Dance, there is a strange instrument being played. They don’t show very often in the clip, but you can see it in the background. It looks like a guitar with a crank on the end. It’s visible at 1:25, 3:25, 3:44 and 3:58 on the clip.
What is that instrument?
It’s a Hurdy Gurdy.
Darn, I thought that this would be a discussion of the Mummer’s Strut.
A lute?
In concert, Loreena’s arrangements include plenty of hurdy-gurdy. To me it sounds like a whole hive of bees trained to buzz sweetly in harmony.
A hurdy-gurdy well played is a feast for the ears. The same instrument, however, in the hands of anything less than a virtuoso, sounds like a clutch of cats in heat…in a blender.
I have nothing important to add, I am just amazed and pleased to meet other people who like Loreena. I don’t think I have ever met anyone else who is even aware of her, let alone likes her. Awesome.
I have always loved that song. I remember the video from about 10 years ago, and about 4-5 years ago I rediscovered her and bought a couple of her albums. I had to download the single version of the Mummer’s Dance though, since the album version is different. I love both versions though.
That made me look up some youtube examples, and oh-boy are you right! Here is a You-tubelink to a professional concert of two hurdygurdy’s. And here is someone playing it, cats-in-the-blender-style.
Seems the hurdy-gurdy is the string-equivalent of what bagpipes and organs are for wind-instruments.
Cool, I didn’t know this instrument.
Amusingly, about seven or eight years ago I was looking to pick up Lori McKenna’s first CD (Paper Wings and Halo), and everyone would ask me “Do you mean Loreena McKennit?” Of course, this was just after “The Mummer’s Dance” had charted. As I recall, she recorded one version of the song for her CD, but remixed it for an EP, and that’s the one that caught on.
Yeah, the single version was different; it was more upbeat. Does anyone know any albums out there that have this version? One of hers or a compilation album or whatever. I did download it a long time ago (er…don’t ask if it was legally or not) but if I could find it on an album I would buy it.
The CD version was mellow and flowing. In concert, she plays it much louder and faster, more like hard rock.
I went and saw her in concert about a month and a half ago. It was wonderful! I think it was nearly sold out also, I didn’t notice empty seats offhand.
And yup, it’s a hurdy gurdy. She introduced the player. During the concert I did notice a somewhat annoying undertone to it though. Like an annoying hum. It wasn’t really noticeable most of the time but with the acoustics in the Jubilee I could almost feel it at times (I think when the cranking slowed). It’s not noticeable on the cds.
Her recent live album “Nights from the Alhambra” is awesome. I recommend it to any fans who haven’t heard it yet.
That’s either funny-sarcastic or funny-accidental, but either way, I was amused. 
The Lady of Shallot uses some of Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s poem. Wow.
Oops. Coding mistake. Here are the cats in the blender. :smack:
I’ve been a fan since 1989’s Parallel Dreams and got to meet her once after a concert. I love my signed poster. She’s a very very sweet person.
(getting away from Loreena for a minute…)
For those who love the sound of the Hurdy Gurdy, the band Muzsikas are masters of it. Here’s one YouTube video, though it’s just the music, not an actual video (and it’s only used in the first part of this particular song). I love them, but I especially love them when Marta Sebestyen is singing with them (that’s a live clip that’s not ideal and doesn’t convey their greatness, but it does have the hurdy gurdy in it).
I first saw Marta and Muzsikas live at a tiny club in Chicago and it’s still one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to. The hurdy gurdy live and up close sends chills up the spine, as if Marta’s voice alone isn’t enough to do that. Lovers of the hurdy gurdy, and amazing female singers owe it to themselves to get THIS album with Muzsikas!! That’s an absolute MUST HAVE album. Marta solo is pretty spectacular too. After that album, get this one. (this song is from Apocrypha, which is not generally as “traditional” as the first album). Here’s a song on her Best Of that’s on Apocrypha, but in a very different version (I like the Apocrapha version best, but this is great too).
Hee hee! I asked this very question a few years ago! Love her music.
Once, when I was driving down to North Carolina to visit a friend, I pulled off at some random rest area in West Virginia (IIRC) to stretch my legs. Down at one end of the rest area was this guy cranking a box, and music was coming out of it! It had a sort of gypsy/slavic dance flavor to it. I stared a little bit, but couldn’t work up the courage to go ask what it was about. He didn’t seem to be busking–just putting on a little impromptu concert there for all the rest area patrons. (I think I was the only one paying attention.)
I didn’t figure out what it was until I got home. Unlike the ones pictured on youtube and wikipedia, his was very plain–it seemed to be just a long, rectangular wooden box with a crank and some keys. It was pretty neat, though–I wish I hadn’t been too shy to talk to him.
I remember Sting played a hurdy-gurdy during that song from Cold Mountain at the Oscars a few years ago. A lot of people were asking about that, too.
My husband has a hurdy-gurdy. It sounds very cat-in-the-blender-ish. I think it partly depends on the instrument, too. (It’s a cheap one. He does play other instruments well.)
