Reading My Way Around the World

Sunday 25 January 2015

Grow Your Blog

Today I am taking part in the Grow Your Blog blog party which was initiated by Vicky at 2 Bags Full Blog.   Thank you so much Vicki for doing this as an opportunity to meet new bloggers and extend our reach a bit.   There are over 400 bloggers taking part, so if you have a bit of time spare today, follow the link and take a look at some of the others who are writing today.  


Hello and Welcome 

A glorious day during the week
If you are a newcomer to my page here, then you are very welcome to my little corner of Ireland, by the sea, on the East Coast.   My name is Fil Campbell.  Fil is pronounced Phil - long story - Phil is a common short name for women here, but abroad, people expected a man to walk out on stage ...  So one very smart (not) record company manager suggested this more Irish, and more feminine we thought, spelling... Now people ask: "How do you pronounce your name?"  and proceed to tell me all the naughty means of the word in various languages around the world!!   Not the best decision I ever made, but I'm living with it and now love it.

I'm a singer - full stop, or period, as you say across the pond.   I get very burned out listening to music sometimes, because my days are all about singing - if I'm not out touring with my husband Tom then I'm working with individual singers at home, or with my community choir in the village or with various senior groups in the area.   I also write music, put music to other people's words as well as sometimes writing my own, and  at the moment am setting some poetry to music for a show about Women's Emigration from Eastern Europe to Ireland.  In the past I've narrated TV documentaries about Irish women singers, and have also presented radio programmes on folk music, something which I would dearly love to get back into.

Already the first snowdrops are out for the first days of Spring
which is the 1st February in the Celtic Calendar

On blogging

I've been blogging on and off for a while and mostly write about my travels or about Irish folk music and singer songwriters in general.  I love the community that exists here and on a break from writing recently, I realised that this has become quite an important part of my life now and the people in it are in my thoughts often.   They have become friends in far flung places and I love reading about their day to day lives.

Crafting, particularly knitting, is my other big passion in life, which is how I first came to Vicky's blog.   It has interested me for a while, to be able to take my skills further than simply following a patterne.  Hence the reason for following so many crafty blogs.   I suppose crafts and folk music do tend to go hand in hand.

A little giveaway

So in honour of  today I am offering a prize of a bundle of my CDs - just leave a comment here and I will pick a name at random.   You don't have to have a blog to enter, and I'm happy to post to any place in the world.   Some of my CDs are of old Irish folk songs, and others are more contemporary folk - a mixture of my own songs and those of other writers.   The winner will be announced on February 15th along with all the other people who are offering prizes today as part of this Blog Party.


It's been lovely to meet you ...

Please leave me a comment to say hello and do tell me where you come from ... I inherited a love of maps from my father and to this day it's a delight to me having friends all around the world.  And if you have time, stay a while and look around.

I'm off now to have a look around some of the other people in this years Grow Your Blog challenge.  Have a lovely week.

Oh by the way this is me at a recent songwriting retreat ... getting to play this most beautiful grand piano.





69 comments:

  1. How lovely! We are rather musical in our house although it is for fun and not professional. I am Irish-American and love all kinds of Irish music. It would be lovely to be the winner of your CD. I am a new follower here and looking forward to visiting again. Please pop over to my blog for a visit and follow if you would like.

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    1. It's been lovely to meet you and am really enjoying your blog.

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  2. How fun! I love Irish folk music. I have friends who are brilliant at it but I am only a listener, much as I envy the talent. I live in Saginaw, Michigan in the USA and although travel was a lifelong dream, it's unlikely I'll get much more in since I'm 65 and not getting any richer. :)

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    1. Lovely to meet you:) Yes, it's the richer bit is my biggest problem about travelling …. guess I'm lucky to make work a bit about travelling.

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  3. Hi Fil! I really enjoyed reading about your passion and success in the field of music. I live in the midwest in the USA. I love how blogging allows one to open a page like yours and have to search for a second to see that, despite the ocean between us, we are far more alike than different! Thank you for your sweet comment on my blog. I'm also a GYB participant!

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    1. Lovely to meet you J ... it's been a fun day :)

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  4. Hi Fil, I'm one of Vicki's helpers checking all the blog links as part of the Grow Your Blog hop. I really wish I could sing, but as they say I can't carry a tune in a bucket. I live in the Texas. Have a great day.

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    1. HI Shauna - thanks for coming by ... I bet you sing for yourself :)

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  5. Dear Fil,
    Welcome to Grow Your Blog party. I'm embrassed to say teh only Irish signer I know is Enya.. (hope I didn't get that wrong) and i wish I had your beautiful voice.. I enjoy knitting too..
    Hope you'll made some new friends and have new followers in the weeks to come. Big Hugs from Singapore

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    1. Thanks Angela :) It's been a brilliant day with lots of new friends. Enya is great - she's a huge star and I love her voice.

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  6. good to hear from you.My daughter in law comes from County Down.The last place she lived there was Greyabbey.My son and her got married there and the reception was at the Crawfordsburn (in Hollywood,I think)

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    1. Lovely part of the county - it's a small world isn't it :)

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  7. Hi Fil,
    I am across the pond in Canada. It's nice to meet you!
    O, how wonderful! I love music. Thanks for the opportunity to win!

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    1. You're so welcome Dixie - great to meet you.

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  8. Hello Fil..
    I was excited to find your blog. I have often why there arent more blogs about music. My blog is not about music..though I have shared a little bit.. Your musical life sounds very inspiring..though I know how much work it is. My family is very musical.. several guitar players.. piano..violin..mandolin..recorder..and banjo.. My daugher composes her own music and would like to record it but that has not been an easy open door. I would love to hear some of your music. Folk and Irish music are some of my favorites..Ive been looking into learning more about Irish mandolin..Have you heard of the Irish-American band Crossing? We saw them in concert in Ohio.. oh my.. what a sound.. I am part Irish and have always wanted to visit. Your Snowdrops are so lovely.. and the sea.. It was nice to visit and I will be following you. And you've inspired me to share more about my music..
    Blessings,
    Tamara

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    1. Hello Tamara - it's lovely to meet you - it sounds like your house is full of music and I look forward to reading more about it. Has your daughter checked out any recording studios near her? It may be a starting point for her. Here a lot of recording in the folk world is done in small studios like ours.

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  9. Hi Fil! Thanks for stopping by my blog earlier! I am so happy to have found your blog -- I love Ireland and Irish music! (And we both have the same wild curly hair!!). Enjoy the Blog Hop!

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    1. It's been a fun day :) Lovely to meet you Rhonda.

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  10. Hi Fil,

    First of all, thanks for visiting my blog earlier today -- so very much appreciated. :)

    Isn't it great that you get to visit Munich regularly?! Do you come here to sing, too?

    I bet you would love the St. Patrick's Day parade in Munich. A couple of years ago I had the chance to visit it -- oh, the music and dances and Irish wolfhounds!

    Has anyone ever told you that you have "Merida hair"? So beautiful. :)

    Lots of greetings from Munich,
    Birgit

    PS: Oh, and THANKS for the chance to win your CDs.

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    1. We actually played at it one year Birgit ... the organisers are good friends of mine. It's a really fun day:)

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  11. Hi Fil! It's great to meet you! Wow, a song writer and singer! I love Irish folk music especially when I am working on a project in my studio. It would be lovely to be able to listen to a friend singing while creating a piece of art!!! Thank you for popping over to my blog and taking the time to leave a comment! I am now following your blog and will be back over for a serious poke around once I finish my helper duties for this party! :D
    Hugs for now,
    Beth P
    The Whimsical Dowager

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    1. It's been great meeting you Beth and I'm really enjoying your blogs …. it has taken me ages getting back to commenting to everyone here … silly busy couple of weeks ….

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  12. Hello Fil!
    My name is Judy. I am a singer as well. My family comes from Ireland and Scotland and the old songs run very deep in my veins!
    God bless and Slain Bhalyah!

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  13. Hi Fil,
    So nice to meet you via the GYB party. I look forward to following your blog.

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  14. It is nice to meet you through this blog hop. What a talent, to be able to sing. Thanks for visiting my blog.

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  15. Hi Fil. It's always a delight peeking into your world. I can't believe your snowdrops are out - how wonderful! The only snowdrops I'm seeing here are of the flake variety falling from the sky. Love that photo of you playing!

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    1. Hi Deborah …. your snow is really spectacular … we've missed out so far, except on the hills which look beautiful.

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  16. Love visiting others through these blog hops. Makes me an armchair traveler.

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    1. Hi Kathy - lovely to meet you here... I tried finding your blog but I must be putting something in wrong...

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  17. Hi! You have such a lovely blog, I hope you're enjoying the blog hop!

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  18. Well hello Fil and what a fascinating life it seems that you have. My name is jeanne and I live in the US, Texas to be specific. Would love to hear some of your music and how awesome that you play the piano. I am a flutist, however, not for a living. Will check out more of your blog and am happy to meet you! Have fun in the blog share.... so fun meeting people from all over the world!

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  19. Greetings from Canada, Fil! What a great blog post and fascinating life. So nice to meet you! Thank you for your kind words and for visiting my blog too.

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  20. Hello Fil, it's so very nice to meet you via this lovely GYB hop. How lovely that you can sing. I love music but can't carry a note in a bucket, but my daughters can sing beautifully. I love to hear them sing...when they will!!! It's such a crime that the people who can sing often don't and the ones who can't want to so badly...lol. I understand your name conundrum. I live in Canada, but also in OXON UK. Off now to figure out how best to follow you and get to know you a little more. x

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  21. Hi Fil! What a wonderful topic for a blog. I feel right at home. I love music and singing. I hum all the time; I don't even know I do it! I have a maternal great grandfather who came to America from Ireland. I feel Irish, but he's just a wee bit among all the Danish, German and English people! I want to follow your blog to learn about Ireland and your music; I am very intrigued. And what a lovely give-away. I hope, hope, I win!

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  22. Hi fil it is so nice to visit your blog and read about your life and world. I am impressed that music is your life. I love all sorts of music but alas was not blessed with a singing voice. What a very different life we all lead from each other do we not? I love how just sharing our lives has a way to weave those connecting threads through our lives. I am from Washington State in the US and have always wanted to visit Ireland.

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  23. Hi Fil - thanks for your comments on my blog and I'm now a follower on yours! Your part of the world is so different from where I am, I look forward to dropping in again to read more of your adventures and folk singing! cheers Wendy

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  24. The challenge is a great idea. It's always great to know our blogging friends better! This year, I'm attempting to build better relationships via blogs rather than social media.
    I'm looking forward to reading more of your writing, Fil and hearing you sing! :)

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    1. Thanks for dropping by Corinne - I really enjoy reading yours.

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  25. Nice to meet you Fil. I live in Wildwood, Alberta, Canada and when you said you were a singer it made me think of a woman here who is a singing quilter. She even wrote a song about that. I'd love to win some of your CD's. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

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  26. Nice to meet you Fil. I have something that might interest you a bit. I am originally from Alabama and lived within 1/2 hour of Phil Campbell, AL. This is a copy and paste from a blog about an event that was hosted in the town a few years back.

    In the 1880s, a railroad work crew leader and engineer by the name of Phillip Campbell (originally from England) established a work camp near the location of modern Phil Campbell. Mel Allen, a prominent local businessman, told Mr. Campbell if he would construct a railroad depot and add a side track to the stretch of railroad going through the area, he would name the subsequent town after him. Mr. Campbell built both the depot and siding. Phil Campbell is the only town in Alabama to have both the first and last names of an individual.

    In June 1995 the writer Phil Campbell organized and wrote about a convention of people who shared their name with the town of Phil Campbell, Alabama. Twenty-two Phil Campbells and one Phyllis Campbell, hailing from all over America, attended. The story of the Phil Campbell convention was, of course, written by Phil Campbell. It was published in Might Magazine, a San-Francisco-based publication founded by Dave Eggers.

    A second “Phil Campbell Day” was organized the following year, but it was not as well attended, and no more were organized. Phil Campbell’s city hall, however, still maintains a file of all the Phil Campbells who visit.

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    1. Hi Thearica - What a gorgeous name .... I am so excited to meet you. I have heard about Phil Campbell and in fact I had been hoping to go there a few years back but I just couldn't make it happen. But someday I hope to go - it's such a great story. Do you still live near there? I'm coming over to your blog now to check in and say hello there. Best wishes. Fil

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  27. Hi Fil, lovely to meet you and thanks for popping into Normandy Life yesterday as your hopped around Vicki's GYB party, it's such a great way to meet new bloggers and do some armchair travelling at the same time!
    Maggie

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  28. OMGoodness ... I would love to hear your voice!!!!! Thank you for this opportunity.

    Isn't this party fun?!?

    So that you know, I've become a Follower and when time permits, I'll be back to see what other beautiful things were made by your hands!

    What this party is all about is to GROW your blog and I'm hoping to do the same. When you get to Section One, check out A Country Chic Retreat and SuZeQ Creations, my personal blog, in Section Fifteen I'd love for you to follow and subscribe to.

    Keep singing ...
    SuZeQ

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  29. Hi Fil, I'm stopping by from GYB hop, you have some lovely photo's there, and when I read you live in Ireland I thought no wonder. I have been over to Ireland once, to Kilkee for a holiday and I loved it.
    Enjoy the blog hop
    Jill

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  30. Hi Fil, I found your blog post most entertaining! I live in the state of Wisconsin in the US - its' very cold here and snowing quite a bit today so I'm jealous that you already have snowdrops popping up. I'm so excited about the possibility of listening to you and your music. Thank you for the opportunity!

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  31. Hi Fil, I'm coming to you from Ohio in the US. It's cold here too, just like Threads above me! I can't wait until our crocuses come up, as they'll probably be the first. It's nice to meet you via the GYB hop. I'm following via Twitter now. :)

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  32. Hi Fil, Just joined your blog from the GYB party. your blog is very interesting. hope you will join mine as well for my craft journey :)

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  33. I enjoyed my visit. I am married to a man whose father was from Island Magee, N.I. so we feel close to the Irish spirit. And I dearly love Irish music.

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  34. How I would love to visit Ireland! It always looks so beautiful in photos (just like the ones in your blog post!). Thank you for inviting us to visit. Enjoy the tour!

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  35. Hello Fil! So exciting to read you blog (got a bit distracted with the grand piano post... so envious) :) Wouldn't I love to be treated to your recordings! Or be witness to any of your choral groups at work, a particular weakness :)

    I live in a part of Maritime Canada (northeastern New Brunswick) which was settled extensively by Irish expats (including my great-grandfather, a Kerry from way down Kerry Co.), where they intermarried with French, Scots English, for the lovely and unique blend we enjoy today :)

    Will certainly return here to enjoy your musician's outlook, Fil :) Following via GFC and Bloglovin.

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  36. Oh I do love to listen to Irish music, and I admire people with musical talent as I dont have a bone of it in my body. Quite a different blog to add to my blogroll, and isnt that the joy of having this blog party! awesome giveaway - thanks for offering that.

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  37. Greetings from the Pacific Northwest! I'd love to listen to your CDs!

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  38. Hi there. I am from the Midwest in the US. I live in ohio. Nice to find your beautiful blog. I'd love to hear you sing.

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  39. Hello from Ontario, Canada ! I had a great time, just now, reading and listening to your lovely voice. I am not a singer but I love to meet people and find out more about them in their everyday lives. I have become a follower and will be back to view every photo you have of Ireland. My ancestors were pioneers here, from Ireland and as I mention on my blog, I am 'into genealogy'. I will probably never visit Ireland but I will enjoy your view of this fascinating place. Come by and chat ;)

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  40. Thanks so much for visiting my blog. Really enjoyed yours and hope someday to visit Ireland and trace back some family history. Would love to hear some of your music. I am sure it is beautiful.

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  41. Lovely to meet you!
    I'm in England but we holiday every year in Ireland! and my youngest son is at Queens, Belfast!

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  42. Hello Fil--cool name! How wonderful to be able to travel as you do. I am an art dollmaker in Florida and a new follower. I'll be back! Jan

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  43. Hi Fil, stopping by from GYB. You certainly do live in one of the more beautiful parts of the world! I am from the western part of North Carolina, US in the mountains.

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  44. Oooh, I like a summary of a person. I wish I'd taken part in the challenge now, but was worried I would be too snowed under.
    You made me laugh about the rude names thing. I met a singer whose surname was Moule which is apparently something rude in French and she ended up doing loads of gigs and shows in France so she decided she'd better change it!

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  45. Hello, Its nice meeting you and learning about your passion which is music. I am a new follower.

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    1. Hello Angela - it's lovely to meet you - thanks for dropping by :)

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  46. Dear All, I've been so far behind with giving a return comment to everyone who has commented here but I think I've managed to visit everyone's blogs. It has been such a lovely experience to meet people from every corner of the world and to get a glimpse into your lives…. I'm following lots of new blogs so we'll be getting to know each other better in coming months …. Have a great February.

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  47. Oh my gosh, I would love to win your music! I'm half Irish. We're of the Darcy clan from Limerick. I live in NYC but was able to visit Ireland for the first time a few years ago with my mom so that she could see where our family came from. We visited Dublin, Cork, Kinsale, and Tipperary to name a few! The best to you and yours!
    - afistfuloflemons @ gmail.

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    1. There's Darcy's in my family as well :) Thank you for coming by … I'll do the draw on Saturday/

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  48. visiting via Vicki's GYBP and spent 2 weeks in Ireland in 2012...loved it! went to 22 counties and saw tons of lovely Ireland.

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Do drop me a line ... I love to read your comments :)