They'll Be Puttin' On The Dog At The Hurdy-Gurdy Gathering

I knew of a man who, every year on his birthday, would do something he had never done before. Ride a motorcycle, skydive, sit outside and watch a day progress from dawn until dusk, that sort of thing. I always thought it would be a great tradition to follow.

I bet most anyone born this weekend has the chance to do just that, by attending the Over the Water Hurdy-gurdy Association Festival at Fort Flagler State Park, near Port Townsend.

A hurdy-gurdy is a cross between a violin, bagpipe, accordion, kazoo and hand drill. It sounds like a cross between all of those, minus the drill. It's been around since at least 1150 A.D., and is commonly played in Spain, France, England and Scandinavia. The English name comes from a word for something turned with a crank; in France it's known as a wheel-fiddle, "vielle a roue."

To play it, you crank the handle, which sets a circular violin bow inside the wooden box spinning against strings, creating a droning sound. Melodies are played with keys on the box, and rhythm is provided by sounding "the dog," a bridge on the instrument that can be made to buzz rhythmically.

It hasn't crossed over much to mainstream audiences yet, but you can hear its catchy drones on Jimmy Page and Robert Plant's Unleaded tour, on some Garth Brooks tracks, or on the World Wide Web at http://www. hurdygurdy.com/hg/sounds/ hghires.aifc for those who can download audio.

A variety of festival events are open to the public. You can listen to the open rhythm sections, where instructors such as Pierre Imbert will help hurdy-gurders master the fine art of the dog.

"They all get together in a big room, and the instructor does rhythm patterns, and everyone tries to imitate that pattern," said festival organizer Cali Hackmann, who builds hurdy-gurdies with her husband, Alden, at their company, Olympic Musical Instruments, in Indianola, Kitsap County. "It's like a drum circle, only with hurdy-gurdies." There's no charge for listening here.

A jam session is also open, at 5 p.m. Saturday, as are the dance classes on Saturday, at 1:30 and 3:30 p.m., when Ray Price will teach Breton and French country dances respectively. They are similar to contra dances, which are similar to square dances, says Hackmann, who got into hurdy-gurdies through her love of old music. For $25, you can go to both classes (or just one if you want to).

The Saturday night dance, in the fort's theater from 8 to 11:30 p.m. Saturday, is also open to the public. Admission is free.

Last year 30 players attended the festival, and more than 350 people showed up for the dance.

I love things like this, obscure professions and hobbies and passions that somehow must be evolutionarily good for the soul of humanity. Perhaps, as in the plant kingdom, a diversified populace will be more resistant to rot. Which would you rather live in, a society where everyone spends tomorrow watching network TV, or one where a handful bivouac on a rock face in the Cascades, some run a 10K, a handful learn about hurdy-gurdies, and others work up that recipe for crabapple jelly?

Fort Flagler, at the end of Marrowstone Island, is a fine destination in its own right, with gun emplacements and extensive grounds. But you can see those any old day. If you go this weekend you'll get the extra benefit of seeing and hearing something very old and very new.

As Cali Hackmann likes to say: "Beati illi qui in circulum circumeunt, fient enim magnae rotae." Blessed are those who go around in circles, for they shall become big wheels.

If you go: To get there, cross the Hood Canal Bridge and take Highway 104 to Highway 19 north, following signs to Fort Flagler. After 1.5 miles, go right on Oak Bay Road. After 11 miles, go right on Highway 116 East, and it's eight miles to the gate. For festival information, call 360-297-7234 or check out the Web site: http://www. hurdygurdy.com/hg/festival.html.