How Are You, Sandy? (Sandy Connolly's) <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=49&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Folk+dance+music--Ireland">Folk dance music--Ireland</a> <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=49&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Jigs">Jigs</a> <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=49&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Fiddle+tunes--Ireland">Fiddle tunes--Ireland</a> <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=49&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Walter%2C+Chrysandra">Walter, Chrysandra</a> <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=49&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Black%2C+Bill">Black, Bill</a> It meant much to my wife Sandy and me when Bill Black, our friend from Cape Cod, sent us a tune that he composed in her honour entitled 'How Are You, Sandy?' Bill later sent the tune under the new title 'Sandy Connolly's' when she left us to go to her eternal reward. Thank you, sir, for caring so much. Sandy was very moved by your thoughtfulness. My friend Kevin McElroy joins me on this track. <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Connolly%2C+S%C3%A9amus+%28fiddle%29+33682623">Connolly, Séamus (fiddle) 33682623</a> <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=McElroy%2C+Kevin+%28mandolin%29+70994386">McElroy, Kevin (mandolin) 70994386</a> <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Black%2C+Bill+%28composer%29">Black, Bill (composer)</a> Séamus Connolly Boston College Libraries 2016-02-12 <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/" rel="license"><img style="border-width: 0;" src="https://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc/4.0/88x31.png" alt="Creative Commons License" /></a><br />This work is licensed under a <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/" rel="license">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License</a>. <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=46&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Connolly%2C+S%C3%A9amus+">Connolly, Séamus </a> <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=46&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=McElroy%2C+Kevin+">McElroy, Kevin </a> <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=46&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Black%2C+Bill+">Black, Bill </a> Some transcriptions are based on historical source recordings. <a href="/exhibits/show/essays/essay-sweeney">More info.</a> http://library.bc.edu/connolly/plugins/Dropbox/files/IMC_M064_2013_03_0715.mp3 http://library.bc.edu/connolly/plugins/Dropbox/files/07-15_How_Are_You_Sandy_Sandy_Connollys-Jig.pdf Shandon Bells <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=49&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Folk+dance+music--Ireland">Folk dance music--Ireland</a> <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=49&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Jigs">Jigs</a> <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=49&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Flute+music--Ireland">Flute music--Ireland</a> <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=49&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Fiddle+tunes--Ireland">Fiddle tunes--Ireland</a> <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=49&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Mahony%2C+Francis+71293686">Mahony, Francis 71293686</a> Having lived in the beautiful and historic city of Cork in the 1960s, I often think back to the happy times I had while beginning to find my feet in the big world of city life. The clock tower of St. Anne's Church has special meaning for me because the Bells of Shandon often chimed as I walked past the church. Whenever I hear the wonderful poem 'The Bells of Shandon', penned by Francis Sylvester Mahony, it is with deep affection and recollection that I think of the Shandon Bells. Mahony's words are very meaningful to me, and I quote from his poem here for all to read: <br /><br />'With deep affection <br />And recollection <br />I often think of <br />Those Shandon Bells <br />Whose sounds so wild would, <br />In the days of childhood, <br />Fling round my cradle <br />Their magic spells. <br />On this I ponder <br />Where'er I wander, <br />And thus grow fonder, <br />Sweet Cork, of thee. <br />With thy bells of Shandon, <br />That sound so grand on <br />The pleasant waters <br />Of the river Lee.' <br /><br />The grand old jig 'Shandon Bells', the first in O'Neill's <em>The Dance Music of Ireland, 1001 Gems</em>, is played on this track by Nicole Rabata on flute and myself on fiddle. We play it as a four-part tune. I played it many times as a two-part jig in the city by the River Lee. I first heard the two extra parts played by David Curry and his orchestra. They are two parts well worth hearing and preserving for posterity. <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Rabata%2C+Nicole+%28flute%29">Rabata, Nicole (flute)</a> <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Connolly%2C+S%C3%A9amus+%28fiddle%29+33682623">Connolly, Séamus (fiddle) 33682623</a> <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=McElroy%2C+Kevin+%28mandolin%29+70994386">McElroy, Kevin (mandolin) 70994386</a> Séamus Connolly Boston College Libraries 2016-02-12 <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/" rel="license"><img style="border-width: 0;" src="https://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc/4.0/88x31.png" alt="Creative Commons License" /></a><br />This work is licensed under a <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/" rel="license">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License</a>. <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=46&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Rabata%2C+Nicole+">Rabata, Nicole </a> <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=46&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Connolly%2C+S%C3%A9amus">Connolly, Séamus</a> <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=46&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=McElroy%2C+Kevin">McElroy, Kevin</a> Some transcriptions are based on historical source recordings. <a href="/exhibits/show/essays/essay-sweeney">More info.</a> http://library.bc.edu/connolly/plugins/Dropbox/files/IMC_M064_2013_03_0724.mp3 http://library.bc.edu/connolly/plugins/Dropbox/files/07-24_Shandon_Bells-Jig.pdf North Road, The <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=49&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Folk+dance+music--Ireland">Folk dance music--Ireland</a> <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=49&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Reels+%28Music%29">Reels (Music)</a> <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=49&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Fiddle+tunes--Ireland">Fiddle tunes--Ireland</a> <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=49&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Flute+music--Ireland">Flute music--Ireland</a> <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=49&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Connolly%2C+S%C3%A9amus+33682623">Connolly, Séamus 33682623</a> <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=49&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Mette%2C+Meghan">Mette, Meghan</a> My young friend Meghan Mette composed this reel. I was delighted that she asked me to play it with her, along with Nicole Rabata on flute and Kevin McElroy on mandolin. She tells us how the tune came about: <br /><br />'I wrote this tune for S&eacute;amus first and foremost as a "thank you" for all of the musical wisdom he has imparted to me. However, it is also a tale of the many afternoons spent in S&eacute;amus' music room, learning, listening, playing... Some days we just sat and listened to old albums on the wonderful sound system, the notes vibrating through the varnished floorboards and bouncing off the walls... <br /><br />My favourite afternoons, however, were when it was just the two of us, sitting side by side, playing tunes for the fun of it; maybe S&eacute;amus would think of a special ornament he wanted to show me or a specific tune that was fun to play in a different key. I often enjoyed just sitting back and observing S&eacute;amus when he went on a rant of tunes. I was, and still am, mesmerised by the fluidity and grace of his fingers as they tickle the fingerboard, his bow flying over the strings, his mind at obvious peace. These are my favourite images, frozen in time, S&eacute;amus in another world entirely, just playing because he loves it so. When I play "The North Road", it reminds me of these moments...'<br /><br /><br /> <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Mette%2C+Meghan+%28fiddle%29+%28composer%29">Mette, Meghan (fiddle) (composer)</a> <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Connolly%2C+S%C3%A9amus+%28fiddle%29+33682623">Connolly, Séamus (fiddle) 33682623</a> <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Rabata%2C+Nicole+%28flute%29">Rabata, Nicole (flute)</a> <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=McElroy%2C+Kevin+%28mandolin%29+70994386">McElroy, Kevin (mandolin) 70994386</a> Séamus Connolly Boston College Libraries 2016-02-12 <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/" rel="license"><img style="border-width: 0;" src="https://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc/4.0/88x31.png" alt="Creative Commons License" /></a><br />This work is licensed under a <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/" rel="license">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License</a>. <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=46&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Mette%2C+Meghan+">Mette, Meghan </a> <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=46&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Connolly%2C+S%C3%A9amus">Connolly, Séamus</a> <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=46&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Rabata%2C+Nicole+">Rabata, Nicole </a> <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=46&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=McElroy%2C+Kevin">McElroy, Kevin</a> Some transcriptions are based on historical source recordings. <a href="/exhibits/show/essays/essay-sweeney">More info.</a> http://library.bc.edu/connolly/plugins/Dropbox/files/IMC_M064_2013_03_0910.mp3 http://library.bc.edu/connolly/plugins/Dropbox/files/09-10_The_North_Road-Reel.pdf