Browse Content (196 total)
- Subject is exactly "Fiddle tunes--Ireland"
Biddy from Sligo / The Connaughtman's Rambles
And as we present this last selection, we come to the end of a long musical journey. It is my hope that whoever reads my stories, anecdotes, and ramblings will get some insight into the tunes' histories, and some new information about them.…
Memories of East Clare
The tune on this track was composed by my nephew Damien Connolly. When I asked Damien what memories this tune's title referred to, he immediately said, 'Well, I grew up listening to a blend of Clare, Sligo, and Kerry fiddling. This is a tune that…
Young When He's Dancing
This tune was composed by Chicago fiddle player Devin Shepherd. He plays it here with his friend Sean Gavin on flute. Devin named the tune for Mike Doyle from County Wexford, who now lives in Chicago. Mike is an avid enthusiast of the music and can…
Biddy from Sligo
The fiddle master Néillidh Boyle recorded this tune as part of a two-jig set in Dublin in 1937. That recording happened to be the very first record of Irish fiddle music that I had when I was growing up. It is performed on this track by…
Sitting in the Window
When my wife Chrysandra worked in Washington, DC, we lived across the Potomac in Alexandria, Virginia. During the summer months while she was working I would play my fiddle all day. I wish I had that same energy now! The tune that I play on this…
Moate Reel, The
The town of Moate is in County Westmeath. It has a strong musical tradition and at one time had a famous céilí band that made a number of 78 RPM recordings. The late accordionist Brendan McCann, who lived in Connecticut, grew up near…
Roger Casey's Reel
One of the most gratifying experiences for any musician is to have the opportunity to play for good dancers. Roger Casey from New York, now an Irish stepdancing adjudicator, was an excellent competitive dancer. When he practiced for competitions back…
Road to Durham, The
Cathal McConnell, 'The Great One', gave me this tune, and he also gave it the above title. Recently, I discovered that the other 'Great One', Liz Carroll, had recorded her rendition of the tune on her long-playing record A Friend Indeed. Liz informed…
Old Times
I found an old brown manuscript page and remembered that my former sister-in-law Maureen Glynn had given it to me. Maureen grew up in Brooklyn, New York. She was a talented lady and widely respected in the Irish music and dance world. Maureen was a…
Ladies of Leinster, The
I first heard this reel played by the man who influenced many musicians of my generation, the great Seán Maguire. Seán had a happy knack of transposing tunes to different keys than those that might have been originally documented. The…
Dogwalker, The
Cindy Polo, my good friend, phoned me one night and lilted part of this melody to me. I loved the sound of it and suggested to Cindy that it might fit naturally on the fiddle in a minor key. We talked about 'doing something with it', and so we began…
Dr. Mick
I have much respect and admiration for National Heritage Fellow Dr. Mick Moloney, a man who has, in my humble opinion, done more to promote Irish music in America than anyone. Through his teaching, music performances, research, productions,…
Champaign Jig Goes to Columbia, The
During that musical evening at the Gavins' in Balbriggan so long ago, Jimmy Keane, the piano accordion player from Chicago, played this tune. He informed me that it is one of Liz Carroll's compositions, entitled 'The Champaign Jig Goes to Columbia'.…
Lagan River, The
David Curry's broadcasts from the BBC studios in Belfast were eagerly awaited in my home. He broadcast many fine tunes, including this one, which Nicole Rabata and I arranged for flute and fiddle. Not having the tune's original title, I have named it…
New Road to Sligo, The
David Reiner composed 'The New Road to Sligo'. It is played for us by Liz Carroll. David told me that he composed this tune 'to tell the story of a musical road trip, from the bold beginning in G minor, to the detour into B flat, to the simpler and…
Achonry Lassies
Yet another great old tune that was given to me by Chicago fiddle player Johnny McGreevy. The young fiddle player Tina Lech, one of my favourite musicians, plays the tune for us on this track.
Figuring it Out
I tried as best I could to learn this tune from a tape made in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Paddy Gavin in Balbriggan, County Dublin, almost forty years ago. The tape was damaged a little but one could hear a great session of music played that night by…
For Denis Moynihan
Dancing master Denis Moynihan, as he was known before he officially changed his name to its Irish version, Donncha Ó Muineacháin, was a popular teacher of Irish dance. He was known throughout Ireland for his choreography and repertoire…
Paddy Cronin's Reel
Paddy Cronin was always very eager to learn new tunes. Paddy loved 'going through the books' with his fiddle in hand. He had a vast store of old tunes and an amazing repertoire, including this reel, played here for us by the lovely ladies of music,…
Old Schoolmaster, The
'Maestro' Seán Maguire played this tune in the key of A major at a concert in Kilfenora, County Clare, many years ago. My friend Sally K. Sommers Smith Wells reminded me that it somehow was like the song 'Love Will You Marry Me?' Brendan…