<![CDATA[The Séamus Connolly Collection of Irish Music]]> https://connollymusiccollection.bc.edu/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=49&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Flute+music--Ireland&page=2&output=rss2 Fri, 29 Mar 2024 04:03:57 -0700 burnsref@bc.edu (The Séamus Connolly Collection of Irish Music) Boston College Libraries Zend_Feed http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss <![CDATA[Jim Conroy's]]> https://connollymusiccollection.bc.edu/document/481

Story

Jack Coen had a storehouse of older tunes from his native East Galway. Jack learned this tune from the playing of Jim Conroy, a flute player from his part of the country who was a great musical influence. It is played here for us by the one and only Joanie Madden.

Publisher

Séamus Connolly
Boston College Libraries
04-12_Jim_Conroys-Jig.pdf
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Fri, 12 Feb 2016 08:43:13 -0800
<![CDATA[Humours of Ballyhaunis]]> https://connollymusiccollection.bc.edu/document/483

Story

The 'goings on' or happy and fun times in Ballyhaunis, County Mayo, give this slip jig its name. I first heard the tune played by the talented musical Quinn family from New York. A version of the tune may be found in O'Neill's great collection of Irish music. A tune well worth playing and worth its weight in gold: on this track performed for us by Shannon Heaton.

Publisher

Séamus Connolly
Boston College Libraries

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04-16_Humours_of_Ballyhaunis-Slip_Jig.pdf
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Fri, 12 Feb 2016 08:43:13 -0800
<![CDATA[Patsy Hanly's]]> https://connollymusiccollection.bc.edu/document/606

Story

I played a recording of this reel for my friend Jimmy Noonan. The identity of the player was a mystery to me, but Jimmy's astute judgment identified the musician as Patsy Hanly, the flute player from County Roscommon. Who better, then, to play this reel for my collection than Jimmy Noonan himself? Jimmy is joined by two-row button accordionist Dan Gurney. Patsy would be proud of their rendition.

Publisher

Séamus Connolly
Boston College Libraries

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04-18_Patsy_Hanlys-Reel.pdf
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Fri, 12 Feb 2016 08:43:19 -0800
<![CDATA[First Slip, The]]> https://connollymusiccollection.bc.edu/document/484

Story

On that night in Ennis in the home of my brother Martin and his wife Pauline (see ‘John Egan’s’), I thought I had captured Kevin Crawford playing a slip jig called 'What Care I For The Minister?' However, in the confusion, commotion, and mayhem that ensued when we realised that the tape recorder had been unplugged, it turned out that the slip jig Kevin played that evening was one called 'The First Slip'.

Featured here on this track, this melody also appears in The Dance Music of Willie Clancy, a collection compiled by Pat Mitchell and published in 1976. Everything turned out just fine, as it happens: 'The First Slip' is a wonderful melody, and I was able to get my friend Kathleen Guilday to play 'What Care I For the Minister?', found elsewhere in this collection.

Publisher

Séamus Connolly
Boston College Libraries

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04-20_The_First_Slip-Slip_Jig.pdf
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Fri, 12 Feb 2016 08:43:13 -0800
<![CDATA[Peig and Mick Ryan]]> https://connollymusiccollection.bc.edu/document/562

Story

Traditional Irish music is on a strong footing, due in no small way to Peig and Mick Ryan from Murroe, County Limerick. At a time when the music was unpopular, Peig and her husband Mick worked diligently to promote Irish music and culture in all its forms. We have been friends forever it seems. Peig and Mick would visit my home in Killaloe, County Clare, and hearing Peig's flute playing and Mick's singing was always a delight.

When my wife Sandy and I visited Peig a few years ago we recorded her music including this polka (with me playing along). At eighty-four years young, Peig had the same old enthusiasm and fondness for the music. Paddy Neil from near Newport, County Tipperary, recorded this polka for Ciarán Mac Mathúna over fifty years ago. I had originally named it for Mr. Neil, but I'm confident he would approve of my naming it for his friends and neighbours, Peig and Mick Ryan.

Publisher

Séamus Connolly
Boston College Libraries

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04-25_Peig_and_Mick_Ryan-Polka.pdf
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Fri, 12 Feb 2016 08:43:17 -0800
<![CDATA[Limerick Jig, The]]> https://connollymusiccollection.bc.edu/document/486

Story

Back in the early 1960s, I was very friendly with Mrs. Taylor, the concertina player from West Limerick who lived in London. We exchanged many letters over the years in which music was always a topic. The well-known flute player Paddy Taylor learned 'The Limerick Jig' from his mother and recorded it for the Claddagh record company many years ago. It is played on this track, at a slower pace than Mr. Taylor's recording of it, by Nicky and Anne McAuliffe on fiddle and flute, respectively.

Publisher

Séamus Connolly
Boston College Libraries
04-27_The_Limerick_Jig-Single_Jig.pdf
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Fri, 12 Feb 2016 08:43:13 -0800
<![CDATA[Grandfather's Thought]]> https://connollymusiccollection.bc.edu/document/435

Story

This hornpipe from Julia, John, and Billy Clifford is played here for us by Shannon Heaton on flute. The tune may be found on an LP that the Cliffords recorded during their years in London, England, entitled The Star of Munster Trio, Music from Sliabh Luachra, Volume 2.

Publisher

Séamus Connolly
Boston College Libraries

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04-28_Grandfathers_Thought-Hornpipe.pdf
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Fri, 12 Feb 2016 08:43:11 -0800
<![CDATA[Catherine's Classroom]]> https://connollymusiccollection.bc.edu/document/488

Story

Catherine McEvoy composed this jig. I named it 'Catherine's Classroom' after reading her story of how the tune came about. In her own words: 'I have a wooden cabin at the back of the house that I use for teaching in, and for musical purposes. I was on my own one evening waiting for pupils to come, and playing a few tunes, and it just came to me. I called it "The Cabin Jig" just to give it a name when I wrote it down, hoping to come up with something better. Unfortunately, it's not a very exciting story, and I never did get round to re-naming it.'

Publisher

Séamus Connolly
Boston College Libraries

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05-08_Catherines_Classroom-Jig.pdf
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Fri, 12 Feb 2016 08:43:13 -0800
<![CDATA[Peggy Monaghan's]]> https://connollymusiccollection.bc.edu/document/622

Story

Peggy Monaghan was Sean Nugent's sister, and he honoured her with this fine reel. It is played here by his son Larry Nugent. Thanks, Larry, for the tunes!

Publisher

Séamus Connolly
Boston College Libraries
05-17_Peggy_Monaghans-Reel.pdf
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Fri, 12 Feb 2016 08:43:19 -0800
<![CDATA[Top of the Bow]]> https://connollymusiccollection.bc.edu/document/625

Story

Flute player Shannon Heaton wrote 'Top of the Bow' for her friends Emerald and Eden, two fiddle-playing sisters. They had their fiddles out in the car, learning a tune on the way to a gig. However, after realizing that their playing had left little marks in the car's ceiling, they decided that it's best to use just the very tip-top of the fiddle bow when playing in the car...

Publisher

Séamus Connolly
Boston College Libraries

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05-22_Top_of_the_Bow-Reel.pdf
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Fri, 12 Feb 2016 08:43:19 -0800
<![CDATA[Whelan's Auld Sow]]> https://connollymusiccollection.bc.edu/document/494

Story

The leader of the band Cherish the Ladies is Joanie Madden, who plays this tune for us on the flute. I first heard Eddie Moloney play it. Eddie came from Ballinakill in County Galway and may have named the tune. Tommy Whelan was a member of the Ballinakill Traditional Players. However, I do not know if he indeed owned a sow...

Publisher

Séamus Connolly
Boston College Libraries
05-30_Whelans_Auld_Sow-Jig.pdf
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Fri, 12 Feb 2016 08:43:14 -0800
<![CDATA[Lame Crowley]]> https://connollymusiccollection.bc.edu/document/495

Story

I knew that Billy McComiskey, Laura Byrne, and Donna Long, with their superlative musicianship, would be the right people to play this tune. I learned it many years ago from my long-time friend Mr. Larry Gavin. Billy was curious as to where the jig had come from, while saying in a few words that it sounded to him like a beautiful old melody. Glad you like it as much as I do, Billy.

Publisher

Séamus Connolly
Boston College Libraries
05-31_Lame_Crowley-Jig.pdf
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Fri, 12 Feb 2016 08:43:14 -0800
<![CDATA[Queen of May, The]]> https://connollymusiccollection.bc.edu/document/441

Story

Leo Rowsome recorded this intricate hornpipe many years ago on a 78 RPM record. I recorded it with master piper Liam O'Flynn in 1988 on my record Notes From My Mind. On this track flute player Kevin Crawford joins me in keeping the tune alive.

Publisher

Séamus Connolly
Boston College Libraries
06-01_The_Queen_of_May-Hornpipe.pdf
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Fri, 12 Feb 2016 08:43:11 -0800
<![CDATA[Follies of Youth, The]]> https://connollymusiccollection.bc.edu/document/721

Story

Another young player who contributed to this project is Sean Gavin from Detroit, son of fiddle player and teacher Mick Gavin from Meelick, County Clare. Here Sean plays the flute on one of his own compositions, a strathspey that somehow must have many stories behind its title. He is joined by his musical friend, fiddle player Devin Shepherd.

Publisher

Séamus Connolly
Boston College Libraries
06-11_The_Follies_of_Youth-Strathspey.pdf
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Fri, 12 Feb 2016 08:43:23 -0800
<![CDATA[Old as the Hills]]> https://connollymusiccollection.bc.edu/document/501

Story

Jack Coen gave me the name for this jig, which can be found as a two-part tune in A major in the O'Neill's 1001 collection. I first heard the tune played by 'The Man of Many Tunes', Larry Gavin. I also heard a version of it performed by Mr. David Curry and his orchestra in a radio broadcast when I was still living in Ireland. A classical musician, David Curry took traditional tunes in the public domain and arranged them for orchestra. Maine flute player Nicole Rabata and I play David Curry's four-part setting of 'Old as the Hills'. We transposed it to the key of G major, the key that Larry Gavin played it in many years ago.

Publisher

Séamus Connolly
Boston College Libraries
06-15_Old_as_the_Hills-Jig.pdf
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Fri, 12 Feb 2016 08:43:14 -0800
<![CDATA[Flee as a Bird]]> https://connollymusiccollection.bc.edu/document/443

Story

And here is Julia and Billy Clifford's version of 'Flee as a Bird', which they recorded for me that night so long ago in Tralee, County Kerry. (Kimberley Fraser's version of this tune is here.)

Publisher

Séamus Connolly
Boston College Libraries
06-20_Flee_as_a_Bird-Hornpipe.pdf
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Fri, 12 Feb 2016 08:43:11 -0800
<![CDATA[Billy Caples' Barndance]]> https://connollymusiccollection.bc.edu/document/411

Story

This barndance is another tune from the repertoire of Boston accordionist Billy Caples. I am joined by Nicole Rabata playing flute and Kevin McElroy playing the tenor banjo. Gabriel Donohue later added his piano playing to the track.

Publisher

Séamus Connolly
Boston College Libraries
06-32_Billy_Caples_Barndance.pdf
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Fri, 12 Feb 2016 08:43:10 -0800
<![CDATA[Brave Irish Boys, The]]> https://connollymusiccollection.bc.edu/document/545

Story

Irish céilí dancing was very popular in the late 1950s and early '60s, and dancers loved the idea of dancing to the music of different bands. In the late 1950s I was invited to join The Ormond Star Céilí Band, one of a number of bands that were formed around the banks of The Shannon and Lough Derg. The Ormond Star counted among its members many fine musicians, including All-Ireland champion button accordionist Paddy Ryan from Coolbawn, Nenagh, County Tipperary, and fiddle player Liam O'Connor, originally from Brosna, County Kerry. Liam taught me many tunes, including the one played on this track by my friend Nicole Rabata on flute, with myself on fiddle. Just for the record, The Ormond Star did travel to Dublin to make a long-playing recording – exciting times for me as a teenager.

Publisher

Séamus Connolly
Boston College Libraries
07-06_The_Brave_Irish_Boys-March.pdf
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Fri, 12 Feb 2016 08:43:16 -0800
<![CDATA[Leamanagh Castle]]> https://connollymusiccollection.bc.edu/document/639

Story

Flute player Frank Neylon had a repertoire of fine tunes associated with his native Kilnaboy in north County Clare. Frank was living in Boston, Massachusetts, when I arrived there from Ireland in the 1970s. He was well-known and respected by all as a gentleman and a fine musician. He made some 78 RPM recordings with the County Kerry fiddle player Paddy Cronin, and he was featured on a long-playing record that I produced of musicians living in and around the Boston area in 1979. I asked Nicole Rabata to learn this reel from Frank's flute playing. For want of the tune's real title, I took the liberty of naming it after a landmark in Frank's home area.

Publisher

Séamus Connolly
Boston College Libraries
07-07_Leamanagh_Castle-Reel.pdf
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Fri, 12 Feb 2016 08:43:20 -0800
<![CDATA[Cathal's Reel]]> https://connollymusiccollection.bc.edu/document/643

Story

The revered traditional music group The Boys of the Lough performed in Boston in the late 1980s. At a house gathering that same evening, their flutist Cathal McConnell played this tune for me. The tune is performed for us on this track by Catherine McEvoy, who brings to bear her very own masterly interpretation and style.

Publisher

Séamus Connolly
Boston College Libraries

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07-11_Cathals_Reel.pdf
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Fri, 12 Feb 2016 08:43:20 -0800