Browse Content (64 total)
- Subject is exactly "Flute music--Ireland"
First Slip, The
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,…
Patsy Hanly's
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…
Humours of Ballyhaunis
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…
Jim Conroy's
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…
Frank Quinn's
Accordion player, fiddle player, and all-around entertainer Frank Quinn lived in New York and recorded for a number of record companies in the 1930s. I heard this reel played by him on an old 78 RPM recording. Jimmy Noonan plays flute on this…
Harvest Field, The
I had a scratchy old 78 RPM recording of a band from Boston and could barely identify the tune they were playing. I believe the person playing the accordion on the track was Billy Caples, a well-known Boston accordion player and teacher. I sent it to…
Pride of Erin
Sean Nugent and his Pride of Erin Céilí Band from County Fermanagh loved to play this jig. So too did Johnny McGreevy from Chicago, who played it for me in 1972 with piano player Eleanor Kane Neary. Jimmy Noonan on flute and Dan Gurney…
Hetty's
This is another of master composer Bob McQuillen's tunes. It may be found in his seventh book of compositions. It was composed for Miss Hetty Thomae from Vermont. On this track I had the honour of playing it with Bob and his band, Old New England.
Sandy's Reel
The first time that I heard New England contra dance music was in 1972 in St. Louis, Missouri. It was on an LP recording of The Canterbury Country Dance orchestra from New England. Among the members of that band was Bob McQuillen, the prolific…
Jackson's
Nicky McAuliffe gave me the name for this tune. It may be attributed to the eighteenth-century piper Walker 'Piper' Jackson from County Limerick. This is another of the tunes played for me fifty years ago in Tralee, County Kerry, by Julia Clifford…
Fleadh at Tulla, The
At a county Fleadh Cheoil in Tulla, County Clare, in the late 1950s, I recorded fiddle player Paddy Canny and accordionist Mattie Ryan playing this tune in a duet competition. Here, Kevin Crawford joins me in playing this single jig.
Longing for Peace, A
Another of Sean Nugent's compositions is the slow air appropriately titled 'A Longing for Peace'. How happy Sean would be were he with us today, to know that the struggle is almost over and we now have peace again in 'Dear Old Ireland'. The tune is…
Minnie's Favourite
Here, we hear one of Sean Nugent's many fine compositions, played by his son, Larry. Sean named it for his sister, Minnie.
John Egan's
John Egan from County Sligo lived in Dublin, and he had a distinctive West of Ireland style of playing the flute. He and his musical colleagues formed a music club in that city, made up mostly of fiddle and flute players. John Egan's repertoire was…
Magherafelt May Fair
The Pride of Erin Céilí Band, led by All-Ireland fiddle champion Sean Nugent, was held in high esteem throughout Ireland. Sean, from Lack in County Fermanagh, was a vibrant, energetic, and fun-loving man who adored the music. On a…
Bobbie Lawrie's
Roberta (Bobbie) Lawrie comes from the musical Lawrie family from Birmingham, England. On one occasion when I was visiting her home, Bobbie recorded some of her compositions for me. At that time, nobody in her household knew that she was composing…
Dan Sullivan's
Another tune recorded by Dan Sullivan and his band, it is played on this recording by Billy McComiskey (accordion), Laura Byrne (flute), and Donna Long (piano). Their relaxed style brings out the beauty of the melody.
Tart ar an Ól
A version of this tune can be found in The Roche Collection, but I first heard it played by Eddie Moloney from Ballinakill, County Galway. Eddie, Tommy Mulhaire, and his son Brendan were among those who travelled on a number of occasions in the 1960s…
Jimmy Neary's Polka
Another tune from the repertoire of fiddle master Johnny McGreevy. It is played on this recording by the talented flute player Shannon Heaton, who at one time lived in Chicago but now resides in Boston. Thanks, Shannon, for taking the time to travel…
McGreevy's Tansey's
Johnny McGreevy from Chicago played this reel for me in 1972. I have given it this title because it reminds me of 'Tansey's Reel', a tune recorded by the Sligo fiddle player Paddy Killoran. My good friends Jimmy Noonan and Dan Gurney recorded this…