Browse Content (338 total)
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…
Healy's House
This fine tune comes to us through the courtesy of Richard Dwyer, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and composer from west County Cork, now living in Ennis, County Clare. Richard graciously allowed me to use this excerpt from his solo accordion and…
Henry Savage's Favourite
I first heard this tune on a long-playing record titled Music from the Glens, featuring the musical Quinn family from New York. Mr. Louis Quinn, father of this talented family, was a fiddle player who came to America from South Armagh. Mr. Quinn…
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.
Homecoming, The
Kathleen Boyle, a great musician from Glasgow, composed this tune for her mother and father. They had returned home to County Donegal after living for forty-seven years in Scotland. Kathleen, who plays her composition on this track, travels back and…
How Are You, Sandy? (Sandy Connolly's)
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…
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…
Humours of Castlelyons
I am joined on this track by my friends Kathleen Lawrie from Birmingham, England, and Kevin McElroy from Freeport, Maine. Kevin played banjo and Kathleen played piano. I first heard this tune played by musicians from Ballinakill, County Galway on an…
Humours of Toonagh
This reel first came to my attention when it was played by a group of wonderful young musicians from Dublin. Their band, known as The Castle Céilí Band, made a big name for themselves in the 1960s and were much admired throughout…
I Love You Not and I Care Not
One could say not a very pleasing or romantic title, but certainly a tune worth preserving, even more so when it's played on the fiddle by Maeve Donnelly. Whilst driving through Italy with Chrysandra (Sandy), my wife, this old jig came into my head,…
I'll Always Remember You
Performed by my friend Bonnie Bewick Brown on violin, along with her friends Julianne Lee on viola and Mickey Katz on cello, this tune came to me on the morning in 1988 when my mother passed on to her place of eternal joy and rest. Being away from…
Ideno
My nephew Damien Connolly plays another of his compositions on the fiddle on this track. When I asked him the name of the tune he gave me the answer, 'Ideno', a Killaloe contraction of 'I don't know'!
In Memory of Leo Rowsome
The name of the legendary piper, pipemaker, composer, and teacher Leo Rowsome (1903-1970) is synonymous with the uilleann pipes. An icon of Irish traditional music, Leo devoted his entire life to the uilleann pipes and has numerous recordings to his…
Is It Any Good, Séamus?
Fiddle player, accordionist, and composer Eddie Kelly played this tune for me and asked, 'Is it any good, Séamus?' I recorded Eddie playing it in a session on the street at an All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil around 1990. The title somehow suggests…
Jabe Meadow
A hornpipe in the key of B-flat beautifully played for us by Kimberley Fraser. It may be found in Ryan's Mammoth Collection. Somehow, the tune found its way to Ireland and into the hands of Seán McLaughlin, a fiddle player from County Antrim.…
Jack Coughlin's
I met Jack Coughlin only once, sometime in the early '60s. Jack was a lovely flute player in the lyrical and flowing style associated with East County Galway. He was living in London when I was introduced to him by my lifelong friend, master musician…
Jack O'Hanley's
Mr. Jack O'Hanley from Boston via Prince Edward Island, Canada, was ninety years of age when he gave me this tune. Jack's command of the fiddle at such an advanced age was simply amazing. I visited his home often and we enjoyed one another's company…
Jack Rowe's
Recorded by Seán Maguire, the celebrated master fiddle player, with Josephine Keegan on piano, as well as by Maeve Donnelly and Peadar O'Loughlin on their CD The Thing Itself. A version of this tune was given to Breandán Breathnach by…
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…
Jenny Dang the Weaver
This tune is also known as 'Tom Fitzgerald's'. A version may also be found in O'Neill's Waifs and Strays of Gaelic Melody. Thanks to Johnny McGreevy, who introduced this tune to me, and thanks to one of America's wonderful young musicians, Tina Lech,…