Folk dance music--Ireland]]> Jigs]]> Accordion music--Ireland]]> Fiddle tunes--Ireland]]> Boyle, Néillidh]]> Collins, Elizabeth]]>
Preferring to end this collection with lively, happy music, I asked my young musical friends, Kathleen Boyle from Scotland and Gráinne Murphy from Massachusetts, to do me the honour of recording the above-named tunes for this last track. These same jigs were recorded in 1937 by Kathleen's grandfather, the famed fiddle maestro Néillidh Boyle from County Donegal. The young ladies are joined by Néillidh's son Hughie Boyle, who plays piano, and together, with pride, they give us that same lift and drive associated with the wonderful music that is peculiar to County Donegal. I was thrilled when Kathleen invited me to join herself, her dad, and Gráinne in remembering her grandfather, completing an extraordinary musical circle. The torch has indeed been passed.

It so happens that the last tune on the track, 'The Connaughtman's Rambles', is the first jig I ever learned, and I did so from the 78 RPM recording that Néillidh Boyle recorded seventy-eight years ago. In a way, then, this track is symbolic of how Irish traditional music keeps coming full circle, shared back and forth between musicians across the broad Atlantic and across generations.

And lest I forget about the not-often-heard tune dedicated to a certain Biddy (a nickname for 'Bridget') from Sligo, my mind goes back in time to my grandmother sitting by the fireside listening to me trying to learn and play this fine jig. And so, in remembrance of my grandmother, Elizabeth Collins (née Rochford), a wonderful lady of tunes, songs, and stories, I hereby offer an account of the lyrics she had for 'Biddy from Sligo':

'Oh mother dear, may I go for a swim?
Yes, my darling daughter!
Mind the boys don't see your shins,
Keep them well under the water!']]>
Boyle, Kathleen (piano accordion) 254341404]]> Murphy, Gráinne (fiddle)]]> Connolly, Séamus (fiddle) 33682623]]> Boyle, Hughie (piano) 254643013]]> Creative Commons License
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Folk music--Ireland]]> Folk songs, English--Ireland]]> Mouth music--Ireland]]> Graham, Len 48819645]]> Joe Holmes: Here I am Amongst You, is a must read! In 'The Parting Glass', Len wishes us goodnight and bids joy to all, but the feeling is tinged with the sadness of a goodbye. Len told me that Joe used to speed up the slow air of the song until it became the dance tune 'The Peacock's Feather'.

'The Parting Glass' somehow makes me nostalgic, bringing to mind many wonderful moments of joy and laughter as I reminisce on the years of recording and collecting for this project. These memories, the songs and music, will forever remain in my heart. Not wanting to say goodbye, I would prefer something a little more upbeat, in the spirit of what my father always said to me as I was leaving home: 'Never say goodbye, always say Cheerio'. So, I have chosen Len's song as a way of saying not goodbye, but for now, 'Cheerio'. Len, my friend, thank you for the wonderful singing, and for 'The Peacock's Feather' schottische at the end, a happy surprise!]]>
Graham, Len (vocals) 48819645]]> Creative Commons License
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Folk dance music--Ireland]]> Hornpipes]]> Accordion music--Ireland]]> Dwyer, Finbarr 291261603]]> Forget Me Not, which Laurel Martin and I compiled for Mel Bay.]]> Dwyer, Finbarr (accordion) 291261603]]> Creative Commons License
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Folk dance music--Ireland]]> Reels (Music)]]> Fiddle tunes--Ireland]]> Connolly, Damien]]> Connolly, Damien (fiddle) (composer)]]> Creative Commons License
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Folk dance music--Ireland]]> Jigs]]> Fiddle tunes--Ireland]]> Flute music--Ireland]]> Doyle, Mike]]> Shepherd, Devin (fiddle) (composer)]]> Gavin, Sean (flute)]]> Miller, Brian (guitar) 265750111]]> Creative Commons License
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Folk dance music--Ireland]]> Jigs]]> Celtic harp music--Ireland]]> Guilday, Kathleen]]> ‘The First Slip’).

When Kathleen did arrive in Maine, guess what happened? Yes, my machine would not record. I was so upset, especially because she had driven over 150 miles for nothing. Well, that's not true: we turned the day into something special by having dinner and a nice bottle of wine while reminiscing about friends in Boston and our musical exploits together around New England. Kathleen did eventually get to record the slip jig, this time in her own home and with her own equipment. I ask myself if there was a jinx on this tune. Maybe it had something to do with its title. I'm puzzled. Anyhow I am grateful to you, Kathleen. Thank you, my friend. I think we beat the odds.]]>
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Folk dance music--Ireland]]> Jigs]]> Accordion music--Ireland]]> Fiddle tunes--Ireland]]> Boyle, Néillidh]]> Boyle, Kathleen (piano accordion) 254341404]]> Murphy, Gráinne (fiddle)]]> Creative Commons License
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Folk music--Ireland]]> Fiddle tunes--Ireland]]> Slides]]> Walter, Chrysandra]]> Connolly, Séamus (fiddle) (composer) 33682623]]> Creative Commons License
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Folk dance music--Ireland]]> Reels (Music)]]> Flute music--Ireland]]> O'Brien, Paddy 28799446]]> The Banks of the Shannon mini-LP that we made in the 1970s. I'm not exactly sure why we did not record it. Then, thirty years later, I had the distinct honour of recording a CD called The Boston Edge with another maestro of the accordion, Joe Derrane, with John McGann playing guitar. Joe, like Paddy O'Brien, came up with this very same reel, and also suggested that we record it for The Boston Edge. In the end, for whatever reason, the tune did not make it onto that record either.

Looking back now on both these situations, maybe the reason the tune was not recorded was because we never could find a name for it. One could say that that in itself is not a good reason, and so to redeem ourselves I asked our good friend Catherine McEvoy to do us the honour. In giving it a name for this collection, I had two good choices: 'The Banks of the Shannon', or 'The Boston Edge'. Both titles sound good to me; after all, both masters of the accordion clearly liked the tune. However, I have chosen to call it 'The Banks of the Shannon' because the version Catherine plays on this track comes from a recording of Paddy O'Brien. Unfortunately, I never did capture Joe Derrane playing it. Now it's Catherine's turn.]]>
McEvoy, Catherine (flute) 29160418]]> McEvoy, Paddy (piano)]]> Creative Commons License
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Folk dance music--Ireland]]> Reels (Music)]]> Fiddle tunes--Ireland]]> McCann, Brendan]]> Keegan, Josephine (fiddle, piano) (composer) 72741909]]> Creative Commons License
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Folk dance music--Ireland]]> Reels (Music)]]> Fiddle tunes--Ireland]]> Casey, Roger]]> Redican, Larry]]>
The reel heard on this track is played by Tina Lech on fiddle. She learned it from the fiddle playing of Larry Redican and, not having a name for the tune, I gave it the above title to honour my good friend Roger. I was so touched and honoured when Roger presented me with a number of tapes of Larry Redican's fiddle music from those practice sessions. Incidentally, the tunes performed by Larry Redican in this collection are used by kind permission of Mr. Larry Redican Jr.]]>
Lech, Tina (fiddle)]]> Creative Commons License
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Folk dance music--Ireland]]> Jigs]]> Fiddle tunes--Ireland]]> McConnell, Cathal 65520190]]> Carroll, Liz 60417993]]> A Friend Indeed. Liz informed us in the liner notes of the recording that Armin Barnett and David Molk composed the tune while driving to Durham, New York. Liz called this smashing tune 'The Ride to Durham', and her playing is a delight to listen to. The lovely fiddle playing of John Daly from County Cork is heard on this track as he remains true to the version from the tape of Cathal McConnell's flute playing. John's fiddle playing is also a delight to hear.]]> Daly, John (fiddle)]]> Brehony, Kevin (piano)]]> Barnett, Armin (composer)]]> Molk, David (composer)]]> Creative Commons License
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Daly, John ]]> Barnett, Armin ]]> Molk, David]]> Brehony, Kevin ]]> ]]> More info.]]>
Folk dance music--Ireland]]> Reels (Music)]]> Flute music--Ireland]]> Gavin, Larry]]> O'Neill's 1001 collection of tunes. It is played here for us by the great Catherine McEvoy with accompaniment by her nephew, Paddy McEvoy, on piano.]]> McEvoy, Catherine (flute) 29160418]]> McEvoy, Paddy (piano)]]> Creative Commons License
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Folk dance music--Ireland]]> Schottisches]]> Fiddle tunes--Ireland]]> Connolly, Maureen Glynn 53804626]]>
The track heard here is taken from a cassette recording that I made years ago of myself playing the tune from that manuscript. If memory serves me well, I believe it was a handwritten transcription of a page from The Roche Collection, where this tune occurs in the key of G under the title above. I moved the tune to the key of A, in order to give it a more open, pipes-like sound on the fiddle. At the time of recording, some variations had come to mind and I did not want to forget them, so onto the tape they went. I forgot about the tune after that, but I recently found the tape in a drawer in my music room. I thought it would make a worthy addition to this collection. So here is Maureen Glynn's old brown manuscript. A tune not to be forgotten. Enjoy!]]>
Connolly, Séamus (fiddle) 33682623]]> Donohue, Gabriel (keyboards) 103020997]]> Creative Commons License
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Folk dance music--Ireland]]> Reels (Music)]]> Flute music--Ireland]]> Watson, Dennis]]> The Blue Dress. She plays it again for this collection and dedicates it to Dennis Watson.]]> Heaton, Shannon (flute) (composer)]]> Heaton, Matt (bouzouki)]]> Creative Commons License
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Folk dance music--Ireland]]> Reels (Music)]]> Fiddle tunes--Ireland]]> Maguire, Seán 30886107]]> Bulger, Brendan (fiddle)]]> Knox, Bill (guitar)]]> Creative Commons License
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Folk dance music--Ireland]]> Strathspeys]]> Marches--Ireland]]> Fiddle tunes--Ireland]]> Polo, Cynthia Keane]]> Connolly, Séamus (fiddle) (composer) 33682623]]> Polo, Cynthia Keane (composer)]]> Creative Commons License
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Folk dance music--Ireland]]> Reels (Music)]]> Accordion music--Ireland]]> Accordion and piano music]]> Flynn, Eamon]]> Down by the Glenside.]]> Flynn, Eamon (accordion) (composer)]]> Kisiel, Helen (piano) 76033885]]> Creative Commons License
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Folk dance music--Ireland]]> Reels (Music)]]> Fiddle tunes--Ireland]]> Moloney, Mick 13573190]]> Connolly, Séamus (fiddle) (composer) 33682623]]> Creative Commons License
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Folk dance music--Ireland]]> Jigs]]> Fiddle tunes--Ireland]]> 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'. It can be found in Liz Carroll Collected, a beautifully produced book of her wonderful compositions. Gráinne Murphy plays her version of the tune on this track.]]> Murphy, Gráinne (fiddle)]]> Murray, Alan (guitar)]]> Carroll, LIz (composer) 60417993]]> Creative Commons License
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Murphy, Gráinne ]]> Murray, Alan]]> Carroll, LIz ]]> ]]> More info.]]>