The book is a collection of gems, polished and cut, but does anyone out there PLAY them?
Some of the tunes in there are spectacular, and the different settings of common tunes are enough to bring them back to life with a remarkable flourish. Has anyone out there learnt a smack of the stuff and actually brought it to regularity in a session, or is it, despite the sweaty, backbreaking labours of Hugh Shields, still sitting silent on a shelf? Why hasn't a more concerted effort been made to bring the old tunes out for a dance?
The same goes for The Northern Fiddler, I suppose. We have goodly collections of personal and regional repertoires from back in the day, but they've just languoured and stifled just the same...
'The same goes for The Northern Fiddler, I suppose. We have goodly collections of personal and regional repertoires from back in the day, but they've just languoured and stifled just the same...'
Many of the tunes transcribed in 'The Northern Fiddler' are still played regularly at sessions in Donegal and Fermanagh.
Ah, true Mac - I've no real sense of how Donegal and Fermanagh sessions are feeling, so the o'Farrell collections are probably a better approximation of what I'm lamenting, as Nico notes.
There are more than a few of those tunes that have gained some popularity here in the northeast, particularly among some of the pipers already mentioned.
Some of the ones I learned with/from Debbie Quigley included the Ladies' Cup of Tea, and really nice setting of the Peeler's Jacket, and cute little waltz named The Dear Brown Cow With the Spotted Back. I can't recall the names of the others just now...
I sight-read through nearly all of the tunes in the collection just to get a general snapshot of the feel of the tunes. The way things were phrased (generally speaking) was endearing...cute little twists especially in tunes we regard as commonly played today.
After that exercise I thought, hey how cool that we get to peer back in time and get a glimpse of how people might have been playing these tunes. My next thought was, hrmmm...who do these settings really represent? A number of players? James Goodman? I seem to remember hearing or reading somewhere that his wife was responsible for a good portion of the collecting.
In any case, it's well worth the acquisition, and well worth the bother of going through it and unearthing some real gems.
I also know of a two-hour long radio program done by Peter Browne on this collection - Mick O'Brien plays many of the tunes. Not sure if it's in an audio archive somewhere online.
Tunes of the Munster Pipers.
Tunes of the Munster Pipers.
The book is a collection of gems, polished and cut, but does anyone out there PLAY them?
Some of the tunes in there are spectacular, and the different settings of common tunes are enough to bring them back to life with a remarkable flourish. Has anyone out there learnt a smack of the stuff and actually brought it to regularity in a session, or is it, despite the sweaty, backbreaking labours of Hugh Shields, still sitting silent on a shelf? Why hasn't a more concerted effort been made to bring the old tunes out for a dance?
The same goes for The Northern Fiddler, I suppose. We have goodly collections of personal and regional repertoires from back in the day, but they've just languoured and stifled just the same...
--DtM
# Posted on March 17th 2008 by Dan the Man
Re: Tunes of the Munster Pipers.
Hey Dan,
My friend, Dan is hardcorely into those tunes. He's the man. He's also hairy.
Anyways, Pat Hutchinson plays Northern Fiddler tunes hardcore, but you already knew that. XD
Cheers,
Armand
# Posted on March 17th 2008 by fiddlinviolinin
Re: Tunes of the Munster Pipers.
Tommy Keane taught his class the Coyne jig from that book last summer at Miltown.
Debbie Quigley plays a couple, including the Leitrim Quickstep and another I don't remember the name of.
What about the O'Farrell collections? There're some lovely tunes in there, too.
# Posted on March 17th 2008 by Nico
Re: Tunes of the Munster Pipers.
Dan,
I'm not sure what you mean by this:
'The same goes for The Northern Fiddler, I suppose. We have goodly collections of personal and regional repertoires from back in the day, but they've just languoured and stifled just the same...'
Many of the tunes transcribed in 'The Northern Fiddler' are still played regularly at sessions in Donegal and Fermanagh.
# Posted on March 17th 2008 by Floss the Tethers
Re: Tunes of the Munster Pipers.
Ah, true Mac - I've no real sense of how Donegal and Fermanagh sessions are feeling, so the o'Farrell collections are probably a better approximation of what I'm lamenting, as Nico notes.
--DtM
# Posted on March 17th 2008 by Dan the Man
Re: Tunes of the Munster Pipers.
There are more than a few of those tunes that have gained some popularity here in the northeast, particularly among some of the pipers already mentioned.
Some of the ones I learned with/from Debbie Quigley included the Ladies' Cup of Tea, and really nice setting of the Peeler's Jacket, and cute little waltz named The Dear Brown Cow With the Spotted Back. I can't recall the names of the others just now...
I sight-read through nearly all of the tunes in the collection just to get a general snapshot of the feel of the tunes. The way things were phrased (generally speaking) was endearing...cute little twists especially in tunes we regard as commonly played today.
After that exercise I thought, hey how cool that we get to peer back in time and get a glimpse of how people might have been playing these tunes. My next thought was, hrmmm...who do these settings really represent? A number of players? James Goodman? I seem to remember hearing or reading somewhere that his wife was responsible for a good portion of the collecting.
In any case, it's well worth the acquisition, and well worth the bother of going through it and unearthing some real gems.
I also know of a two-hour long radio program done by Peter Browne on this collection - Mick O'Brien plays many of the tunes. Not sure if it's in an audio archive somewhere online.
# Posted on March 18th 2008 by _Steph_