Look at these two videos and you'll realise why Irish music is just so damn good and popular, I defy anyone to find a better representation of Irish music on youtube...........
Ugh, I thought you were being serious. What a let-down, after listening to all the great clips in the wimpy fiddles thread.
I've had the misfortune of seeing that "dueling fiddles" clip before. I'm not sure they are really playing, at least one of them seems to have bowing that doesn't match the...music. Still, they seem to be capable violinists, even if they are bow-syncing and don't know the first thing about the music they are trying to play.
Those clips aren't so bad when you mute them, though.
I think there was some finger trouble here and the Youtube link should have been http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCiqPCA_MRA. Des Mulkere is thankfully still around and playing some great music on both banjo and flute. In fact his duets with box player Charlie Harris bring back much of the Joe Cooley magic.
What are you talkin about Bannerman, that Cooley video is useless, there's no glamorous women flicking their hair whilst dancing on high heels in it.........
Bannerman is spot on.Thats real music.Its full of life,gra and passion.Not like that sh*t floccinaucinihilipiilification posted.
Fair enough, maybe thats what attracts some people to irish music,but i wouldn't call that real irish music at all.
I'll tell you Screetch, both the fiddlers in the youtube video know more about "the music they are trying to play" than I'll probably ever learn in two lifetimes. They're getting paid to do a job within a set of parameters, that's all.
And there was me thinking that Drowsie Maggie might soon get rehabillitated and re-introduced to the session scene. This video puts this prospect back by at least another 50 years!
I have a sense of humour Floccinaucinihilipilification.I understand it was only a joke.I was not angry at the joke but how you said the cooley video was usless.I apolagise for my retaliation....maybe i did over react.
Hey Screetch,
While the fiddler on the left has "some" classical technique which she is employing in the video I can assure you that she is well versed in the art of traditional fiddling. As to the fiddler on the left, I can only tell you that she comes from a remarkable family of musicians from Mayo who play to the highest level on multiple instruments. While the music that they're playing here is clearly not to everyone's taste (especially mine) I can tell you from personal experience that these girls can really play good traditional music in a great traditional style.
Well, OK. They do know trad then, but they've chosen to play something else in those clips. I guess I can't blame them for making a living, but I'd sure prefer to hear them play the tunes in trad style.
I don't think they're actually playing there... Look at the very end, the sound continues after their bows are both done. And mysteriously, there's a whistle playing with them... They're synching for sure. And that would raise doubts as to whether it was actually them that recorded the music. My guess would be not. So they're just getting paid to prance around and perform for the audience. Not bad work if you can get it...
I thought the rendition of Drowsy Maggie had some timing issues and wasn't really very good. People were clapping to the music but she wasn't keeping in time to the clapping. Maybe it's hard to play with a phony smile, a ton of hairspray and that dress. I know I'd be worrying the whole time it might fall down.
'People were clapping to the music but she wasn't keeping in time to the clapping'
Which is really short of being a yardstick for timing issues. I have yet to hear a clapping audience that will keep time with the music they're clapping to.
I laughed at them, too. Not easy to be a musician and to knowingly compromise your standards for a paycheck or just play in situations you'd rather not. But, it's a job like any other in some respects...
House concert last September - a fiddle, an accordion, and people having fun. A better representation of Irish music, AND there's a bloody harp sitting behind them while they play, AND zero compromise of artistic integrity for a seething crowd of pop-music ticket-stubs.
Thanks for the clip DtM. I think its wonderful to see highly acclaimed musicians [such as O'Raghallaigh and Begley] having fun and playing with a laid back, comfortable approach. It's awful to witness egos taking over and destroying someones reputation despite being very good musicians. Elitism is getting more popular in these circles by my reckoning, and I'm not mentioning any names!
I'm with you there Tintin.
For a brief moment I thought Floccinauaghdaokhga;odihg was being serious and I clicked on the links expecting some brilliant music-ing and was horrified to see the green-dressed pageant-reject flouncing around on the stage. Then I realized it was a joke and had myself a good laugh.
I thought green-dress looked like a department store manequin. That was the drowsiest version of drowsy maggie I've ever heard.
This in regard to the beauty pageant gal dressed in green...
I was just talking with a classmate of my daughter's and she just competed in a state pageant (Miss America org) and she played a classical violin piece for her talent portion. She came in 2nd because her piece wasn't "entertaining" enough. It drives me absolutely bonkers to see the plastered on smile, the hair flipping, etc. But sometimes one does what one has to do get the desired results. In our young friend's case, she should have gone to the pageant, played a ripping hoedown, tossed her blonde hair, and smiled big (she's not that great of a violinist to wow them with talent...). The thing is, the Miss America org is the largest provider of scholarships to women. My sister won a state pageant and it paid for her masters degree in education of the hearing impaired.
Now, what do we do about a system that makes young women act so weird in order to pay for college?
Why this music is so good
Why this music is so good
Look at these two videos and you'll realise why Irish music is just so damn good and popular, I defy anyone to find a better representation of Irish music on youtube...........
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7w65438PCGM&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywMPtwM8avs&feature=related
# Posted on June 27th 2008 by Worldwide Pants
Re: Why this music is so good
Spot on! I wouldn't mind either of those blond fiddlers!
That is what you mean isn't it?
# Posted on June 27th 2008 by PaddyCmusic
Re: Why this music is so good
I never thought I could find hair so repulsive.
# Posted on June 27th 2008 by bogman
Re: Why this music is so good
Ugh, I thought you were being serious. What a let-down, after listening to all the great clips in the wimpy fiddles thread.
I've had the misfortune of seeing that "dueling fiddles" clip before. I'm not sure they are really playing, at least one of them seems to have bowing that doesn't match the...music. Still, they seem to be capable violinists, even if they are bow-syncing and don't know the first thing about the music they are trying to play.
Those clips aren't so bad when you mute them, though.
# Posted on June 27th 2008 by Marklar
Re: Why this music is so good
I think there was some finger trouble here and the Youtube link should have been http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCiqPCA_MRA. Des Mulkere is thankfully still around and playing some great music on both banjo and flute. In fact his duets with box player Charlie Harris bring back much of the Joe Cooley magic.
# Posted on June 27th 2008 by Bannerman
Re: Why this music is so good
What are you talkin about Bannerman, that Cooley video is useless, there's no glamorous women flicking their hair whilst dancing on high heels in it.........
# Posted on June 27th 2008 by Worldwide Pants
Re: Why this music is so good
Good comb-over flicking from the elderly gentleman towards the end though.
# Posted on June 27th 2008 by bogman
Re: Why this music is so good
yeah I can see them going wild in Hyde Park about some come-over flicking!
# Posted on June 27th 2008 by Worldwide Pants
Re: Why this music is so good
erm, that should be comb-over flicking, not come-over flicking....
There's a Freudian slip if ever there was one!
# Posted on June 27th 2008 by Worldwide Pants
Re: Why this music is so good
The one with the fishnet arms is Hillary Clinton.
# Posted on June 27th 2008 by nicholas
Re: Why this music is so good
Cora Smyth is Breda Smyth's sister and Breda is a fairly handy with a tin whistle.
# Posted on June 27th 2008 by PaddyCmusic
Re: Why this music is so good
Bannerman is spot on.Thats real music.Its full of life,gra and passion.Not like that sh*t floccinaucinihilipiilification posted.
Fair enough, maybe thats what attracts some people to irish music,but i wouldn't call that real irish music at all.
# Posted on June 27th 2008 by dinn2
Re: Why this music is so good
get a sense of humour dinn2
# Posted on June 27th 2008 by Worldwide Pants
Re: Why this music is so good
I'll tell you Screetch, both the fiddlers in the youtube video know more about "the music they are trying to play" than I'll probably ever learn in two lifetimes. They're getting paid to do a job within a set of parameters, that's all.
# Posted on June 27th 2008 by Patkiwi
Re: Why this music is so good
Is no one going to comment about the Stepford Wives-like playing in the first video? Has to be the stiffest, robotic attempt at trad I've ever seen!
# Posted on June 27th 2008 by Worldwide Pants
Re: Why this music is so good
And there was me thinking that Drowsie Maggie might soon get rehabillitated and re-introduced to the session scene. This video puts this prospect back by at least another 50 years!
# Posted on June 27th 2008 by Bannerman
Re: Why this music is so good
I actually felt a bit sorry for the woman in the first clip. Talk about a fish out of water!!
# Posted on June 27th 2008 by bogman
Re: Why this music is so good
Wha...? I was too busy ogling. Yeah, they were awful...ly purty. Oink oink, grunt grunt, Mongo want pretty fiddlers in cave. [bangs club on ground]
# Posted on June 27th 2008 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: Why this music is so good
Patkiwi, they are good violinists but they are playing classical style, which is what I meant. That's not really fiddling, at least not in my book.
# Posted on June 27th 2008 by Marklar
Re: Why this music is so good
For a more sensible sample of what is best about Irish music try here:
http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=comhaltas&p=r
# Posted on June 27th 2008 by Feargal French
Re: Why this music is so good
I have a sense of humour Floccinaucinihilipilification.I understand it was only a joke.I was not angry at the joke but how you said the cooley video was usless.I apolagise for my retaliation....maybe i did over react.
# Posted on June 27th 2008 by dinn2
Re: Why this music is so good
Hey Screetch,
While the fiddler on the left has "some" classical technique which she is employing in the video I can assure you that she is well versed in the art of traditional fiddling. As to the fiddler on the left, I can only tell you that she comes from a remarkable family of musicians from Mayo who play to the highest level on multiple instruments. While the music that they're playing here is clearly not to everyone's taste (especially mine) I can tell you from personal experience that these girls can really play good traditional music in a great traditional style.
# Posted on June 27th 2008 by Patkiwi
Re: Why this music is so good
Well, OK. They do know trad then, but they've chosen to play something else in those clips. I guess I can't blame them for making a living, but I'd sure prefer to hear them play the tunes in trad style.
# Posted on June 27th 2008 by Marklar
Re: Why this music is so good
I don't think they're actually playing there... Look at the very end, the sound continues after their bows are both done. And mysteriously, there's a whistle playing with them... They're synching for sure. And that would raise doubts as to whether it was actually them that recorded the music. My guess would be not. So they're just getting paid to prance around and perform for the audience. Not bad work if you can get it...
# Posted on June 27th 2008 by Reverend
Re: Why this music is so good
The fiddler on the left in the second video is Máiréad Nesbitt whose solo album 'Raining Up' should seriously be avoided.
# Posted on June 27th 2008 by Floss the Tethers
Re: Why this music is so good
I thought the rendition of Drowsy Maggie had some timing issues and wasn't really very good. People were clapping to the music but she wasn't keeping in time to the clapping. Maybe it's hard to play with a phony smile, a ton of hairspray and that dress. I know I'd be worrying the whole time it might fall down.
# Posted on June 27th 2008 by sbhikes
Re: Why this music is so good
'People were clapping to the music but she wasn't keeping in time to the clapping'
Which is really short of being a yardstick for timing issues. I have yet to hear a clapping audience that will keep time with the music they're clapping to.
# Posted on June 27th 2008 by kilfarboy
Re: Why this music is so good
I laughed at them, too. Not easy to be a musician and to knowingly compromise your standards for a paycheck or just play in situations you'd rather not. But, it's a job like any other in some respects...
# Posted on June 27th 2008 by leoj
Re: Why this music is so good
"Not easy to be a musician and to knowingly compromise your standards for a paycheck"
you would think, but when that rent comes due.....well, just hand me over that spandex jumpsuit!
# Posted on June 27th 2008 by Nate Ryan
Re: Why this music is so good
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d90UFcsOlfQ
House concert last September - a fiddle, an accordion, and people having fun. A better representation of Irish music, AND there's a bloody harp sitting behind them while they play, AND zero compromise of artistic integrity for a seething crowd of pop-music ticket-stubs.
--DtM
# Posted on June 27th 2008 by Dan the Man
Re: Why this music is so good
AND no piles of cash DtM, but that is an awesome set and sounds like everyone was having a great time!
Somehow that led me to this clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gczdxwV178c&feature=related
I SO wish I could afford a Hardanger :(
# Posted on June 27th 2008 by Marklar
Re: Why this music is so good
Thanks for the clip DtM. I think its wonderful to see highly acclaimed musicians [such as O'Raghallaigh and Begley] having fun and playing with a laid back, comfortable approach. It's awful to witness egos taking over and destroying someones reputation despite being very good musicians. Elitism is getting more popular in these circles by my reckoning, and I'm not mentioning any names!
# Posted on June 28th 2008 by PaddyCmusic
Re: Why this music is so good
I just watched the videos in the first post--at least as much as I could stomach, which wasn't much. I think I threw up a little bit in my mouth.
# Posted on June 28th 2008 by Tintin
Re: Why this music is so good
I'm with you there Tintin.
For a brief moment I thought Floccinauaghdaokhga;odihg was being serious and I clicked on the links expecting some brilliant music-ing and was horrified to see the green-dressed pageant-reject flouncing around on the stage. Then I realized it was a joke and had myself a good laugh.
I thought green-dress looked like a department store manequin. That was the drowsiest version of drowsy maggie I've ever heard.
# Posted on June 28th 2008 by Tasia
Re: Why this music is so good
Interesting interpertations of my favorite tunes.
My mom always said, "if you cannot say something nice, say nothing at all."
With that in mind,
# Posted on June 28th 2008 by Rook
Re: Why this music is so good
This in regard to the beauty pageant gal dressed in green...
I was just talking with a classmate of my daughter's and she just competed in a state pageant (Miss America org) and she played a classical violin piece for her talent portion. She came in 2nd because her piece wasn't "entertaining" enough. It drives me absolutely bonkers to see the plastered on smile, the hair flipping, etc. But sometimes one does what one has to do get the desired results. In our young friend's case, she should have gone to the pageant, played a ripping hoedown, tossed her blonde hair, and smiled big (she's not that great of a violinist to wow them with talent...). The thing is, the Miss America org is the largest provider of scholarships to women. My sister won a state pageant and it paid for her masters degree in education of the hearing impaired.
Now, what do we do about a system that makes young women act so weird in order to pay for college?
# Posted on June 30th 2008 by wyogal